Katy McDonald believes the city of San Diego’s primary nonprofit partner tasked with oversight of Balboa Park should have a name that clearly reflects its identity.
That’s why McDonald, president and CEO of Forever Balboa Park, is pleased the organization will revert to the name Balboa Park Conservancy in early 2027.
It’s critical that our name clearly explains who we are at a glance,” said McDonald, who came on board the organization less than two years ago. “While ‘Forever Balboa Park’ has captured our team’s passion, our community told us that ‘Balboa Park Conservancy’ instantly communicates our primary role as dedicated stewards of the park.”
A new name will not change the organization’s mission, McDonald said. The Balboa Park Conservancy will continue to be committed to improving and enhancing Balboa Park’s historic, cultural and ecological identity while strengthening the park’s role as a vital regional asset.
Whatever the name of the organization, those goals have faced barriers over the past few decades.
Balboa Park is a 1,200-acre urban park and so-called “crown jewel” that’s owned and operated by the city of San Diego. It’s believed the park may require as much as one billion dollars of deferred maintenance.
How the park will be financed and governed will be a major point of conversation over the next year. A plan to update/revise the park’s Master Plan is currently underway, led by city consultants.
“Balboa Park obviously needs more resources,” McDonald said. “Just look at the bathrooms which do not make anybody proud. Look at the water systems in the park. There are a lot of needs.”
Prior to heading Friends of Balboa Park, McDonald was chief of staff at the San Diego Symphony for nearly a decade. She helped oversee the fundraising effort for the world-class outdoor waterfront music venue The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park in downtown San Diego.
She says sometimes important civic projects, like The Shell, take a long time to come to fruition.
“We have to be patient and opportunistic,” McDonald says. “We need to make important incremental changes that give the people trust in us.”
The city’s initiative to update the Balboa Park Master Plan by 2028 has been met with skepticism from some longtime park stakeholders.
During a September 19 Friends of San Diego Architecture meeting, consensus was that the original 1989 Master Plan still contains enough unmet goals to just continue using that document (as well as an updated, more detailed Precise Plan from 1992) as a future blueprint.
McDonald said she’s confident with the process the city is undertaking to possibly revamp the Master Plan.
“We were invited, and we plan to be a strong voice in gathering input,” she said. “I believe they’re open to input and we plan to hold people accountable.” SDSun
