On Wednesday, June 3rd, the San Diego Diplomacy Council gathered for its annual fundraiser, Global Connections to America’s Finest City, at the University Club — a stunning venue perched above downtown San Diego. The evening was one of celebration, reflection, and renewed commitment to the power of citizen diplomacy. Guests were welcomed into a space where the SDDC’s five-decade history was on display through a series of videos and a slideshow stretching back to 1989, when the Council hosted a delegation from Ghana. It was a fitting reminder of how long this organization has been quietly building bridges between San Diego and the world.
The Annual Gathering was also a reminder that the SDDC’s work begins at home. The evening brought together San Diegans from all walks of life and all stages of it: from students stepping into their first professional spaces to seasoned community leaders and longtime supporters of the Council’s mission. Across generations and industries, guests had the opportunity to meet, share stories, and forge the kind of local connections that make international work possible. Citizen diplomacy doesn’t only happen across borders; it starts with the relationships and connections we build right here in our own city.
Mark Ballam, the President of the SDDC Board of Directors, opened the evening by reflecting on the Council’s journey. Founded in 1979, the SDDC has evolved through name changes, location changes, and shifting global landscapes, but its core mission has never wavered: to heal the world through the simple, powerful act of human connection.
Executive Director Suela Bala, who joined the Council this year, brought fresh energy and a personal story that embodies the very mission she now leads. Having left Albania after getting married and building a life in the United States, Bala spoke of her own experience and shared her vision for expanding the Council’s reach and impact in the year ahead.
Consul General Christopher Teal, representing the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana, also addressed the room. As someone with a front-row seat to cross-border relations, he spoke to the meaningful, ongoing progress he has witnessed throughout the San Diego–Baja California region — and the role that people-to-people exchange plays in sustaining it.
Perhaps the most moving moments of the evening came from the students.
Aiden Alan Mendez Rodriguez, a current student at Southwestern College originally from Mexico, shared how a teacher at his high school, CECyTE Plantel el Niño, encouraged him to cross the border and attend the 2025 Binational Youth Summit. He delivered his remarks in Spanish, while SDDC intern Sydney Armstrong read an English version alongside him — a small but resonant act of tandem diplomacy. Without the Council, Mendez Rodriguez noted, he would not have had the opportunity to travel, pursue his current studies, or begin to understand the wider world waiting beyond his community.
Abril Sandoval, a student at High Tech High in Point Loma, spoke about her experience at the 2026 Binational Youth Summit. As a Mexican American, she had long lived in close proximity to Mexican culture — but the summit gave her something she hadn’t expected: genuine dialogue with Mexican students her own age, and the discovery that even across just a few miles, lived experiences can differ significantly. The Council gave her a new lens through which to examine culture, heritage, education, and access — and she left with a deeper appreciation for all four.
The SDDC extends its heartfelt gratitude to everyone who joined us at the University Club for this year’s Annual Gathering. To our board members, advisory board, sponsors, donors, partners, and community supporters: your generosity makes this work possible. These events are essential not only for strengthening our network, but for raising the resources that sustain and grow programs like the Binational Youth Summit — programs that are changing lives on both sides of the border.
We leave this evening energized by the momentum and inspired by the stories shared. The world needs citizen diplomats now more than ever, and San Diego is showing up to the task.
To learn more about the San Diego Diplomacy Council and how to get involved, visit https://sandiegodiplomacy.org/
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