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Presenting the People In Preservation Award Winners
July/August 2023
The 2023 People In Preservation Award event is SOLD OUT!
As SOHO celebrates the 40th anniversary of our People In Preservation Awards—with a festive ceremony in the Marston House gardens on July 27, 2023 from 5 to 7pm—the honors hold a special place in San Diego's heart. They are a respected means of recognizing the remarkable efforts of property owners and community members, philanthropists and advocates, to preserve our region’s irreplaceable historic resources and cultural heritage.
The PIP awards pay tribute to individuals and organizations or agencies who have made significant contributions to our heritage sites and historic neighborhoods through their commitment to historic preservation. These passionate individuals, whom SOHO lauds as heroes and heroines, have dedicated their expertise, time, and energy to safeguarding and restoring precious historic buildings, landmarks, landscapes, and neighborhoods, as well as contributed to educational projects and publications documenting our collective heritage, and other iconic cultural sites and resources. This invaluable work helps keep San Diego a meaningful place to live, work, and visit, as PIP winners’ labors of love enrich the lives of residents and visitors of all ages. Moreover, the impact of their lasting contributions will inspire and be profoundly felt by future generations.
This year’s PIP honorees include two generous, accomplished, and influential San Diegans who are receiving Lifetime Achievement Awards, SOHO’s highest honor, for many decades of thoughtful, public-spirited contributions: Dorothea Laub and Diane Coombs.
 Dorothea Laub’s endeavors have made her possibly the most steadfast donor and champion of historic restoration projects in San Diego since the cultural preservation benefactors of the early 20th century. Much of her work has centered around the restoration of Balboa Park’s historic buildings and landscapes, the historic buildings of Liberty Station Arts District, Point Loma Village restorations, and beyond. At Liberty Station, her love of dance led to the transformation of a 1940s former Navy building into Dorothea Laub Dance Place, now the home of the prominent companies Malashock Dance and San Diego Ballet. Most recently, her generosity took center stage as the beloved Balboa Park carousel menagerie, dating back to 1910, underwent restoration and is set to enchant visitors once again when it reopens in July. She has a remarkable gift for recognizing why people need significant historic places in their everyday lives and stepping up, sometimes issuing a challenge grant to encourage other donors to join in. Her enduring projects are as varied as faithfully replicating the 1935 Palm Canyon pedestrian bridge that had been lost in Balboa Park to renovating and revitalizing the 1911 Point Loma Assembly.
 Environmental preservationist Diane Coombs is a dedicated advocate and activist for the environment and community, actively contributing to land-use and preservation projects in San Diego County for decades in her career and as a volunteer. As a member of Citizens Coordinate for Century 3 (C-3), she shares their commitment to fostering good governance, thoughtful planning, and citizen engagement. One highlight of her tenure was the tremendous success in preserving the Tijuana Estuary. She dedicated another decade to the Joint Powers Authority (JPA) as the San Dieguito River Valley Regional Park’s first Executive Director. In that role, she secured swaths of land and water, collaborated with new and long-time partners, and helped introduce stunned city dwellers and students to our county’s natural richness. Her actions began the ongoing successful preservation and protection of the remaining San Dieguito River Valley as a natural open space park. Ambitious goals already met include Coast to Crest trails from the Del Mar coast to Volcan Mountain, north of Julian, and the preservation and restoration of the historic 1870s Sikes Adobe, now a museum.
 Carmen Lucas, an Elder in the Kwaaymii Laguna Band of Indians, and the multidisciplinary team of Courtney Ann Coyle, Nick Doose, Rachel Ruston, and Brian Williams are being honored with the Culture Keeper: Tribal Cultural Landscape Award. Carmen Lucas has worked in the field of Cultural Resource Management as a Native American Monitor, consultant, and educator for nearly thirty years and has helped protect tribally significant sites as a member of the San Diego County Historical Sites Board. She and the team are receiving this award for their precedent-setting 354-page report about Ah-Ha’ Mut-ta-ti’ e (Water Mountains), a Kwaaymii/Kumeyaay sacred ancestral place centered around Laguna Mountain in the Cleveland National Forest. They spent five years researching, conferring with other Indigenous people, collecting oral histories, and writing about this remote preserve. State historic preservation officials who received the report concur that the mostly undeveloped area, which sustains ongoing tribal spiritual life and practices, legends, shared wisdom, and daily sustenance, is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The far-reaching report notes it “celebrates the tribal cultural history of the Laguna Mountain area…by lifting the tribal voice.”
 Alvaro Ortiz, winner of the Gift to the Street Award, bought an 1897 Queen Anne Victorian house in the City of San Diego’s Sherman Heights Historic District in November 2021. The two-story house with bay windows had been vacant for nearly 25 years and hadn’t seen a paint brush in over three decades. Termites, dry rot, lead paint, a sagging foundation, and other problems had ravaged the old home. Armed with a master’s degree in architecture, determination, and neighborhood pride, Ortiz set about the laborious restoration process. Before transforming his corner house with rich and beautiful, period-appropriate paint colors, he replaced or restored exterior doors and windows, vintage glass, and woodwork and intricate trim. Despite delays and setbacks associated with Covid-19, the house is once again gleaming with Victorian splendor.
David Goldberg, who is being applauded with a Legacy: Cultural Stewardship Award, traces his roots as a lifelong preservationist to his early childhood homes in two of the historic Scripps Cottages (c. 1915) in La Jolla, followed by his family’s move into a house designed by renowned San Diego architect Lloyd Ruocco.  His vivid memories of these special places remain powerful touchstones for him, spanning decades and leading to his purchasing a 1913 Arts and Crafts bungalow in Point Loma. He joined SOHO in 1978, and in these 40-plus years has volunteered in every area, from home tour docent to board and committee member to president. He contributes in a myriad of ways and brings his professional background of financial expertise to ensure SOHO’s growth and success. He has been involved with the La Jolla Historical Society for decades as a board member and officer and co-chair of its Preservation Committee. His long-term volunteer work is a testament to his deep passion for San Diego’s architectural heritage and the city itself. And years before SOHO became the steward of the Marston House Museum, he was active in the Friends of the Marston House, evidence of his foresight in protecting the city’s architectural treasures. SOHO applauds David Goldberg's commitment to preservation organizations and successful campaigns to save significant historic architecture and sites, resulting in a meaningful legacy of broad and far-reaching impact.
 Erik Hanson is a standout in the local preservation world with his command of many specialties, disciplines, and skills. He is being lauded with a Legacy: Guardian Advocate Distinction Award for his singular dedication to historic preservation, education, activism, and advocacy in all forms. His pioneering studies and passion for the architecture and life of San Diego architect Irving Gill continue to support this innovative architect’s ascendance to Modernism’s pantheon locally, statewide, and nationally. To document Gill’s early Modernist designs, he has sleuthed creatively and persistently around the county and scoured written records not to mention handcrafting exact reproductions of the architect’s rare wooden furniture. Since the 1980s, as a volunteer and long-time SOHO board member, he freely shares his knowledge and discoveries with members, colleagues, and the public. He has also consulted on exhibit design and interpretation. Behind the scenes, he plays a vital role in preserving and archiving SOHO’s own history. A historic homeowner with his wife and past SOHO board member Ingrid Helton, in San Diego’s South Park Historic District, Erik Hanson’s preservation legacy looms large.
 Kristin Harms, the energetic president of the University Heights Historical Society, and the organization itself are receiving the Keeper of the Flame Award. From start to finish, Harms conceived and managed the creation, research, fabrication, funding, and installation of three 7-foot-tall historical markers at the former site of Mission Cliffs Gardens (established by philanthropist and businessman John D. Spreckels in 1898) and the Bentley Ostrich Farm (1904), with the assistance of lifelong preservationist Ernestine Bonn, historian and author Dr. Sandra Bonura, society members, and community leaders. The durable, cast-aluminum markers tell the site’s history and stand near its original 700-foot-long cobblestone wall and two redwood entry gates. Not your typical neighborhood project, the signs stand tall, as they educate and evoke pride in University Heights’ history.
Jessica McGee is being saluted with a Legacy: Preservation Luminary Award for close to two decades of philanthropy, generously volunteering her professional experience in accounting and  human resources, and as SOHO’s long-time treasurer as a board member. Her financial oversight was crucial during the organization’s years of major growth. Her steadfast monitoring of the numbers and meticulous attention to detail have contributed significantly to SOHO's financial stability, allowing SOHO to successfully execute and expand our preservation advocacy, museum operations, revolving fund programs, and a myriad of educational projects and programs. Her accounting expertise and vigilance have empowered SOHO to successfully carry out complex advocacy and legal and educational campaigns. In addition, her insights, guidance, and passion have helped shape SOHO’s strategies and decision-making processes. Meanwhile, she has also managed to carefully restore and maintain her historic home in the Normal Heights neighborhood and become a master gardener. For SOHO, Jessica McGee’s extraordinary commitment and professionalism have significantly advanced our mission and impact, which make for a stellar legacy.
David Swarens is being honored with a Legacy: Preservation Advocate Distinction Award for his unwavering and multifaceted contributions to SOHO and the region’s historic preservation on scales both granular and iconic. He has long played an essential  role in SOHO’s crucial negotiations and agreements regarding major precedent-setting preservation projects, including downtown San Diego’s Warehouse Thematic Historic District, the Ballpark District, and the Hotel del Coronado’s restoration and the adaptive reuse of its historic service buildings. His active participation and strategic acumen have been central and critically important to SOHO's winning strategies. His ceaseless community involvement helped secure the City of San Diego’s adoption of the Sherman Heights and the South Park Historic Districts, encompassing hundreds of historic homes and other buildings. These successful commitments attest to the profound impact of his leadership and his cultivation of public appreciation for San Diego’s rich cultural heritage. Flowing between self-directed projects and collaborative work, he is adept at rallying community engagement and support and forging partnerships to advance preservation. David Swarens’ ongoing outstanding commitment to preserving San Diego’s architecture and heritage is an inspiration to all who aspire to make a meaningful difference in their communities. We all are the richer for his legacy.
This year’s significant milestone for the PIP Awards underscores four decades of honoring more than 700 exceptional preservationists and entities with 432 awards. Their labors, projects, and programs have left an indelible mark on the city's cultural heritage and authentic character. (See the companion article "The Impact of SOHO’s People in Preservation Awards 1983-2023,” in this issue.)
These hundreds of individuals’ and organizations’ extraordinary commitment to excellence has transformed our city and region, and added new dimensions to our lives and sense of place. Together, their achievements weave vibrant social and cultural strands into the rich tapestry reflecting the communities of San Diego County. As we applaud the accomplishments of this year's outstanding honorees, we also pay tribute to the collective efforts of those who came before them, and we acknowledge the path they continue to forge for the preservationists yet to come.
SOHO’s 40th Anniversary of the People in Preservation Awards ceremony will be held in the Marston House gardens on Thursday, July 27 from 5 to 7pm, with a distinguished master of ceremonies and 2022 SOHO PIP winner, James Newland.
Newland has been active in historic preservation since 1991 and has served as a historian and planner for the California State Parks Department for many years. He is also past president of the La Mesa History Center and the author of four books on local history, among many other preservation accomplishments and community contributions.
All photos by Sandé Lollis
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