When the Greater Philadelphia Leadership Exchange (GPLEX) was looking for its site for the next conference, it had a few potential cities on its list. The leaders decided on San Diego so that attendees could enjoy the weather, the beaches and its vibrant cultural scene. But that’s not the only reason. Conference organizers wanted GPLEX 2024 to be a chance for attendees to learn about the border city and how its leaders tackle civic challenges.
They’ll do just that at the conference taking place from October 18 to 21 at the Westin Bayview downtown. GPLEX is a program run by the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, a nonprofit think tank that’s been around for more than a century. The organization focuses on building equity in economic growth, and GPLEX is part of that push.
Each year, they gather about 200 leaders from different sectors in Philadelphia—including nonprofits, government, and private—and take them to new cities to learn how leaders in those cities tackle issues like workforce development, social equity and economic growth.
“In its original inception, GPLEX happened every other year in a different city,” says GPLEX director Kejsi Shahaj. “We used to do one home GPLEX here in Philly, and then we would do an away GPLEX outside of the city. But as of the last three years, we’ve done back-to-back visits because we think people really tap into the experience and totally disconnect from their work and home life and lean in fully into the conference when it happens away, as opposed to here where people can take a break to go home or to go into their office.”
In the past, GPLEX has visited places like New Orleans and Detroit. This year, they picked San Diego to learn more about how it works as a binational hub. “What stood out to me about San Diego was the way it really leans into the way it operates as a binational region, [as well as] globalization and its foreign-born populations in the city,” Shahaj says. “You can point to San Diego as a city that lives very harmoniously with their neighbors to the south and actually really leans into that relationship with Mexico.”
She also hopes GPLEX attendees will learn from San Diego’s unique type of diversity. “Philadelphia has traditionally been seen as a Black-and-white city, but with all the immigration trends, we’re experiencing this identity shift,” she says. “San Diego offers a different way of thinking about diversity—how to integrate immigrant populations into the workforce and community in a meaningful way.”
With less than a month until the election, the border is going to be a hot topic at the conference. Attendees will go on a field trip, or “regional exploration,” to the Cross-Border Express, the pedestrian bridge that connects San Diego to Tijuana’s airport.
Attendees will also visit Balboa Park to learn about arts and culture, the San Diego Zoo to hear about conservation efforts, and Feeding San Diego to discuss food distribution and the food economy.
“We also do ‘dine-arounds,’ which are essentially organized dinners for folks to do some more informal networking and eat some good local food,” Shahaj says. Some of the restaurants they’ll visit include Callie, Urban Wood, Juniper and Ivy, and Trust.
Attendees will also hear from San Diego leaders including Mark Cafferty from the Regional Economic Development Corporation, Lisa Cuestas from Casa Familiar, Mauricio Torre from South Bay Community Services, Sunny Cooke from Mira Costa College, Tony Young from Workforce Development Partnership, and Lucas Coleman from the World Trade Center San Diego.
These leaders will be talking about what works well in San Diego, but also the region’s challenges, including housing affordability and homelessness. “California coastal cities might seem like this utopia to us East Coasters,” Shahaj says. “But there are real struggles here, too—particularly around housing and homelessness.”
Shahaj hopes attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of how to tackle issues in a way that works for their city. “There’s so much to learn from how San Diego integrates its immigrant populations and prioritizes public spaces like parks and green areas,” she says. “That’s something we can really take to heart in Philly.” The event wraps up with a closing reception on the Star of India at the Maritime Museum.
