Dear San Diego
Tony Manolatos
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About This Podcast
Dear San Diego is a public affairs podcast with personality.
Hosted by veteran communication specialists Tony Manolatos and Juan Hernandez, Dear San Diego gives newsmakers and others a platform to discuss the big issues of the day, but that’s just the beginning.
Tony and Juan’s guests share what’s not in their bios, who they are away from work, secrets to success, and more. Tony and Juan also discuss work, home, fatherhood, health and wellness, and youth sports – where the politics can be way more fierce than they are at city hall.
Tony and Juan met a decade ago while working for dueling mayoral candidates in San Diego. Since then, the two friends have worked together on numerous public affairs, land-use, and issue campaigns.
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Recent Episodes
S2E212 Little League & Travel Baseball: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
In this new episode of Dear San Diego, Tony and Elizabeth sit down with their twins Alex and Nicky, who are 12, to talk about baseball — not just the stats and scores, but the lessons the game…
S2E211 Family, Leadership, and San Diego’s Talent Challenge - Mark Cafferty
In this episode of Dear San Diego, Tony and Juan sit down with the CEO of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation - Mark Cafferty, to talk about family, leadership, boxing, and the…
S2E210 Focused on Helping Others - John Van Cleef
A revered and longtime North County neighbor, the Community Resource Center (CRC) provides meals and other services to senior citizens, low-income families, and others who need a helping hand. But…
S2E209 San Diego Unified is Getting Into the Housing Business
San Diego Unified School Trustee Shana Hazan sits down with Tony and a very special guest co-host, Tony’s wife Elizabeth Fitzsimons, to discuss what’s happening locally with the state’s second…
S2E208 Youth Baseball Parents: Stop Talking!
As little league seasons kick off across San Diego we take a deep dive into youth baseball with three guests who are as committed as anyone to the sport: Jeff Rosa, Joe Lewis and Chad Starkey. Our…
S2E207 Creating Beauty from Devastation, Mariah Dawn on her new book, Dragon In You: A Memoir
Unable to catch her breath because of PTSD – brought on by years of abuse and trauma she suffered at the hands of her husband – Mariah Dawn sat down and tried something new. She opened a Word…
S2E206 Election Special 2024 - Chris Cadelago
POLITICO’s Chris Cadelago joined Tony and Juan for a special 2024 Election Episode of Dear San Diego. Chris provided really smart takes on local, state, and national races, and shared some…
S2E205 Padres Uniforms and Persuadable Voters: The Art of Polling with John Nienstedt
The Padres sensed they had a problem. So they called John Nienstedt, who helped them figure out they should switch to brown jerseys. John brought in models who wore different jerseys to a series of…
S2E204 Preserving Community While Tackling Growth: Michael Inzunza's Vision for Chula Vista
Michael Inzunza is running for Chula Vista City Council. He comes from a long line of public servants and political dynamos. Next year will be the 50th anniversary of his parents’ first major…
S2E203 Treating the Invisible Wounds: A Clinician's Mission to Help Vets
Kelly Williams takes care of people who need care, and she’s creating an army of therapists like her to try and meet the needs of people wrestling with PTSD throughout San Diego. Williams is Clinic…
S2E202 Chad Peace on Marketing, Love, Family and his Finicky Fisker
A licensed attorney, Chad Peace never expected to lead a digital communications company that serves an impressive list of clients. With dozens of designers, project managers, and others, IVC Media,…
S2E201 Car guy lands dream job as CEO of San Diego Automotive Museum
Lenny Leszczynski is a car guy, dating back to his days as a young man who drove a Daytona Blue 1964 Chevy Impala, but his wife was not expecting him to land this job. After all, Lenny had never been…
S1E110 Steve Peace on San Diego Politics and Reforming his own California Voting Reform
The author of California’s Top Two Candidates Open Primary, which took effect in 2012, wants to reform his reform. Steve Peace, a founder of the Independent Voter Project, wants California to move to…
S1E109 Family, Labor, Politics & Poker: A Sit-Down with Michael Zucchet
Michael Zucchet is one of those guys who listens more than he talks, and his calm and thoughtful demeanor has served him well at the poker table and at the negotiating table. Zucchet oversees the…
S1E108 The Women Leading the Building Industry Association
The majority of San Diegans are renters, but rents are crazy expensive because supply is so low. Very few new homes are built, so those that are sold come with a steep price. The average home in San…
S1E107 Monica Montgomery Steppe on the Importance of Opportunity
San Diego Councilmember Monica Montgomery Steppe is expected to win the county supervisor special election on November 7, 2023 to replace Nathan Fletcher. If so, she would leave her job as a…
S1E106 Chris Cate On Life After City Hall
During his 8 years as a San Diego City Councilmember, Chris Cate was known as the smartest guy on the 10th floor, but he became more than a policy wonk. He worked with council members on both sides…
S1E101 Mastering Crisis Communications: James Canning Reveals Strategies for Personal and Professional Success
James Canning was the PR pro for one the region’s most popular politicians. Everything was going exceptionally well for his boss and for James. And then one morning that all changed. Nathan Fletcher…
S1E102 Navigating the Art of Political Messaging: Insights from Pollster Drew Lieberman
Drew Lieberman counts San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, Hawaii Governor Josh Green, and the U.S. Navy among his clients. Drew has worked with Tony and Juan on several land-use campaigns. A savvy and…
S1E103 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Jessica Grounds’ push to Level the Playing Field and Advance Young Leaders
Jessica Grounds does not shy away from a challenge and that’s a good thing considering she spends her days developing young leaders and striving for change in board rooms, on committees, and in…
Frequently Asked Questions
Dear San Diego has published 22 episodes since September 2023, covering topics in Business, Careers.
Dear San Diego is currently moderate with new episodes every 2 months. Average episode length is 55m.
Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for Dear San Diego, including email and social media links.
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