Board of Directors

Carol Kim serves as Business Manager for the San Diego County Building and Construction Trades Council (SDBCTC) and Director of Community Engagement for the SDBCTC Family Housing Corporation.

Carol has had a varied professional career, beginning as an inner-city school teacher in Los Angeles. Later, she worked in HIV prevention, where she served high-risk groups and communities of color. In recent years, Carol’s focus has been advocating for working families and underserved communities.

Carlos Cota is an International Representative and Trustee for the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) with over 25 years of experience in the entertainment and convention industries.

He began his career in San Diego, but his work has taken him around the country with many of the industry's top conventions. Following his time working in the field, he served 13 years as a Business Agent for IATSE Local 122.

Jeff Gattas is the Assistant Chancellor and Chief of Staff at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) where he oversees the university’s public relations, media relations, marketing, and government and community relations.

Prior to working at UCSD, he managed and advised many political campaigns and held positions with multiple California political offices. Jeff actively serves on the boards of several regional business organizations.

Shawn VanDiver is a Senior Manager with Deloitte who works with government clients at the federal, state and local levels in California and along the southwestern border. Shawn is the founder of the San Diego Chapter of the Truman National Security Project and serves as Executive Director of the Defense Entrepreneurs Forum’s San Diego Chapter. He also serves on the Boards for Emerge California, Veterans Community Connections and the Downtown San Diego Partnership. 

He attended National University and the Naval Postgraduate School and holds degrees and certifications related to homeland security, cybersecurity and emergency management. Shawn is a Navy veteran, proud father and avid sailor. 

Jaymie Bradford leads the strategy and vision of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce as the Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer.

She has worked in policy and public affairs for the City of San Diego for over a decade, including as Deputy Chief of Staff to Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Interim Mayor Todd Gloria, and as Director of Intergovernmental Relations during Jerry Sanders' tenure as Mayor of San Diego.

Elvin Lai is a fourth-generation owner-operator of the 71-room Ocean Park Inn hotel in Pacific Beach, which was reimagined for a spring 2021 debut. He is the immediate Past President of the San Diego County Hotel-Motel Association and played a leading role in establishing the Pacific Beach Clean and Safe program. He is a serial entrepreneur, with four businesses in three different sectors.

A graduate of the University of San Diego, Elvin’s greatest passions are building relationships, supporting the growth of our tourism industry and working to better our community for future generations.

Will Rodriguez-Kennedy is a public servant and community leader who works for the California State Board Equalization and serves on the County of San Diego Civil Service Commission. A veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps; Rodriguez-Kennedy has more than a decade of demonstrated service to community, county, and country.

Will became civically active in his fight against the unconstitutional "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy when he was outed in the military as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Since then, Will has been a leading voice on issues of social and economic justice. His previous board service includes San Diego LGBT Pride and the San Diego County Veteran and Military Advisory Council.