Celebrating Innovation in Balboa Park
Balboa Park is a source of health and wellness, economic benefit, and cultural enrichment for the San Diego region and beyond. Forever Balboa Park’s sPARK Awards recognizes outstanding people and organizations that amplify Balboa Park’s distinct role and positive impact. Please join us to celebrate award winners and nominees; learn from engaging speakers; explore the museum; and enjoy live music, delicious bites, an open bar, and the company of fellow Balboa park lovers!
Thursday, May 9, 2024
5 – 7 PM
San Diego Air and Space Museum
2001 Pan American Plaza,
San Diego, CA 92101
Be a Sponsor
Thank you to our generous event partners! To help underwrite the sPARK Awards, please review the sponsorship opportunities at the link below, or email Janessa Wheeler at janessa@balboapark.org or (619) 331-1115.
Special Guest Speaker:
Betsy Brennan is the President & CEO of the Downtown San Diego Partnership, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the economic prosperity and cultural vitality of Downtown’s urban neighborhoods. Brennan leads the organization’s broad spectrum of services to benefit Downtown, including conducting successful advocacy in service of the organization’s mission, telling the story of the market as an ideal place for investment and growth, and providing excellent enhanced services to make 275 blocks of Downtown more clean and safe.
Brennan has also been a critical voice on the future vibrancy of Balboa Park including serving as a member of the Burnham Center for Community Advancement’s Balboa Park Working Group and the City of San Diego’s Balboa Park/San Diego High School Working Group. In 2022 she was recognized as CEO of the Year by the San Diego Business Journal.
In 2018, Carlos became Executive Director for ULI Mexico and led the Land Development practice for CBRE, Consulting, Brokerage, and Real Estate Service, in Mexico for the next four years. A bicultural citizen with extensive experience in developing professional and personal relationships, Carlos works with artists, investors, designers, architects, and developers, connecting people, projects, and places across an array of social, cultural, professional, and economic circles in Mexico and the United States.
Support the Event
Award Categories
The sPARK Awards inspire a sense of belonging, welcoming a wide range of nominees: individuals and organizations; nonprofit, public or private sector; and within or beyond the boundaries of Balboa Park. Award winners are selected after careful review of nominations by a volunteer Selection Committee with diverse knowledge, experience, and backgrounds, and a shared love for Balboa Park. A $5,000 cash prize will be provided to each awardee’s nonprofit of affiliation or choice from Park Catalyst sponsor San Diego Foundation, to fuel continued innovation and curiosity.
Igniting Innovation
The Igniting Innovation Award recognizes innovation, imagination, and risk-taking related to Balboa Park. Individuals, organizations, partnerships, or collaboratives may receive this award for efforts that spark new ways of viewing or experiencing Balboa Park, leading to increased opportunities, possibilities, and potential.
Nominations
- ARTIFACT Mingei International Museum | ARTIFACT at Night with Chef Tim Kolanko
- Patrons of the Prado | Bucks4Buses
- René Smith, Balboa Park Advocate and Volunteer
- San Diego Automotive Museum | IGNITE Academy
- Tree San Diego | Tree Treks
Crossing Boundaries
The Crossing Boundaries Award recognizes interdisciplinary or cross-sector collaboration that demonstrates Balboa Park’s multifaceted impact. Individuals, organizations, partnerships, or collaboratives may receive this award for efforts that cross disciplinary, organizational, cultural, generational, or other boundaries to make connections among nature, art, science, performance, learning, history, civic engagement, or other areas of interest.
Nominations
- Balboa Park / San Diego High School Working Group
- Cultural Volunteer Managers Council
- Doug Snider, Artist
- Mingei International Museum and House of Pacific Relations Cottages | Cups to Connections: Global Gestures of Hospitality
- Museum of Us and Friends of Friendship Park | Border Wall Preservation Project
- San Diego Model Railroad Museum
- San Diego Architectural Foundation | Built Environment Education Program
- Timken Museum of Art and Balboa Art Conservation Center
Enhancing Ecosystems
The Enhancing Ecosystems Award recognizes outstanding efforts to improve the environmental wellbeing and sustainability of Balboa Park, and thus, the natural world. Individuals, organizations, partnerships, or collaboratives may receive this award for efforts that enhance Balboa Park ecosystems, expand environmental stewardship within or through Balboa Park, or support the connection between Balboa Park’s natural spaces and community health.
Nominations
- CleanUp Kitsune
- Japanese Friendship Garden and Museum of San Diego | Happi Helpers Program
- San Diego Natural History Museum | Nature Trail at the Nat
Nominees
Andrew Utt
Executive Director
Institute of Contemporary Art
San Diego
Desha Crownover
Girl Scouts San Diego
The Incredible Race
Mingei International Museum
Roger Showley
San Diego Architectural
Foundation
Built Environment Education
Program
Nominees
Jack Carpenter, Rene Smith,
and Roger Showley
Japanese Friendship Garden
Mingei International Museum
San Diego Design Week
Michael Stepner
Balboa Park Design Review
Exploratory Committee
Young Lions Jazz Conservatory
San Diego Museum of Art,
Panama 66
Nominees
David Wageman
Greens Manager, San Diego Lawn
Bowling Club
Michael Field
San Diego Natural History Museum
San Diego Urban Timber
Rene Smith
Steven Pfong & Jose Sifuentes
Clean I Love San Diego
Selection Committee
Neville Billimoria
SVP Membership/Marketing & Chief Advocacy Officer
Mission Federal Credit Union
Natasha Bliss
Director of Strategic Partnerships
San Diego State University
Christiana DeBenedict
Director, Environmental Initiatives
San Diego Foundation
Vicki Estrada
President
Estrada Land Planning
Brian Matthews
CEO
The Matthews Company
Codi Vierra
Deputy Chief of Staff
San Diego City Council, District 3
Winners of the 2023 sPARK Awards
Last year’s sPARK Awards honored outstanding organizations in the three categories above.