New Board Members Appointed to San Diego Convention Center Corporation

Three new members have been appointed to the San Diego Convention Center Corporation’s Board of Directors.

Mayor Jerry Sanders and the San Diego City Council appointed two new members – Phil Blair, executive officer of Manpower Staffing of San Diego, and Nico Ferraro, a retired pipefitter and former labor union representative for Local 230. In additon, the San Diego County Hotel-Motel Association appointed Bruce Goodwin, founder of Goodwin and Associates, a consulting firm specializing in the lodging industry in the southwestern United States and the Republic of Mexico.

The San Diego Convention Center Corporation has a 9-member board of directors who set policy for the corporation. The San Diego City Council appoints seven voting members to 3-year terms. Two ex-officio members, or non-voting members, are appointed by the San Diego County Hotel-Motel Association and the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Skip Jurus Receives James V. Cunningham Award

Skip Jurus, SDCCC Doorman/Lobby Director

The San Diego Convention Center’s Doorman/Lobby Director Skip Jurus was awarded the 2009 James V. Cunningham Personalized Service Award.

This award honors the individual who, regardless of palpable pressures and demands, consistently displays a willingness to serve. It is one of the Gold Key Awards annually presented by the San Diego County Hotel-Motel Association and the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association to deserving employees in the hospitality industry.

"Skip is the embodiment of this award – he is willing to extend himself in any way necessary to ensure our guests receive the five-star treatment they have come to expect when they visit the San Diego Convention Center," says Carol Wallace, the Convention Center’s president and CEO. "It’s what we refer to as 'San Diego Spirit' a total service commitment by every employee to proudly represent and personally welcome every guest who comes to visit America's Finest City."

The San Diego Convention Center was the first facility in the nation to employ uniformed doormen to personally greet its guests. Skip was not only the Convention Center’s first doorman, but also one of the first employees hired more than 20 years ago.

General Manager Appointed Chair of IAAM
Sustainability Committee

Brad Gessner, SDCCC General Manager

The San Diego Convention Center's General Manager, Brad Gessner, was recently appointed chair of the International Association of Assembly Managers, Inc. (IAAM) Sustainability Committee.

The IAAM Sustainability Committee works to promote the concept of sustainability in public assembly venues around the world. One of its primary responsibilities is to develop practices and procedures that support these unique venues’ green efforts. The committee also acts as a liaison to the U.S. Green Building Council and other international agencies regarding Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

"As general manager of one of the nation’s leading convention facilities, I understand the challenges venues face when developing, implementing and encouraging sustainable practices," says Gessner. "At the San Diego Convention Center, we've always been forward thinking and have had green programs in place before it was the popular thing to do.

"Now I will have the opportunity to help other venues create their own sustainability programs and be able to share the experience I’ve gained in my role at the San Diego Convention Center over the past 20 years with others. It’s going to be an exciting time at IAAM."

Gessner’s appointment begins this July and will continue through summer 2012.