Katherine Johnston Email and Phone Number

As a consultant, I have worked with several local nonprofits on fundraising, grants management, government relations, and community outreach and advocacy campaigns. I have experience consulting with major nonprofit and civic organizations such as the San Diego Public Library Foundation, The San Diego Foundation, Downtown San Diego Partnership, the San Diego Parks Foundation, North Park Business and Neighborhood Foundation, and the Comic-Con Museum. In this role, I served as the San Diego Parks Foundation's first Executive Director from February 2021 to September 2022. In this role, I was able to accomplish several important initiatives that have improved the quality of life of San Diegans. The organization’s accomplishments include: planting more than 200 trees, advocating for the passage of the first Parks Master Plan since the 1950s, the launching of a youth recreational corps program that provides job and leadership training to low-income youth, installing free public wi-fi in more than 50 individual park locations, supporting free swim lessons, and implementing Come Play Outside, a youth recreational initiative that provided summer enrichment programs for more than 16,000 youth.I also served as a consultant to the San Diego Library Foundation and created its successful LibriariesTransformSD advocacy campaign that successfully restored more than $7 million in budget cuts to the City of San Diego Library Department. At the Comic Con Museum, I helped the organization secure $3 million in public grants to revitalize its historic location in Balboa Park, and at The San Diego Foundation, I played a leading role in the development and launch of the Early Childhood Initiative. I have also worked with the Downtown San Diego Partnership on activating public spaces downtown and representing them in lease negotiations with the City of San Diego Department of Economic Development.

Provides strategic counsel to a portfolio of nonprofit and corporate clients to maximize organizational impact and strengthen alignment with public sector partners.

Worked with key City staff to develop and advise the Mayor on policy items related to development of annual budget, debt management, infrastructure and capital projects and planning, homeless services and strategies, SANDAG and regional transportation development, waste management, educational partnerships and workforce development.

As chief of policy, I was responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of all district policy and advising the Councilmember on issues brought before Council for consideration.

Represent the Councilmember at community meetings and public forums; draft media advisories and materials; provide policy briefs and analysis for the Budget and Finance Committee; advise the Councilmember on topics related to education, Arts and Culture Commission, Parks and Recreation, federal Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), and Community Programs, Projects, and Services grants (CPPS).

Provided support to commercial real estate trade organizations BOMA and NAIOP legislative affairs committee; performed client research and policy analysis; developed client marketing material, drafted copy for various publications

Work closely with general education teachers to ensure High Tech High met all state mandated special education and English language learner requirements and standards; led classes of special education students to accommodate special learning needs and ensure success in full inclusion model.

Classroom Teacher for six English classes at public middle school in South Central, Los Angeles. Developed and executed daily lesson plans; developed and adminstered assessments; assigned grades; participated in professional development