by Bill Walton
Tuesday, Nathan Fletcher delivered a major address at one of San Diego’s most innovative companies detailing his plans to make San Diego the World’s Most Innovative City. I was proud and honored to introduce him, and to be there as he laid out his vision for the future of San Diego.
Nathan not only has a bold vision for the future of San Diego, but he also has the ability to get it done. This new generation he represents must be more focused on delivering results than on petty politics, mean spirited ideology and finger-pointing. As mayor, he will build broad coalitions, drive bold ideas and focus on delivering results for the people of San Diego. Now is a critical time for our city. Nathan gives us a great and the best chance to live up to our incredible potential.
Nathan also laid out specific steps needed to make San Diego the World’s Most Innovative City and outlined milestones that enable the public to hold him accountable for achieving his goals, including:
- Creating 130,000 new jobs by 2020
- Increasing the number of patents generated by the San Diego region 33% by 2020.
- Increasing the amount of venture capital San Diego receives 33% by 2020.
- Increasing exports from our region 33% by 2020. That would amount to a $5 billion per year increase, bringing San Diego’s total exports to more than $20 billion annually by 2020.
Nathan discussed how he will help San Diego build on its core competencies — technology, tourism, military and defense — and how the innovation economy that he so grandly champions can build on our successes in order to create good-paying jobs at every level of the economy.
He said innovation must also drive the way San Diego approaches infrastructure, education, city government and quality of life issues. To see KUSI’s coverage of Nathan’s speech, click here.
I am privileged to personally know Nathan Fletcher and to support him for mayor, and I look forward to working with him to make San Diego the World’s Most Innovative City.