Category Archives: New Member

Youth Organization – First Gen Scholars

Jonathan Burgos is Founder and Executive Director of First Gen Scholars, a 501(c) 3 whose mission is to provide superior support to underserved first-generation high school students in San Diego by navigating them through the college application process and mentor them throughout college towards a prosperous career.

Jonathan founded First Gen Scholars in 2019 with 26 students in South San Diego, expanding city-wide in 2020 to serve 78 students from 13 high schools and 11 different ethnicities.  In addition, he spent 15 years (primarily in City Heights through Cardinals Interact) creating a college essay-writing curriculum that helps applicants share their authentic stories.  Jonathan has helped hundreds of students get into some of the most elite colleges in the United States, with most students graduating with zero to little debt.

He attended UCSD and graduated with a degree in Sociology. It was there where he met his wife of 20 years, Laurie. They have two children, 13 year old Theo (a black belt) and 10 year old Penelope (a Girl Scout cookie selling machine!)  Jonathan considers his family his “why” as he does First Gen Scholars.  He was a first generation student himself and almost did not graduate college without the help and support from others.  This is what motivated him to start his own non-profit.

He says a personal health scare in 2015 and the current pandemic has taught him two things: to be appreciate everyday of his loved ones, and that “it is not about what I have, but what I have to give in terms of my heart, my time and my energy.”

Mia Harenski, Massey Pitts and David Oates were his sponsors.

Education – UCSD Extension

Edward Abeyta, Ph.D. is Associate Dean for Education and Community Outreach at UC San Diego Extension. He received a BA from the University of New Mexico, and M.Ed. from the University of San Diego, and his Ph.D. from Capella University. He is also a LEAD graduate.

Ed is a founding trustee of the Urban Discovery Academy K-8 and ID8 high school.  He is also president of the Urban Discovery Schools Foundation and recently completed his service as a member of the San Diego Youth Symphony board of directors.  He is the founder of the UCTV STEAM Channel and was the key architect in moving Sally Ride Science to UCSD.

Prior to joining UCSD Extension in 1995, Ed began his service at UCSD as a counselor for the Early Academic Outreach Program serving underrepresented students in San Diego high schools and later was assumed the role of Registrar and Director of Academic Services at UC San Diego Extension. He has been recognized from UCSD and the UC Office of the President for his involvement in staff diversity and development initiatives. In 2008 Edward was selected to a two year term as the Staff Advisor to The Regents.

He says he is looking forward to his service in Rotary and “this new chapter” in his life, and also contributing to our STEM committee.

His sponsors were Phil Blair, Mel Katz and Stephanie Saathoff.

Credit Union – Community Relations

Courtney Pendleton is the Public Relations and Community Manager for Mission Federal Credit Union.

Courtney says it truly is a wonder that it has taken her so long to join the best Rotary Club in the world! Over the last few months, she has reflected on her “Rotary Ties” through the years: While in the PR agency world for nearly a decade, she found her passion for nonprofits and her first nonprofit client was Chris Sichel and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Fast forward to the first Rotary lunch she attended back in 2012 as Joe Craver’s guest (he and the late Bill Trumpfheller had hired her at the Red Cross, when she turned to staff from being a longtime PIO volunteer). She was fortunate to work alongside Bill Earley (former member), Wendy McKinney and Stan Hartman with her Red Cross work. Courtney then moved over to the YMCA where she worked closely with Michael Brunker, all-along the way meeting Wendy Urushima-Conn who gave her a nudge to finally try out Rotary.  She says Rotary seems to be that final missing piece that would tie all of her worlds together.

Courtney grew up in Orange County and moved to San Diego to attend SDSU where she received a BA in Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations.  She met her husband, Kevin, at SDSU and they have 2 young children, Madison and Jake.

Wendy Urushima-Conn, Wendy McKinney and Chris Sichel were her sponsors.

Software – Sales

Nickolas Wohlman is an Associate District Manager in Sales & Consulting for ADP. He was recently awarded the company’s Rookie of the Year Award.

Nick grew up in North Dakota, where both of his parents were also Rotarians. He says he has fond memories of going to community service events with his parents and a lot of family friends also from Rotary. When he became a freshman in high school, he instantly joined Interact. Nick moved to California when he was 16 and found out that his new high school didn’t have an Interact Club, so he started one with the help of the local club his mom had just joined. He was Interact president for 2.5 years and grew the club to over 40 members! He also attended RYLA and was a member of the SDSU Rotaract Club for all 5 years.

Nick graduated from SDSU with a BS in Business Marketing. He is also currently the youngest member of San Diego Rotary at the age of 24.

David Oates, Michael Gordan and Jordan Maharaj were his sponsors.

Real Estate Sales-Residential, Additional Active

Robert “Bob” Flynn is a realtor (HomeSmart Realty West), lawyer, and ADR Neutral (Mediator & Arbitrator). When asked what he does, he replies “I am a lawyer who sells houses.”

He is originally from Boston where he practiced law for over 40 years.  He and his wife, Mary, raised 5 children in the town he grew up in (so change didn’t come easy).  They’d still be in Boston, except they were invited to follow 2 of their sons out here to San Diego to go into the real estate business with them.  He hasn’t looked back since and loves San Diego!

Why Rotary?  Bob says that his high school in Boston, Boston College and Boston College Law School inculcated his desire to do things for other people so he would love to give back to the San Diego community.

David Oates, Amy Myers and Jules Taggart were his sponsors.

Museum-Comic-Con, Additional Active

Melissa Peterman is the Vice President of the Comic-Con Museum located in Balboa Park.

She is a proud native San Diegan and has spent most of her personal and professional life working to make San Diego an amazing place to live, while also focusing on equity work.

Melissa studied Political Science at SDSU, then went on to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for her graduate studies in theories of social justice and the intersections of pop culture and the social movement. She originally wanted to be an academic and started her Ph.D. program, but then realized she wanted to have a more direct and immediate impact.  So she made the decision to move back to San Diego where she spent 10 years working in affordable housing and homelessness with Father Joe’s Villages and the San Diego Housing Commission, before eventually joining the Comic-Con Museum.  Melissa says working at the museum is a perfect cumulation of everything she is passionate about…San Diego, DEI and the impact of popular art and culture.

Melissa loves to travel and be with friends and family, but her real hobby is planning and organizing anything and everything. So she says she is ready to put those skills to work with Rotary!

Ingrid de Llamas, Wendy Urushima-Conn and Katie Sawyer were her sponsors.

Federal Government – U.S. Attorney’s Office, Additional Active

David Finn is a Federal Criminal Prosecutor/Assistant U.S. Attorney at the Office of the United States Attorney here in San Diego.

He was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri and moved to San Diego 21 years ago.  He attended Mesa Community College, then UCSD, then California Western School of Law.  He has worked for the U.S. Attorney’s office for the last 10 years.

David is a big fan of community service and one of his favorite organizations to volunteer with is Reality Changers, who work to get first generation college students into college and to succeed.

In 2020, David was the chapter president of the Federal Bar Association with over 500 members.

He has several hobbies (he says his wife would say too many!): he likes to compete in triathlons and has competed in 2 full Ironman triathlons in the last 3 years, he likes to sail, golf, and play music.  David and his wife Rebecca have been married for 8 years and have a beautiful 2-year-old daughter named Claire.

Jordan Harrison, Eric Beste and Jonathan Cole were his sponsors.

Social Services – SBCS

Kathie Lembo is the President and CEO of SBCS, a social service organization that strengthens communities by supporting the well-being and prosperity of San Diego children, youth and families through over 50 different programs.  Kathie is responsible for the overall administration of the agency, which includes managing the now $90M annual budget, networking and fundraising with the community, advocating for youth and family issues at the City, County, State and Federal levels, and building County-wide collaborations.  SBCS is the agency that is overseeing the immigrant children’s shelter currently at the Convention Center. Kathie has served as their President/CEO since 1982 and has grown the agency into one of the largest social service and community development agencies in the County, touching the lives of 50,000 people each year.

Born in New York to an Italian family, Kathie had 2 brothers and 14 male cousins. She said she always had a ride home from a high school dance…even if she didn’t want one!

She received her undergraduate degree from Stony Brook University and her graduate degree from St. John’s University.  She came to San Diego in 1980 and has been here ever since.

Kathie lives in the Sunset Cliffs neighborhood with her husband and son who are avid surfers.  She enjoys the beach, dinner with friends, tequila tasting, bike riding and just having fun!

Phil Blair, Mel Katz and Cindy Marten were her sponsors.

Information Technology – National Defense

Mark West is the San Diego Waterfront Director for CACI International, a defense contractor specializing in information solutions and services in support of national security and littoral combat ships.

Marks bio David Letterman style:

10.  He and his wife, Megan, have been together for over 20 years
9.  He is an avid traveler and has been on every continent in the world.  He cannot wait to travel again!
8.  He is a life-long public servant, having served in the Navy for 24 years, served as a board members of the SD County Airport Authority, an Imperial Beach Councilmember, and is a founding board member of the San Diego Community Power
7.  He is a lover of public murals and founded an art bureau that has done over 30 large scale murals throughout San Diego
6.  He is HUGE Rolling Stones fan
5.  He is a lover of the arts.  Be prepared to hear him singing Broadway musicals (or crying to one)
4.  He is the first person in the Navy to have done a swim call on both variants of a littoral combat ship in the Atlantic and in the Pacific
3.  Albeit cliche…he did meet his wife while he was bartending, during flight school, in Pensacola, Fl.
2.  He is self-proclaimed energy nerd
1.  He is an avid surfer and avid outdoorsman and has hiked over half of the fourteeners in the US.

Stephanie Saathoff, Mel Katz and Betsy Brennan were his sponsors.

Credit Score Management-Marketing & Media

Liz Richards is the Creative Director for ScoreShuttle, a technology built to help consumers manage their creditworthiness.

Before diving into her current role, Liz started her career as a news producer for two morning shows in Evansville, Indiana.  She then moved to L.A.  and worked as Director of Development for High Noon Entertainment, the production company behind shows like Fixer Upper, Cake Boss and Good Bones. No longer a fan of the L.A. traffic, Liz moved to San Diego where she made the transition from television to digital marketing.

Her current community involvement includes volunteering with the San Diego Library Foundation and the Epilepsy Foundation.  In her free time, Liz enjoys Pilates and boxing, and loves to explore the outdoors on a sunny hike or camp adventure with her fiancé, Jeff.  The pair have their first child on the way and just bought their first home in University Heights.

Wendy Urushima-Conn, Ginny Ollis and David Oates were her sponsors.