40 UNDER 40 2023

Parisima Jassim

She has devoted her practice at Jassim Law to serving people. She specializes in representation of the injured and families who have lost a loved one due to no fault of their own.  She works tirelessly to represent her clients and yields stellar results on their behalf in the most difficult cases.  She was born in Iran and migrated to the United States at age 14.  She did not speak English. She mastered the language and graduated with honors from San Diego State University, California Western School of Law and passed the California State Bar Exam on her first try.   She is co-chair of the Lawyers Club of San Diego, Red White & Brew Committee to raise money for “at risk” women in San Diego battling sexual and domestic violence. She most recently obtained a $9 million settlement on behalf of clients who were hit near head on by a commercial truck. Though the collision was entirely the fault of the semi-truck driver the insurance company denied responsibility. Through several depositions, she secured the verdict in behalf of her clients.  She has won many other multi-million dollar settlements, including an $8 million confidential settlement against a ride-share company. She has been recognized as a Super Lawyer for six years.

David Potter

Potter is the director of development at Chelsea Investment Corporation. As housing issues in California have had a profound impact on San Diego’s quality of life, he has had 18 years of experience in multi-family/mixed-use development, financing, and asset management in southern California.  As director of development with Chelsea, a leading affordable housing developer in the Pacific Southwest, he oversees a team of development professionals with a portfolio of 18 active projects throughout California, Arizona and New Mexico. He brings a wide range of experience in the multifamily and commercial sectors, including acquisitions, institutional asset/portfolio management, development, dispositions and finance. He has been involved in the planning and development of over 8,000 units across California and Arizona.  He is a native San Diegan and takes great pride in his involvement with nonprofit organizations that makes the lives of San Diegans better.  He is a member of the board of directors for HomeAid  San Diego.  He is a longtime supporter of Habitat for Humanity, where he is a designated Experienced Worker and has contributed to multiple projects across southern California. He has both undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Southern California and the University of California Berkeley.

Jolyana Jirjees

She is the director of operations for the Chaldean Community Center in El Cajon.  She was born in Mosul, Iraq. In 2011, six months pregnant with her first child, she and her husband fled Iraq due to the Muslim attacks. The local Christian community in Mosul faced wide-spread abuses, including forced expulsion from their historic homelands. As Jolyana said, “Growing up it was not safe, and we lived in terror.” She began working at the Chaldean Community Council in 2021 at the time when it was only involved in media broadcasting.  She expanded the non-profit organization by providing social services to underprivileged and underrepresented refugee families in El Cajon. During COVID-19, it was the only non-profit in El Cajon that was helping people learn of and sign up for benefits that were available to them, including education, job training, health and wellness, housing assistance, legal assistance and immigrant and refugee support. She established a medical program that finds health insurance coverage for eligible low-income individuals and families and created a Computer Literacy Program to provide training on the use of computers and laptops. She is a graduate of San Diego State University with a bachelor’s in sociology and counseling. At SDSU, she was awarded an Award for Excellence in Community Engagement and is now on course to earning her master’s degree in counseling.

Kristel Nichols

Nichols is the director of marketing for the Jamul Casino. She is an exceptional talent, equally comfortable in a board room and on stage, as a professional performer. She is responsible for Jamul’s data-driven marketing strategy to increase response time and maximize profits. By focusing on technological efficiencies, she aims to deliver easy-to-navigate digital interactions with Jamul guests, as well as operational efficiencies within the team.   She is also responsible for leading property-wide entertainment initiatives, with a focus on presenting high-class, unique, and unforgettable experiences.  She is also skilled on the stage as an accomplished performer.  As a dancer, singer, and actress, she has an extensive portfolio of performance experience throughout the region and on film.  She began her professional career at 18, as a cast member and dance captain on the Holland American Cruise line. After three contracts, she set her sights on Las Vegas, where was a featured dancer in multiple shows, including Pin Up at The Stratosphere.  She also spent a year abroad in the European tour of Speed with Holiday on Ice and was a featured dancer in the film, “Think Like a Man Too.”  She is professionally trained in vocal performance, as well as ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary and pointe. She volunteers with the annual Blind Date Gala for Blind Connection, and helped coordinate a company called Holiday Coat Drive to benefit HELP in Southern Nevada. She is a magma cum laude graduate of the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) with a degree in business administration, marketing.

Kyle Boyce

Boyce is an associate with Latitude 33 Planning & Engineering, being the engineering lead on local projects totaling more than $3 billion.  In his 10 years as a civil engineer, he has gained substantial experience while working on institutional, civic healthcare and life science projects across southern California.  He is proficient in project management, civil engineering design, campus masterplans in a phased setting, permit processing and construction support. He is often assigned Latitude 33’s large-scale developments. He has served as Latitude 33’s team leader for some of the firm’s most high-profile projects, including the $2.5 billion UC San Diego Hillcrest Campus Redevelopment. His projects also include UC San Diego Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute, UC San Diego Mesa Nueva, and San Diego County Sheriff’s Department Regional Crime Lab.  He earned his B.A. Applied Science in Civil Engineering from San Diego State University.  He is skilled at highlighting constructability issues early and the ability to ensue that multiple design and construction schedules are coordinated for complex projects.  He is passionate about teaching students around San Diego County the opportunities in STEM and beyond.

Haley Howe

Howe started at the bottom of the business as a call taker at Bill Howe Plumbing. She is now the general manager of the Restoration & Flood Division where she holds the company’s General Contractor license, allowing the company to perform construction on commercial and residential projects. She holds a position of leadership in a male-dominated industry and has created revenue growth of 209% in her division. She manages a company of 61 employees with an annual revenue base of $11 million. She has grown her team 10% year over year and has restructured the division to provide long term career paths for employees. She has deployed a new project management system through Monday.com that streamlines operations. She is a certified Water Restoration Technician.  She is a volunteer at the San Diego Food Bank and Father Joe’s Villages. She has built shelters in Tijuana utilizing her welding and concrete construction skills. She is also active in community sports and plays on a local ice hockey team and roller derby team for fun.  She is a mother of two and was a competitive figure skater for eight years. She is proud to be part of the family business and being able to provide rewarding career opportunities for the community.

Dr. Tina Ngo Bartel

Dr.  Bartel is director of the Center of Excellence for the San Diego and Imperial Counties Community Colleges.  She has worked in higher education for nearly six years and conducted labor market research for 10 years. She has worked for the San Diego Workforce Partnership. In her role, she leads market research and data to support academic programming and help advance the economic and social mobility of students. San Diego organizations have used her research to raises $20 million in grants for education and workforce development.  She earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of California San Diego (UCSD).  She was director of research and business programs at San Diego Workforce Partnership, spearheading their priority sectors between 2012 and 2017, including advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and health care. She led the Strong Workforce Faculty Institute, a professional development program which had a 91% completion rate among participants.  

Ryan King

King is senior vice president and founder of Voit Private Client Group, representing family offices and high net worth individuals across southern California. He is among the youngest partners in the firm. He has qualified as a Top Producer across all offices every year since 2014 and has been in the top five brokers at VOIT San Diego (2017, 2019, 2020 and 2022). He started his career at Cushman & Wakefield in 2010. In 2018, he transacted on the Santa Fe Depot, a high-profile transaction which gathered interest from investors across the world. In 2019, he transacted the largest medical lease in San Diego history with the VA Hospital at 8875 Aero Drive for $148 million.  In 2022, he transacted one of the largest land residential development sites representing Pacifica Companies on a $33 million acquisition for over seven acres along the I-5.  The deal was highly complicated and involved an additional $20 million buyout for the tenant. It was recently sold to UCSD for over $100 million. He is a graduate of the University of San Diego.

George A Rios III

Rios is an associate at Dinmore Law. He is active in the legal community. He served as the 2020-21 president of the San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association. During his term as president of La Raza he created a new non-profit arm to benefit San Diego’s diverse community.  He secured $200,000 grant for programs that mentor k-12 students. He is a board member of the St. Augustine Alumni Association and the San Diego Law Library Foundation. Mayor Gloria appointed him to his Latinx Advisory Group to tackle the unique challenges facing Latinx communities.  He sits on the San Diego County Bar Association’s Leadership Speaker Series subcommittee.  He is a member of the Hispanic National Bar Association. He is a graduate of San Diego State University and the Loyola School of Law in Los Angeles.

Hilary Dargavell

She is the chief of operations at RJS Law Firm. She is a jack-of-all trades who works tirelessly and is not afraid to roll up her sleeves and tackle any task ranging from administrative duties to managing multiple properties and orchestrating complex events. She is a strategic thinker who always keeps the big picture in mind, while being meticulous in her attention to detail. She is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the firm and she does so with exceptional skill and grace. She is a natural leader who inspires her colleagues to work harder and smarter. She is always willing to go above and beyond to ensure that the firm is running smoothly. She can make tough financial decisions with confidence and clarity. She has a clean understanding of the legal industry and is always looking for ways to improve the bottom line without compromising RJS Law’s values. She is a remarkable young woman who makes an incredible impression. She has generated significant revenue, streamlined operations, and built a culture of collaboration and mutual respect, and she does it all with a sense of fun and joy.  She volunteers at Noah Homes in Spring Valley where she assists adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She received her associate degree in mathematics and science from Cuyamaca College.

Rachel Lozano Castro

Castro serves as senior officer of programs and impact at the San Diego Regional Policy and Innovation Center (PIC), a non-profit organization dedicated to unlocking the region’s full potential by cultivating and building partnerships, with a niche for addressing complex issues that can only be solved with cross-sector, multijurisdictional collaborations. In her role, she is focused on leading a pilot launchpad to identify, attract and support a robust, sustainable, and inclusive region. Bilingual and biliterate in Spanish, she brings a unique set of experiences to her work, including the director of the Brink Small Business Development Center at the University of San Diego, where she assisted over 1,000 entrepreneurs in growing their businesses. She also helped startups raise $250 million in angel investments and non0-dilutive capital as well as government grants. Brink has been named as one of 10 “inclusive io innovation hubs” in the country. She is a board member of Business for Good and Startup San Diego. She is a member of The Old Girls Club, which brings women to gather around tech, venture, and social capital.  She was recently honored as the 2022 Citizen Diplomat of the Year by the San Diego Diplomacy Council and a “40 Under 40” by America’s Small Business Development Center. She is a graduate of Point Loma Nazarene University and has a master’s degree in public administration from San Diego State University.

Lola Adeyemo

She is the founder and CEO of EQI Mindset and founder and chief operating officer of Sapient Logic, LLC. She has 13 years of experience across fortune 250 STEM companies as a scientist, supply chain expert, integration project manager, ERG (employee resource groups) expert and inclusive advocate. She works with corporate leaders to move from DEI talk to effective employee engagement and retention. Sapient Logic is an IT consulting company which serves the defense space in San Diego. She is a current board member of Girls, Inc. of San Diego, member of North San Diego Business Council and a past member of HealthCare Businesswomen’s Association. She is a working mother of three whose passion is mentoring women and advocating for immigrant inclusion. She is a graduate of the University of Houston.

Adam F. Sloustcher

He is a partner at Fisher Phillips in both the San Diego and San Francisco offices.  He also is co-chair of the firm’s Sports Team, a diverse group of former collegiate and professional athletes dedicated to advising sports employers regarding compliance with laws that impact their workplace. The Sports Team has become a go-to source for employers looking for guidance on managing controversies, as well as defending them before governmental, regulatory, and administrative agencies and, when necessary, litigation. He focuses a large part of his practice on defending employers in wage-and-hour class action lawsuits, as well as those brought under California’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). He has extensive experience litigating equal pay class actions and single plaintiff discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination lawsuits. His competitive athletic background drives him to achieve the best possible outcome for his clients. He was a member of the Under 17 and Under 18 US Youth National Soccer teams and was named a McDonald’s and Parade All-American. He played professional soccer for the San Jose Earthquakes in Major League Soccer. He is a magma cum laude graduate of Loyola Marymount University and a cum laude graduate of the Hastings College of Law at the University of California.

Megan E. Walker

Walker is a partner at Fisher Phillips. Her labor and employment law practice focuses on litigation and appeals, and she primarily works with clients in the healthcare and hospitality industries. She’s achieved professional excellence within the field. Whether she is negotiating a settlement, presenting oral arguments in court or drafting an appellate brief, she fights smart for her clients. She serves on the California Litigation Practice Group, the Women’s Initiative and Leadership Council (WILC) and the pro bono liaison group. In 2021, she was awarded the prestigious C. Hugh Friedman New Lawyer Award by the Lawyers Club of San Diego, an honor awarded to an attorney in practice seven years or less who champions the mission of the Lawyers Club to advance the status of women in law and society. Before beginning her legal career, she produced the world premiere of an off-Broadway play, provided research support for financial and legal professionals in global mergers and acquisitions and worked as an analyst in merchandise planning. She’s a graduate of The Ohio State University School of Law, a summa cum laude graduate of the State University of New York, Fashion Institute of Technology, and a magma cum laude graduate of New York University.

Devon J. Arabo

Arabo is Of Counsel  at RJS Law who has demonstrated exceptional legal skills and a commitment to the San Diego community .  He’s been the lead attorney for complex ERTC matters, demonstrating a deep understanding of tax law, tax policy and an ability to navigate complex legal issues. His expertise has earned qualifying clients millions of dollars in Employee Retention Tax Credits.  He is a zealous advocate for his clients, and he has experience handling both criminal and civil tax controversy  cases before the IRS.  He has a proven record of successfully  counseling clients through audits before various state and federal taxing authorities, and his dedication to his clients and his craft has allowed him to save his clients millions of dollars. He is a proud “Triple Torero”, having graduated from the University of San Diego with his bachelor’s degree in accounting and from the USD School of Law he has both his juris doctor and a master’s of law in taxation.

Chanel Di Blasi

Di Blasi joined CGS3, a growing San Diego-based commercial real estate law firm, in 2022. With a strong background in a broad range of landlord-tenant and business real estate disciplines, she is an experienced transactional and litigation attorney who brings a stellar track record rto the CG3S team. Throughout her career, she has effectively represented landlords and helped them navigate the dense maze of California regulations, with a particular emphasis on residential and commercial landlord-tenant disputes, leasing, contracts, affordable housing and compliance.  She was with Kimball, Tirey & St. John in San Diego before joining CGS3. She volunteers as a reading tutor at local elementary schools and has regularly donated time and money to local women’s and homeless shelters, including Rachel’s Women’s Center and the Los Angeles Mission.  She recently joined Big Brothers Big Sisters to serve as a mentor.  She has a B.S. degree in television, film and news media production from San Diego State University and a J.D. from Thomas Jefferson School of Law.

Mark Mandala

Mandala is a rising leader at Brixton Capital, elevating the multifamily investment strategies for one of the West Coast’s leading real estate investment firms. He serves as director of acquisitions. Brixton owns and operates a portfolio of over $1.5 billion and 10 million square feet of retail, multi-family, industrial and land investments across the western United States.  He is driving Brixton’s ability to source primarily off-market, value-added opportunities as well as brand-new apartment communities. His adaptive investment approach to changing market conditions has established him as a rising star in the fiercely competitive multifamily arena. He has leveraged Brixton’s vertical investment approach including acquisitions, financing, property management and construction, allowing Brixton to continue expanding its geographical presence into new markets. He is an active volunteer with the Rise Against Hunger, and, prior to joining Brixton, hosted an annual golf tournament that raised more than $5,000 and toy donations for the Children’s Hospital of Orange County.  He concentrates on multifamily acquisitions in Dallas-Fort Worth, Phoenix, Seattle and Salt Lake City.  He is a graduate of the University of Arizona.

Andrea Cisneros

She leads the international tax department at RJS Law. She has helped structure billions of dollars in investments in the United States. She helps investors comply with U.S. tax laws and regulations. Also, when her U.S. clients invest or reside outside the United States, she helps them keep compliant with U.S. laws and regulations. She is a member of the La Raza Lawyers Association, and the San Diego Chamber of Commerce. She’s licensed to practice in both California and Mexico. She understands both commonwealth and statutory law and can advise her international clients. She is a graduate of the University of San Diego School of Law.

Collins Ejiogu

He is the chief administrative officer at UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies. The continued education institution serves a diverse population of non-matriculated students, from pre-college students in their teens to lifelong learners in their 60s and up. Nearly half of all students served are from underrepresented minority groups. He takes his duties in this area very seriously and works each day to ensure that DES is an international leader in the business of continuing education. He previously served as the director of financial operations and auxiliary services at Claremont Graduate University. He earned his master’s degree and a certificate in accounting and finance from UC Riverside. He received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Cal State Fullerton. He is a lifetime mentor with the National Society of Black Engineers and was a McNair Scholar and mentor at Cal State Fullerton.  He played a critical role in the successful execution of the UC San Diego campus-wide “Return to Learn” strategy after the COVID-19 pandemic. He led the implementation of DES’ flex-work arrangement which involved identifying a hybrid work approach which benefited both the business and its personnel and fulfilling commitments to students and partners.

Sarah Baldwin

She is the program director at Vista Hill’s ADAPT (Accessible Depression and Anxiety Peripartum Treatment) program. She’s an extraordinary leader in a tender environment that treats a highly unseen and unacknowledged community, low-income clients that are dealing with Peri and Postpartum mental health issues. Traditionally, they have been left untreated, alone, and without support which can lead to more severe conditions, including mental health issues and homelessness.  She is patient, kind, thoughtful, intuitive, and person-centered. Her appreciation for process, managing the business of the program and the extraordinary relationship she has with the County, being a County-funded program, are unprecedented.

Jordan Lerner

He Is the chief of staff at Host Healthcare. He has been instrumental in growing the company from a fledging startup to what is now the highest rated travel healthcare company in the United States. Host’s annual revenues are more than $800 million. It has over 600 employees.  Over the past three years, Host has grown at an astonishing 1,600%.  He has worked to deliver industry-best service for travel nurses and allied professionals all over the country for the past nine and a half years. He has held several important roles at Host starting as a recruiter in 2013.  He maintains a servant-leader mentality. His sense of humor makes him a pleasure to work with, and he is focused on the company’s mission, values and culture. He and his wife, Amanda, and extended family are contributing members of the San Luis Rey Band of Luiseno Indians.  He is a graduate of Eastern Illinois University.

Justin R. Giles

An associate at Latitude 33 who has engineered millions of square feet of development throughout San Diego County, including some of the largest commercial campuses and most important civic projects, Giles is a passionate and dedicated civil engineer and leader.  Since joining Latitude 33 in 2013, he has embodied the company’s core values and injected his enthusiasm and personality into his work, emerging as a compelling leader among his peers. He has helped lead some of the firm’s and the region’s most notable developments, including Aperture Del Ma, the County of San Diego Youth Transition Campus, the Village at Pacific Highlands Ranch, and Merge 56.  Merge 56 is a 72-acre mixed-use project of 242 residential units, office space and retail space which totals 500,000 square feet, including a hotel and movie theater.  He is a registered civil engineer and earned his B.S degree in civil engineering at San Diego State University. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI ) San Diego-Tijuana Young Leaders Group. He is also involved in the Design Build Institute of America and coaches is son and daughter’s teams in baseball, softball and soccer.

Sheena Peoples

She is an executive vice president and chief sales and service officer at San Diego County Credit Union. She is responsible for defining and implementing SDCCU’s overall operations and sales strategy. This includes implementing automation within new and existing operational processes to create further efficiencies. She was integral to the launch of SDCCU’s online banking platform.  She started in SDCCU’s call center 16 years ago when there were 16 employees. Today, there are nearly 100 employees across two states. She’s won SDCCU’s President’s Service Award and is an innovative change maker who maintains infectious positivity and unwavering leadership. She is certified in sign language which means she can help with any transaction where a deaf member is involved.  She won 2018 and 2019 awards for her leadership in the SDCCU call center.  She has risen through the ranks to become one of the key executives at SDCCU.

Tyler Renner

He is director of media at PATH (People Assisting The Homeless).  He has served the community extensively, having served two years on the North Park Planning Committee and recently completed his two-year term as the Metro West Area Director of the San Diego Democrats for Equality. He also recently joined the San Diego Pride Board of Directors. He co-founded the City of San Diego’s LGBTQ Employee resource group. In his new role at PATH, he is working to spread the word about its innovative and collaborative approaches to housing individuals experiencing homelessness. He has elevated PATH’s presence in the media by regularly securing national, statewide, and local press opportunities. He is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara.

Timothy Howland

He is the senior manager of public affairs and principal digital strategist at Southwest Strategies.

He is the resident digital expert in supporting clients with digital strategy and grassroots advocacy on public affairs and outreach campaigns. He takes the lead on internal communications and change management practices, as well as develops and executes all things digital for national and local client accounts. He ran multiple coalition advocacy campaign for Campland on the Bay, resulting in thousands of supporter contacts to city decision makers.  He started a non-profit called Mille’s Bookshelf that provides reading resources and food security to displaced children and refugee communities worldwide. He led the digital project for a major land use and development project in the city of Sierra Madre which had been the home of the Master Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, a longstanding historic landmark for nearly 100 years.  He is a graduate of Susquehanna University.