The Prebys Foundation honors five San Diego leaders with $100,000 for creating lasting impact in the areas of Arts & Culture, Youth Success, and Health & Well-Being.
San Diego, Calif., Feb. 3, 2026 — The Prebys Foundation today announced this year’s five recipients of the 2026 Prebys Leadership Awards, recognizing leaders whose commitment to community, belonging, and collective action is creating a lasting impact across the region. Their varied contributions continuously elevate Arts and Culture, foster Youth Success, and promote Health and Well-Being across San Diego County. Each honoree will receive $100,000 to continue advancing long-term impact in the communities where they serve.
“Meaningful change is driven by people who are deeply rooted in their communities. These leaders are all in for San Diego County — showing up day after day, building trust, and bringing people together to tackle real challenges close to home,” said Prebys Foundation President and CEO Grant Oliphant. “We’re proud to honor these leaders for what they represent to our region and for the more vibrant future they’re helping create for everyone who calls San Diego home.”
This year’s theme of “All In for San Diego” honors leaders who lead with purpose and conviction, united by a shared dedication to expanding opportunity and strengthening community well-being across the San Diego region:
Carmen M. Chavez, Executive Director of Casa Cornelia Law Center, a San Diego – based nonprofit public interest law firm committed to delivering justice with compassion through quality pro bono legal services for survivors of human and civil rights violations. Ms. Chavez began her journey with Casa Cornelia more than 24 years ago as a volunteer attorney and has dedicated her career to advancing human rights and due process for immigrant communities throughout the San Diego region. Today, she leads Casa Cornelia’s staff and volunteers, guiding the organization’s mission to ensure access to justice, safety, and stability for those most in need.
Caroline (Cara) Dessert, CEO at The San Diego LGBTQ+ Community Center, the largest service provider for LGBTQ+ people in the San Diego binational border region. Dessert is a queer Latina attorney with over 20 years in social justice leadership. Her efforts have more than doubled the organization’s funding, allowing for the expansion of direct services and advocacy for the community across seven locations. She’s contributed to the well-being of the LGBTQ+ community by extending The Center’s housing services to include the first LGBTQ-affirming youth shelter in San Diego County and spearheading the creation of the South Bay Youth Center, the first center dedicated to LGBTQ+ youth in the South Bay region of San Diego County.
Renato Paiva, CEO at Access Youth Academy, whose mission is to transform the lives of underserved youth by academic enrichment, health and wellness, social responsibility, and leadership through the sports of squash and pickleball. Paiva has established the Academy as a premier urban squash and youth development program in the world. Under his leadership, the Access Youth Academy has won 15 national squash titles, its students have achieved a 100% college graduation rate, and they have secured over $15 million in scholarships, His dedication to both the sport and the holistic development of young athletes underscores his commitment to making a lasting impact in our community.
Brandon Steppe, founder and director of The David’s Harp Foundation, dedicated to empowering teens and transitional age youth who are justice-involved, experiencing homelessness, or in foster care with creative tools, trusted guidance, and pathways into the local creative economy. Steppe’s passion for music began when he was just 9 years old and carried over through his college days, and finally to his father’s garage where he built his first recording studio. That has now grown to be a youth-powered organization serving more than 500 San Diego youth every year.
Ethan van Thillo, founder and executive director of Media Arts Center San Diego (MACSD). Van Thillo’s contributions to San Diego are numerous, meaningful, and impactful. For over three decades, he has shown innovation by creating community media programs that are ever evolving with the times. Through MACSD, he has founded youth and community focused programs like the California Digital Story Station initiative, Teen Producers Project, Youth Media & Tech Camp, Mobile Stories, Speak City Heights, The People’s Post, Video Production Services Department, Frontera Filmmakers, Workforce Readiness Initiative (WDI) and the Digital Gym community technology center and CINEMA. Additionally, van Thillo has been a pivotal force in positioning San Diego as a worthy destination for Latino artists by founding the San Diego Latino Film Festival.
Now in its third year, the Prebys Leadership Awards reflect the Foundation’s belief that investing in people builds a more vibrant San Diego. The 2026 Leadership Awardees were selected based on holding a clear vision and advancing creative and culturally relevant
Solutions. These 5 awardees were chosen among a pool of more than 200 of applicant submissions. To learn more about the Prebys Leadership Awards and past recipients, visit http://prebysfdn.org/leaders2026.
About Prebys Foundation
Prebys Foundation is the largest independent private foundation in San Diego County, working to create an inclusive, equitable, and dynamic future for all San Diegans. The Foundation invests in arts and culture, medical research, health and well-being, and youth success, advancing shared opportunity and lasting impact across the region. The Prebys Leadership Awards recognizes and honors local leaders who are “all in” for their communities and are driving lasting change across San Diego County. Learn more at prebysfdn.org.
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