60° Mostly Cloudy
Honoree Profiles
KPBS Celebrates Diversity
Every year, KPBS recognizes heroes in San Diego's diverse communities. It's part of our ongoing commitment to diversity, and made possible through our long-standing partnership with Union Bank.
Nominations for Hispanic Heritage Month, Disability Awareness Month, and Native American Heritage Month are due June 9, 2013.
More Local Heroes Honorees
Black History Month
Women's History Month
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Jewish Heritage Month
LGBT Pride Month
Hispanic Heritage Month
Disability Awareness Month
American Indian Heritage Month
Larry T. Baza
LGBT Pride Month: 2012 Honoree
- May 30
- 0 Comments
Larry T. Baza’s career as a professional arts administrator and advocate has been driven by the belief that access to the arts “is vitally important to a civilized society.” His work has included directorships of many local nonprofits including the Centro Cultural de la Raza, Sushi Performance and Visual Art, California Pacific Theatre and others. He has also participated as a consultant, grant panelist, site visitor or board member for: National Endowment for the Arts, California Arts Council, Arizona Arts Commission, City of San Diego Commission for Arts and culture, California Association of Local Arts Agencies and more.
Gussie Zaks
Jewish Heritage Month: 2012 Honoree
- May 10
- 0 Comments
As a Holocaust survivor, Ms. Zaks speaks about the atrocities of hate crimes and racial and religious discrimination in the U.S. and the world. Ms. Zaks also speaks to schools and various organizations to help others learn about the Holocaust. She inspires young men and women to make a positive difference in their own and others’ lives. She has been recognized by many organizations including the Board of Education of San Diego City Schools, and she received the Channel 10 Leadership Award-2000.
Jill Spitzer
Jewish Heritage Month: 2012 Honoree
- May 10
- 0 Comments
In 1984, Jill Borg Spitzer started at Jewish Family Service when the agency had a staff of 20, an annual budget of $500,000 and it focused primarily on family counseling. But, as CEO for the past 25 years, Ms. Spitzer began focusing on emerging social issues that were impacting the community including domestic violence, mentoring young boys and girls, senior centers and hunger. She holds a Masters degree from Columbia, and is a licensed clinical social worker. She is also a member of the Senior Women’s Basketball Association in San Diego.
Ikunosuke "Mike" Kawamura
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month: 2012 Honoree
- May 10
- 0 Comments
Kawamura was one of five production engineers from the Kyoto Ceramic Company, Ltd. ( now Kyocera Corporation), who left Japan in 1971 for a bold new assignment in California – opening the first manufacturing plant outside of Japan. Mr. Kawamura’s ideas and relentless efforts at Kyocera helped create a new generation of semiconductor packages that paved the way for the mass-commercialization of many important semiconductor technologies. In addition to his work as a chemist, manufacturing engineer and training/education professional, Mike Kawamura is actively involved in promoting intercultural understanding and harmony.
Dennis-Michael Broussard
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month: 2012 Honoree
- May 10
- 0 Comments
A New Orleans native, Mr. Broussard is the founder of Silk Road productions, an event management and production firm, through which he has created acclaimed special events and raised thousands of dollars for numerous non-profit organizations. He is responsible for bringing several important events to San Diego: the Asian Cultural Festival; the Filipino American Culture and Heritage Festival; and the AMP Music Festival. Mr. Broussard has a reputation for being down to earth, inspirational to others, a leader in the community and willing to take action for the benefit of the San Diego community.
Dr. Doris Howell
Women's History Month: 2012 Honoree
- Feb. 24
- 0 Comments
Doris A. Howell, M.D. is devoted to improving the lives of others, having practiced medicine for over 50 years. When first introduced to the hospice concept in 1968, Dr. Howell embraced this radical departure from the established way of dealing with the dying and their families. In 1977, Dr. Howell, along with a group of caring individuals, established San Diego Hospice, the first hospice program in the country. She has received numerous awards including a 2006 honor by the Moores UCSD Cancer Center for her pioneering work in hospice and palliative care nationally, and for inspiring a new consultation service called the Doris A. Howell Palliative Consultation Service.
Michelle Elise Houle
Women's History Month: 2012 Honoree
- Feb. 24
- 0 Comments
Michelle Elise Houle began her career in education as a substitute teacher at the Lindsay Community School, for pregnant and parenting mothers. This special school allows these women to finish their high school education while receiving on-site childcare. Ms. Houle is credited with creating an Early Childhood Program that has enacted significant change for many young women fighting the cycle of poverty along with their children. Plus, with a degree in Creative Writing, Ms. Houle has published numerous books including a biography of Cesar Chavez. Ms. Houle has also been recognized by the San Diego County Office of Education and was named the 2010 Site Teacher of the Year for the San Diego Unified School District.
JiAel Brownell
Black History Month: 2012 Honoree
- Feb. 6
- 0 Comments
JiAel Brownell is a teacher at the East Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility. He also served in the U.S. Army as a translator in Korea and, with his background in linguistics and an appreciation for his country, he taught citizenship to recent emigrants. Brownell moved to Juvenile Hall to defend young people and help them succeed with the lessons he learned from his background in education, sports and fitness.
Roy Dixon
Black History Month: 2012 Honoree
- Feb. 6
- 0 Comments
Bishop Roy Dixon is the church pastor at Faith Chapel, which he started in 1985 with only six members. Bishop Dixon understands that a congregation of faith must participate powerfully in community life, and he is committed to helping the poor. Under Bishop Dixon’s leadership and community activism, Faith Chapel has grown to influence not only San Diego, but all of California.
Brandie Taylor
Native American Heritage Month: 2011 Honoree
- Nov. 1
- 0 Comments
Brandie Taylor is the vice chairwoman of the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel, an Indian tribe in Northern San Diego County. Ms. Taylor has dedicated her life to advocating for tribal rights, preservation of tribal culture, improvement of health and safety of native peoples, and she is an avid supporter of higher education for youth. Ms. Taylor’s many accomplishments include securing funding for Iipay Nation’s Tribal Social Services, which handles child dependency cases and culturally focused assistance for family preservation.
Michelle M. Parada
Native American Heritage Month: 2011 Honoree
- Nov. 1
- 0 Comments
Michelle M. Parada is the co-founder and lead teacher of All Tribes American Indian Charter School. Since 2001, All Tribes Charter School has provided culturally focused assistance to reduce the dropout rates among Native American students in San Diego by graduating 46 high school seniors to date. Ms. Parada has been a recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the 2010 Educator of the Year from the National Indian Education Association and San Diego’s 10News Leadership Award.
Pamela Finkel
Disability Awareness Month: 2011 Honoree
- Oct. 5
- 0 Comments
Pamela Finkel is a professor emeritus, counselor and an advocate for the academic success of students with disabilities. Ms. Finkel has dedicated her life to making sure students with disabilities have the necessary resources to ensure their educational success. For nearly 20 years, she has been a professor at San Diego Community College (SDCC). Her work with SDCC includes the Disability Support Programs & Services (DSPS), a campus resource center that provides academic support, counseling services and reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities, helping them to be independent and achieve their academic and vocational goals.
Bill Bodry
Disability Awareness Month: 2011 Honoree
- Oct. 5
- 0 Comments
Bill Bodry is the founder and president of the Challenge Center, which he established after a spinal cord injury left him paraplegic at the age of 27. Faced with the challenge of finding affordable medical and physical therapy services, Mr. Bodry has made it his life's work and mission to provide programs and services to people living with severe disabilities. The Challenge Center has been recognized as one of the fifteen "Best of the Best" nonprofit rehabilitation facilities in the nation by the Christopher Reeves Foundation. In 2010, Mr. Bodry received San Diego’s ABC/Channel 10 News Leadership Award.
Rachel Ortiz
Hispanic Heritage Month: 2011 Honoree
- Sept. 7
- 0 Comments
Rachel Ortiz is the founder and director of Barrio Station, a youth program that saves the lives of thousands of troubled young people by offering them alternatives to delinquency. Ms. Ortiz lives her life with a passion for justice and a commitment to youth advocacy. Ms. Ortiz is a recipient of numerous awards, including the César Chávez Humanitarian Award, California Legislature's Women of the Year and the Aztec Achievement Award.
Richard Nares
Hispanic Heritage Month: 2011 Honoree
- Sept. 7
- 0 Comments
Richard Nares is the executive director of the Emilio Nares Foundation (ENF), which he founded along with his wife Diane in 2003 after losing their son Emilio to leukemia. Mr. Nares turned the tragic experience into a program that assists children fighting cancer throughout Southern California. Under his direction, the Emilio Nares Foundation serves as a resource center providing various community services including transportation, healthy meals, financial assistance and staffing for two Family Resource Centers at Rady Children’s Hospital.
