Mayor Desmond accepts award

SAN MARCOS — Mayor Jim Desmond accepted The Fran Aleshire Award via video message for his outstanding leadership and regional involvement at the San Diego North Economic Development Council’s Annual Holiday Luncheon and Awards Presentation held Dec. 1.
Each year, the Leadership North County Alumni Association presents The Fran Aleshire Award to a graduate of the program who, in the spirit of Fran Aleshire, exhibits the characteristics of great leadership. Individuals are nominated by their peers. Past recipients include retired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Mark Moore (2007), Escondido Mayor Lori Holt Pfeilier (2006), and Vice Chair of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, Ramona Finnila (2005).
“In addition to his door knocking, media outreach, and other traditional methods of reaching and influencing the community he leads, Mayor Desmond, in my view, demonstrates that he represents the future of community leadership as well as the best of what Leadership North County and its alumni stand for,” Leadership North County alumna, Julie Wright, President of (W)right On Communications, said.
Desmond was elected mayor of the city of San Marcos in 2006. He also serves as a board member for SANDAG and the San Diego Airport Authority. Previously, Desmond sat on the San Marcos City Council from 2004 to 2006 as well as served as San Marcos Planning Commissioner and San Marcos Economic Development Council President. Desmond graduated from Leadership North County in 2004.
“When I tell people about Leadership North County, I promote it by telling people that it gave me the confidence, the regional confidence, to run for elected office,” Desmond said. “Leadership North County exposes you to much more about your community than you ever knew before and it gives you the bigger picture of what makes the community and region tick. Today, I value and rely on the education that I received, in particular the exposure to North County regional assets in the areas of health, water, public services, law enforcement, military, transportation, and county and city resources.”