Martin Eder (he/him/his) grew up in Cali, Colombia SA where his great grandfather had settled in the 1860s. Martin graduated from Univ. of Colorado and spent 15 years in Colorado.
Interim Executive Director of ASD & General Manager of KNSJ
| In his own words: “The atrocities of the Viet Nam War and 6 months traveling in South America, interviewing leaders of social movements, radicalize me to the core. I became the News Director KCFR-FM Denver. I worked 5 years in an iron foundry as a union organizer before becoming the News Director KBDI-TV Denver. After moving to San Diego I worked at the high school level, then became Media Supervisor at MiraCosta College. I received a Masters in Human Behavior followed by a Masters in Sociology at an historically Black college, in Durham, NC. I taught Sociology & Social Problems at MiraCosta, Palomar & City College. I taught teacher prep and bilingual education at the Masters level at National University. I co-founded Activist San Diego in 1999 focusing on movement building, anti-war, immigration rights, racial justice and civil rights. In 2007 encouraged ASD to apply for an FCC license leading to the founding of community station KNSJ. “ “I am committed to empowering the next generation of leaders and activists and am passionate about social transformation changing the world.” |
Board President/Chair
| In her own words: “As part of the professional managerial class, I used to think that activism was a dirty word, since all was relatively well with me and I didn’t see the need for systemic change. I was blind to the realities outside my bubble! After years of sustained effort, I woke up to the realities of the deep wealth and income inequalities that are often perpetrated by our local and national politics and corporate interest, deeply-rooted in systemic greed and legal corruption. I woke up to how social and economic injustices are intertwined and compound on each other. And that’s why I joined Activist San Diego – to help raise public consciousness about the systemic cancers that plague our human progress, and drive transformational action towards a more just society.” |
S K (she/her/hers) is an inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility (IDEA) consultant & trainer; building bridges that transform hearts, minds, systems, and behaviors. She is an IDEA columnist for The San Diego Union Tribune. She worked as a diversity & inclusion leader at Caterpillar Inc. and Intuit Inc., and is also a trainer at the National Conflict Resolution Center and a facilitator at Non-profit Management Solutions. She has a degree in chemical engineering, an MBA with a concentration in human resource management, and is a Certified Diversity Professional by the National Diversity Council.
Josie Caballero (she/her/hers)
My entire adult life has been focused on fighting for justice. My childhood prepared me for my life of service. I faced a great deal of discrimination attending a majority white school. As a Latino, my intelligence was often discounted or outright ignored.
Board Vice President/Chair
| In her own words: I served six honorable years, deploying four and a half times in the hostile waters of the Persian Gulf as part of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. It was during this time that I became intimately acquainted with the horrors of war and saw firsthand the loss of life that came as a consequence of my contributions to the war effort. I made a conscious decision then to fight for a world without wars and end the needless loss of life. This desire drives me to this very day. After being honorably discharged, I chose to make San Diego my home and pursue a Political Science degree with an emphasis in American Politics and Philosophy from San Diego State University. This opened the doors to my life as an activist, where I have been focused on helping progressives get elected since my days as the President of the SDSU College Democrats. I would go on to found the San Diego Progressive Democratic Club in 2015 and in 2016 would serve as a national delegate for Bernie Sanders for District 53. I have served as a delegate to the California Democratic Party and have been a member of the San Diego County Democratic Central Committee for 5 years. Ran for election to the U.S. House to Representative in 2020 California’s 53rd Congressional District; was a candidate for the nonpartisan District 7 seat on the San Diego City Council in California in 2016. It’s been six months since I started my medical transition with hormone replacement therapy (HRT) |
ASD Representative to Mexican Solidarity Coalition / Coalicion en Solidaridad con Mexico
| In his own words: |
Valentin Ramirez (he/him/his) is one of the founders of Mexican Solidarity Coalition / Coalicion en Solidaridad con Mexico. He is active on both sides of the border.
Casey Hickenbottom (he/him/his)
B.S. in Early Childhood Education from the University of MD College Park
Grade 5 Educator San Diego Unified School District
Union Representative (AR) Johnson Elementary School
Member of San Diego Education Association’s Executive Board
Member of Activist San Diego’s Executive Board
Music Director KNSJ
ASD/KNSJ Liaison & Music Director
| In his own words: The right continues to chip away at our Democracy with group think, lies, bigotry, deception and hate. Our country is on an incredibly slippery slope. I am Union proud and believe everyone regardless of his, her, their situation deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. |
ASD Representative to The North County Equity & Justice Coalition and Racial Justice Coalition
| Upon retirement from the Armed Service, Yusef filled his time with Social Justice activities, first though Interfaith teams, Escondido Together, Poway Interfaith Team(POINT), San Diego Regional Interfaith Collaborative(SDRIC),..as well as the District Attorney’s Interfaith Advisory Council and the San Diego Anti-Hate Crimes Coalition…fighting disparities on all fronts, Race, Religion, Gender, Immigration Status… Just to name a few. |
Yusef Miller (he/him/his) is The founder of Mosques Against Trafficking, Co-Founder of The North County Equity & Justice Coalition and Member of the Racial Justice Coalition of San Diego.
Patricia ( Pat) J. Murphy (she/her/hers) is an elderly woman who, until 4 years ago, had an active career in health care for decades. Dating back to 1979, she was instrumental in the creation of Hospice Care in the United States. For 35 years, her journey ranged from being a founder of Hospice Care to advocating on a State and National level for standards of care for the dying and for Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance coverage for those needing specialized care as they were dying.
ASD Representative to People’s Power San Diego
| Patricia was a member of the Boards of Directors of 4 State Hospice Organizations and was President of the 350 member California Hospice and Palliative Care Association. In retirement, she has continued to advocate for Environmental and Racial Justice, Clean Energy and Human Rights. Pat’s volunteer focus in the San Diego Community includes participation in several not- for- profit advocacy groups notably, SD 350 an Environmental organization, Public Power San Diego, the Racial Justice Coalition and Indivisible. |
Membership Chair/Ombud’s Person
| In her own words: “I am a friendly, attentive, and detail oriented political scientist. I moved to San Diego from Florida about two years ago, and have enjoyed it thus far. I am originally from Almaty, Kazakhstan (where I was born), and moved to America when I was 5 months old. I am passionate about social justice, specifically in the areas of racial justice and criminal justice. I graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Masters in Political Science and minor in Intelligence and Security Studies. Through which I published my thesis, theorizing the correlation between ethnic conflict and cultural tolerance.” |
Ajara Boulibekova (she/her/hers)
Recent graduate from the University of Central Florida with a Masters Degree in Political Science, Global Studies, and International Relations (minor in Intelligence and National Security). I am proficient in STATA, R, SPSS, and all things Word. I have ample experience working with both qualitative and quantitative research methods and analyz ing data for policy assessment. I carry excellent communication, organizational, and critical thinking skills, I am also friendly, attentive, and detail oriented.
Frances Yasmeen Motiwalla (she/hers) is a half-Pakistani, half-Peruvian political organizer from Chicago who ran for Congress in Los Angeles (CA-34) in 2020. She’s spent most of her adult life organizing with Peace Action for a peaceful, sustainable US foreign policy, and continues to do so as ASD’s liaison with Grassroots Global Justice.
Interim Volunteer Coordinator & ASD Liaison with Grassroots Global Justice
| In her words: “I studied political science in college, spent a semester in DC, and didn’t see where I fit into the political world. Wars sold to us Americans based on lies left me saddened & I felt powerless to impact change until I discovered the power of grassroots organizing. Building durable power, I learned, takes work. The impact, though, of stepping out of my comfort zone, talking to strangers, inspiring them to join, donate and begin taking political action actually led to tangible victories! When I realized that my Representative was pretending to be far more progressive than he actually was, I decided to use the skills I developed as an organizer to run for Congress. While the experience left me more concerned than ever before about the corrupting influence of money in politics – it also has left me hopeful that change is possible, and passionate about helping others learn how to run. Finding Activist San Diego after moving to town actually felt like coming home. The warmth and depth of the leadership team inspired me to get involved and I am excited to support the growth and empowerment of the ASD community as a board member.” |