Tony Young
Government Leader
Advisory Board
Tony Young is committed to public service. He served as policy advisor to
elected officials Congressman Jim Bates and County Supervisor Leon Williams.
For a decade, he was an educator for the San Diego Unified School District before serving as Chief of Staff to Councilman Charles Lewis. Subsequently, he was elected to the San Diego City Council, where he served as the first Council President Pro Tem and two consecutive terms as Council President. He chaired essential committees including: Budget and Finance, Rules, Public Safety & Neighborhood Services, and Audit. Mr. Young has served on various boards including: San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, San Diego County Reinvestment Task Force, San Diego Workforce Partnership, and the League of California Cities.
Post-City Hall, Mr. Young joined the American Red Cross San Diego/Imperial County Chapter as Chief Executive Officer. Under his leadership, the Red Cross created collaborative relationships with private and nonprofit businesses, government entities, and community organizations to better facilitate disaster and emergency preparedness plans on a regional level.
In 2014, Mr. Young founded two companies: Civic Link Strategies, a public affairs firm which provides strategic consultation regarding government relations and community engagement, and RISE San Diego, a nonprofit organization focused on civic engagement and fostering urban leadership.
