a mother daughter odyssey make an impact€¦ · cecilia buckner adriana cara michael denzinger...

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Women Who Make an ImpactPG. 13

A MOTHERDAUGHTER ODYSSEY& OTHER TALES PG. 10

NO. 4, VOL. XXXI

COVER STORY

14Women of InfluenceAnn Moore (pictured), a San Diego Port Commissioner,joins our list of women of San Diego County who aremaking a difference in ther professions and the com-munity.

Chairman | CEORobert Page

[email protected]

PublisherRebeca Page

[email protected]

Managing EditorManny Cruz

[email protected]

Graphic DesignerChristopher Baker

[email protected]

Photography/IllustrationEric Peters

David Rottenberg

Contributing WritersCecilia BucknerAdriana Cara

Michael DenzingerCourtney Dwyer

Meagan GarlandManny Lopez

Colette MauzeralleCynthia Morgan-Reed

Delle Willett

AdvertisingSALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR

Rebeca Page

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All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the FairHousing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any Prefernce lim-itation or discriminatin based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap,familial status, or national orgigin, or an intention, to make any pref-erence, limitation or discrimination. “Familial status includes childrenunder the age of 18 living wit hparents or legal custodians; preg-nant women and people securing custody of children under 18.This magazine will not knowingly accept any advertising for real es-tate which in in violation of this law. Our readers are hereby in-formed that all dwellings advertised in this magazine are availableon an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination callHUD Toll-Free at 1-800-669-9777. Th Toll-free telephone number forthe hearing impaired is 1-800-927-9275.

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ON THE COVER:

A Mother-Daughter Odyssey and other TalesSan Diego author Jennifer Coburn leaves daughter Katie with special mem-ories of their travels together.See Page 10.

2016 | ISSUE 4 Volume XXXI

Our mission is to always provide quality journalism for our readers by being

fair, accurate and ethical and a credible resource for our advertisers.

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Financial Guru for NonprofitsVeteran nonprofit financial officer Steve Hermes sayshe’s passionate about helping nonprofit organizationsbecome more fiscally sound so they can continue towork on their mission. After all, if nonprofits are not fi-nancially sustainable, they won’t be around to do theirgood work for very long. Hermes is part of a team thatcreated Mission Edge San Diego.

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Homebuilders Share Hot Design TrendsFrom kids’ study rooms to pet suites, new homes in SanDiego are being designed to accommodate all mem-bers of the family. With National Architecture Week justbehind us in April, ‘tis the season to look at the latestarchitecture and interior design trends.

18

West Coast ChanelChristina Samoylov owns and operates the Carlsbad-based boutique Designer Vault, the nation’s largestpurveyor of rare and vintage Chanel — the globallyrevered fashion house considered by many the holygrail of the industry.

17

TravelGuy Pacurar, a son of Del Mar, gave up the corporatewhirlwind to run, manage and own one of Mendo-cino’s most stunning B & Bs. The Brewery Gulch Inn isnot your everyday stop in the road. It has been rankedas the 18th best lodging property by Travel & Leisuremagazine.

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Construction has begun on the second phase of BRIC, the Inter-Continental Hotels & Resorts property that will feature 400 guestrooms above ground-level restaurants and shops along Broadway andPacific Highway in Downtown San Diego. The property is the formersite of Lane Field.

Hong Kong-based China Orient Asset Management Internationalprovided equity financing and PNC Bank N.A. & Regions Bank pro-vided construction loans for the $217 million development.

“Beginning construction of this second phase of BRIC’s develop-ment is a major milestone for a significant addition to San Diego’sNorth Embarcadero area,” said Ambrish Baisiwala, CEO of PortmanHoldings. “We have been working with our partners at Lankford &Associates and Hensel Phelps for many years to bring this entiremixed-use development to fruition, and are thrilled to break groundon this new phase, bringing the first full service luxury property toSan Diego’s waterfront in quite some time.”

The development team consists of Portman Holdings, Lankford &Associates and Hensel Phelps.

The joint venture also developed BRIC’s first phase together, theadjacent SpringHill Suites and Residence Inn, which opened earlierthis year.

Plans for the 18-story hotel include a signature restaurant and barlocated on level three, with expansive views of the San Diego Bay. Itis part of several multi-level indoor/outdoor terraces and balconiesthat offer similar views. The hotel will have 23,000 square feet of ball-rooms and meeting space. The two ballrooms each have a full glasswall with views of Downtown and the bay. Also included is an outdoorpool, fitness center, spa and rooftop bar. The development, along withits 32,850 square feet of ground- level restaurants and shops alongBroadway and Pacific Highway, will include a landscaped walkwayand plaza along Broadway, and 686 parking spaces in a subterraneangarage, 271 of which are available to the public.

John Portman & Associates designing the building, and generalcontractor Helsel Phelps plans to complete construction in Septem-ber 2018.

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SAN DIEGOSCENE

Construction Starts on 18-Story InterContinental Hotel Downtown

SAN D IEGO SCENE

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San Diego’s innovation ecomony will re-ceive a boost from a recent $5 million grantfrom the California Energy Commission,which funds the creation of the San DiegoRegional Innovation Cluster.

That’s a consortium of nine organizations,including San Diego State University, whichwill receive $1 million to help advance thecommercialization of potential clean energysolutions in the San Diego region.

In practice, that will mean helpingSDSU’s faculty, students and staff, as well aslocal community members, who have ideasfor establishing clean energy companies toevaluate market potential, develop success-ful business plans, handle their intellectualproperty needs and identify funding part-ners to carry their work forward.

Another aspect of the program will be toencourage companies that arise from thisconsortium to demonstrate and test proto-

types in Imperial County, and especially atSDSU’s Imperial Valley campus. This couldcreate a “pipeline of talent to Imperial Val-ley,” said John Crockett, senior director forresearch project development at the SDSUResearch Foundation.

Other regional partners in the consor-tium include the University of California,San Diego, the University of San Diego,Cleantech San Diego and the Center forSustainable Energy.

SDSU will establish energy technologypriorities to guide innovators and will so-licit ideas that meet those needs, but Crock-ett added that they will accept any goodidea at any time. Energy storage, efficientwater use, solar power, geothermal power,wind power and the intersection of waterand energy are all examples of fields in needof innovation that could fit the consortium’scriteria, Crockett said.

California Energy Commission Grant to Spur Regional CleanEnergy Projects

The Old Globe Theatre has selectedLlewellyn Crain, former director of develop-ment for the Kansas City Symphony, as itsnew director of development. “Crain comesto San Diego following a rigorous nationalsearch. She is an accomplished senior arts de-velopment professional with a track record inbuilding sustainable high-performing devel-opment departments, and a demonstratedhistory of successful interactions with highnet-worth individuals and institutional lead-ership,” the Globe said in announcing the ap-pointment.

Crain will oversee an 11-person develop-ment department that raises funds throughmajor gifts, institutional giving, planned giv-ing, annual giving, membership, and specialevents, and she will serve as the lead execu-tive responsible for maintaining and growingthe Globe’s base of individual and institu-tional support, working with the managingdirector and artistic director.

Crain was the lead manager of the KansasCity Symphony’s $55 million endowmentcampaign, working with board and executiveleadership, which has brought in more than$51.2 million to date. She also managed six

auxiliary groups that raised over $1 millionannually through special events, the Sym-phony Shop, and other fundraising projects,and a portfolio of approximately 200 donorsand prospects.

Old Globe Theatre Selects Director of Development

Llewellyn Crain

Northrop Grumman, Boeing andLockheed Martin selected

Northrop Grumman, Boeing andLockheed Martin have received sep-arate contracts to conduct readinessfeasibility studies for the develop-ment of an 11th and succeedingGPS III space vehicles for the U.S.Air Force.

Each GPS III SV11+ Phase 1Production Readiness FeasibilityAssessment contract has a 26-monthbase value of $5 million and two six-month options worth up to $1 mil-lion combined, the Air Force’s Spaceand Missile Systems Center said.

The contracts were awarded fourmonths after the service branchposted the solicitation for proposalson the FedBizOpps website.

“The scope of these contracts in-clude insight into each of the con-tractor’s readiness efforts inpreparation for the Phase 2 compe-tition for production SVs and in-cludes access to design artifacts aswell as a demonstration of naviga-tion payload capability,” the Spaceand Missile Systems Center noted.

Lockheed Martin was awardedthe contract to build eight GPS IIIsatellites and works with Exelis onthe satellite navigation technology.

The Air Force aims to build GPSIII Space Vehicle 11 and successorsvia the current GPS III SV01–08technical baseline and integrate nu-clear detonation detection system,search-and-rescue and laser retro-re-flector array government-furnishedequipment hosted payloads into thespace vehicles.

Follow-on space vehicles will alsobe designed with unified S-bandcompliance and regional militaryprotection systems.

Air Force Picks DefenseContractors For GPS IIISpace Vehicles Studies


SAN D IEGO SCENE

The strongest field of World Masters yetassembled will compete in the fifth annualU.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge and Di-mensional Art Exposition when it returnsto San Diego’s B Street Pier on Labor Dayweekend Sept. 2-5.

Master Sculptors Benjamin Probanzafrom Mexico and Katsuhiku Chaen fromJapan are joining other internationallyrenowned artists from Russia, Latvia, theNetherlands, Italy, Ireland and Canada inbattling some of the best from the U.S. forover $60,000 in prize and appearancemoney, as well as their national pride.

The event has become one of the world’smost important sand sculpture competi-tions and has been named one of USAToday’s Top 10.

In addition to the amazing sand sculp-tures being created and displayed duringthe festival, artists who work in othermedia like metal, glass, acrylic, wood, fab-ric, ceramics and gemstones will display

and sell their work. Members of the SanDiego Sculptors Guild headline an im-pressive line-up of artists from throughoutthe Southwestern U.S. The event is work-ing with the city of San Diego’s Interna-tional Affairs Board and the producers ofSan Diego’s Latin Art Festival to add moredimensional artists from Mexico and LatinAmerica.

This family-friendly extravaganza offers

an array of activities for guests of all ages.

Event Facts:It takes two full weeks from start-upto tear-down.

more than 300 tons of sand arebrought onto B Street Pier in Down-town San Diego.

It will feature 11 professional interna-tional Master Sculptors competingsolo, plus seven teams of three in CoolCalifornia Carver competition.

The Dimensional Art Exposition —over 1,000 one-of-a-kind originalworks of art (metal, wood, glass, jew-elry, hand-made clothing, wall-art,acrylic, fabric, gemstones, etc.) on dis-play and for sale.

Family Fun — Kid Zone with rides andsandcastle building lessons taught byprofessional artists.

For more information about U.S. SandSculpting Challenge and DimensionalArt Exposition ,visit http://www.us-sandsculpting.com/

Sand Sculpting Challenge Returns to San Diego

Military Eagle

Sandman Blues


SAN D IEGO SCENE

Cubic Global Defense, a business unit ofCubic Corporation, announced that it ispart of the Warfighter Readiness ResearchDivision Contractor Team awarded a five-year, $200 million contract by the U.S. AirForce Research Laboratory for researchand evaulation of warfighter readiness andtraining.

The team, led by L-3 CommunicationsCorporation’s Simulation & Training Di-

vision, consists of CGD, Ball Aerospaceand Leidos.

“We look forward to working withAFRL researchers and our industry part-ners within the Warfighter Readiness Re-search Division Contractor Team to findand deliver the knowledge and skills ourwarfighters need to dominate their operat-ing environment,” said Bill Toti, presidentof Cubic Global Defense. “As part of our

NextTraining strategy, Cubic is focused onraising mission readiness and optimizinghuman performance for our customers toenable the most effective and efficienttraining methods.”

Work under this award will be per-formed at Wright-Patterson Air ForceBase, Ohio, and is expected to be completeby January 2023.

Cubic and Industry Partners Awarded $200 Million Contract by U.S. Air Force

Eric Topol Selected as aKeynote Speaker at SpaceStation Conference

Dr. Eric Topol, director of the ScrippsTranslational Science Institute, has beenconfirmed as a keynote speaker at the fifthannual International Space Station Re-search and Development Conference July12-14 at the San Diego Town and Coun-try Resort & Convention Center.

The conference was created to connectcommercial and academic communitiesinvolved in new innovations, break-throughs, and discoveries onboard hu-mankind’s orbiting laboratory. The eventis held in coordination with the Center forthe Advancement of Science in Space theAmerican Astronautical Society andNASA.

Topol has published 1,100 peer-re-viewed articles. He is one of the top 10most cited researchers in His principal sci-entific focus has been on the genomics anddigital tools to individualize medicine.

SD METRO Magazine’s list of BestDoctors ® - San Diego is coming in theJuly issue of the magazine. The list willprovide access to the best medicalminds in the community. You can besure you’re getting the right diagnosis,the right treatment, and the right carefrom the innovative professionals.Gallup has audited and certified Best

Doctors, Inc,’s database of physiciansand its companion, The Best Doctors in

America List, as using the highest in-dustry standards survey methodologyand processes.These lists are excerpted from The

Best Doctors in America 2015-2016database, which includes over 40,000U.S. doctors in more than 40 medicalspecialties and 400 subspecialties. SD METRO is proud to present San

Diego’s Best Doctors in our July issue.

As one of San Diego’s most experiencedand sought after mediators, Craig Higgscombines three decades of experience as acivil trial attorney with more than 30 yearsin alternative dispute resolution.

Higgs has handled over 1,500 media-tions, including employment cases, classactions, personal injury and all types ofbusiness disputes. The mediations rangefrom those of modest value to tens of mil-lions of dollars.

In addition, Higgs has tried over 50jury cases and scores of arbitrations.

He is past president of both the SanDiego County Bar Association and theSan Diego chapter of the American Boardof Trial Advocates.

Higgs is a fellow of the InternationalAcademy of Mediators, and regularlyteaches mediation advocacy to law firms,attorney groups and at the University ofSan Diego School of Law. He is a partnerat Higgs Fletcher & Mack.

Craig Higgs: Mediator Par Excellence

Eric Topol

Craig Higgs


SAN D IEGO SCENE

SDSU’s Student Housing Project to Include Retail Shops to Serve Campus and the Public

South Campus Plaza, a mixed-use proj-ect slated for completion this year at SanDiego State University, will include hous-ing for more than 600 students and featuretwo restaurant tenants that will open in2017 to the general public -- Eureka! andTrader Joe’s.

Eureka! will occupy a 4,000-square-footspace on the north end of South CampusPlaza with outdoor dining overlookingnew green space in the project. The loca-tion will be Eureka! Restaurant Group’ssecond in San Diego, the first being inUniversity Towne Center.

The announcement by San Diego Statesaid Eureka! “specializes in American clas-sics with a modern twist with its diverse se-lection of signature appetizers, all natural,

Angus chuck burgers, innovative salads,hand-crafted sandwiches, delectabledesserts and a selection of craft beers andAmerican-made spirits.”

“Eureka! provides the surrounding resi-dential neighborhood along with students,faculty administrators and alumni an au-thentic place to dine, drink and socializewhile enjoying special weekly events suchas our live music, steal the glass and week-end brunch,” said Justin Nedelman, co-CEO of Eureka! Restaurant Group. “Weintend to become anchored to SDSU forall of their events and activate our enor-mous almost 3,000-square-foot patio ad-jacent to the park area as a centralgathering spot for everyone off and oncampus in the area.”

The retail component of South CampusPlaza will include other restaurants and re-tail shops. Negotiations with future tenantsare ongoing. The outlets

are designed to serve both the campusand its surrounding neighborhoods.

“Eureka! is an example of the high-qual-ity, year-round restaurants and retail thatSouth Campus Plaza will bring to theCollege Area,” said R.D. Williams, direc-tor of commercial development for AztecShops. “While new to SDSU, Eureka! hasa strong following at its restaurants adja-cent to campuses throughout the West.”

South Campus Plaza is located imme-diately south of the SDSU Transit Center,between Hardy Avenue and MontezumaRoad.

The former San Diego Daily Tran-script building and adjacent parking lotslocated at 2131 3rd Ave., San Diego, havebeen sold for $5,300,000 to SDPB Hold-ings LLC. Michael Donovan, the buyer’smanager, plans to redevelop the propertyinto an office complex.

The Daily Transcript occupied theproperty for more than three decades

until October 2015. The property, located three blocks west

of Balboa Park on the corner of 3rd Av-enue and Ivy Street, is comprised of threebuildings totalling 34,298 square feet on22,651 square feet of land. It also includesa surface parking lot across the street fromthe buildings totalling 10,000 square feetof land.

“San Diego’s Downtown and Uptownoffice markets are experiencing a wave ofrepurposing of older properties into col-laborative work environments that appealto millennials and other innovative or-ganizations,” said Tim Cowden of Col-liers International, one of the brokers whorepresented the Daily Transcript in thesale.

Former San Diego Daily Transcript Building Sold for $5.3 Million

Rendering of South Campus Plaza.

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COVER STORY

Jennifer Coburn has a story for everything, a talent sheinherited from her father, who could make a story out oftying his shoelaces. And he did all the asides and all theparts with perfect accents. Jen does, too.

She’s used her story-telling skills to create seven books,inspired by an acquaintance, friend, family member, or cir-cumstance.

For example, her first book on the market, “The Wife ofReilly,” a story about a woman who wants to find a new

wife for her husband so she can marry an old collegebeau, was inspired by a friend who called Jen one day

and said, “I can’t stand my husband today.” They discussed her plan to find him a new wife

and buy homes next to each other, where theycould continue raising their kids together. Re-garding the wife search, the friend said, “I sup-pose I could take care of that since I take care ofeverything else in this damn house.”

While it was just fantasizing on her friend’spart, and gave them both a good laugh, Jen saw

the story potential and ran with it.Jen’s first book, “Tales from the Crib,”

which she started when her daughter Katiewas born, began as a series of 1,000- to 2,000-

word parenting essays, and turned into afull-blown novel about how one babycan bring people together — so they can

drive each other nuts. “Queen Gene” is a follow-up book to “Tales

from the Crib,” which takes the reader on a wildride through the world of way over-the-top kid-die birthday parties, puppy psychotherapy and per-formance-art weddings with a family so nutty it willmake you appreciate your own.

“Field of Schemes” came from Jen’s first-hand ex-perience of having a child who played club soccer for manyyears. It’s about getting a fresh start in a town where soc-cer is king and parents are far, far too involved in their chil-dren’s sports.

“Reinventing Mona” is about a fictional character play-ing out a scenario Jen thought would be fun — trying todo an entire life makeover and failing miserably, all whilehelping transform the lives of everyone else around.

This is her least favorite and her best-seller. Her favoriteand worst seller is “Tales from the Crib.”

“Which just shows you I cannot call the market,” shesaid.

”Brownie Points” is about a boy who wants to become aGirl Scout. The idea came about by chance while Jen andher daughter were eating lunch at an In-N-Out Burger,observing 50 Boy Scouts herding in the door. And Katiementioned that a boy she knew wanted to join Girl Scoutsinstead of Boy Scouts. The story takes the reader on a hi-larious journey as the boy’s family faces the fight of theirlives and, in the process, discovers what it means to be fam-ily.

Jen’s most recent book, “We’ll Always Have Paris,” is amemoir of travels to Europe with her daughter, Katie, fromage 8 to 16. The inspiration for the travels came from Jen’s

Most of Jennifer Coburn’sbooks dwell in humor, but herfavorite is a memoir of thetimes spent with daughterKatie in months-long adventures in Europe

By Delle Willett

A MOTHER-DAUGHTER ODYSSEY

&OTHER TALES

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COVER STORY

wish to leave Katie with special memories of theirtimes together through the years. Each of their four,month-long summer trips to Europe began andended in Paris.

Jen’s mother suggested she write the book, her best-seller to date. During their European vacations, Jenand Katie, now 19, took lots of photos but no notes. SoJen used their photos to jog her memory of sights,sounds, smells and situations.

Jen and Katie have fun with these memories: Re-member your surprise when Dr. Groovy told you to pullup your shirt? Remember that English pot roast thattasted like a shoe? I drool every time I think of thoseNutella crepes on the Left Bank. Remember singingfolksongs with those Korean tourists? How many hourswere we stuck at the train station? Remember getting lost in ourhotel in Las Casas Juderia? How many meringue puffs did we eat?Wasn’t that sliced octopus yummy!

Will there be a follow up to “We’ll Always Have Paris”? Wellmaybe, but not right away. Katie is now 19 and a freshman at M.I.T.,studying brain and cognitive sciences. This summer she will be work-ing at the J. Craig Venter Institute in La Jolla.

By day Jen is a freelance writer for various magazines and news-papers. By night she’s a book author, working from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.“That’s the time I actually feel best. I would never survive a 9-to-5job. I have nothing to say, nothing worth listening to at 9 in themorning,” she said. At the moment, with no book in progress, thelights will be out late at night.

Jen’s mother, Carol, had her in improv and acting classes since for-ever. And of course, she has a story about that. One of her classmateswas Anderson Cooper.

“I adored him. He was a lovely, lovely guy, very unpretentious andvery unassuming. But if you told me he would be the most success-ful person in the class I wouldn’t have believed it because there wereso many amazingly talented kids.”

His mom came to Parents’ Day at the Neighborhood PlayhouseSchool of Theatre. “When I saw her I just assumed that she was justanother elegant Manhattan mom, I mean, really, whose mother isGloria Vanderbilt?

“And I told Anderson that his mother looked exactly like GloriaVanderbilt. (Her face was everywhere as Gloria Vanderbilt jeans werein their heyday.) But it never occurred to me that it was actually herand I said something stupid like, ‘But wouldn’t you love to have thatkind of money?’”

He just laughed and said, “That would be nice,” which she sayswas very telling. “He wasn’t being coy. He was just a regular kid. Andthe fact of the matter was that he didn’t have that kind of money —she did.”

When Jen, 49, graduated from the University of Michigan in 1988with a degree in communications, she headed straight for San Diego,avoiding returning to her hometown in New York and getting backinto a groove she didn’t want to be in. She arrived with nothing buta credit card and an offer from a family acquaintance to sleep on hiscouch for two weeks in Mission Beach.

In time, she joined an improv class. This time there was anotheryoung man in her class who was also lovely and sweet, there to workon overcoming shyness.

It worked, at least enough for him to propose to Jen on stage infront of everyone in the middle of a show. His name is William

O’Nell and he’s a self-employed attorney with a specialtyin insurance law. He and Jen have been married to eachother since 1993.

Expanding on her story-telling skills, Jen also exper-imented for a while with standup comedy. After writ-ing her own material she would rehearse one hour forevery minute on stage. “I was so, so afraid of standingup there and blanking that I over prepared,” she said.

“I walked in my neighborhood for exercise andpeople must have thought I was crazy ‘cuz I’m walk-ing around moving my lips and I don’t have any earbuds in, but obviously speaking and gesturing withmy hands. And in the shower, the pool — where Ican’t even hear myself, but I just kinda visualized

how it goes.”“I’m glad I did it because it answered questions for me, but I don’t

feel a burning desire to do it again... Well, I might do it again if I havesomething funny to say. I’m just as happy at a dinner party telling astory with some friends,” she said.

Best pals.

Jennifer with husband William O’Nell and daughter Katie. O’Nellsports a broken arm suffered while training for his and Katie’s an-nual trek up Half Dome at Yosemite National Park. This family is noth-ing but adventurous.


C O V E R S T O RY

Katie, at age 8, reads a books from a Shakespearean bookstore inParis.

Jennifer with her book collection.

Tired travelers waiting for a train strike to end. Katie in Amsterdam, displaying an album by Jennifer’s father.

Mother and daughter travelers. Jennifer and Katie at a San Diego booksigning.


NONPROF ITS

In order for a nonprofit organization todo good work, it must first work well.That means mastering some of the lessglamorous aspects like cash flow forecasts,payroll, and budgeting.

Veteran nonprofit financial officer SteveHermes understands that, and says he’spassionate about helping organizationsbecome more fiscally sound so they cancontinue to work on their mission. Afterall, if nonprofits are not financially sus-tainable, they won’t be around to do theirgood work for very long.

This philosophy guided Hermes andtwo San Diego social venture entrepre-neurs to create a nonprofit of their own,one that supports small to midsize chari-ties with “back office” services like ac-counting and human resources.

Five years later, Mission Edge SanDiego has helped more than 200 organi-zations like San Diego Junior Theatre,Feeding America, and Timken Museumof Art operate more efficiently.

“I’m not going to tell you a better wayto serve meals, house the homeless, orhelp people with their addictions, but Ican help nonprofits with accounting andfinancial reporting so they can do whatthey do best,” said Hermes. “The chal-lenge for an organization with an operat-ing budget under $2 million dollars is thatthey typically can’t support a full-timeCFO, but their needs extend beyond whata bookkeeper can do. That’s where mostnonprofits are lacking. The leadership andstaff of nonprofits are very passionateabout the cause but often don’t have thefinancial acumen to understand cash flowforecasts, grant application financial re-quests, and the nuts and bolts of their or-ganizations beyond the social impact.”

A member of the North County Phi-lanthropy Council, Hermes has served onthe board of directors at the Alzheimer’sAssociation, San Diego Public Library

Foundation, and Sustainable Surplus Ex-change, and taught accounting and audit-ing at UC San Diego Extension. He saidhe loves to teach — not only his studentsbut nonprofit board members and staff.“Most board members’ eyes start to glazeover at the sight of the financial reports,but they also understand that it’s their fi-duciary duty to protect the interest of theorganization so they are very open to theworkshops I offer on how to understandthese reports,” he said.

Hermes discovered his love for ac-counting at Illinois College when he tooka class as an elective and quickly discov-ered a gift for numbers. “I have Germanancestry so I love things organized andaccounting just clicked,” he said. A collegeguidance counselor suggested that Her-mes apply to a Masters of Business Ad-ministration program, which wassomething not many people had heard ofin 1971, including Hermes. He researcheddifferent programs and decided that at-tending Indiana University would bestenable him to build a career in account-ing. Not only did he gain admission, butHermes was asked to become a teachingassistant and teach accounting to under-graduate students. In exchange, the uni-

versity offered him full tuition and a salarythat paid for his room and board. “I wasable to get an MBA for the cost of booksand incidentals, so that was very appealingto the accountant in me,” he said. “Youhear about students graduating in enor-mous debt so I was very fortunate to getan undergraduate degree and MBA with-out any student loans.”

After seven years at a “Big 8” public ac-counting firm in Chicago, Hermes de-cided in 1981 to join his sister who livedin San Diego. He said he loved workingin public accounting and Chicago, but thecall of San Diego was too great. “The lasttwo winters were brutal and when I cameto visit my sister at Christmas, I knewthere was no better place to live and workthan San Diego.”

He spent decades in public accounting,serving as a partner at Nation Smith Her-mes Diamond, which he helped grow tobe the fifth largest accounting firm in SanDiego before it was acquired byCBIZ/HMH in 2005. He stayed on until2009 when he decided to focus his energyon teaching.

Soon after, Hermes was approached byDuane Trombly, a mergers and acquisi-tions executive he had known for manyyears. “He was with a group that gavesmall grants to nonprofits, but wanted tostart something new, a way to providemore ongoing support for San Diego’snonprofit community,” said Hermes.“That idea became Mission Edge, whichfills a real need. It’s very satisfying to thinkthat our nonprofit venture helps so manycharitable organizations maintain theirhigh level of productivity so they can con-tinue serving the needs of the communityand making San Diego an even betterplace to call home.”

Financial Guru for NonprofitsMission Edge Financial helps organizations manage their money

By Jennifer Coburn

Steve Hermes

Sara Libby is managing editor of Voice of SanDiego, anonprofit investigative news organizationthat gives citizens the tools they need to engage inimportant conversations. She edits the site’s con-tent, manages reporters, writes a weekly newslettercalled What We Learned This Week and hosts theSan Diego Decides podcast about elections andpolitics in San Diego. She regularly contributesfreelance writing to outlets including The Atlantic,Slate and Citylab. Her writing has also appeared

in the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, American Prospect,Washington Post and others. Before coming to San Diego in 2012, Sara wasa senior editor at Politico, and an editor at TPM, where she led the site’scoverage of the 2012 presidential election. She graduated cum laude fromUSC’s Annenberg School of Journalism, and served as editor in chief of theDaily Trojan.


W O M A N W H O I M PA C T

Women Who Impact San Diego 20161 4 O U T S T A N D I N G P R O F E S S I O N A L S

Ann Moore was sworn in to the Board of Port Commissioners onJan. 13, 2011, to represent the City of Chula Vista. She is a senior part-ner in the law firm of Norton Moore & Adams. Before joining the firm,Moore served as Chula Vista's City Attorney. She has practiced law formore than 20 years and has extensive experience in land use, real estate,redevelopment, environmental, and municipal law. She represents bothdevelopers and governmental agencies in processing land use entitlementsfor large scale residential, commercial, and industrial projects. Her areasof expertise include the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA),Subdivision Map Act, eminent domain, inverse condemnation, Endan-

gered Species Act, public infrastructure financing, the Brown Act, and conflict of interest laws.Moore is a proponent of the so-called “Green Necklace” around San Diego Bay. “The Green Neck-lace,” explains Moore, “is the idea to create a connection along the entire length of San DiegoBay’s 50 measurable-mile shoreline between our various parks and open spaces and look at themas a whole instead of as separate parks throughout the Port.” Moore graduated from San DiegoState University with a Public Administration degree and she earned her law degree at the Uni-versity of San Diego law school.

Kristen Fogle When people think aboutgreat literary communities, cities like New York,Paris, and even Los Angeles come to mind. KristenFogle is working to add San Diego to that list. Theyoung and charismatic executive director of SanDiego Writers, Ink has already accomplished agreat deal in her two years at the helm of the non-profit organization that serves as the literary hubof San Diego. The 550-member organizationserves seasoned authors and aspiring writers by of-fering dozens of classes and workshops, reading cri-

tique groups, brown bag events, and drop-in gatherings that focus on skills,such as: unlocking writer’s block, narrative non-fiction, and writing to visualprompts. San Diego Writers, Ink also provides publishing opportunitiesthrough its annual anthology, A Year in Ink. Under Fogle’s leadership, thereare now three times as many programs overall with monthly classes growingfrom 4 to 25, reading critiques going from 3 to 11, and drop-in writinggroups increasing from 3 to 5. Additionally, she has overseen an annualbudget growth from 100K to 250K – an increase of 150 percent. Lookingforward: Fogle’s looking forward toward the organization’s annual fundraiserBlazing Laptops, which aims to generate $15,000. Forty writers gather forthis all-day event where they can work quietly on their projects, or partici-pate in writing exercises and talks. Supporters pledge money to support in-dividual writers or teams of writers.

Lora Cicalo is a lifelong San Diego Countyresident and a 28-year employee of The San DiegoUnion-Tribune. She began her newspaper career atThe Daily Californian in East County and joinedthe San Diego Tribune in 1987 as a copy editor andassistant news editor. Since the merger of the Trib-une and The San Diego Union in 1992, Lora hasserved as the assistant news editor, A1 editor, newseditor and senior editor for news/copy desks. She

was named managing editor of the Union-Tribune in January 2015. Loraholds a B.A. in journalism and an M.S. in mass communications from SanDiego State University and is a part-time lecturer at her alma mater.

Carol Clause has a great passion for empowering women and is in-spired by how, with both financial and social support, women in povertycan more fully realize their potential. A retired marriage and family ther-apist, Carol has served as secretary, co-chair of the development com-mittee, co-president and then president for Women’s EmpowermentInternational (WE). She continues to be instrumental in WE’s growth.In 2015 she and her husband put up a $100,000 match so WE couldscale up and help three times as many poor women by as early as 2020.“The efforts of the women WE has helped not only improves their own

lives, but also impact the lives of their families and communities,” says Carol. She has also volun-teered for the International Rescue Committee, Mama’s Kitchen, and the San Elijo Hills Women'sClub. In addition, Carol and her husband are long-time supporters and donors to the ACLU andIRC here in San Diego. WE was established by volunteers in December 2003 in San Diego to givewomen the tools they need to work their way out of poverty. To date, WE has funded over 20,300small business microloans in five developing countries.

Iris Engstrand Arguably one of the most popular professors atUniversity of San Diego, Iris Engstrand has been engaging students inhistory since 1968. Engstrand makes history come alive to her studentsby giving personal information about historic characters: what they wore,how they traveled, family backgrounds, their ambitions, and why theycame to the New World, or later, California. She believes strongly in herstudents having internships and uses her expansive network to help themget this invaluable experience. An avid swimmer and sailor, she has livedand traveled in Spain and Mexico, lecturing widely in both English and

Spanish. She has degrees in history, with majors and minors in the fields of California, Mexico,Latin America and the Spanish Southwest history, biology and Spanish. Engstrand has authored25 books and numerous separate book chapters and articles on Spain, California and the West. Herother books cover local institutions such as the Natural History Museum. She also serves as co-ed-itor of the Journal of San Diego History and has appeared on the History Channel and KPBS TVprograms featuring San Diego history. A director of the San Diego Maritime Museum and activewith the San Diego Natural History Museum, she is past president of the American Historical As-sociation Pacific Coast Branch and the Western History Association.

Kaitlin Arduino is executive vice president of Murphy Development Company, a prominent local developer of multi-phase corporate industrialand technology parks. Arduino helped handle the firm’s land acquisition and financing for its foray into the office/R&D fields with the purchase ofScripps Ranch Technology Park, a 55-acre technology, corporate headquarters and research and development campus. Arduino also has been part of thenegotiations for the technology park’s first build-to-suit, estimated to break ground during the first quarter of 2017, and has been involved with archi-tectural direction for the whole property. She is project manager for 122,000 square feet of speculative industrial development in Otay Mesa at SiempreViva Business Park, which started construction las fall. For more than four years, Arduino has served as vice chair of the Otay Mesa Property OwnersAssociation, a group dedicated to furthering the success of the Otay community planning area. Through her membership and work with Junior LeagueSan Diego, Arduino volunteered with San Diego Youth Services’ STARS program, which serves teens between the ages of 13 and 22 who are victims ofcommercial sexual exploitation.


WOMAN WHO IMPACT

Sherrie Gould says her heroes are her patients, “sostrong, so determined.” Sherrie is a specialty nurse practitionerat the Scripps Clinic Center for Neurorestoration in La Jolla,where she follows patients with a number of movement dis-orders which include Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor anddystonia. A specialist in Deep Brain Stimulation program-ming, she is currently one of two expert nurse programmersfor Medtronic Corporation, providing counseling and educa-tion for Parkinson’s patients around the country who are con-sidering Deep Brain Stimulation. Adding to heralready-stuffed workday, in 2010, she spearheaded a grassroots

project called Summit for Stem Cell to raise funds for a non-embryonic stem-cell re-search project for Parkinson’s disease, currently undergoing FDA approval. The foun-dation’s executive director, Sherrie has organized and led two fundraising climbs in whichpersons with Parkinson’s and their companions have summited Mt. Kilimanjaro and thebase camp of Mt. Everest. A third climb to the summit of Machu Pichu is planned forthis October. Thus far, $2.5 million have been raised for this research. Sherrie co-createdthe Parkinson’s Boot Camp that is offered at Scripps Center for Integrative Medicinetwice a year. She has been instrumental in the planning and execution of the five-dayParkinson’s cruise offered to the Parkinson’s community every other year and has re-cently been asked to join a national Parkinson’s patient-advocacy program.

Kathie Garcia Since 2010, Kathy Garcia has beenthe planning and community development director for thecity of Del Mar, where she oversees current and advancedplanning, code enforcement, the building department andthe Clean Water program. She has been active in the plan-ning for Del Mar’s new City Hall, a new section of theRiver Path and many development reviews. A landscapearchitect for over three decades, Garcia’s early work in themid-1980s initiated the planning for the Otay Ranch whenit was in private ownership. She has also done park plan-ning for the East Mesa of Balboa Park and Mission Bay

Park as well as many park-system master plans and designs. A highlight of her ca-reer is the designs of the award-winning Palisades Park and South Beach in SantaMonica. Her career has also included the planning and landscape conceptual designfor Civita in Mission Valley, Millenia in Chula Vista and the new SD County Op-erations Center. An ASLA “Fellow” and a LEED-accredited professional, Garcia’slong-standing and demonstrated commitment to improving the public realmthrough volunteer efforts with civic, professional and advocacy organizations has in-spired the respect of political leaders and given rise to a number of prominent ap-pointments, including eight years on the San Diego Planning Commission.

Renae Arabo is the chief marketing officer for RJSLaw in Downtown San Diego, bringing the firm more than20 years of finance and accounting experience along with astrong talent for marketing and public relations. Arabo pre-viously worked at Neighborhood National Bank where sheassisted in community outreach and public relations. Formore than 10 years she was a property manager for ShamounInvestments Co. where she marketed and operated a portfo-lio of commercial and real estate properties throughout SanDiego County. This experience, along with the four years shespent owning and operating the Fashion Flooring Design

Center, led to Arabo serving as project manager and chief designer on a number oflarge-scale residential and commercial remodeling projects. Arabo graduated from theUniversity of San Diego with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. In 2015,Arabo was named Business Volunteer of the Year by the San Diego East CountyChamber of Commerce. Arabo is a prominent member of San Diego’s Chaldean com-munity and is fluent in both Aramaic and Arabic.

Jeanne McAlister is the founder and chief exec-utive officer of the McAlister Institute in San Diego, con-sidered a pioneer in the field of recovery. As a recoveringalcoholic herself and celebrating 58 years of sobriety and82 years of life, McAlister has used her experience to buildan agency that founded on empathy and hope, and dedi-cated to serving those who suffer. McAlister has advocatedfor responsive and needed treatment services and has de-veloped programs that have adapted and grown to meet theneeds of San Diegans. In 2010, McAlister was the first Al-cohol and Other Drug (AOD) specialist to be named

Mental Health Person of the Year for championing programs that address co-oc-curing disorders and integrate substance abuse and mental health treatment. As a lifechanger for adults, teens and families, McAlister has impacted San Diego in a largeway. She has promoted a healthier lifestyle and has helped many get back up ontheir feet and regain their lives.

Silvia Mah Dr. Silvia Mah is the founder of Hera Labs,a business accelerator for female entrepreneurs that helpssmall businesses and startups launch and grow. She has de-veloped signature programs such as the “Idea Potential Lab”to go from idea to pitch in 16 hours and “Launch Intensive”to go from idea to Demo Day in 12 weeks. Through HeraLabs, she has helped launch more than 70 startups, takenmore than 100 small businesses to the next level and createdmore than 80 jobs in San Diego. Mah is an angel investorherself who invests in female entrepreneurs. Her portfolio

includes 12 startups ranging from biotech firms to app developers to inventors of newproducts. She manages and runs an all-female angel investing group, Hera Angels,whose sole purpose is to increase the number of female funders and female founderson both sides of the venture table. Hera Angels has connected angel investors to fe-male founders, helping rais more than $700,000. Mah holds a bachelor’s degree fromPepperdine University, a PhD from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and a mas-ter’s degree from The Rady School of Management at UC San Diego.

Vickie Turner is a partner at one of California’slargest female-owned firms — Wilson, Turner Kosmo —and handles complex product liability matters for sizablemanufacturers, distributors and retailers. They include suchfirms as Ford, General Motors, Honda and Cummins Inc.For more than 30 years, Turner has represented a wide va-riety of companies through mediations, arbitrations andwarranty disputes as well as lengthy and often emotionalclass-action and product liability lawsuits. For 16 years,Turner was an advisory board member and served as pres-

ident and vice president of the Lawyers Club of San Diego, an organization dedi-cated to advancing the status of women in law and society. She also is a formerpresident of the Earl B. Gilliam Bar Association. She has served as secretary for theCalifornia Minority Council, was a judge pro tem in small claims court and was ap-pointed to the Southern District Judicial Appointment Advisory Committee by Sen.Barbar Boxer. Turner also is an educator. She was an adjunct professor for the Uni-versity of San Diego School of Law in 2013 and has been an adjunct professor withCalifornia Western School of Law since 2011. She has many honors, including beingnamed “Woman of the Year” for the 79 Assembly District in 2015 for her service toSan Diego’s youth.

Kimberly Malasky is the director of communications and marketing for the Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate at the University of SanDiego. With more than 20 years of experience, Malasky oversees the center’s communication outreach efforts to the community through collateral ma-terial development, newsletters, press releases, email blasts, and website content, among other. In this position, Malasky has built strong and mutually ben-eficial relationships with the center’s stakeholders who contribute significantly to the success of the real estate students through scholarships, internships,mentoring and career opportunities. Malasky’s entrepreneurial spirit led her to start three businesses in San Diego since 2002: The Fitness Guru, BikersBling and KM Consulting, a public relations and marketing consulting firm. Between 2002 and 2010, Malasky owned and operated The Fitness Guruand held more than five fitness and nutrition certificates. Through her businesses, she was actively engaged with the Girl Scouts of America, developingself-esteem, nutrition and boot camp workshops. Her 16-year passion for riding motorcycles evolved into a lifestyle-fashion business, Bikers Bling, whichaimed to feminize women riders.


R E TA I L E R S

Some might say selling is in ChristinaSamoylov’s blood. As a first grader, sheturned her school desk into a store and soldtrinkets to classmates for spending money.

A smidge more than 20 years later,Samoylov owns and operates the Carlsbad-based boutique Designer Vault, the nation’slargest purveyor of rare and vintage Chanel— the globally revered fashion house con-sidered by many the holy grail of the in-dustry. Given Chanel’s price point andSamoylov’s age, some might envision silverspoons and a privileged upbringing. Thatisn’t her story.

Growing up with conservative parents inOhio, becoming an entrepreneur nevercrossed Samoylov’s mind. As a B-averagestudent with dyslexia, she struggled throughschool, and despite developing a successfulfashion-based eBay store during her highschool years, she never thought she wassmart enough to turn her hobby into a ca-reer. However, while working at Nordstromas a sales associate, her manager noticed hereye for the business and suggested she at-

tend The Fashion Institute of Design andMerchandising (FIDM).

“It was not a difficult decision to chooseFIDM, although it did require a huge leapof faith,” said Samoylov. “When I told myparents they were unsupportive and could-n’t understand how that school would pro-vide me with a stable career. They chose notto support me financially and so I took itupon myself to sell all of my belongings,from my clothes to my Christmas tree tomy silverware — you name it — so that Icould afford to take the leap. I flew here in2009 with just a suitcase and started collegea few weeks later.”

Los Angeles wasn’t all glitz and glam asSamoylov had imagined, and she quicklyrealized that if she ever wanted anything ofher own she would need to work for her-self. She traded selling designer clothes atNordstrom for roaming the city’s thriftstores to buy items she could resell for aprofit, an endeavor that funded her FIDM

courses until she graduated in 2011 with adegree in merchandise marketing.

That same year, Samoylov moved to SanDiego to marry her now-husband, Kon-stantin Samoylov. Flipping fashion didn’twork in the San Diego suburbs, so shebegan working retail again, ultimately end-ing up at a Juicy Couture Outlet — a jobthat left her in tears every night.

On one such night while walking up thestairs to her condo, Samoylov spotted a pairof Prada boots in the trash bin outside herhome. She pulled them out and announcedto her husband that she was going to quither job and sell the boots; she did just that— holes and all — on eBay for $85. Thatinspired her to launch a consignment busi-ness, though new companies with strong fi-nancial backings were popping up fasterthan she could count. As an inexperienced23-year old, Samoylov didn’t know how tocompete.

“In 2011 we were getting our feet wet inthe resale market at the same time that bigcompanies like Poshmark and Tradesy were

WEST COAST CHANELEntrepreneur gives new life to vintage Chanel

By Colette Mauzeralle


RETA ILERS

popping up. They all catered to the masses without any specialty. Iknew I needed to create my own niche, and that was when I de-cided to focus solely on Chanel.”

At nearly the same time, a Chanel collector serendipitously ap-proached Samoylov with a $2 million collection; the dream cameto fruition before her eyes and Designer Vault was born.

Today, the company boasts more than 1,500 pieces of inventoryat any given time, making it the largest purveyor of rare and vintageChanel in the United States. Hard-to-find bags, jewelry and ac-cessories are all certified authentic and range from earrings pricedjust under $200 to Samoylov’s prized (and very rare) $25,000 PearlShaped Plexiglass Minaudiere Bag.

Initially an e-commerce business, Designer Vault’s first show-room opened in Carlsbad in May 2016 following seven months ofplanning and construction, which Samoylov and her husband —who is also the company’s business manager — completed on theirown. The 300-square- foot space welcomes by-appointment visi-tors and is complemented by an adjacent private conference roomfor personalized shopping experiences.

“I worked out of my garage for many years, and to now have ashowroom that so perfectly reflects our brand is something I’m veryproud of,” said Samoylov. “As a self-owned business we didn’t havethe funds to hire a contractor so everything in the showroom wasdone by my family, which is truly the essence of our business andis very special to me.”

Now 27, Samoylov’s entrepreneurial advice applies to all ages:“Never lose sight of why you started. So often we get caught up inwhat others are doing, where we should be, how this should feel,what it should look like. Instead, take a step back and look at whereyou are and be really honest about that. When I do that, I can saythat I’m doing perfectly fine.”

She also encourages tenacity in the face of failure. Since launch-ing Designer Vault, Samoylov has tried numerous ways to modeland market the business, not all of which have been successful. Sheis currently developing a blog to outline her journey and how she has

overcome hard times, in hopes ofhelping others who may be goingthrough similar experiences. Herunderlying message:

“The biggest hurdles I’ve facedhave been trying something thatdoesn’t work out. It happens everyday and it hurts, usually finan-cially. That can take a real toll onyou, but you can’t beat yourself up.You have to get up and move for-ward and try again.”

Designer Vault is located at2734 Loker Avenue West inCarlsbad. (858) 367-0037. Its e-commerce store, www.designer-vault.com, is updated weekly andoffers international shipping.

Christina Samoylov owns and the Carlsbad-based boutique DesignerVault, the nation’s largest purveyor of rare and vintage Chanel.(Courtesy of Designer Vault)

Jewelry by Chanel displayed in Carlsbad’s Designer Vault store.(Courtesy of Designer Vault)

Christina Samoylov with aChanel handbag. Chanel products. (Courtesy of Designer Vault)


R E S I D E N T I A L R E A L E S TAT E

From kids’ study rooms to pet suites, newhomes in San Diego are being designed toaccommodate all members of the family.With National Architecture Week just be-hind us in April, ‘tis the season to look atthe latest architecture and interior designtrends.

According to a March report in the SanDiego Union-Tribune, 2,149 new single-family homes are being built in San Diegothis year — seven percent less than 2015,but much higher than a recession low of537 homes in 2009. Joining this list are at-tached, multifamily projects in cities likeImperial Beach.

What do these homes look like? Ashomebuilders break ground on more than25 different new-home projects across thecounty this year, they must adapt to newtrends in design and architecture.

Six trends dominating the local new-home market include: nostalgic exteriors,flexible floor plans, kid spaces, pet features,maximizing natural light, and first-floorbedrooms.

Nostalgic Design and Flexible FloorPlans

At the master-planned community ofHarmony Grove Village in Escondido, thebuilder focuses on modern interiors with

large great rooms, while exteriors pay hom-age to heritage styles like Farmhouse andCottage. The community is anchored by4th of July Park with its bandstand gazebo,which contributes to the Americana-in-spired setting.

“At Harmony Grove Village, we’ve cre-ated homes that feel rooted and tied to thepast, while incorporating interior featuresthat are current and in demand,” says BillOstrem, president of Standard PacificHomes San Diego, developer of HarmonyGrove Village.

Plantation shutters and farmhouse-stylegarage doors adorn the homes, while smartinteriors showcase oversized kitchens withbig islands and modern appliances. In total,13 floor plans are offered at the community.

Del Mar-based builder Davidson Com-munities also pays homage to nostalgic ex-teriors at its new community, The OaksFarms in nearby San Juan Capistrano. Thecommunity’s 32 homes have been designedwith the help of longtime equestrians andcommunity members — a forum ownerBill Davidson says has resulted in the com-munity’s unique aesthetic.

The upscale farmhouse-style homes haveflexible floor plans, allowing buyers to cus-tomize their space with options like a superwalk-in closet or home gym in place ofa bedroom, or an optional library or guest

suite in lieu of a second garage.

For the Kids and Furry FamilyMembers

In Carlsbad, plantation-style designscontinue, but with a playful coastal edge.Lanai by Shea Homes made its debut onMay 14, showcasing invigorating planta-tion-meets-coast home styles with family-friendly interiors. A “Teen Room” forhomework or lounging and a suite perfectfor returning college-age children are someof the builder’s innovative family-centricfeatures.

Early next year, builders Brookfield Res-idential and California West Communitieswill debut family-friendly floor plans in SanMarcos. The builders will unveil RanchoTesoro, a new master planned communitywith 346 new homes across four neighbor-hoods.

The homes will include the option for astudy/home management room. “Being lo-cated near acclaimed San Marcos schools,we anticipate that families will want dedi-cated study spaces to study, work and stayorganized,” says Mercedes Meserve, vicepresident of sales and marketing for Brook-field Residential Southern California.

South of San Marcos at Del Sur, Stan-dard Pacific Homes also honors the kid inthe house. Bonus rooms usable as craftrooms or homework centers are an option

The Suite Life: Homebuilders share six hot design trends in San Diego

By April Harter Enriquez

Lanai makes its debut May 14, showcasing stylish homes with family-friendly interiors. Pictured is Lanai Residence 4.


RES IDENT IAL REAL ESTATE

in many homes, while homebuyers at The Estates at Del Sur havethe option for a super laundry room — big enough to wash every-one’s uniform on the soccer team — as well as a pet suite with petshower for the fur child in the family.

Furry family members are top of mind at Civita in Mission Val-ley, too, where homeowners have access to a community dog park.

Let in the LightWhen a stroll through the dog park is not on the agenda, Civita

residents can enjoy the outdoors through large windows. At Apexby Ryland Homes, glass is woven into sleek contemporary styles,inviting in natural sunlight. Similarly, at Shea’s Lucent II, floorplans are graced by glass on three sides and wrap around balconiesflood the interiors with light.

“With the look and feel of a Manhattan loft, Lucent II deliversa unique urban experience for San Diego,” said VanessaLinn, vice president of sales and marketing for Shea Homes SanDiego. “It’s also an option for homeowners seeking single-level liv-ing.”

At beachbreakib, a new community coming this summer to Im-perial Beach, CityMark Development is bringing its signature urbandesign to San Diego’s southernmost beach town. Fourteen urbanbeach townhomes with first floor retail spaces will showcase floor-to-ceiling windows on the retail level for maximum light, as well aswrap around glass windows and balconies, filling the upstairs resi-dential spaces with coastal breezes and sunshine.

The townhomes are located on Seacoast, 100 yards from theocean, with views of the surf from many vantage points. “Greatthought was put into the design of these floor plans so that theyembrace a beach lifestyle,” says Russ Haley, vice president of City-Mark Development. “The urban designs offer easy access to the in-herent walkable nature of the community.”

Back at Brookfield’s Rancho Tesoro, a connection to light andthe outdoors is key. Located among more than 100 acres of pre-served open space, the community will offer homeowners “…a true

front row seat to nature,” according to Meserve. The builder plansto incorporate decks off of second floor entertainment rooms.

At Upper Cielo in Rancho Santa Fe, a neighborhood by Cali-fornia West Communities, great rooms have oversized stacking glassdoors that flood the room with natural light and fresh air, as well asinterior courtyards downstairs that allow for additional natural lightin living spaces.

First-Floor BedroomsDevine gathering spaces: check. But what about sleeping quar-

ters? Most buyers seek downstairs bedroom options: Baby Boomers

often want a downstairs master bedroom for themselves, while ayoung couple or first-time buyer seeks a downstairs bedroom optionfor their elderly parents or visitors.

Builders mentioned in this story are answering the demand fordownstairs living, even in the most urban settings. At beachbreakib,the builder is incorporating first-floor guest rooms into some homes.At Rancho Tesoro, homeowners can take advantage of first- andsecond-floor master bedrooms under one roof.

At Auberge at Del Sur, Standard Pacific’s new age-exclusive com-munity for residents aged 55+, all 12 floor plans provide residentswith a first-floor master suite. Select plans feature optional dualmaster suites.

Shea Homes, which is debuting eight communities in San Diegothis year, will offer first-floor bedrooms in many homes. Likewise,Davidson Communities offers desirable first-floor bedrooms andmaster bedroom options, as well as dual master suites in select com-munities.

It seems everyone in the family is living the suite life indeed.For more information about new homes across the county, visit

the builder websites.

April Harter Enriquez is a local public relations professional and owner

of WordPop Public Relations.

Upper Cielo’s interior courtyards and large windows allow for ad-ditional natural light in living spaces.

At beachbreakib, a townhome community coming this summerto Imperial Beach, natural light illuminates first floor retail spacesand upstairs residential spaces.


T R AV E L

By Bob Page

As one who knows something about2nd, or even 3rd chapters in life, whatgreat fun it was to catch up with GuyPacurar, a son of Del Mar, who gave upthe corporate whirlwind to run, manageand own one of Mendocino’s most stun-ning B & Bs.

The Brewery Gulch Inn is not youreveryday stop in the road. Nor is Mendo-cino. Pacurar’s jump from the world ofsuits and ties to innkeeper was inspired byhis daughter, Taylor, who had made theleap to Sonoma County wine country afew years earlier. She is the events coordi-nator for Arista Winery in Healdsburg.

“She got tired of me critiquing placeswhere we stayed when we traveled andtold me to go buy my own place instead

of always telling her how I would dosomething differently.”

Pacurar said he had always wanted toown an inn ever since staying at a smallplace in Palm Springs and watching theowners make everyone feel like a part ofan extended family.

He said growing up in California hehad always imagined living in the snow.He holds degrees in communications andinternational relations from the Univer-sity of Southern California. He was pres-ident of Pacific Intercultural Exchange, aninternational high school exchange pro-gram, before retiring in 2008.

So, he began his search in New Eng-land, visiting inns in the north woods ofMaine, and Waitsfield and West Dover,

Vt. Not finding one there that appealed tohim with the right terms, he scooted offthe Outer Banks of North Carolina. Afterstriking out there, he was off to Taos inNew Mexico.

The San Geronimo Inn held some ap-peal but not enough to close a deal.

He said he could have closed a deal inWaitsfield and came close in Taos andPalm Springs but both would have re-quired extensive renovations.

After a year on the road, he was backhome in Del Mar, not discouraged but de-termined to find the right one. He turnedhis computer to LoopNet, an Internet sitethat lists commercial properties for sale,and on the screen up popped the BreweryGulch for sale.

e Brewery Gulch InnNOT JUST YOUR EVERYDAY STOP IN THE ROAD

The Brewery Gulch Inn from the air.


TRAVELTRAVEL

He said it was exactly what he was lookingfor, and that’s where Pacurar’s “second chapter”in life, as he describes it, began.

After a series of introductions around town,he met his wife, Sarah, who was visiting herparents in the Anderson Valley. A year later,they were married.

The Brewery Gulch is a family affair, withSarah and Guy very much involved in its suc-cess, yet still finding time to parent their daugh-ter, Ella Mae, now nearly four.

The inn celebrates the amazing bounty ofMendocino, and each day, an accomplished chefprepares cooked-to-order breakfasts and a lightdinner buffet featuring organic produce andMendocino county wines and craft beers. Bothare included in their room rates.

A stay at the Brewery Gulch will put you inone of its 11 individually furnished guestrooms, featuring fireplaces and LCD televi-sions. Rooms have private balconies. Wired andwireless Internet access is complimentary whileMP3 docking stations and cable programmingprovide entertainment. Conveniences includedesks and coffee/tea makers, as well as phonesof free local calls.

If Mendocino is in a future itinerary, theBrewery Gulch is not to be missed. It has beenranked as the 18th best lodging property in aworldwide survey by Travel & Leisure maga-zine. From our three-day stay, it has earnedevery accolade.

Rates for its high season, May 1 through No-vember 30, range from $325 to $495. Low sea-son rates have a range from $285 to $455.

Not content to sit on their innkeeping lau-rels, Guy and Sarah have jumped full long intothe wine business and why not, given that herparents own the Ferrington Vineyard in theAnderson Valley.

When their daughter, Ella, was born they de-cided to produce a Pinot Noir in her honor.Their 2012 Ella’s Reserve was produced undertheir label, Fathers & Daughters, which repre-sents Sarah, her father Kurt, Guy’s daughterTaylor and their daughter, Ella. They haveadded a chardonnay and sauvignon blanc totheir brand.

The Brewery Gulch is not without its owncheerleader in La Jolla. She is Guy’s mother,Vicki Pacurar, and should you be lucky enoughto meet her, she’ll quickly hand you Guy’sBrewery Gulch business card. Motherly love.Northing tops that.

You can reach the Brewery Gulch at (800) 687-4454 or by email: [email protected]

Spacious dining.

Meadowview Suite

Guy and Sarah Pacurar with daugher Ella.


M U S E U M S

Take a stroll in the famous Polanconeighborhood of Mexico City and visitMuseo Jumex, which houses the largestprivate contemporary art collection inLatin America.

Opened in 2013 and designed byrenowned British architect Sir DavidChipperfield, the museum presentsthought-provoking contemporary artshows as well as acclaimed internationaltraveling exhibitions.

In addition to a rigorous visual arts pro-gram, Museo Jumex has become a key fig-ure for the research and reflection ofcontemporary art in Mexico, hosting pub-lic and educational programs includingdifferent types of reading workshops, in-teractive events and other activities.

If you can make it there by Septemberyou’ll see Peter Fischli and David Weiss’srenowned exhibition, “How to Work Bet-ter,” which opened this June, bringing to-gether more than 200 of their artists’

collaborative sculptures, videos, photo-graphs and installations.

It follows the innovative and awe-in-spiring exhibition, “The Natural Order ofThings,” which incorporated more than100 works from Colección Jumex andserved as a framework to present ChiefCurator Julieta Gonzalez’s vision for themuseum.

Her curatorial approach identifies cul-ture, the built environment, informationand technology, and the relationship be-tween art and life, as key fields of agencyin contemporary art. Gonzalez has been acurator for museums across the world, in-cluding New York City, London andother parts of Latin America.

Later this year the highly anticipatedexhibition of Canadian collective GeneralIdea will open, presenting mixed mediumworks from October 2016 through Feb-ruary 2017.

When you’ve gotten your art fix for theday, be sure to stop at the museum’s book-store housing one-of-a-kind publications

and take a break at the café with a freshcup of espresso.

Then you will find yourself in thebeloved district of Polanco, where you canenjoy the cultural diversity and abundanceof high-end stores and top-rated restau-rants.

A Day of Arts and Leisure in Mexico CityContemporary art showcased in Museo Jumex

By Robbin Narike Preciado

Museo Jumex, designed byrenowned British architect Sir David Chip-perfield, opened in 2013.

The museum presents thought-provoking contemporary artshows. (Photo by Moritz Bernoully)

One of the exhibits at Mexico City’s Museo Jumex. (Photo byMoritz Bernoully)


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