Over her career, Susan Guinn has journeyed from registered nurse to principal of her own law firm and is now president and CEO of the San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center (PIC).
She has won the San Diego Business Journal’s 2023 Business Women of the Year Award in the Nonprofit category.
“This was a wonderful surprise and a recognition that extends beyond myself to the collective efforts of our dedicated team,” Guinn said. “This award is a testament to our shared love for San Diego and our work to build collaborations to impact policy and attract capital for the region. I am lucky to have a world-class board and amazing colleagues, and partners and to celebrate this award with so many fearless, cool women.”
Finding Solutions to Challenges
The PIC is a nonprofit partnership between The San Diego Foundation, the County of San Diego, and one of the world’s leading think tanks – The Brookings Institution – to conduct research and policy analysis and help solve the region’s biggest problems.
GUINN
President & CEO
Among Guinn’s significant accomplishments has been establishing PIC’s Government & Agency Council, which is comprised of the County of San Diego, 18 municipalities around the region, and other core agencies such as SANDAG, MTS and the San Diego Port Authority.
This council represents an unprecedented willingness by local government and agency leaders to work collaboratively on major issues. Guinn played a pivotal role in visualizing and establishing this council, which has been instrumental in addressing some of the region’s most pressing challenges.
“Susan Guinn is a visionary leader,” said Ben Haddad, PIC Board Chair. “She has built a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to solving challenges such as climate change, lack of affordable housing, community wealth inequities, and aging/inefficient infrastructure.
“Guinn has established the leading economic and workforce research team in Southern California,” he added. “Under her guidance, PIC has become a leader in conducting equity-centered research and policy analysis, building strong working relationships among San Diego’s regional leaders and community stakeholders and piloting programs that improve the lives of all San Diegans.”
This past year, Guinn helped build a coalition of over 100 stakeholders to secure a $5 million planning grant through California’s Community Economic Resilience Fund to prepare an economic plan and framework for both San Diego and Imperial counties.
She also led federal and state funding applications to pursue more than $173 million in resources for the region to support jobs, healthcare, green infrastructure, critical infrastructure, equity and more.
“Susan’s leadership has been critical in the success of PIC, which has become a pillar of hope for the future of our region,” Haddad said. “Her tireless efforts and unwavering commitment to improving the lives of others made her deserving of this award.”
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