Arts District Liberty Station
Community Impact 2025
Intro Copy, message from CEO??
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Lisa Johnson, CEO
- ABout Arts District Liberty Station
Our Mission
The mission of Arts District Liberty Station is to activate a dynamic and historic campus where enriching cultural experiences, impactful learning opportunities, and inspiring events are accessible to all.
Our Vision
Our vision is to be a world-class arts district in the transborder region where creativity, culture, and community thrive.
Our History
For more than 75 years, the Naval Training Center San Diego (NTC) was one of the nation’s most important military training facilities, where hundreds of thousands of recruits were shaped by discipline and shared purpose before beginning their service. Though no longer active, NTC endures as a National Historic Landmark District—a San Diego treasure recognized for its architectural character and cultural significance.
When the Navy announced its closure in 1997, community leaders seized a rare opportunity, setting aside 26 historic buildings to create Arts District Liberty Station. Established in 2000, the District still transforms lives—now through art, education, and culture. Set against a park-like campus with sweeping views of San Diego Bay, it’s a vibrant hub for nonprofit arts organizations, artists, and educators, offering dynamic programming for families while honoring the site’s Navy heritage.
- 2025 Highlights
Major Accomplishments of 2025
- 2025 Highlights
Rollout of Brand Ambassador Guide
In Spring 2025, we launched a new guide that tells the story of Arts District clearly, succinctly, and in a way that reflects our evolution from a Naval Training Center, to a champion and steward of San Diego’s arts community.
- 2025 Highlights
Deepening Binational Dimensions and Collaboration
INSERT COPY HERE ABOUT THE PROGRAMMING THAT HELPED DEEPEN BINATIONAL DIMENSIONS AND COLLABORATION
- 2025 Highlights
Kickoff of 25th Anniversary Campaign
In November of 2025, Arts District Liberty Station kicked off a campaign to commemorate our 25th anniversary as an organization. Our goal was to raise $250,000 in celebration of 25 years of the place, people, and programs we’ve created and to lay a foundation for our future. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, and a generous matching gift from Dorothea Laub, we closed our campaign at just over $500,000 raised for the future of Arts District Liberty Station.
- 2025 Highlights
Designation as a California Cultural District
INSERT COPY HERE ABOUT ADLS’ DESIGNATION AS A CALIFORNIA CULTURAL DISTRICT, WITH LINKS TO SUPPORTING MATERIAL
- 2025 By the Numbers
How Your Support Adds Up
INSERT COPY HERE ABOUT HOW VALUABLE THESE CONTRIBUTIONS ARE AND THE IMPACT THEY HAVE ON PROGRAMMING AND THE COMMUNITY.
- 2025 By the Numbers
2025 Financial Picture
- 2025 By the Numbers
Tenant Highlights
INSERT COPY HERE ABOUT Tenant highlights (full occupancy numbers, types of tenants, eg)
Program Spotlights
SHORT INTRO TO SHOW THE MYRIAD PROGRAMS THAT ADLS RUNS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND THE FACT THAT YOU’RE ABOUT TO GET LITTLE SNAPSHOTS OF THOSE.
- Program spotlight
Liberty School
In 2025, Liberty School served five schools from across the region, Dewey, Washington, Cabrillo, Correia and Dana, with 23 tenants partnering to bring the program to life. The programming was made possible by:
- Program spotlight
Art in Public Places
In 2025, ADLS raised and deployed more than $35K in dedicated funds to 14 artistss, who were commissioned for Installations at the Station or Emerging Artist Residencies
- Program spotlight
Tenant Funding & Community Partnerships
INSERT HIGHLIGHTS HERE ABOUT TENANT FUNDING AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS
Who makes it happen?
From our boots-on-the-ground team to our generous donors, community partners and corporate sponsors, this work is made possible with people power. We’re grateful for each and every individual and entity that’s dedicated to making Arts District Liberty Station the distinct, vibrant cultural hub it is today.
Our Staff
Lisa Johnson
President & Chief Executive Officer
ljohnson@artsdistrictlibertystation.org
Kate Rubalcava
VP & Chief Operations Officer
krubalcava@artsdistrictlibertystation.org
James Halliday
VP & Chief Advancement Officer
jhalliday@artsdistrictlibertystation.org
Nina Leung
Chief Financial Officer
nleung@artsdistrictlibertystation.org
Tina Medina
Chief Marketing Officer
tmedina@artsdistrictlibertystation.org
Allison Morrissey
Director of Philanthropy & Impact
amorrissey@artsdistrictlibertystation.org
Johanna “Jo” Benson
Director of Liberty School
jbenson@artsdistrictlibertystation.org
Argel Valdez
Associate Director of Marketing & Communications
avaldez@artsdistrictlibertystation.org
Elyse Gwannulla
Associate Director of Tenant and Public Programs
egwannulla@artsdistrictlibertystation.org
Gaby Quevedo
Associate Director of Creative Programs
gquevedo@artsdistrictlibertystation.org
Maria Masis
Office Manager
mmasis@artsdistrictlibertystation.org
Emma Duke
Operations and Program Administrator
eduke@artsdistrictlibertystation.org
Debra Tonillo
Liberty School Coordinator
libertyschool@artsdistrictlibertystation.org
Marissa Eriksen
Liberty School Coordinator
libertyschool@artsdistrictlibertystation.org
Board of Directors
Lisa Johnson
President & CEO
Arts District Liberty Station
Victoria Reed
Chair
Community Leader
Jean Thomas
Vice Chair
Kathleen A. Krentler
Immediate Past Chair
Professor, San Diego State University (Retired)
Jennifer Wolfe
Secretary
H.G. Fenton Company, Associate General Counsel
Judith Nora
Treasurer
Pell Investments LLC
Andrew Luce
Board Member
Partner, Blue Water Investments
Ivy Chen
Board Member
Manager, Abbott Rapid Diagnostics
Daniel Dennert
Board Member
Curator & Arts Program Mgr, San Diego International Airport
Rich Gustafson
Board Member
CityMark Development
Tracey DeBello
Board Member
Community Leader
Neisha Hernandez
Board Member
Community Leader
Paula C. Peter Ph.D.
Board Member
Professor of Marketing, San Diego State University
Leslie Harrington
Board Member
San Diego Foundation, Retired
Lindy Mamer
Board Member
Retired
Lauro “JC” Teopengco
Board Member
Hospitality Vertical Manager, Cox Business Solutions
Kaye Hobson
Board Member
Financial & Investment Manager, Retired
Javier De Leon
Board Member
Manager, WTC San Diego, San Diego Regional EDC
Thank you to our generous donors
Donors $15,000+
Anonymous (2)
City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture
Donors $5,000 - $14,999
Jill Hall
Julie Halliday
Matthew Hervey
Jane Petering
Donors $1,000 - $4,999
Kaye Hobson
Victory Lareau
Jean Thomas
Amy Bryl
Maria and Pat Masis
Nancy Waters
Pamela Fair and Glen Sullivan
Rich Gustafson
Lisa Johnson
Vicki Reed
Ken Stipanov and Julie Mebane
Donors $500 - $999
Jennifer Baron
Susan Parker
Alan Alford
Martin and Carol Dickinson
Alara Godwin
Wallace Halliday
Leslie Harrington
Cynthia and George Olmstead
Nancy Robertson
Apt 4 Music
Claire Anderson
Craig Benedetto
Claudia Betzner
Carolyn Bick
Barbara Bolt
Mary Lee Brendsel
Barbara Brown
Lynda Cook
Debra David
David and Kerri De Rosier
Raphael DiBianco
Debra Discar-Espe
Jeffrey and Margaret Fischbeck
Anne Gaffey
Louis and Rebecca Gilleran
Mrs. Alara Godwin
Gail Goldberg
Pat Fitzmorris and Tom Haine
Terry Hall
James Halliday
Victoria Hamilton
Rebecca Hinchman
Mike and Marie Huff
Brendan Hughes
Judy Issokson
Paula Lee Kincaid
Jesse Kleist
Kathy Krentler and Steve Howard
Julie Kuhlken
Tom and Lisa Laube
Ellen MacVean
Lindy and Craig Mamer
Miguel Marshall
Betsy McCullough
Allison McCurdy
Tina Medina
Bent Moller
Wendy Moore
Jay and Jackie Morgner
Liz Morrison
Allison Morrissey
Jill Morton
Diane and Monte Murbach
Luke Nora
Dennis Otsuji
Ileana Ovalle
Jason Paguio
Tony Pauker
William Purves
Halla Razak
Julia Roller
Kate Rubalcava
Vanya Russell
Kaylie Sadlon
Slavic Refugee and Immigrant
Services Organization
Elizabeth Swift
Margaret and Norman Tracy
Marco and Lisa Tumbiolo
Perry Vásquez
Susan Werner
Pat Woodard
Ann Worth – Object Projects
Susan Wright
Joel Young and Kathleen Colbert
Larry Zeiger
Alan Ziter
Corporate Sponsors and Community Partners
Foundation Support
Art Pratt Foundation at Old Mission Rotary Club
The Conrad Prebys Foundation
The Parker Foundation
The Peggy and Robert Matthews Foundation
The Reuben H. Fleet Foundation Fund
The Rice Family Foundation
The Tippett Foundation
US Bank Foundation