Past Board Members

Mel Katz has been one of San Diego’s most respected business and civic leaders since 1977 when he purchased the local Manpower franchise with business partner Phil Blair. Today they have franchises in six states. Their Manpower franchise is the largest in the U.S. Beyond Manpower, Mel’s devotion to both advancing economic equity for working people and civic improvement has earned him an impeccable reputation in the San Diego community. He is an outspoken advocate of K-12 and post-secondary education, as well as a major public supporter of the Living Wage, Minimum Wage, Earned Sick Leave measures and full-voter participation. Mel currently serves as chair of the San Diego County Water Authority, and is on the board of San Diego Foundation, San Diego Regional Policy; Innovation Center, The San Diego Rotary Foundation, e3 Civic High (the charter high school in the Central Library). Mel was board chair of the San Diego Public Library Foundation, which raises funds for the 35 branch libraries in the City of San Diego and for the Central Library. Together with the Library Foundation board and its professional team, Mel helped raise $195 million for the Central Library, which opened in September of 2013. Mel has served as chairman for the San Diego Workforce Partnership, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, the San Diego Convention Center, American Cancer Society and the San Diego Library Commission. Mel and his wife Linda have three children and five grandchildren.