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50 People to Watch

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IT’S NEVER EASY WHITTLING THE POPULATION TO 50. But we do it every year—and the 2005 People To Watch are once again the eclectic cream of the crop. They are actors, anchors and athletes. Politicians, publishers and power brokers. They inhabit the airwaves—and are on both sides of the cameras. Some are famous; a few are infamous—and might do well to watch themselves, particularly their backs. But most folks here have already shown promise that 2005 is their year to shine. Just watch.

Michael J. Aguilar

As the top Homeland Security Department official for Lindbergh Field, Aguilar has an unusual set of challenges. San Diego’s airport is unique, says the retired Marine Corps brigadier general, who oversees passenger and cargo screening. He cites the airport’s downtown location and its proximity to the harbor, strategic Navy installations, San Onofre’s nuclear reactor and a “porous” Mexican border. “We have to keep one step ahead of those who would do us harm,” he says. “We do this by continually improving procedures and tapping into technology.” A recordbreaking 16 million passengers used the airport in 2004.

Mike Aguirre

Five times was a charm for Aguirre. After unsuccessful runs for Congress, district attorney and the city council (twice), he was narrowly elected San Diego city attorney. A pit bull securities lawyer and political activist— he was among the first to oppose the infamous Chargers ticket guarantee—Aguirre said during his campaign that San Diego’s pension fund debacle might have the city on the brink of bankruptcy. It made national news. Aguirre, though, says he will not be the flamboyant elected official people are expecting.

Alan Bersin, Mitz Lee, Luis Acle & Shelia Jackson

Don’t expect San Diego’s controversial superintendent of schools to go out like a lamb. With little more than a year left before his expected departure, Bersin no longer has what some critics called a rubber-stamp board. Indeed, the three new trustees of the San Diego Unified School District all have been critical of the ex-federal prosecutor and his Blueprint for Student Achievement, which emphasizes literacy and teacher training. Mitz Lee, in fact, called for Bersin’s head during her campaign—and won in a landslide. To echo Rodney King, “Can’t we all just get along?” The answer: Not likely.

Jim Benson

Since founding Space- Dev in 1997, Poway rocket man Jim Benson has taken his share of dings, including an aborted mission to send an unmanned spacecraft to an asteroid by 2001. But now, all indications are that Benson is on the right trajectory. Last October, a new engine developed by SpaceDev powered a rocket plane into space, winning its design team a $10 million prize for creating the world’s first reusable private spaceship. And just a few months earlier, the Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency awarded SpaceDev a $43 million contract to develop microsatellites that can be networked in space.

Jim Bowers & John Engle

Between them, they’ve raised a ton of money for Scripps Health Foundation, which solicits contributions for Scripps Health, San Diego’s premier nonprofit healthcare delivery network. Bowers, considered the dean of local fund-raisers, returned to Scripps to serve as interim director of the foundation last year, while also serving as executive director of the San Diego Public Library Foundation. Engle now oversees Scripps Health Foundation in his new role as chief development officer and senior vice president; he has been with Scripps for 15 years. Both men have one thing in common: They won’t take no for an answer.

Adam Brody

The San Diego–born actor is red hot as one of the stars of The O.C., the hip Fox TV series about a group of wellheeled Newport Beach kids that’s been compared to Beverly Hills 90210. Brody, 26, spent most of his early years surfing and hanging out with friends until he moved to Los Angeles, hired an acting coach and snagged the part of Greg Brady in the 2000 TV movie Growing Up Brady. He subsequently had minor roles in such films as American Pie 2 and The Ring before his big break as poor little rich kid Seth Ezekiel Cohen.

Linda Caballero-Merrit

The new president and CEO of the San Diego County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is a strong believer in Latino entrepreneurs. Her late father taught her the importance of leadership. Accordingly, one of Caballero-Merrit’s main objectives is to help entrepreneurs find resources and contacts to grow their businesses. The chamber currently has about 800 members, and with the Tijuanaraised Caballero-Merrit’s marketing skills—she previously spent four years as marketing director at the San Diego Workforce Partnership—observers predict significant growth in the coming years.

Sheryl Charleston

As the new CEO of the Better Business Bureau, Charleston has big plans for 2005. Chief among them is giving the nonprofit organization —with 6,000 business members, the sixth largest in the country—a strategic plan and a long-term vision. “People are very familiar with the bureau,” she says, “but then the next question is: ‘What do you do again?’ ” Charleston, who hails from a small town in Nebraska, spent several years working in the cable TV industry, most recently at Time Warner. She’s a veteran of the BBB’s board and is described as smart, shrewd and savvy.

David C. Copley

Owner of the Union- Tribune Publishing Company, Copley notably shuns the spotlight accorded bigcity newspaper titans, appearing only occasionally in the society column of The San Diego Union- Tribune. The death last year of his mother, Helen, sparked more speculation about the 52-year-old publisher’s health. Copley is said to have suffered a major heart attack last January, and it’s rumored among the newspaper’s staff—a gossipy group, indeed—that he’s awaiting a heart transplant. All of which continues to further fuel the old familiar speculation that the mighty U-T empire, one of the last privately owned U.S. newspaper chains, is headed to the “for sale” column.

Tom Craft

We’re watching—very carefully. Craft’s third season as head coach of the San Diego State University football team started with a tease of greatness, then retreated to familiar depths. He’s an SDSU alumnus and was highly successful at Palomar College, where he was 115-56-1 and won three national junior college championships. But after a 6-6 2003 campaign, the Aztecs fell back to 4-7. Some boosters have called for Craft’s head. He’s likely to return for a fourth season—but the guillotine is being sharpened.

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