Dan Yates: The Power of Vulnerability in Leadership

In this episode, Stop & Talk host Grant Oliphant engages in a heartfelt conversation with Dan Yates, board chair of the Prebys Foundation and co-founder/CEO of Endeavor Bank. A true San Diego native, Dan's journey from Paradise Hills to becoming a leading civic figure in San Diego reveals a profound commitment to community and service.

Dan shares his experiences growing up in a diverse and complex environment, which instilled in him a deep sense of empathy and a drive to uplift his community. His story highlights the significant role of his upbringing, particularly the influence of his parents, in shaping his values of kindness, service, and inclusion.

Throughout the episode, Dan discusses his path to banking, driven by a desire to connect business with community. His work at Endeavor Bank exemplifies this, blending entrepreneurial spirit with a strong focus on civic leadership. Dan emphasizes the importance of listening to, understanding, and supporting the diverse fabric of San Diego, from his efforts with Second Chance to his ongoing engagement with Morse High School students.

Dan's unique blend of professional acumen, vulnerability, and heartfelt community involvement is making a lasting impact on San Diego. Listen in to hear his insights on how local business can serve as a force for good, and his vision of a more connected and inclusive community.

Credits:

This is a production of the Prebys Foundation.

Hosted by Grant Oliphant

Co-Hosted by Crystal Page

Co-produced by Crystal Page and Adam Greenfield

Engineered by Adam Greenfield

Production Assistance by Tess Karesky

The Stop & Talk Theme song was created by San Diego’s own Mr. Lyrical Groove.

Recorded at the Voice of San Diego Podcast Studio

Download episodes at your favorite podcatcher or visit us at StopAndTalkPodcast.org

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Episode Transcript

Grant Oliphant (00:11):
Alright. So, welcome, Crystal.

Crystal Page (00:14):
Thank you, Grant. How are you today?

Grant Oliphant (00:15):
I'm I'm great. I'm I'm really looking forward
to hearing this conversation. Wegot a chance to speak today
with, with Dan Yates, who is ourvery own board chair, but also,
the chairman and cofounder ofEndeavor Bank here in San Diego,
and one of San Diego's leadingcivic leaders.

Crystal Page (00:34):
And also just a homegrown San Diego guy, so I'm
just excited to hear his take onconnection with the community.

Grant Oliphant (00:42):
Yeah. I think we're gonna dive right in
because there's so much to getto here. But I do wanna warn our
listeners that we are in thecourse of this conversation
going to talk about loss andleading through grief. So if
that's a difficult subject foryou, you might wanna be aware of
that. It is I think overall ajoyful conversation and a

(01:03):
celebrate a celebration of whatcommunity leadership looks like.
So, why don't we get to it?

Crystal Page (01:10):
Let's dive in.

Grant Oliphant (01:14):
Alright, Dan Yates. Thanks so much for being
here.

Dan Yates (01:17):
Thank you, Grant. It's a pleasure to see you
again.

Grant Oliphant (01:19):
Yeah. It is, we spend a lot of time together. We
do. And and it's been one of myjoys since coming to San Diego.
And I wanna start off by,saying, you know, I'll
acknowledge this in the preamblebefore this, but you're the
board chair of the Conrad PrebysFoundation, and I you know,
getting to know you, I have tosay, has been one of my one of

(01:39):
my great pleasures in coming tothis town, and I'm gonna tell
you why.
It's it's quite aside from youas a person and your
personality. All my life, I havetalked about people who are
civic leaders, and that termgets bandied about in a way that
is sort of genericized, so, youknow, everybody's a civic

(02:01):
leader. But when I think aboutyou, you're sort of the model of
a civic leader. You're abusiness guy who is engaged in
community, who does way too manycivic obligations, takes them
very seriously. We're gonna talka little bit about your time
management probably in this inthis and your approach to

(02:21):
leadership, but I wanna startoff by acknowledging that, and
I'm curious in this conversationto figure out where that comes
from for you.
And I don't mean to embarrassyou, but I do wanna start off by
just saying thank you forbringing that element to the
work you do for us.

Dan Yates (02:37):
Well, thank you. I'm I'm grinning because if my wife
was here, she'd say, tell him tosay no.

Grant Oliphant (02:42):
Right. Yeah.

Dan Yates (02:44):
But it it really started as a young kid. I've I
didn't realize coming out ofcollege, becoming a banker that
was part of the duty of abanker, but quickly shifted from
a duty to a joy. And it has beena lifelong passion. And most
years I've been involved in 10different nonprofits, too many
boards, a lot of volunteer work.And it does get daunting at

(03:06):
times because you're trying toweigh a lot of different things,
but it's you do it because it'sthe right thing to do.
You pay it forward. Yeah. Andthis community has been great
good to me, and I'm trying togive back what I can.

Grant Oliphant (03:18):
You know, somewhere I read that you
started thinking about being anentrepreneur when you were 8
years old, and so you wereyou've been wired all your life
to be a start up guy, a personwho thinks about how, business
connects with community, but Iwanna dig deeper on the
community side for a moment. AndI think a lot of people would

(03:40):
probably be surprised to knowwhere your connection your deep
connection to San Diego and tothe broader community comes
from. Can you talk a little bitabout where you grew up and how
your upbringing shaped you?

Dan Yates (03:53):
Yeah. My I guess 3rd or 4th generation San Diego on
my mom's side. My dad came herefor the Navy like many do and
and stayed, to my greatpleasure. But I grew up in
Paradise Hills and went to MorseHigh School in Encanto. And it
was a, you know, difficult timeas a kid because, very diverse
high school, but with a lot ofgangs.

(04:14):
And if you were Caucasian as Iwas and am, that meant getting
jumped about once a week onaverage. You come out of that,
though, a better person. What itdid for me and it continues to
do for me is open my eyes as towhat was behind that.
And what can I do to change thatfor our community going forward

(04:37):
So we don't see each other asdifferent colors and creeds, but
a collection of wonderful humanbeings that make a fabric that
lifts up San Diego? And that iswhat I've experienced since high
school is constantly going backto the community I grew up in
and trying to lift it up Yeah.And and really take what I've
learned in the businesscommunity and pay that forward.

(04:57):
And it shows up. Just, the otherday, I had a chance to do the
commencement exercise for 2ndChance, which is not far from,
Morse High School.
And these are individuals whohave just recently come out of
prison.

Grant Oliphant (05:08):
Right.

Dan Yates (05:09):
And they have they have the the beauty of looking
at their future, not their pastto define them. And there were
so much joy in just getting toknow them individually, hearing
their stories, hearing, whatthey've done at the 2nd chance
organization to preparethemselves to go back to society
and not to return to prison. Andit's my belief that the majority

(05:32):
of those will live a productivelife. Just being part of that
story and sharing it, the joy itbrings me is is what you you
really can't put it into words.

Grant Oliphant (05:42):
What was your message to them?

Dan Yates (05:44):
When I walked in, this is often the case. They see
the man in the business suit.

Grant Oliphant (05:49):
Right.

Dan Yates (05:49):
And how do they relate to me? So I started off
by helping them understand whereI grew up, not far from where
they are going to, to secondchance. And really just talking
about my journey and but moreimportantly, asking about their
dreams and trying to createconnections. So I can show them
that leaders in the communityare the place to start. Don't be

(06:13):
shy about reaching out to thoseof us who have the ability to
connect.
Open those doors, provide jobs,and really encourage them to,
raise their hand. I said, in mylifetime, people have helped me
and I've helped others. And, inturn, they'll be doing the same
as they move into positions ofleadership, I hope. But for now,

(06:34):
it's just really helping themunderstand that the community
wants to help, but you have toask.

Grant Oliphant (06:39):
Such a hopeful and empowering message. I wonder
what did you learn as a kidgrowing up where you were the
other, and you had thatexperience of, as you said,
being jumped every week, and youwere seen as the outsider. What
did that teach you, that youcarry with you to this day?

Dan Yates (06:59):
The first thought I always had was there was a lot
of pain. Mhmm. Pain and anger,and a lack of trust, and really
being judged, not for who I was,but for how I looked. And I
realized that if that's how Ifelt, guess what we're doing to
others when we treat them assuch.

Grant Oliphant (07:21):
Mhmm.

Dan Yates (07:21):
And it's starting with that understanding that I
had done nothing wrong as anindividual, but I was being
beaten up, hated on for things Ihad really nothing to do. And I
remember my father said to me,around that time, he said the
greatest hero he knew in hislifetime was Martin Luther King
Junior.

Grant Oliphant (07:41):
Mhmm.

Dan Yates (07:42):
And I had a neighbor who didn't like that. And I
remember he would walk throughhis front yard carrying a rifle
on his back, police in the yardand painted his trees white.
And it was like, oh, you know, aa very ugly scene in our
neighborhood. And my dad stoodtall, and he made sure that we
understood that, there's noprejudice in our family. And so,

(08:03):
you know, my street was asdiverse as San Diego could
possibly be. My neighbors to theimmediate right were Filipino.
Next to them, Hispanic family.Next to them, a black family.
Next to them, a Caucasianfamily. So we grew up in, like,
the United Nations. And when wegot together to play football,
we were all the same.
Just bunch of kids having fun.

Grant Oliphant (08:24):
How do you carry that lesson forward with you
into your community involvementand in into your your business
world, especially now in thesedivided times where race is such
a hot button issue in theculture, and how people perceive
each other feels so divisive.What what what do you find

(08:46):
yourself talking about a lot inthe context of that?

Dan Yates (08:49):
I think on a daily basis, we're always trying to
find ways to help one another.1st, among our clients in the
bank, then among individuals ofthe nonprofits we support, and
trying to seek to understandwhat is their mission, how can
we help, creating dialogue,creating understanding, and

(09:12):
really having conversations. Itbegins with understanding who
we're talking to, how they feel,why they feel the way they do,
seek first to understand, andit's so true. And when you walk
into a room, as I did at 2ndchance, and as I've done many
times at Morse High School whenI go back to speak to the
students, I walk into glares.Why should I talk to this banker

(09:39):
or this businessman?
There's a, but when I leave, Ileave with friends and
excitement. And I just I've seenthat happen over the decades.
And I know how to walk into aroom and change the
conversation.

Grant Oliphant (09:52):
Yeah. And I love that about you. I've seen you do
it. You do it, I think,consistently. Before I leave
this, you know, your early days,you know, a lot of people
growing up in thosecircumstances could have become
bitter, and could have decidedwell, I'm going to withdraw from
any element of discussion orengagement around these issues

(10:16):
or around other people, youdidn't do that.
You chose to fully engage withcommunity, and you did go into
banking, but you went intocommunity banking, and in your
community banking, you'reconstantly out in the community
and and engaged with civicorganizations. So what was it in
you or in your upbringing asidefrom the fact that you lived in

(10:38):
a diverse neighborhood that madeyou not withdraw?

Dan Yates (10:42):
Well, it's it's gonna sound like an old fashioned
line, but, I had the world'sbest mother. Yeah.

Grant Oliphant (10:47):
I think some of the old fashioned lines are the
best ones, actually.

Dan Yates (10:51):
And if you think about it, you often hear about
the Midwestern values. And Igrew up with that with a father
from Missouri who was a farmer.And he always taught us to love
one another, treat people withkindness, to always be giving
service. Because in the in thefarm life where he grew up, we

(11:11):
heard the stories many time,farms would burn down. And the
only way you survive was yourneighbors pitching in.
So he brought that to everythingwe did in San Diego. We were
always doing work for ourneighbors and our friends. And,
you know, again, growing up in aneighborhood where we all looked
different. We all had differentskin colors. That was just my

(11:34):
normal.
I remember moving to LosAngeles, and my first assignment
was to work, in Watson inCompton. And it felt very
normal, very familiar. One timeI went to Chicago, and I went to
listen to some jazz. And Iwalked downstairs, and I was the
only person in the room, thatwas Caucasian. And everyone was

(11:56):
looking at me like, why is hehere?
But that was normal for me. So Ithink sometimes things become
familiar.

Grant Oliphant (12:02):
Mhmm.

Dan Yates (12:02):
And with that comes comfort and understanding really
how to help others that, areuncomfortable in the situations,
which is often the case.

Grant Oliphant (12:12):
Yeah. I love that idea. Bev again, last
question before we leave yourchildhood, although I can't
promise I won't come back to it.
But you wanted to be aquarterback for the chargers
when you were 8 year also whenyou were young. So what happened
to that dream?

Dan Yates (12:27):
It's still alive. It's very daunting. As as I look
at 63, I haven't seen anyquarterbacks, into their
fifties, so that that dream isprobably dead.

Grant Oliphant (12:37):
But The odds are certainly longer. Yeah.

Dan Yates (12:39):
I may be one of the few remaining San Diego natives
that still supports thechargers, and that's that's
okay.

Grant Oliphant (12:44):
Yeah. Well, I confess. The the only time I've
been to a chargers game sincecoming to town and I remember
them

Dan Yates (12:51):
Yeah.

Grant Oliphant (12:51):
Fondly as the San Diego chargers, but I went
with you to an LA chargers game.It just didn't feel right
wandering around a stadiumseeing all these LA chargers.

Dan Yates (13:02):
It still doesn't. Yeah. Yeah.

Grant Oliphant (13:04):
But good for you for you are a loyal individual.

Dan Yates (13:07):
Absolutely.

Grant Oliphant (13:09):
So, let's talk about, well, first of all, your
segue into banking. Why how didthat happen, and why why was
that your path?

Dan Yates (13:20):
I wanna say by accident. I recall as a as a
child realizing my dad had onejob his whole life, working for
General Dynamics. And I thoughtcoming out of college that I had
to make that decisionimmediately, and that would be
my life path. But I wasn'tready. Not many 20 year olds are

(13:41):
ready to decide one path, onepath only.
So I decided to join amanagement training program for
banks. And I knew that I wouldbe exposed to 1,000 of different
businesses and industries, and Iwas gonna buy time. Well, it was
an 18 month training program. In18 months after I started,
someone came to me and theypushed my button called

(14:02):
integrity. And they said itwould be unethical for me to
take this money they hadinvested in me to train me as a
banker and to leave.
I said, what does that looklike?

Grant Oliphant (14:11):
Wow.

Dan Yates (14:12):
And they said, well, you need to stick around for
another year and a half. Mhmm.Another year and a half went by,
and I was surrounded byentrepreneurs.
And I knew that was my callingto start a business. So I
thought, well, if I stay aroundlong enough, sooner or later
someone's gonna retire and I'llhave a chance to buy their
business. Right. And theneventually, as it happened, I

(14:32):
found myself working for bankingentrepreneurs.
And they said, if you stickaround long enough, we'll teach
you how to be a bankingentrepreneur. And they did. So I
went on to start 2 banks.

Grant Oliphant (14:44):
Yeah. Which is, I mean, your your professional
story, which we'll have outlinedin the introduction, is pretty
remarkable. It's a story ofsingular professional
accomplishment, and illustratesthe point about entrepreneurism
you just made, But there'sanother through line in that,
which is about civic leadership,which is where I started,

(15:08):
because you married the 2, whichis I think what's so remarkable
in how you approach this work.Can you talk a little bit about
your approach to civicleadership, and how you think
about that as a component of whoyou are?

Dan Yates (15:21):
Yeah. First, I wanna begin, though, with a name that
many San Diegans are familiarwith, which is the Sefton
family. And as a young kid, SanDiego Trust and Savings Bank
made a mark on our community inways that remind me of Conrad
Prebys.

Grant Oliphant (15:37):
Mhmm.

Dan Yates (15:38):
And that family went 3 generations in a 100 years,
and their name was everywhere inSan Diego and their impact was
felt. When I went to Los Angelesand I worked for a different
type of bank, It was always mydream to take that model back to
San Diego and marry the 2together. In other words, the

(16:01):
model I was exposed to in LosAngeles was one I had never
seen. It was really consultativebanking, helping business owners
figure out their biggestchallenges. But do it with
community leadership and build alegacy that would survive my
time as the founder of a bank.
And so it was with that ideathat I started my first bank

(16:23):
with one unconditional promisewith my, partner at the time.
And that was if we start a banktogether, we're never gonna sell
it. And we had a handshake, andthat lasted about 12 years. And
then it was year 13. He said,hey, partner.
I know we said we never sell thebank, but, I've changed my mind.
And I said, well, do I get a avote in this? I'm CEO of the

(16:46):
bank. He says, yes. You do.
He says, how many shares do youhave? And that was a lesson.

Grant Oliphant (16:50):
Little lesson. Yeah.

Dan Yates (16:52):
He had a little more than me. Quite a bit.

Grant Oliphant (16:54):
Why was it so important to you not to sell?

Dan Yates (16:57):
Legacy is important to me, making an impact. And
what has happened across theUnited States, in every major
city, community banks havebecome, dinosaurs. They're
extinct Fewer each year. And theimpact community banks make on a
community is profound.
We see the story told again andagain. And I I again, I saw with

(17:19):
the Sefton family how entrenchedthey were in lifting up San
Diego through the banking lens,through dealing with nonprofits,
through dealing with theirclients, providing jobs. There's
so many ways you can do thatthrough the banking lens that I
wanted to do that for for mycommunity.

Grant Oliphant (17:39):
So coming back to the the civic engagement
piece, that's why you focused onon community banking and it's
why you didn't wanna sell, butyou actually when you when you
did this a second time withEndeavor Bank really made it a
cornerstone of the bank itselfthat you would that civic

(17:59):
engagement would be a part ofwhat you were doing there too.
And, and again, I guess I'm I'mcurious why it was so important
to you other than as anexpression of what community
banks do.

Dan Yates (18:11):
Well, if I learned one thing the first time around
is, not to have any shareholdersthat are in fully in control of
the bank that can, have thatsame conversation 12 years
later. Yeah. So this timearound, I invited the business
community to become part of thebank.
And we have about a 1000 civicleaders and business, owners who

(18:33):
own the bank. And the vision forthis bank was to create the
largest network of individualsthat could help one another.
Help one another open doors,make an impact, create jobs,
transform our city in ways thatmoney and commerce and
leadership can do working inconjunction with civic leaders.

(18:56):
That is the shareholder base ofEndeavor Bank.

Grant Oliphant (18:59):
Right.

Dan Yates (19:00):
And it was very intentional and very hard. But
because typically, what you'lldo when you start a bank is
you'll invite 12, 24 individualsthat can write a check for a
$1,000,000 or more and you callit a day. We went down to as low
as $5,000 to become ashareholder.

Grant Oliphant (19:17):
Wow.

Dan Yates (19:18):
So to raise 26,000,000, which is what it
required at the time, It was alot of conversations with the
right people.
And the the the number one issueI heard when we were talking to
people about becoming ashareholder is how long is the
bank gonna be around? Not what'sthe return on my investment. But
the reason they asked thatquestion is they understood that

(19:41):
a community bank makes an impactin San Diego, in this case, in a
way that is hard to explainunless you've experienced it.
And most of these shareholdershad once been with a community
bank and had experienced thatbank leaving our community and
leaving a void.
And so it was important to them.It was important to me.

Grant Oliphant (20:01):
You mentioned Conrad a moment ago as, another
example of of an inspiration foryou around community leadership,
and I'm I'm curious. First ofall, would you elaborate on that
a little bit and talk about whatyou what you thought, Conrad
embodied, in terms of what youyou think of as typical of how

(20:24):
San Diego operates in terms ofcommunity leadership.

Dan Yates (20:28):
So Conrad, like many others that we we have today,
invested his time and his moneyand his talents, through a
number of organizations. We allsee the visible signs of it on
occasion with his name on abuilding. But more importantly,
are the stories you hear aboutConrad going into the Boys and

(20:50):
Girls Club, going into thehealth community, UCSD, and
really making an impact thatwould help others with the money
that he created, the wealth hecreated over a li Mhmm. We have
very few foundations as youknow, but we have a few Conrads.

Grant Oliphant (21:08):
Right.

Dan Yates (21:09):
Maybe maybe a few too few in San Diego. We're hoping
to change that as you know.

Grant Oliphant (21:13):
But we've got some remarkable ones.

Dan Yates (21:15):
But we do. Yeah. And, one of the things I've observed
over my, my time in San Diego isthat it seems that we have a
shortage of people that can pickup a shovel and do the work. And
we need more of that.
Yeah. And Conrad was aninspirational leader that often
talked to others about followinghis lead And setting up

(21:36):
foundations and and giving uphis wealth and his time. Mhmm.
And I think he influenced peoplebecause he was a kind
individual, thoughtful person,and somebody who really cared
about leaving San Diego a betterplace than when he arrived.
Very few that knew him wouldever challenge that he did
exactly that.

Grant Oliphant (21:55):
Was that one of the things you considered when
you were invited to come on theboard of the foundation? Because
in those early days, it wouldhave been easy I think you you
shared with me at one point thatyou were on something like 14
boards Around that time. And andwe should talk about your time
management and how you learnedto cut back, but because I know

(22:17):
you did. I know you had to makesome dramatic choices, but, was
that what attracted you to beingon this foundation despite the
fact that you knew it was gonnabe tough to help, a new
foundation get off the ground?

Dan Yates (22:29):
It it was a huge honor, 1st and foremost, to be
invited. It It was really thefirst time that I saw an ability
to help distribute some ofConrad's wealth in a way that
was different than the type ofboard service I had done before.
Typically, I was on thefundraising side. Raising funds

(22:50):
for good causes.
Right. That's typically what Iwould do as a board member aside
from the talents you bring. Butthis was a chance to really now
look at the needs and find a waythat we could help distribute
those funds to make an impact inways that I had never done
before. And that's just atremendous honor And one that I

(23:11):
don't take lightly.
And, actually, I will just sharethat, I thought we're doing
pretty good until, you showedup.

Grant Oliphant (23:20):
Thank you. I I think thank you. I don't know.

Dan Yates (23:23):
No. I say that with all humility because, yeah, we
made a lot of grants, and I knowwe did a lot of good in the
community. But learning how todo it the right way through best
practices is something I'm stilla student of. And you've
assembled a great team in a in ain a fabulous board. And I think
what's changed in my time, sinceI joined the board is we have

(23:48):
subject matter experts sittingin board seats in the areas that
we specialize in our grantmaking.
And then we have a fabulous teamthat you've assembled who have
learned how to measure theimpact and the outcomes in a way
that we really never considereduntil you came. And that's an

(24:08):
expertise that you don't come bywhen you first join a
foundation. You really need toassemble a team that knows how
to do that the right way, andyou're doing it. And so I I
think it's a privilege to bepart of, a learning opportunity
to see how it's how it should bedone.

Grant Oliphant (24:21):
So so two thoughts come up for me, and one
is just to say thank you. Youknow, I have to share that it's,
it's it's been the the greatestjoy of my working life actually
to do this work over the past 2almost two and a half years, and
to get to build that team, andto get to work with this board,

(24:42):
and to get with people who areall together on a learning
journey, and wanna get thisright, and, I think it doesn't
get better than that. But thesecond thought that comes up is
that it's the capacity to saythat, to sort of recognize that
that's part of being a goodboard member that I think sets
you and and and are the boardwe're fortunate to have a part

(25:06):
in so many ways. And I'm curiousto hear you, because I know
you've given this a lot ofthought, especially as you were
thinking about how to how tomanage your obligations in the
in the way that you had toultimately because your wife did
say to you enough is enough, andand you looked at it yourself
and said enough is enough.

(25:26):
How do you think about andadvise other people to think
about service on communityboards? Because I know business
leaders are coming to you allthe time to ask for your advice
about where they should spendtheir time and how they should
spend their time.

Dan Yates (25:42):
I mean, I think it begins with time management. You
really have to take care ofyourself, your family, and your
other responsibilities in such away that you can give back. The
way I approach it is really tobe very protective of my time
and how I invested. And when Icame into the Prebys Board, I

(26:02):
sized up what could I do to makea difference? I'm a generalist.
I'm a great researcher. I'm afast learner. And so my first
role was to study what were theneeds. And at that time, the
greatest need when I firstjoined the board was we needed
to liquidate a $1,000,000,000real estate portfolio and take
the lead on that. So I was veryinvolved in that process.

(26:24):
But that was quickly followed byhelping with investing those
funds so we could eventuallymake the grants. And then it
quickly shifted to how do werecruit a winning team starting
with you. And so there'sdifferent chapters that pull
upon skills that I've developedthroughout my career. None of
which you notice have anythingwith grant making.

Grant Oliphant (26:47):
Right.

Dan Yates (26:47):
And that's important to note because I don't think we
all need to be on a boardexperts in everything.

Grant Oliphant (26:53):
Right.

Dan Yates (26:54):
But you figure out your superpower where you can
add value, and that's what Itried to do. Not just to be
another person on the board, butto really be a good listener,
thoughtful, share my ideas butnot dominate. And you really try
to manage the flow ofconversation so that what comes
out is the richness of ideas andexperiences that we can

(27:15):
collectively put to good use inmaking great decisions,
hopefully, and a greater impacton San Diego. That's the fun
part for me.

Grant Oliphant (27:23):
Yeah. I love that concept because I think I
think that's exactly right.Board members don't have to know
every detail of anorganization's work in order to
contribute to that work. Theythey have to be able to think
broadly about the mission, theyhave to be able to ask really
good questions, they have to begood financial stewards, and

(27:47):
dive in where they can be mosthelpful, I think that's such an
important takeaway. And yet,Dan, you and and every board
member comes on to a foundationboard with, you know, with
interests that you have in thecommunity.
And I'm curious when, you know,when for you, what have been
some of the animating issuesthat feel like the most

(28:09):
important, that you see as beingimportant to San Diego and
connecting with the work of ofthe Prebys Foundation?

Dan Yates (28:19):
I mean, there's some obvious ones. You know, one that
you know has touched my life ismental illness. . And the
foundation's done a tremendousjob of making a dent in that.
You know, I lost a son earlierthis year.

Grant Oliphant (28:31):
Thank you for raising that, and we'll let's
talk about that in a moment.

Dan Yates (28:35):
And what that did for me is really reinforce why I'm
doing this work. Because Ididn't obviously know at the
time, it would become soimportant to me. But through our
family and through otherfamilies and other leaders, I've
watched how mental illness hasimpacted the homeless situation
in San Diego. How it impacts,youth well-being.

(28:58):
Well, what I'm seeing in thefoundation is cross sections of
how we go into all thesedifferent areas. We're touching
on the gaps, trying to make adifference so that we leave San
Diego a healthier community anddon't have tragedies like we
experience in our family.

Grant Oliphant (29:14):
You know, I think I think this is such an
important point for people tounderstand just in terms of, of
of how a foundation works whenit's thinking strategically and
not just in terms of respondingto the individual interests of
staff members and board members.

Dan Yates (29:29):
Right.

Grant Oliphant (29:30):
We started off our journey when I got here
understanding that we were goingto focus on youth as part of our
portfolio. And as we drilleddown on the need in San Diego,
youth mental health emergedorganically from the research as
one of the priority areas. Andthen after that, you and I began

(29:51):
talking about your son, Brandon,and the challenges that he faced
from a mental illness standpointand a behavioral health
standpoint. And you never oncesaid, and the foundation should
focus on this, which I find tobe extraordinary. And I found it

(30:11):
humbling to be along for part ofyour sad journey when through
the course of time, you saw himstruggle and then ultimately you
lost him.
And I'm I'm curious if you don'tmind sharing it because I think
so often what people forget isthat serving on a board is also

(30:32):
about sharing your ownexperience. How did you navigate
that circumstance that you'rewilling to share, and how did
you bring it to the table atboard meetings?

Dan Yates (30:45):
Well, the way I navigated it was to be
reflective on the fact that, tohonor Brandon's life, I wanted
to draw upon what I could do tomake sure there's not other
tragedies like that because it'stoo common of a story. What I
find is that people areuncomfortable talking about it,
but yet almost everyone I knowhas a loved one that's suffering

(31:08):
with some type of mental illnessor addiction. It's too common of
a story to to have a family notto to experience it at some
level is is rare. Once yourealize that, then you look at,
what can and what should we do.And there are a lot of good
people and a lot of goodorganizations in San Diego
trying to figure it out.

(31:29):
It's a complicated problem. It'sone that's gonna take a lot of
different solutions, but itempowers me to give of my time
and my talents to help, startthe conversation with the county
supervisors, with politiciansand advocacy. That's nothing to
do with the foundation. That'sjust really helping people

(31:50):
understand what is broke? Whereare the gaps?
What are the opportunities tomake a difference? And I think
we're all better off for it ifwe can start making solutions
one at a time. And and I'mseeing already, progress. And
that's that's encouraging.

Grant Oliphant (32:07):
You know, again, Dan, I, you know, I see a a
repeat of the pattern youdisplayed coming out of your
childhood where instead ofwithdrawing you engaged. In this
circumstance many people touchedby this sort of tragedy would
have withdrawn into their grief,and understandably so. I mean

(32:28):
for heaven's sake it's the mostnatural human reaction we could
imagine. And you certainly hadthat, but you, you know, you you
immediately, in my experience,started thinking about how can I
help others to avoid this, andwho can I talk to to make sure
this doesn't happen again, Andwhat are the resources out there

(32:52):
that are available to helpanybody else who may come to me
for advice? And you well, I thatthat leads me to another
question which I'll ask in asecond, but how what what was it
again in you that caused you toengage rather than withdraw?

Dan Yates (33:10):
An immense clarity. There are sometimes you have
moments in your life when yourealize that everything has a
purpose. There's a fabric. Itdoesn't always, become clear in
the early stages of your life.
But I started realizing I'm verywell connected. I have
influence. If used correctly,it's helpful. If used

(33:33):
incorrectly, it's destructive.And people respect me, and I
had, therefore, an obligation touse that in a positive way to
help our community.
It would be easy to withdrawinto grief. You know, a tragedy
losing a child is one you neverget over. But you can turn to

(33:55):
something positive. And I lookedat other individuals in our
society, and particularly herein San Diego who had done
exactly that. And I met withthem.
I said, how did you deal withit? What did you do? And their
stories were inspiring to me,and they were encouraging. But
letting me know it's a marathon,not a sprint. Take my time.

(34:16):
But if this is your calling, doit. And it was just, an innate
knowledge that this is somethingI was meant to do. And that's
the only way I can honor reallyBrandon's life in a way that
deserves be honored because youcan't bring back the death, but
you can make something noble outof it to, to really honor him.

(34:37):
And that's that's what's reallyinspiring me.

Grant Oliphant (34:40):
It's such an extraordinary sentiment, and I
wanna say that it is emblematicof a broader leadership
philosophy that I've heard youtalk about since you and I have
gotten to know each other,which, I'll articulate this way
and then I'd ask you to put itin your own words, but there
have been any number of timeswhen you and I have been talking

(35:03):
about what it is to lead andwhat leadership looks like, and
challenges we may be facing,where you have said to me, you
know Grant, I think one of thesuper powers of good leadership
is the ability to be vulnerable,and you talk about this often,
that includes sharing painfulstories with people, reaching

(35:24):
out and asking for advice, and Idon't think that's a natural
impulsive leaders. I think itis, I think traditional
leadership is taught in a waywhere leaders are expected to be
infallible, where you're notsupposed to admit weakness,
you're supposed to be in charge.And you have a very different

(35:46):
philosophy. Can you can you talkabout that and where that came
from for you?

Dan Yates (35:51):
It's been it's been a journey. I mean, it started as a
as a young young kid where mymother was very open about
everything. And I always Ilearned to be a good
communicator and not to be abashful or shy about things that
were painful to discuss thatstart off with mom. But as I got
into the business communityearly in my career, I became

(36:13):
more guarded. That wasn'tnatural for me.
And part of that was if I'm theCEO of a company, I must have
all the answers because that'sthe false learning.
And then I realized that leaningback into that vulnerability,
built trust, and allowed otherpeople to also lean into their
vulnerability and createconnections. And it has become

(36:35):
the most powerful way to make animpact in a positive way in
others is to first lead byshowing them that, I'll talk
I'll lead into the discomfort.I'll lead into the mistakes.
I'll share the mistakes becausethat's where the knowledge comes
from. I used to be embarrassedto, for example, to talk about
the fact that I've had multiplemarriages.

(36:57):
Now I lean into it because eachone made me who I am today. And
my wife says to me, Yasmin says,I'm I'm glad you were married
before because that, preparedyou for me. And that's how I
look at life. And that's true ofall of my, past, mistakes. It's
just really, helping usunderstand that that if you

(37:18):
don't take risk

Grant Oliphant (37:19):
Mhmm.

Dan Yates (37:19):
And you don't stop to get the lesson, you paid the
tuition, you might as well getthe lesson. Then you're really
bound to repeat those again. Andso I try to lead with that type
of thinking to help othersunderstand. It's okay if you
stumble. But get up, figure outwhy you fell, brush yourself
off, and try again because theimportant thing is you tried.

Grant Oliphant (37:41):
Yeah. I I love that sentiment, and I love that
lesson. As you practiced itfollowing Brandon's death, what
did you discover were some ofthe biggest takeaways for you?

Dan Yates (37:56):
I think there were there were many people that were
afraid to talk to me. Theydidn't know how to, express
their grief. I it occurred to methat you have to be measured in
what you do and how soon youlean into it because there is a

(38:16):
normal time you need to allowyourself to grieve.

Grant Oliphant (38:19):
Mhmm.

Dan Yates (38:19):
And I needed to basically go for long walks

Grant Oliphant (38:23):
Mhmm.

Dan Yates (38:23):
And and allow myself a chance to really appreciate
the loss I'd experienced becauseyou're in shock for a while.
It's not real. Once you getthrough that, and everyone has
their own time frame when thatoccurs, it was time for action.
And, and that meant getting outthere and figuring out what I

(38:44):
need to do and and how I canbest make a difference. And that
will be an ongoing journey thatdoesn't end anytime soon.
That's that's the rest of mylife.

Grant Oliphant (38:53):
Wow.

Dan Yates (38:53):
And so I'm on an early early, journey on that
already.

Grant Oliphant (38:56):
Yeah. Well, I just have to say, having, again
experienced it as, as somebodywho's privileged to know you as,
in the in the ways that I do, Ithink you've been, a model for
us all, and that I don't wannaburden you with that. No. You
shouldn't have to carry that,but it is you should know that.

(39:20):
And I think I think particularlythere's a model of leadership
there that, you know, it's partof what I hope people will take
away from this podcast is allthe stuff about community
engagement, and civicengagement, and community
involvement, and your personalstory of where you came from,
but also how we lead, and, andhow we lead through difficult

(39:42):
times.
There's, there's we need thatstory now more than we probably
have ever needed that storybecause of everything that's
happening in the culture, and Ithink it's particularly
powerful. So thank you forsharing it.

Dan Yates (39:53):
Oh, thank you, Grant.

Grant Oliphant (39:54):
Dan, do you, do you have other issues that that
animate you in the communitythat are maybe a little less
personal?

Dan Yates (40:03):
You know, I I love our community, but we're
surrounded by challenges likeall communities in particular,
one that I call the challenge ofbeing in a wonderful place to
live. It creates affordability.

Grant Oliphant (40:15):
Mhmm.

Dan Yates (40:16):
For my own children, I look at I look at them and
say, are you gonna be able toafford a home, or do you have to
leave San Diego? And then wehave people up and down the
economic spectrum that are, youknow, hardworking families that
can hardly afford rent. Andthat's sad to me, because it
wasn't that way growing up.Mhmm. At least if it was, I

(40:36):
didn't perceive it as such as itis today.
Mhmm. So that's a challenge thatI'm very much interested in.
And, of course, health care,which is one of our foundation's
key areas, affects all of us inso many ways. And I'm I'm
continually inspired by some ofthe good works we're seeing,

(40:57):
that are happening in in thiswonderful Mesa we have with the
biosciences and the lifesciences.

Grant Oliphant (41:03):
Extraordinary, isn't

Crystal Page (41:04):
it?

Dan Yates (41:04):
It really is. You don't appreciate it growing up
until you you start to go outand meet those scientists and
those, medical professionals whoare really doing wonderful work
in our community and truly forthe world. So, I'm inspired by
both what they're doing and thechallenge ahead of them. Mhmm. I
was at the gym the other day,and I saw somebody wearing a a

(41:25):
band around their wrist.
And, so what does that mean? Andit was, you know, just about
cancer. And it was just one ofthose reminders that we all lose
people too often from thatterrible disease. And yet
there's encouragement that everyday we're finding areas of
cancer research that are makingan impact for certain areas. And

(41:47):
so those are some of the thingsthat are on my mind.
Yeah.

Grant Oliphant (41:50):
As you look at our board and other boards
you've served with on thecommunity, are there are there
people that have especiallytouched you in terms of the
lessons that they bring to thework?

Dan Yates (42:03):
I mean, there always is. Is let's just take our board
for example. Constance, who'sjust recently joined our board.

Grant Oliphant (42:10):
Constance Carroll.

Dan Yates (42:11):
Yeah. Constance Carroll has done just wonderful
work in the community. She'sinspirational. I'm getting to
know her.

Grant Oliphant (42:16):
Yeah.

Dan Yates (42:17):
But I I watch it. I watch what she has done and how
she is revered, throughout SanDiego. And it's exciting to sit
next to individuals that comefrom a different background than
myself and that I can learnfrom, because I'm a lifelong
learner. And yet I see as we'redoing work for, the community

(42:39):
that every one of our boardmembers brings a talent
perspective, gentleness, andaggressiveness.

Grant Oliphant (42:47):
Yes. And aggressiveness sometimes too.
True.

Dan Yates (42:49):
We need all that on a board.

Grant Oliphant (42:51):
Right.

Dan Yates (42:51):
You need it all in a board. Yeah.

Grant Oliphant (42:53):
Yeah. And one of the things that I love in a well
functioning board is that youhave good questions, you have
good, people asserting positionsbased on what they know, and
their expertise, might be, and II think we're privileged to
enjoy that combination ofsuperpowers on our board.

Dan Yates (43:11):
Yep.

Grant Oliphant (43:12):
You know, as you think about the the issues that
San Diego has to tackle ahead,you named a couple already. So
the affordability crisis is 1,how young people find their
their place here, going forwardis another. Are there any others
that that you find are on yourmind, because of the work that

(43:34):
you're doing either at the bankor at the foundation?

Dan Yates (43:37):
You know, the the small business community in some
ways, is part of the solution.What I see every day are
entrepreneurs helping createjobs, better jobs, really
helping to solve issues thatwe're grappling with. And so I
have the privilege of watchingthe work we can do on the

(43:57):
foundation side with the workthat entrepreneurs are doing,
and I'm excited when we canbridge those 2. I think you saw
a couple years ago at the causeconference, some efforts in that
regard, and we can do so muchmore where we bring the for
profit and the nonprofitcommunity together, and you get
the both the best of bothworlds. And it's it's evident if

(44:20):
you ever go to a a gathering, ofbusiness owners
Working on issues in that room,all of them are involved in
nonprofit community as well asleading their companies. And I
think what's exciting is theywanna make a difference. And so
the the gaps between what we'redoing in the nonprofit space and

(44:42):
in the foundation in particular,and what's happened in the
business community, there's alot of alignment.

Grant Oliphant (44:48):
I just would love to interject a thought on
that for a moment because I youknow, you and I have a fellow
board member at Prebys, PaulaCordero, who is passionate on
the subject of, social benefitcorporations, ESOPs, co ops,
basically the the migration ofthe corporate form to care about

(45:10):
both profit and social causes.And in a way, it's the space
you've been working in yourwhole life, just not under that
name. And you were as interestedin that cause conference a
couple of years ago when Iarrived here as I was, but from
your perspective in business. II think that one of the ways in

(45:31):
which San Diego has theopportunity to lead, in in the
country is by leaning into thatconvergence of business and
social values. Are you seeingthat much in the work that
you're doing?

Dan Yates (45:45):
A 100%. I mean, on this podcast a couple of weeks
ago, you were talking about dono harm. Yeah. And, you know, I
think about that as I sit in theinvestment committee, then we
have fiduciary duty. Right?
Right. To, to make sure wemaximize the returns. But in
doing so, if we're causing harm,then there's a cycle that we're
we're trying to make grants tofix the very things that we're

(46:08):
creating if we're investing inthe wrong areas. Yeah. Well,
that's true in the localbusiness community.
You can run a business, forprofit. But that's not generally
what I'm seeing among ourclients. Their their values,
their workforce demands thatthey are servant leaders, and
that they are making positiveimpacts in San Diego. That is

(46:31):
the that is the most commonstory I have with business
leaders today when we're talkingabout how we can help them with
their issues.
It's not always about how do Imaximize my earnings. It's I'm
gonna leave San Diego a betterplace. Here's what we're
tackling today in our community.So, for example, I'm a member
of, entrepreneurs organization,EO.

Grant Oliphant (46:51):
Right.

Dan Yates (46:52):
And one of our primary focus areas is is
picking a cause in a given year.And the CEOs that are members of
that organization all contributetheir time, money, and talents
to really help make adifference. And it's encouraging
when you see the businessleaders gathering to not talk

(47:12):
about how they can improve theirtop line or their bottom line.
But how can we help fix a socialissue, help fix homelessness,
help help deal with, with hungerissues? And these are all the
types of things that I'm hearingthe business community grapple
with, deal with frustrations,and look for ways that they can
use their, their companies,their financial wealth, their

(47:36):
experiences to really make adifference. That's very common.

Grant Oliphant (47:39):
What's that's fascinating to me, and I don't
think I've heard you say thatbefore. But what is the what's
driving that? Is it that youngemployees are demanding it? Is
it that it's just on the mindsof these leaders as they think
about the next generation? Whatdo you think is the impulse?

Dan Yates (47:55):
Well, I would say the average age of, the EO members
is probably mid thirties, earlyforties. Their employees are
probably younger. So a lot of itis, a younger generation looking
at my generation and saying, youknow, what have you done? And
how do we make it a betterplace? And and so that it is
definitely a generational,influence.

(48:18):
I don't think it's the onlyinfluence, but it has a
significant impact. We see it atthe bank with our young
employees. We talk about what isimportant to them. This is often
what we hear is was what is thebank doing to give back? How are
we helping, San Diego?
And it's important that ouryoung generation is driving that

(48:38):
conversation, and

Grant Oliphant (48:39):
I think they are. Fascinating. Dan, I'm I'm
afraid this time has flown by,and I'm gonna have to leave it
there. But I I think we maywanna do a follow-up program
about that in a little whilebecause I think that subject
will be coming up over and overagain, this convergence of
business and nonprofits in thefoundation sector.

Dan Yates (48:58):
I think next time we'll flip the script and
interview you. But thank you,Grant. I appreciate your time
today.

Grant Oliphant (49:04):
Well, it's it's this has been a a joy and so
many takeaways. I I just wannathank you for your leadership,
and and for this time. I thinkour listeners are going to have
a lot to take away from thisconversation.

Dan Yates (49:18):
And I thank you for your leadership as well. Thank
you.

Crystal Page (49:25):
I just love hearing about Dan, knowing the
kind human that he is, but alsoour board chairman. I really
appreciated that conversation.

Grant Oliphant (49:34):
I I really did too. And and starting with,
maybe not making assumptionsabout who he is and and his life
story. You know, I I was atdinner recently with Macedonia
Ortega, who we've interviewed onthis program, and and Masay was
joking with me, as we weresitting in some public place
about who do you think whenpeople walk into the room, they

(49:56):
think is the one who plays golf?And it's because, you know,
everybody would expect me to bethe one to play golf, and it's
actually him. And, you know,people, not knowing Dan may make
assumptions who he is as thissuccessful banker, but he's a
real guy who grew up in a realcommunity and learned a lot of
life lessons as a result ofthat.

Crystal Page (50:16):
Oh, yeah. I think, the first time I had a
conversation with him, Dan wastalking about being from
Paradise Hills. He went to MorseHigh, which is the rival to my
mom's school, Kearny.

Grant Oliphant (50:27):
Uh-huh.

Crystal Page (50:28):
But I do think that there is lessons to be
learned when you're thedifferent one in the group, and
we know, Dan just shared howdifferent he was than some of
the folks, and it seems like itbuilt empathy and and commitment
to doing something different.

Grant Oliphant (50:44):
Yeah. Well, I think this is such an important
takeaway for our culture rightnow and our community, our
specific community, but thereare so many divisions or
perceived divisions, and we talka lot about divisions, but what
Dan learned from his youth was,as you said, empathy. He learned
to identify with others and totry and understand where they

(51:06):
were coming from and what theirperspective was. And isn't that
a beautiful thing that seems tohave guided his career? There
was there was so much in thisinterview though, Crystal, that
I mean, beyond that, I think itall illustrated that life
philosophy, but, you know, I I Ithink I'd I'd loved his tribute
to his mom and to his parents,and how his parents you know,

(51:28):
his dad told him there'll be noracism in this household, and
how his neighborhood taught himto see, people as people, and,
and how he got so much of hislife perspective from his mom.
But it was also incrediblyhonest and touching to hear him
talk about his son.

Crystal Page (51:49):
Yes. And I just appreciate that he took the time
to not only be vulnerable, know,walking around with a rifle over
his shoulder When he was young.Yeah. Yeah. It's you know,
walking around with a rifle overhis

Grant Oliphant (52:07):
shoulder When he was young. Yeah.

Crystal Page (52:09):
Yeah. To his son, Brandon, I do think that there
was, how do we take thesethings, I believe he called, you
know, these tragic moments andreally honor them and learn from
them. And so I think there'ssomething there for me that's
very comforting, and, instead ofavoiding our vulnerabilities,
how do we really lean into them?

Grant Oliphant (52:30):
Yeah. I I I think that was I I I think I
underscored it at the time, butit was such an important
takeaway from this podcast. IMany of the people who listen to
this podcast are leaders whetherthey wear that title or not.
They're playing a role in theircommunity, where they are are
playing some sort of leadershiprole. And, and and I think it's

(52:55):
important for us all to rememberthat vulnerability is a key to
effective leadership.
And it's not easy, you know. Itreally it would, I think many
leaders just fall into the trapof thinking it's easier to
pretend you're perfect. It'seasier to pretend everything's
okay. What Dan modeled for uswas it's okay to talk about

(53:15):
pain, and it's okay to talkabout how you convert pain into
action. You know, I I found thatto be very powerful when he
spoke about creating somethingnoble from his loss and his
family's loss.
That, you know, he really waswilling to to therefore share

(53:36):
what he was going through andask for advice and learn from
others. And then in a betterposition, frankly, to provide
guidance to others, when theywhen they came to him for
advice. And I know he now getsapproached all the time for
advice from people who arestruggling with their own
challenges.

Crystal Page (53:55):
That's a lesson that I'm storing in the back of
my mind, because I think about,I really valued the moment when
he talked about going for longwalks and knowing not to rush
it. You know? I think those arethings that we don't necessarily
talk about in our culture. Howdo you grieve and give yourself
space? But then, you know, asthe energy comes, you move

(54:17):
forward.
And so even the idea that hewould reach out to other people
who have experienced loss, it'sthe smartest thing you could do,
because they're gonna understandand have advice looking back.
And and now he's paying itforward as he he grows through
his grief. You know?

Grant Oliphant (54:33):
Right. And I I you know, I think part of what
comes across in this discussionthat we had with him is how, he
also manages to be joyfuldespite that. You know, I I
think there's a lesson thereabout leadership, but there's
also a lesson about lifephilosophy. And it's I'm not

(54:55):
sure we can turn it into anactual lesson actually, but I I
do think that by by and how hetalks about it and then how he
talks about the work that hedoes, he he just clearly is,
modeling a way of being in theworld that I I find admirable.

Crystal Page (55:16):
Well, also, I think it also humanizes bankers
for me. I know that sounds sosilly to say, but This will be,

Grant Oliphant (55:24):
this will be this will be an important
takeaway for some.

Crystal Page (55:27):
Well, you know, I just think the idea of treating
small businesses and localbankers as folks who really are
a part of the community. Theyare. Right? Whether it's a T
ball league, you see the littlebank insignia on the back of t
shirts, but also I've met folksin the community who said, oh,
yes. Dan's bank, Dan helped me.
You know? It really isrelational. You know? As we

(55:48):
prepare our own finances, thoserelationships help us plan for
our future, but, also, heinformed us that all of his
clients are thinking about howto improve San Diego. Like, all
of this is really aboutinterdependence and
connectedness, and it soundslike for Dan, that comes from
being from Paradise Hills andlosing a son and all these

(56:09):
things that that make him who heis.

Grant Oliphant (56:12):
Yeah. I'd, it's interesting how he knits it all
together into a life philosophythat is about contributing and
giving back. And I I thinkthat's what I was trying to
capture at the, at the front ofthe interview where I was asking
where I was saying that heembodies civic leadership for me
because in what I see in hisleadership is precisely that. He

(56:35):
draws on all of his lifeexperience to tap into empathy
for others, and to figure outwhat he can do, or what his
business can do, or what his,what the foundation can do. And
we're very lucky to have thatkind of leadership in San Diego.
And to the extent that thatembodies kind of a

(56:55):
characteristic of leaders in SanDiego, I think we should
celebrate it and hold it up allthe more. I also would say,
Crystal, that what you were justpointing to gets at the other
thing we touched on in thisinterview, which really is the
interesting takeaway at the endabout the convergence of
nonprofits and foundations andsocial benefit corporations, you

(57:16):
know, cause oriented businesses.That is going to be a
fascinating space, not just towatch, but maybe to lean into in
the coming years because I dosee San Diego beginning to make
noises about leading in thatspace.

Crystal Page (57:32):
Oh, yeah. Well, I think as San Diegans, we're so
proud of our small businesseshere for a number of reasons,
but in this moment where we'retrying to figure out the
economy, you know, what is thefuture of things, like
celebrating these folks asleaders who really have more to
contribute than just theirbottom line, that's that's huge.
It's values aligned. And I alsojust wanna point out as someone

(57:55):
who's less familiar with boardsthan you are. I think when Dan
talked about the journey of theprevis board, to me, that was
just really interesting tounderstand, you know, that
they're still learning or whenthe board had to sell the real
estate to finding folks like youto build out that team and
really trusting him.
So just I think that there wasalso a notion of all that he's

(58:18):
learned, he's still questioningand learning as he guides this
board, but he also realizes it'snot about him. He's opening up
these spaces for other people tocontribute their best. So it's
like convergence on top ofconvergence is is what I
experienced with Dan.

Grant Oliphant (58:31):
Well, I think the and thanks for drawing
attention to that because Ithink what you're keying into
here is one of the mostimportant things about a good
board, which is there's a lot ofhumility there, and a lot of
willingness to learn. Never oncedid Dan say, and we've gotten
everything right. You know, theythey've been on a learning
journey and so have we sinceI've gotten here. And I I think

(58:55):
what I love about any place likethis is when people really
understand that they they have alot to to discover yet, rather
than knowing that they have itall figured out. And maybe
that's the best place for us toleave it, because we're out of
time, but I I just enjoyed thisconversation so much, and thanks

(59:17):
for sharing these takeaways withme.

Crystal Page (59:19):
Thank you. I've enjoyed it too, and I hope you
have a good one.

Grant Oliphant (59:22):
Alright. Thank you. Bye. This is a production
of the Prebys Foundation, hostedby Grant Oliphant and co hosted
by Crystal Page. The program isco produced by Crystal Page and
Adam Greenfield, and it'sengineered by Adam Greenfield.

(59:44):
Production assistance isprovided by Tess Karesky. And
our new theme song is by misterLyrical Groove, a local San
Diego artist. Download episodesat your favorite podcatcher, or
visit us at stop and talkpodcast dot org. If you like
this show, and we really hopeyou do, the best way to support

(01:00:07):
it is to share, subscribe, andreview our podcast. Thank you
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This program has been recordedat The Voice of San Diego
Podcast Studio.