Our team at Universidad Popular is pleased to inform you that we are one of eight co-convening organizations facilitating community engagement and planning for equitable economic development as part of the Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) in the Southern Border region. 

The co-conveners are Comité Civico del Valle, Imperial Valley Equity & Justice Coalition, IV Wellness Foundation, San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council, San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center, San Diego State University (fiscal agent and convener), SBCS, and Universidad Popular.

Over the past few months, the co-conveners have been working to organize the Southern Border Coalition structure, framework, establish initial goals and develop the Coalition Bylaws. With the unanimous approval of the Coalition Bylaws, the co-conveners are focused on bringing community partners and stakeholders to the table. Working together with diverse representation from throughout the border region, we believe we have laid a solid foundation for the work, and we look forward to your willingness to participate and/or take on leadership roles in the Coalition.

The Southern Border Coalition invites you to attend an information session (via Zoom) on Thursday, July 20, 2023, from 6:00-7:00 pm. During the session, we will be providing an overview of the Southern Border Coalition that includes the goals of the Coalition, its timeline and deliverables, the High Road Transition Collaborative (HRTC), and the next steps on how HRTC Sector Leads will be elected to form the Subregional and Regional HRTC Tables.

The information session will conclude with Q&A and will remain open until all questions from the community have been discussed. The session will be recorded and made available to the community on the Southern Border Coalition website.

A follow-up survey to collect attendee feedback and insights into the needs of the community, along with additional information regarding in-person meetings that will take place in various locations throughout the San Diego and Imperial County subregions, will be shared following the session. The goal of these efforts will be to inform stakeholders, learn more about their experiences and desired outcomes, and invite them to join the regional table.

We hope that you can join us! Please click on the link to register.

We are also gathering stakeholder information for those who are interested in being contacted with more details and updates from the Southern Border Coalition: Survey Form.

We are confident that we have emerged stronger and more prepared to deliver on the results of the Southern Border Coalition, including developing a comprehensive regional economic plan that supports high-road jobs, an inclusive transition to a net-zero economy, and empowers and uplifts disinvested communities by fostering equity and creating sustainable opportunities for growth. We genuinely value our partnership with you and feel excited as we move ahead with renewed momentum and enthusiasm.

Please feel free to share this email and/or the information session registration page with your network!

If you have any questions or require any further information, please reach out to us at  [email protected].

Thank you!

Comité Civico del Valle - Luis Olmedo
Imperial Valley Equity & Justice Coalition - Daniela Flores
Imperial Valley Wellness Foundation - Roque Barros
SBCS - Kathryn Lembo
San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council - Brigette Browning
San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center - Susan Guinn
San Diego State University - John McMillan
Universidad Popular - Arcela Nuñez-Alvarez