For a generation of San Diegans–and baseball fans across the nation–it’s a sad day. But we’re all hearing laughter in our heads. Or a chuckle. We all remember that chuckle. A joyful bellow given generously for great plays, eager fans, sick kids, and anyone lucky enough to join a conversation with him.
I have so many memories of watching him from the nosebleeds as a kid at Jack Murphy stadium in 1980s. We all do, right? Whether you were a kid or a parent during those years, Tony Gywnn was the guy that made the Padres fun to watch. He made the team our team.
The last time I saw him was in the airport. It was a few years ago and he was traveling with his Aztecs to a game. I was behind him in the security line, and everybody around was just tickled to be in his presence. The TSA person, the guy in front of him, me behind him, everyone he passed going up the escalator to Terminal 1, where he boarded the Southwest flight with his team. “Hey Coach!” “Go Aztecs!” “We love you Tony!” “Dude, Tony Gwynn. We miss you!” He was happy and relaxed, waved and said thanks and hey and Go Aztecs right back to each person that acknowledged him. When a few of the players were milling around the newsstands buying gum and chips and bottles of water for the flight, Tony was behind them, unseen but keeping an eye on them. I was behind Tony, and saw him motion to the clerk that he had all of these guys covered. He bought all of their Doritos, their $5 airport waters, gum, magazines and granola bars. He didn’t save receipts; he wasn’t expensing any of it to SDSU Athletics. He was just being a good dad to a group of his kids. “Thanks Coach!” they all said. And he just smiled, beamed really, back at all of them and nodded off the kindness like it’s no big thing. It was truly his pleasure. Simple evidence of how good it feels to do good.
His son, Tony Gwynn Jr. who plays for the Phillies, recalls his father’s influence in this story posted yesterday in Philadelphia. What he considered his greatest advice wasn’t about baseball. It was simply: “Take care of your family.”
We’d like to hear your favorite memories, too. Share you favorite story of Mr. Padre in the comments here or email your stories, photos, memories to [email protected]. Or use the hashtag #rememberingMrPadre on Twitter or instagram. We’ve already seen so many great photos of fans with their arms wrapped around him. We will use as many as we can in our commemorative piece coming out in the next issue.
Thanks. Go Padres. Go Aztecs.
Find details on the public memorial service for Tony Gwynn this Thursday here.
Here are some stories from our archives featuring Tony Gwynn’s baseball, charity work, and acts of kindness around San Diego:
When three nations and 16 cities come together to host the FIFA World Cup 2026, the scale stops feeling like a tournament and starts feeling like geography. A continent becomes the stage as borders soften into corridors. And Southern California—shaped by migration, sport, entertainment, and constant movement—sits inside that landscape with all eyes on it.
San Diego and Los Angeles have always felt connected. Hop on the Pacific Surfliner, and the trip unfolds in one continuous stretch of coastline, passing beach towns, neighborhoods, and city centers.
Traveling from San Diego, everything still feels slightly suspended as the Pacific Surfliner follows the coast north with ocean on one side and a slow suburban blur on the other. San Diego stays in exhale. Los Angeles is already building toward something louder.
This summer, Los Angeles will host eight matches of the FIFA World Cup at Los Angeles Stadium, including the US Men’s National Team opener on June 11, while the region stretches into 39 days of programming across stadiums, parks, transit hubs, beaches, and neighborhoods. Instead of one massive fan hub, Los Angeles is embracing a citywide celebration, with fan zones spread across its entirety.
But this pattern has been rehearsed here for decades. In 1994, Southern California became one of the defining stages of the World Cup, when matches at the Rose Bowl placed global attention on the region and turned local stadiums into international landmarks, confirming its ability to hold the world at scale.
What distinguishes Southern California is not just infrastructure, but cultural permeability. Fashion, music, film, art, and sport constantly overlap here, creating an environment where identity is flexible and always in motion. From the Venice boardwalk, where skate culture shaped modern street style, to global soccer stars rubbing shoulders with Hollywood celebs, to authentic Spanish cuisine moving up and down the I-5 corridor, everything circulates.
The World Cup is not introducing anything new here, it’s showing up for the summer and showing out, revealing what this city has always known about itself. What follows is a look at the fan zones and how Los Angeles turns itself into a city-wide stage for the tournament, one neighborhood at a time.
Courtesy of Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board
Los Angeles Union Station
As the heart of Los Angeles, Union Station is an official Fan Zone June 25-28 during the World Cup, but in practice it never really stops being one.
It is the city’s circulation point, its meeting ground, its pressure valve. Commuters, travelers, match-day crowds, and everyday Angelenos all move through the same space, and everything mixes, overlaps, and scales in real time. In a way, this is where the World Cup stops arriving in Los Angeles and starts moving through it.
The Pacific Surfliner from San Diego to Los Angeles makes that shift feel almost too easy. No stress or gridlock anxiety, just a straight line up the coastline with ocean on one side and everything slowly becoming more built on the other. It’s one of the rare ways into LA that doesn’t feel like arrival as friction. You can sit with a laptop, watch the Pacific drift past, grab coffee from the café car, and let the city come to you in pieces.
That’s the beauty of arriving at Union Station. Instead of feeling like you’re on the edge of the city, you’re immediately surrounded by it. And, inside, the station already reads like a World Cup nerve center: banners, movement, multilingual energy, the sense that something global is about to funnel through this exact point. The Heart of the City Fan Zone only sharpens that feeling, with simultaneous match screens, DJ sets, meet and greets, and immersive activations built around marquee games like USA vs. Türkiye.
ROW DTLA feels like the first exhale after arrival. A converted industrial campus turned creative district where restaurants, retail, and open-air courtyards form a self-contained ecosystem. If you’re looking for the perfect first meal in LA, make it lunch at Pizzeria Bianco. The thin-crust pizza is reason enough to go, but the space leaves just as much of an impression.
What I liked most about ROW DTLA is how quickly it resets you after the train. One minute you are stepping off at Union Station, and the next you are in a space that feels like its own version of LA, a city inside a city with some of the most curated shopping I’ve ever seen.
Bodega hides itself behind a convenience-store front, a sneaker and streetwear space disguised as something ordinary, like LA refusing to make anything feel too obvious. The whole campus moves like that, part retail, part gallery, part neighborhood you are only temporarily inside.
Isabella Dallas is a freelance writer for San Diego Magazine and the Arts and Culture Editor at The Daily Aztec in her final year at San Diego State University. She previously worked as an editorial intern for SDM, but when she’s not writing, you can find her trying the best coffee spots in SD, devouring the latest rom-coms, and indulging in anything and everything pop culture.
For the first time in history, San Diego has four teams competing in March Madness!
Both the SDSU Aztecs and the UCSD Tritons men’s and women’s basketball teams are headed to the NCAA Tournament. In UCSD’s first year of eligibility as a Division 1 team, the Tritons have done the unthinkable. Let’s get mad, San Diego!
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2025 NCAA tournament, including where to catch all the action in San Diego.
When are the 2025 March Madness Brackets Announced?
March Madness kicks off on March 16 with Selection Sunday, when the NCAA Selection Committee officially announces the full tournament brackets for the men’s and women’s divisions, deciding on teams, seeds, and matchups.
Women’s bracket: 5 p.m. PT
Men’s bracket: 3 p.m. PT
Courtesy of San Diego State Aztecs
When Does the NCAA March Madness Tournament Begin and End?
The first round of the men’s tournament begins March 20–21, while women’s games start March 21–22. The women’s NCAA basketball championship game takes place on Sunday, April 6, and the men’s finale is the following day on Monday, April 7.
How Can I Watch the 2025 NCAA Basketball Tournament from Home?
Fans can catch all the March Madness action live on CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV. Streaming options include: HBO Max, Paramount+, or any other services with access to the above cable networks, including YouTube TV, Sling TV and Hulu + Live TV.
Courtesy of UC San Diego
Best San Diego Sports Bars and Watch Parties for March Madness
Park 101
This Carlsbad BBQ joint is a family-friendly destination for basketball fans featuring a multi-level complex, an outdoor patio, and a massive projector screen. Enjoy St. Louis ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, and Maine lobster while cheering on the teams in your bracket this year.
3040 Carlsbad Boulevard, Carlsbad
Home & Away
A Kansas City Chiefs bar at heart, this Old Town spot is still a top venue for March Madness watch parties, featuring an oversized outdoor screen and a lively atmosphere. The kitchen closes at 11 p.m. daily so don’t fret if the game goes into overtime.
Just steps away from Swami’s Beach, Union Kitchen & Tap is a local hotspot pairing cool vibes with game-day camaraderie. The gastropub prides itself on its extensive drink menu along with quality game-day fare that make it the ideal atmosphere for March Madness watch parties.
1108 South Coast Highway, Encinitas
Ballast Point Brewing
Catch the game at Ballast Point in Miramar, a massive, indoor-outdoor brewery and restaurant well-suited for big groups of fans. Track your bracket picks as you dine on bar bites and down Sculpins. During halftime, challenge your friends to a round of cornhole on the heated patio.
9045 Carroll Way, Miramar
Nautilus Tavern
La Jolla’s go-to sports bar offers an excellent weekday happy hour from 3–6 p.m., with half-off select draft beers, well drinks, and house wines, plus discounted appetizers—perfect for catching this year’s afternoon matchups.
6830 La Jolla Boulevard, La Jolla
Bay Hill Tavern
This Clairemont bar streams every game of the tournament and serves up brunch, dinner, and boozy slushies. Try the tequila-watermelon Lava Flow for a perfect game-day refreshment and accessory to an Aztec-red jersey.
3010 Clairemont Drive, Clairemont
Pacific Beach AleHouse
Visit this Pacific Beach staple for ales, hoops, and impressive ocean views this March. TV screens downstairs run 360 degrees along the perimeter and along the rooftop, so you never miss a moment.
721 Grand Avenue, Pacific Beach
Draft
Located on the Mission Beach boardwalk, Draft offers 70 beers on tap and more than 25 TVs. Pair a 394 AleSmith pale ale with their fan-favorite beer-battered fish and chips for the ultimate game-day experience.
3146 Mission Boulevard, Mission Beach
Dirty Birds
Home to some of the best wings in San Diego and featuring five San Diego locations throughout the city, Dirty Birds is a prime spot for catching NCAA basketball. Students can visit the UCSD location to cheer on the Tritons on their home turf.
Cole Novak is an award-winning writer with a passion for highlighting local figures, small businesses, and nonprofits. Born and raised in San Diego, Cole is passionate about photography, surfing, art, the local food scene, and the great outdoors.
Every year, when winter swells bring San Diego’s best waves to their fullest potential, local surfers flood the lineups of popular spots like Black’s and Swami’s. But some of the heaviest and most dangerous surf lies further south, off the coast of Imperial Beach. The area’s crown jewel, Tijuana Sloughs, sometimes serves up 20-plus-foot waves that break up to a half-mile from shore.
Even as the surfing population has exploded, however, IB remains empty in comparison to the rest of San Diego, thanks to the pollution that plagues its waters. Surfers in IB don’t just check the surf cams and swell forecasts—they monitor the water data from the nearby International Boundary and Water Commission.
“It’s almost a science to go out for a surf and not get sick,” says resident Dwayne Fernandez. “My wife hates that I still surf here; she gets worried. I check the reports every day to see if it’s safe, which has been rare these days. If it’s not, I may have to drive over an hour just to get in the ocean—and I live minutes from the beach in IB.”
Photo Credit: Ariana Drehsler Dwayne Fernandez says his wife hates that he still surfs in IB. He lives near the beach but often must drive more than an hour to surf where water conditions are safer.
According to the Surfrider Foundation, IB has the unfortunate distinction of being the most polluted beach in America. Built in 1996 with the capacity to manage 25 million gallons of wastewater a day, the nearby South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (SBIWTP) is frequently overwhelmed. Anything that exceeds the limits of the SBIWTP comes out as raw sewage, clearly visible in the water as a dark brown plume with an accompanying nasty smell.
The sewage flow can sometimes hit hundreds of millions of gallons in a single day. “You don’t want to be out there when that happens, and it can happen quickly,” says Adam Wraight, an Imperial Beach lifeguard sergeant, junior lifeguard coordinator, and longtime local surfer.
Courtesy of Surfrider Foundation
But that hasn’t stopped some residents, despite mandates prohibiting surfing and swimming during beach closures. If the waves are good, surfers are probably out there. Why take the chance, though, when there are so many other good waves—with cleaner water—in the county?
It’s partly a point of local pride. The surf history in IB runs deep. Stories of the Tijuana Sloughs on its good days are the stuff of legend, discussed in hushed tones in the core San Diego surf community.
Photo Credit: Kevin Stuart Former lifeguard and IB resident Jeff Knox braves toxic conditions to surf his local waves.
“The Sloughs was never a spot meant for everyone,” says Jeff Knox, a former lifeguard and lifelong IB surfer. “The paddle-out alone was enough of a deterrent for most. The shorebreak took care of the rest. It’s mostly locals out there; we like it that way. It’s one of the best waves around and, for that very reason, we never used to talk about it. But those days are long gone. We need all the help we can get—the more attention, the better. Because this is a huge problem.”
It’s also been part of the deal for decades. “I started surfing IB in the ’60s, [and] we’ve always had to deal with pollution,” Knox adds. “Throughout my entire life, it’s never been as bad as the last 10 years. The last five have been absolutely terrible.”
Additionally, there’s the simple fact of convenience. While IB’s median rent cost of $3,000 is well under the staggering housing costs in other surf-adjacent ’hoods like Encinitas and Del Mar, locals still pay a pretty penny to live a few blocks from the beach. And they often pay a price for surfing there.
Photo Credit: Jeff Knox Imperial Beach is considered the most polluted beach in the United States, with dangerous levels of bacteria caused by millions of gallons of raw sewage regularly flowing directly into the sea.
Scientists have identified 175 toxic pollutants in IB’s waters. Surfers have contracted everything from diarrhea and bacterial infections like MRSA to neurological disorders and hepatitis A.
“As a lifeguard, I see all the data. I check the flows daily and monitor the testing just to see if I can go for a surf during my break or after work. There are plenty of people who don’t check anything—they just see waves and go out—but even they get spooked when they hit the water and everything feels and smells wrong,” Wraight says. “Our responsibilities are definitely different from other [lifeguard] stations and, unfortunately, so much of what we do revolves around the pollution. It can get pretty negative, and it takes a toll on morale and recruitment.”
The problem has driven some local diehards from the water completely. Ramon Chairez, an activist and educator with the nonprofit Un Mar de Colores, has lived in IB for decades, but in 2020, he “made a conscious decision to stop surfing IB,” he says. “I saw too many people around me getting sick. It wasn’t worth it. The last five to 10 years have really been pivotal in the consciousness of the population, especially the kids—they know it’s polluted and unsafe.”
As a junior lifeguard coordinator, Wraight once trained the next generation in IB. But, now, he and the local kids he works with must travel to other beaches in the county. YMCA’s Camp Surf, a program that attracts children and teens from all over the nation with the allure of learning to surf in San Diego, can no longer take participants into the area’s waters.
Photo Credit: Ariana Drehsler
They must head to other neighborhoods or stick to land-based activities. “The biggest tragedy is the youth,” Wraight says. “They’re growing up not being able to enjoy the ocean like we did—their whole life experience is affected by the pollution.”
Despite the toxic water, IB still feels like a classic beach town, a callback to a time before $8 lattes and luxury condos dominated the coast. It’s charming, quaint, and beautiful, with the open space of the Tijuana Estuary to the south, mountains in the distance, and the mighty Pacific to the west. It has one of the most unique coastal views of all of San Diego—and some of its best waves. If only you could safely surf them.
Chris Dodds has been falling in love with San Diego for the past 10 years. He's passionate about the protection and preservation of our natural areas, especially our coastline and waterways.
Stake Chophouse & Bar isn’t your average steakhouse. Blue Bridge Hospitality’s Coronado outpost is a modern interpretation of a big-city steakhouse nestled in the heart of the small coastal community. The team at Stake has reimagined the whole steakhouse experience. By prioritizing a seasonal farm-to-table sourcing philosophy, a personalized guest experience, and unique service touches, like a formal steak presentation and a bespoke knife selection process, Stake distinguishes itself in a sea of steakhouses.
Exceptional steaks, including Wagyu from Japan, Australia, and the U.S., and fresh seafood flown in daily form the core of Stake’s culinary identity. The menu features a five-course omakase-style steak experience highlighting house favorites, plus an array of cuts, and classic steakhouse staples—think a wedge salad, baked potato, or pasta carbonara—refined for a contemporary palate without losing their traditional appeal. Stake focuses on seasonal sourcing from the region’s best family farms and specialty purveyors, and incorporates intentionally unexpected touches to create something truly unique.
“I challenge our chefs and myself to take it a step further in sourcing,” says Chef Ronnie Schwandt. “It’s important to us to highlight different farms, unique one-off farms—whether it’s cattle, strawberries, a local fisherman or from anywhere in the United States, we’re always trying to find that niche.”
Beyond the menu, Stake emphasizes outstanding service, says Vinny Spatafore, Director of Hospitality Operations. Staff maintains detailed notes, allowing them to remember guests by name, recall previous orders such as a favorite martini (also memorable for the customer since it’s served in an extra tall, distinctly-shaped glass), and celebrate special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries.
“When you have those points of topic that you remember about a guest, they appreciate that,” he says. “Our servers are really good with that—we have a couple servers who have been here since the beginning and they’ll remember somebody from years ago, their name, their kids’ names, where they live. I’m really thankful to have a great front of house staff.”
Award-winning wines, rare whiskeys, special events, and a complementary black car service that provides transportation for guests throughout Coronado add to Stake’s appeal.
Schwandt stresses that Stake offers more than a meal; they aim to give patrons something unforgettable.
“It starts when you walk up the stairs and are greeted by the hostess—that sets the tone for the night. Then you’re greeted by a server, who may know you by name, and can guide you through the menu and curate as they get to know you,” says Schwandt. “Most people leave kind of blown away; they leave feeling like they just had an experience. That’s the goal, right? Whether you’re serving smash burgers or high-end steak, you want somebody to leave thinking, Wow, that was awesome.”
In the 2010s, pickleball started to emerge as a new way for people to enjoy racquet sports without the physical demands of other such activities like tennis or racquetball. Compared to tennis, it offered a slower pace, smaller courts, and even had simpler rules. During the pandemic, pickleball picked up steam among millennials and Gen Z who, along with adopting a new sport, also took to the courts to find their next love interest.
By 2023, pickleball became a $1.5 billion sport globally, being played by individuals of all fitness levels and ages. But now, a new activity is gaining popularity in the US and across the pond: padel. Originating in Mexico, the sport blends elements of tennis and squash and is played on an enclosed court about a third the size of a tennis court.
Padel typically is played in doubles on courts surrounded by glass and wire mesh walls. The ball must bounce on the ground before hitting the walls and can touch the glass but not the metal fence post bounce. It can also only touch the turf once before being returned. Points are scored when the ball bounces twice on the opponent’s side.
With underhand serves and stringless padel racquets, it’s a fun game of strategy more than just skill. Today, there are more than 30 million padel players worldwide and an estimated 90,000 in the US—with California and New York being among the first to adopt the sport.
Thankfully, our city already has seven padel courts to play on if you’re looking to learn more or are already a devoted enthusiast. Check out our list below of where to play padel in San Diego so you can earn some bragging rights about enjoying it when it was still “under-the-radar.”
Courtesy of Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa
Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa
Already considered one of the best resorts for tennis aficionados, Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa recently added three new padel courts to their racquet sports roster in partnership with sporting goods company, Wilson. Designed by Spain-based company Grupo Padel Galis World, guests can find a number of ways to enjoy the courts including drop-in sessions; beginner, intermediate, and advanced clinics; and monthly Americano tourney play. Or, reserve a private instruction with a USPTA certified professional starting at $125 for 60 minutes or $185 for 90 minutes.
The Fairmont Grand Del Mar recently debuted its new padel court in partnership with Taktika padel, a group aiming to expand the sport throughout the US, starting with San Diego. Taktika will now manage all of the resort’s racquet programming with its certified Paquito Navarro Academy coaching staff. With one main padel court and two shared pickleball courts, players can book group clinics, private lessons, tournaments, join leagues, or participate in other events by calling 858.314.2000 or visiting the hotel’s website.
5300 Grand Del Mar Ct, Del Mar
Courtesy of Barnes Tennis Center
Barnes Tennis Center
Home of the official San Diego Padel team, the Stingrays, Barnes Tennis Center in Point Loma is equipped with seven padel courts alongside 25 tennis courts. Club memberships start at $350, but non-members can reserve courts for $52 for an hour. The tennis center also hosts pro padel events throughout the year so keep an eye on their schedules.
Along with a 27-hole championship golf course, a driving range, eight tennis courts, and eight pickleball courts, the members-only La Valle Coastal Club now offers two padel courts for players of all skill levels. The Rancho Santa Fe club hosts a variety of programs including Padel 101 for beginners wanting to master the basics and Challenger Clinic which helps individuals advance their game on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Members can also book private lessons or participate in padel events and tournaments throughout the year.
5690 Cancha de Golf, Rancho Santa Fe
Courtesy of King of Padel
King of Padel
Sprawled out across six indoor pickleball and padel courts, King of Padel in Bay Ho offers $15/hr open play Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 6-9 p.m.; Saturday 11-2 p.m.; and Sundays from 2-5 p.m. Guests can also choose a monthly membership for $59 which includes priority booking six-days-a-week, unlimited open play, and a five percent discount at the pro shop. Players can also participate in seasonal leagues which guarantee a set number of matches on weekends, prizes, and women’s- and men’s-only leagues or mixed groups.
4370 Jutland Dr, Bay Ho
Courtesy of Padel California
Padel California
Padel California was founded to bring the sport to cities across the state, starting with San Diego and Los Angeles. The club features two padel courts, coaching, tournaments, social events, and membership packages starting at $180 per person for three months and up to $500 a person for a full year. Memberships include perks such as private coaching lessons, shop merch, 20 percent off retail products and services, guest passes and exclusive tournaments. Non-members can book a 90-minute session for $88 per court.
222 S Coast Hwy, Oceanside
Rendering Courtesy of Padeln9ne
Padeln9ne
Opening soon, Padeln9ne will be a 100,000-square-foot wellness facility in Sorrento Valley featuring eight padel courts, two tournament courts with stadium seating, a fitness and wellness complex, on-site dining, and more. This massive facility is set to become a hub for serious players.
Hannah Elizabeth Williams Is an editorial intern at San Diego Magazine in her last year as a literary journalism major at University of California Irvine. She is a passionate reader that has a ‘to be read’ pile that extends into the afterlife. Will constantly talk about her dog Daisy.
Nicolle Monico is an award-winning writer and the director of creative projects, digital editor for San Diego Magazine with more than 16 years of experience in media including Outside Run, JustLuxe and The San Francisco Chronicle.
Centuries ago, explorers marked uncharted seas with the ominous warning, “Here be monsters.” Today, San Diego’s Jojo Roper hunts his own kind of sea monster: towering waves that test the limits of human endurance.
“I train everyday and work my ass off to chase these waves, and [when the swell comes], I don’t want to miss a thing,” Roper says.
Now, from Nazaré, Portugal to Oahu’s North Shore, Roper’s journey is relentless. His team studies NOAA buoy readings, boards overnight boat rides, and hops international flights—all in pursuit of the planet’s biggest waves.
Last March, while surfing dreamy, crystal-blue barrels in Fiji, Roper was summoned by a swell alert to the frigid, churning waves of Mavericks. A quick 36 hours later, he was dropping into a 50-footer that would nab him Surfer Magazine’s 2024 Biggest Paddle-In Wave of the Year award.
But, make no mistake, these are treacherous waters. At six feet, waves are considered “overhead” and deter most average surfers. At 20 feet, paddle-outs become tests of endurance, and boards snap like matchsticks. At 30 feet, the force of a wipeout can rupture eardrums and drag surfers hundreds of feet along the ocean floor. At 50 feet, the crashing whitewater hits with the force of an avalanche, tossing humans like ragdolls in a washing machine.
“It’s like being in a major car accident that keeps going for 15 to 40 seconds—while trying to hold your breath,” Roper says. “Your limbs are flying in every direction since the violence is so radical.”
Cole Novak is an award-winning writer with a passion for highlighting local figures, small businesses, and nonprofits. Born and raised in San Diego, Cole is passionate about photography, surfing, art, the local food scene, and the great outdoors.
Senior Vice President, Public Affairs San Diego Padres
By Joyce A. Glazer
Sarah Farnsworth
Barney & Barney G.R.O.W. logo
geneenm
How did you make the leap from Washington, D.C., to the Padres in San Diego? Tom Garfinkel, CEO of the Padres, asked me if I would consider working for a baseball team. I thought it was a joke. I didn’t know anything about baseball. After 19 years in D.C. I wanted the opportunity to become a part of a community, and that is what I saw in San Diego. It’s an opportunity for me to give back.
You are engaged to marry a retired Marine, and you have a young daughter. What role did they play in your decision to join the Padres? It was a family decision. We decided together. I was working in a job that really wasn’t a career. With the Padres I have a career where I can be challenged, and I am part of a civic asset. Since my fiancé is retired, he plays a big role in my daughter’s care when I have work demands.
How did you get involved in politics? I was living in New York when the Democratic National Convention was held there; 22 years old and just out of college, I volunteered at the convention. From there I was assigned to do advance for Hillary Clinton during Bill’s first run for president. That was 1992. When Bill won the presidency, I was asked to work on the inauguration in 1993. From there I went to work on the First Lady’s staff in the East Wing. I was responsible for planning all events in the Rose Garden, the South Lawn, and basically anything in the White House. And the Clintons were very active, with many events going on!
Tell me about your time in the White House. I worked seven and a half years and left to marry, but returned for the last six months at the end of the Clinton term. I celebrated my 30th birthday at the second Clinton inauguration.
Where did you work when you left the White House? I was chief of staff at the USO and traveled frequently to Afghanistan and Iraq. I was working in the world headquarters for then-General Jim Jones, who later became President Obama’s national security advisor. President Obama asked me to become senior advisor to the national security advisor, so that put me working in the West Wing of the White House. When General Jones resigned in 2010, I was asked to work in the Pentagon.
You spent so much time working for presidents in both wings of the White House. How did you keep your feet on the ground? I never thought of it as politics, but as being part of an historical institution. There was a plaque on the wall in the White House that I passed by every day. The bottom line was “one day you will be on the other side of the iron gate.” That puts it in perspective.
What challenges have you faced? After being to Iraq and Afghanistan, challenges take on a different meaning. As long as my family is healthy, I don’t have any bad days.
What adjustments did you have to make when you joined the Padres? I have had to earn trust and credibility in a whole new profession, I had to learn baseball, and I have had to earn trust in the community.
What is in your future? I’m here with the San Diego Padres as long as they will keep me.
