SDHC Board of Commissioners

Francisco “Frank” J. Urtasun, who has served for more than four years on the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) Board of Commissioners, was unanimously elected as Chairman of the Board for 2017 by SDHC Commissioners on January 13, 2017.

Chairman Urtasun was first appointed to the SDHC Board of Commissioners on November 13, 2012, by Mayor Jerry Sanders and confirmed by the San Diego City Council. He was reappointed on March 25, 2015, by Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer.

During Chairman Urtasun’s tenure on the Board, he has demonstrated his dedication to building quality affordable housing at a reasonable cost. With this commitment, he recommended that SDHC’s 2014-16 Strategic Plan should be expanded to address the construction costs of affordable housing, specifically by ensuring that cost-efficient business practices were being used.

As the Regional Vice President of External Relations for Sempra Energy Services Corporation, a business unit of Sempra Energy, Chairman Urtasun is responsible for the external affairs activities for Sempra Energy Services.

Chairman Urtasun also brings experience in the construction industry for single-family homes and multifamily developments.

In addition, Chairman Urtasun has a long record of community involvement, which includes serving as the 2015-16 Chairman of the San Diego Downtown Partnership and Local Initiative Support Corporation, as well as 10 years of service from 1992 – 2002 as a Port Commissioner for the San Diego Unified Port District, where he was Chairman in 1994 and 2001.

The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce named Chairman Urtasun one of the “Top 10 Lifetime San Diegans” in 2007.

He is a graduate San Diego State University (SDSU), which in 1997 named him as one of SDSU’s “Top 100” Graduates. He also was recognized as an Outstanding Alumni of Southwestern College with the President’s Honorary Degree.

Dorothy “Dottie” Surdi was unanimously elected as Vice Chair of the Board for 2017 by SDHC Commissioners on January 13, 2017.

Vice Chair Surdi was appointed to the Board of Commissioners by Mayor Kevin Faulconer on September 26, 2014. The appointment was unanimously confirmed by the San Diego City Council on October 28, 2014.

She is chair of the Mission Valley Community Planning Group and Commercial Real Estate Advisor with Sperry Van Ness Finest City Commercial, where she specializes in investment sales and leasing representation for landlords and tenants.

Vice Chair Surdi also serves on the board of the Commercial Real Estate Alliance of San Diego and the Community Planners Committee of the City of San Diego. She is a former member of the North Bay Project Committee under the former Redevelopment Agency of the City.

Vice Chair Surdi’s volunteer work includes serving at The San Diego Military Advisory Council, the Urban Corps of San Diego County and the San Diego Women’s Foundation.

Stefanie Benvenuto was appointed to the Board of Commissioners by Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer and was confirmed by the City Council on April 11, 2017.

Ms. Benvenuto has served as the Public Policy Manager with the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce since 2015, managing the Chamber’s Infrastructure, Housing & Land Use Committee, where she has led efforts on housing affordability and availability.

She is also a member of the Executive Committee of Housing You Matters, a broad-based coalition that convenes, advocates, and educates around solutions for increasing housing supply and lowering the cost of building new homes. SDHC is a member of Housing You Matters.

Before joining the Chamber, she served as Director of Public Policy and Advocacy for Crittendon Services for Children & Families, a nonprofit organization that specializes in foster youth. She also worked as a District Director, Communications Director, and Field Representative for a former California State Assemblymember.

Ms. Benvenuto has a bachelor’s degree in political science from California State University, Fullerton.

Margaret Davis was appointed to the Board of Commissioners by the San Diego City Council on February 10, 2014. 

Ms. Davis has nearly 20 years of experience in public relations and promotions. She is a former Director of Communications for the Olaf Wieghorst Museum in El Cajon, in 2007-08, and owned her own business, Eagle Promotions, in San Diego from 1988-2001. 

Ms. Davis currently works as an administrative assistant with Ace Parking. 

She holds a bachelor’s degree in multimedia from San Diego State University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix. 

A resident of the College Area, Ms. Davis holds one of the two seats on the Board of Commissioners that the City of San Diego Municipal Code requires to be held by residents living in SDHC affordable housing units or recipients of federal rental assistance from SDHC. 

Kellee Hubbard was appointed to the Board of Commissioners by the San Diego City Council on February 10, 2014. 

She currently works as an account representative with ARS National Services, where she manages and negotiates a portfolio of Bank of America accounts. 

Ms. Hubbard has also worked as a lead research assistant for San Diego State University (SDSU) and University of California, San Diego Research Centers. 

She has also volunteered her time building homes with the nonprofit organization Students for New Orleans. 

Ms. Hubbard holds a bachelor’s degree in public health from SDSU. 

A resident of the Redwood Village neighborhood, Ms. Hubbard is a member of the SDHC Participant Advisory Committee, which consists of Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher  rental assistance participants and public housing residents. 

Ms. Hubbard holds one of the two seats on the Board of Commissioners that the City of San Diego Municipal Code requires to be held by residents living in SDHC affordable housing units or recipients of federal rental assistance from SDHC. 

Ben Moraga was first appointed to the Board of Commissioners by then-Mayor Jerry Sanders and confirmed by the City Council on November 16, 2010. He was reappointed by Mayor Kevin Faulconer and re-confirmed by the City Council on October 28, 2014.

A successful executive in the fields of marketing and community relations, Mr. Moraga is currently the Vice President of Annual Giving and Donor Development at the Sharp HealthCare Foundation.

Mr. Moraga also previously served as Associate Director of Marketing & Events for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego, Inc., where he managed a budget of more than $3 million.

Previously, he was the Director of Corporate and Community Relations for San Diego State University. There, he served as Chair of the Corporate Committee and redesigned the corporate relations structure for the University’s $500 million fundraising campaign.

He is a LEAD San Diego graduate and continues to be involved in their Alumni Executive Council. He sits on the Healthcare Committee for the San Diego Chamber of Commerce, and is a member of the Young Executives Society at the University Club and the Herbert G. Klein Leadership Roundtable. 

Mr. Moraga brings a unique perspective on housing issues to the Board as his parents were raised in publicly assisted housing in the Los Angeles area.

Mr. Moraga received a bachelor's degree in economics from San Diego State University with a minor in public administration.

Tim Walsh was appointed to the Board of Commissioners by Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer and was confirmed by the City Council on April 11, 2017.

As Chief of Staff to a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives since 2013, Mr. Walsh manages the Member’s daily, political, media and legislative affairs. He also leads congressional staff offices in Washington, D.C., Chula Vista, and El Centro.

Before joining the staff of the U.S. House of Representatives, Mr. Walsh worked as a campaign manager and consultant on federal, state and local campaigns and as an adjunct instructor of political science at Palomar College.

He also co-founded two private sector businesses – a consulting firm and a renewable energy finance company – and previously worked for the cities of Temecula and Palmdale.

Mr. Walsh has a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Southern California School of Policy, Planning and Development, as well as a master’s degree in peace and justice studies and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of San Diego.