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8/1 Club Luncheon - New Children's Museum

1 Aug 2017 12:00 PM | Karina Sousa (Administrator)

We had a great luncheon on today August 1st at the Renaissance Hotel! We had guests visiting us from Sweetwater Kiwanis Club and our new friends from the New Children's Museum. 

Tom Bauer kicked off the luncheon with a great invocation followed by My Country, 'Tis of Thee led by Doug Frost. 

BIRTHDAYS

We celebrated quite a few birthdays the last few weeks and had two of our birthday boys in attendance - Chuck Day + Fritz Warmbrodt. Happy Birthday to our other Kiwanians, Carole, Rick + Jean!

BILL'S BUCKS

Jay was happy to report he's been to every Padres home game - and purchased some digs Downtown to accommodate! 


Karina was happy to have gone to a game with Jay - the only way she'll go to a Padres game! 

Doug made it back from the Kiwanis International Convention in France safely - and with a fiance! Congrats to Doug + June! Our Kiwanis power couple! 


Judy was bummed that she missed the Bill Toone visit but happy to have her at the meeting! 

Heather was happy to report they sold their RV but anxious to get a car back! 

July was a great month - the highlight being our visit to Bill Toone's Casa which we look forward to making an annual luncheon so mark your calendar for Summer 2018!

CHECK PRESENTATION

The man of the hour, Chuck Day, our CWIP (Community-Wide Impact Project) Committee Chair came to present our $20,000 check to the New Children's Museum. This CWIP Committee vetted 20 proposals from organizations all over San Diego County but selected New Children's Museum as our recipient for 2018-2019! 

PROGRAM: NEW CHILDREN'S MUSEUM

Representing the New Children's Museum, we were delighted to meet - 

Judy Forrester

Executive Director/CEO

Specializing in non-profit structure and sustainability strategy, Judy Forrester has worked with a number of San Diego’s key non-profit agencies helping them build sustainable business models to support their work.  Her twenty years of non-profit and community leadership, coupled with experience managing local philanthropy for Bank of America, helps Forrester bring proven best practices to organizations where she serves. In partnership with the boards of directors and the internal teams Forrester helps to build stronger, more sustainable organizations to better serve the San Diego community.

Forrester accepted the role as Interim Director of The New Children’s Museum in December of 2015 to assist the board and staff in launching and executing the museum’s new strategic plan. In June of 2016 she accepted a three year contract to serve as Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director to further advance the long term sustainability of the museum.

Prior to The New Children’s Museum, Forrester was contracted as Chief Executive Officer of USO San Diego for one year and assisted the board and staff in bringing financial stability to the organization. 

From April 2010 to May of 2014 Forrester was Senior VP, San Diego Market Manager, Global Marketing and Corporate Affairs for Bank of America where she was responsible for managing Bank of America’s community strategy including government relations, community relations and corporate affairs.  Additionally, she managed the bank’s charitable/ marketing/ sponsorship resources throughout the San Diego/Imperial Counties region..

From July 2005 until April 2010, Forrester served as President and CEO of LEAD San Diego, prior to LEAD, Forrester led the startup of the San Diego County Medical Society Foundation; she served as a senior officer on the transition team of the American Red Cross San Diego/Imperial Counties Chapter during its crisis recovery and restructure and served for five years at the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, first as Director of Social Service and Healthcare Policy – then later as Director of Corporate Relations.

Forrester is active in the San Diego community. She has served on the boards of LEAD San Diego, the San Diego Regional EDC Foundation, the Downtown San Diego Partnership, The San Diego Workforce Partnership Workforce Investment Board, the San Diego Regional Continuum of Care Board, the San Diego Regional Tourism Authority, the San Diego World Trade Center and the San Diego County Medical Society Foundation. She is active on the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce Public Policy Committee, and the CEO Roundtable.  She is also a member of San Diego Downtown Rotary Club #33. She was recognized by the SD Business Journal as one of San Diego’s Women Who Mean Business and received recognition in 2012 as one of San Diego’s Metro Movers to Watch.  

Tomoko Kuta


Deputy Museum Director

Tomoko Kuta, Deputy Museum Director at The New Children’s Museum, directs the content of the museum and develops the museum’s strategic vision.  Hired in 2011, Tomoko is responsible for executing the museum’s exhibitions, studio program, arts education initiatives, community outreach, and the daily visitor experience.  She has worked in museums and other non-profit organizations since 1992, working with artists, curators, educators, and other professionals to develop exhibitions, build permanent collections, design user-centered education programs, and train staff.  As a leader, she emphasizes empowering her team to realize their potential and best serve audiences.  Her projects have received funding from nationally-acclaimed agencies such as the National Endowment for the Arts.  She is currently a co-chair for the Association of Children’s Museum’s annual conference and an arts commissioner with the city of Encinitas.  Tomoko earned a BS from Cornell University and an MA from the University of Chicago

Amy Briere Gray


Education Manager

Amy Briere Gray, Education Manager, oversees the Arts Education department at The New Children’s Museum. Amy is a California-credentialed teacher with close to twenty years of experience working with educators, students, and families in art related venues. She joined the Museum in the fall of 2016, and since that time has worked with the Arts Education team to implement such programs as school visits, camps, fee-based classes, educator events and resources, and the new Community Gallery. As a manager and employee, Amy believes in being a team player and in collaborating with others as often as possible, an approach which has helped her to work closely with colleagues both inside and outside of the Museum and to create long-term professional relationships with a large number of educators and artists. She is currently on the board of the San Diego Chapter of the California Art Education Association (SD-CAEA), an associate member of the Balboa Park Educators Council (BPEC), and a full-time member of the Arts Education Resource Organization (AERO). Amy received a B.F.A. in Art History and Studio Art from Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY and a Master’s degree in Visual Arts Education from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. 

We presented the check and then heard an update from Tomoko and Amy!


 To view their Powerpoint Presentation - click here

UPCOMING EVENTS

8/9 – Interclub w/ Southeastern - 7:15 a.m. - Jacobs Center - Contact: June

8/16 - Serve Dinner @ Ronald McDonald House - 4:45 p.m. - Contact: Suzie

8/19 - JDRF North Park Scavenger Hunt - 12:00 p.m. - Contact: Heather

8/29 - Kiwanis Night Out @ SD Food Bank - 6:00 p.m. - Contact: Karina

Check the Kiwanis calendar for any other upcoming events! Be sure to register online!

Join our Club and perform extraordinary things in your community!

Kiwanis Club of San Diego is a 501(c)4 non-profit organization. 

3276 Rosecrans Street, Suite 202, San Diego, CA   92110-4893

619-324-9853
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