James Farley

Overview

James is the Foundation s President and CEO a position he has held since 2007 when the Foundation became independent. Prior to that appointment Jim served as General Counsel of the Foundation from 1995 2007 when he was practicing as an attorney. Jim s professional background and diverse community leadership experience catalyzed the Foundation s purchase of Leichtag Commons. He is a mentor and takes particular pride in being a champion of young leaders. He is a frequent presenter about the power of place in community engagement and in developing new models of social change. A longtime San Diegan whose community activism dates back to his youth Jim draws upon many years of volunteer leadership experience in the nonprofit sector. Currently Jim serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Jewish Funders Network an international organization dedicated to Jewish philanthropy and social enterprise. In past years he served as President of the Board of Seacrest Village Retirement Communities and the Quail Botanical Garden Foundation doing business as San Diego Botanic Garden and as a member of the San Diego Foundation s Board of Governors Jim is a graduate of the University of California Los Angeles. He earned a law degree from California Western School of Law and a Master s in Taxation from New York University. He practiced law for 33 years. He and his wife live in Carlsbad California. They have two married children and five grandchildren. Jim is a passionate horticulturalist an avid reader and a lover of music.