The San Diego 500, The Book of Influential Business Leaders, is the market’s most comprehensive product of people you should know in the business community. The 500 includes business leaders and executives who have founded or are running significant companies in terms of number of jobs, key products and services, experts who raise the level of the industry here and beyond and those who lead in the business community. The 500 is selected by the San Diego Business Journal newsroom.

Mark Cafferty

President and CEO, San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp.

Mark Cafferty joined the EDC in 2012 after serving as president and CEO of the San Diego Workforce Partnership, a federally funded job training agency. He has more than two decades of experience in job creation and employment training. The Boston native was selected to chair Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s Workforce and Economic Advisory Committee, and served on Gov. Jerry Brown’s International Trade and Investment Advisory Council. He serves on numerous local business and civic boards. In 2017, the San Diego Regional EDC launched a “life-changing” marketing campaign to promote the region, mapped out possible sites for Amazon’s newest mega-sized ambitious HQ2 and initiated a Destination Health initiative to promote medical tourism.

ALMA MATER: Assumption College

TOP HONOR: He recently received the Ronald Kendrick Memorial Award for Regional Collaboration at the LEAD San Diego Visionary Awards.

ADVICE: “Never pass the buck or shy away from a challenge, treat others as I hope to be treated and always believe that a strong and vibrant economy is the cornerstone of a strong and vibrant community.”