Leadership

As Chief Operations Officer, Justin leads the day-to-day operations of the Downtown San Diego Partnership, where he drives future growth and strategy for the organization of more than 120 employees. Justin obtained his Bachelor of Arts from Baldwin-Wallace College with a major in International Business. He went on to attend Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts where he obtained his master’s degree in Intercultural Relations with a concentration in Training and Consulting. He was a founding member and Chief Operating Officer of Mission Edge, one of the largest management consulting organizations for social enterprises and nonprofits in San Diego. He has served as an executive coach for local leaders, board strategist, and startup specialist. Justin has also served in other operations and finance leadership roles, as well as a human resource and operations consultant for event planning companies and restaurants. His community involvement includes board leadership at local nonprofits such as Community HousingWorks, The AjA Project, and the Columbia Community Foundation. Justin and his partner, JC, enjoy the theatre scene in San Diego, all the hiking opportunities our region offers, and trying new restaurants in San Diego’s growing culinary space. 

Trevin Epps is a wealth advisor with Perigon Wealth Management. He is a Certified Wealth Strategist (CWS®) with over 20 years of experience in wealth management and advisory services. Trevin specializes in serving high-net worth individuals, families, and small businesses by creating personalized financial plans focused around the 13 wealth management issues of greatest importance to them. Trevin is passionate about serving the community, having served on several charitable boards and led ministry outreach teams over the years. He is currently on the Board of Directors for the Children’s Dental Health Association of San Diego and is actively involved with the outreach team at his church. Trevin graduated from Kansas State University with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing/Pre-Law and has a master’s degree in finance from Webster University.

Reverend Webb is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and currently serves as the Senior Pastor/Teacher of the St. John Missionary Baptist Church of Oceanside, CA. He has served in this capacity since October 2014. He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and a Masters of Divinity Degree from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at the Virginia Union University.

Prior to being called to St. John Church, he served on the ministerial staff of the Morning Star Baptist Church in Catonsville, Maryland, where he was licensed and ordained. Since he arrived, Reverend Webb has opened the doors to the entire community, served special meals, completed a major renovation of the church, and invited local clergy to join together the help veterans received household goods for their new homes. Most recently, he was awarded the NAACP Religious Service and Activism Award. Reverend Kadri Webb is a man of action who lives and believes “Actions speak louder than words.”

Javier Lara is an Operations Management leader with extensive experience in domestic and international supply chain & manufacturing practices. He’s been able to apply his skills for private and publicly held companies and has been fortunate to travel the world in the process of applying his craft. Javier graduated with Honors from the University of Phoenix with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management. He’s currently employed by Viasat Inc. in Carlsbad where he lives with his wife and children. 

Assistant Chief of Staff / Operations Officer for Marine Corps Instillations – West, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.

Colonel Jackson hails from Detroit and enlisted into the Marine Corps Reserve in 1992. He graduated from Tuskegee University with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and received his commission via the Platoon Leader’s Class program in December of 1996.

Operations include: Operation Iraqi Freedom as a Company Commander; Operation Enduring Freedom as a Combat Advisor; Operation Enduring Freedom as the Regimental Combat Team-7 Future Operations Officer.

Colonel Jackson is a graduate of The Basic School, Amphibious Warfare School, Expeditionary Warfare School, Joint Forces Staff College, and the National War College in Washington D.C. Colonel Jackson’s personal decorations include the Bronze Star with Combat Distinguishing Device, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Legion of Merit with Gold Star, Meritorious Service Medal with three Gold Stars, Joint Commendation Medal, Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal with two Gold Stars, Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device and one Gold Star, and the Combat Action Ribbon with Gold Star.

Silas I. Harrington is licensed to practice law in California and Washington State, and he maintains a law office in Escondido focused on tax controversy, estate planning, and business formation and planning.

Mr. Harrington is an active member of Community Lutheran Church in Escondido, California. He appreciates the opportunity to apply his skills to maintain and build his local community.

Carol Lazier is a highly accomplished San Diego philanthropist and community volunteer. She is an active member of Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church and presently serves as Board Chair of San Diego Opera where she successfully led the effort to prevent the Opera’s closure. “The Arts connect us as human beings. Art nourishes our souls, increases empathy and tolerance.” She has served on the boards of the San Diego Museum of Art, the San Diego Symphony, and the Palomar Family YMCA. Carol was co-founder, lead underwriter, and is President of Solutions: Exploring Success Post High School, a non-profit that provides college and career information to San Diego students. Carol has also given her time and resources to such non-profits as Palomar Health Foundation, CSUSM, UCSD Rady School, and UCSD Jacobs Hospital.

Mei Bautista is a passionate advocate for the homeless, shaped by her own struggles with homelessness throughout her childhood and early adulthood. After graduating from high school in Escondido, she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, studied fashion design, and hosted numerous community service projects. Driven by her experiences, Mei founded “Humanitote” four years ago, an initiative that creates reversible tote bags. For every bag sold, she donates a filled hygiene kit to individuals experiencing homelessness, totaling over 1,000 kits distributed. As the owner of Daydream Here, a vibrant retail gift shop in Escondido, Mei empowers and supports over 40 local vendors while deepening her mission to combat homelessness. Her ultimate goal is to reunite with her siblings, adopted over ten years ago, while continuing to serve her community through her volunteer efforts and entrepreneurial spirit.

Minister Brooks currently serves as an Associate Minister at Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church. She graduated from Kent State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education and from San Jose State University with a Master of Arts Degree in Administration/Supervision. The wife of Alphonso Brooks, Carol is also the mother of two sons and a grandmother of three. Currently, she is a member of the North County African American Women’s Association and the Women’s Community Club. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Vista Community Clinic and KOCT Community Television. She also served on the Community Healthcare Alliance Committee for the Tri-City Healthcare District.

Robert Costantino is currently the successful business owner of Balloon Guru LLC in San Diego. He first started practicing his craft up in Los Angeles in the early 1980’s, back when the Balloon Decor business was in its infancy. His philosophy, which is crucial to his own recovery, is “Do The Right Thing. Always." He has implemented this philosophy into every aspect of his business. Robert definitely believes that if you strive to take the high road in life, you will always get through somehow. And if you have a spirit of gratitude along the way, all the better! Robert Costantino is also a graduate of Interfaith’s Escondido Community Sobering Services (precursor to Recovery & Wellness Center).

The Rev. Meg Decker has served at Trinity Episcopal Church in Escondido for over 20 years. In that time she has led the congregation in creatively engaging the outside world in service and Christian witness.

Leading one of the founding congregations of Interfaith Community Services, the Rev. Decker highly values cooperation between faiths and has been instrumental in organizing interfaith events, demonstrating how religion can be a force for unity and service in the community. She currently leads the Escondido Faith Leaders’ Council and is organizing a multi-faith chaplaincy program at Interfaith Community Services.

An attorney with Higgs Fletcher & Mack, Mitch joined the Board in December 2016. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Mitch and his wife Julie came to San Diego in 1981 after working in the Criminal and Tax Divisions of the Justice Department. Mitch specializes in tax controversy cases as well as business matters. He has been listed as a Southern California SuperLawyer for several years. In addition to professional commitments, Mitch has served on several charitable boards and organizations, including serving as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Seacrest Village, Second Chance, the Anti Defamation League, and Serving Seniors.

Yusef Miller is the founder of Mosques Against Trafficking, Co-Founder of The North County Equity & Justice Coalition, Member of the Racial Justice Coalition of San Diego, Member of East County Justice Coalition, Board Member of Activist San Diego, and Board Member of the Islamic Society of North County (Escondido Musullah). Upon retirement from the Armed Service, Yusef filled his time with Social Justice activities, first through Interfaith teams, Escondido Together, Poway Interfaith Team (POINT), San Diego Regional Interfaith Collaborative (SDRIC), as well as the District Attorney’s Interfaith Advisory Council and the San Diego Anti-Hate Crimes Coalition, fighting disparities on all fronts, including race, religion, gender, and immigration status. Currently, Yusef is a Community Health Worker (CHW) for The Multicultural Health Foundation and is the North County COVID-19 Awareness Rep for the African American Community.

Erick is Senior Vice President at Cultura San Diego, a full-service furniture and design provider. A key member of Cultura leadership, Erick manages teams across sales, marketing, and design. With more than a decade of experience in sales and management, Erick is dedicated to promoting opportunities for diversity within the commercial real estate industry. He is deeply involved in the San Diego community, serving as a board member of CREW San Diego (2022–2024) and as a mentor with Promises2Kids for LGBTQ youth. Through Cultura, Erick further supports local nonprofit organizations across San Diego by coordinating furniture donations and services for individuals and families in need.