Todd Gloria
San Diego City Council member Todd Gloria was elected to represent District Three on November 4, 2008. As a third generation resident of District Three, his roots in the community are deep and his commitment to the community is strong.

Todd’s lifelong dedication to public service stems from the lesson of his parents that if you care about something, you should leave it better than you found it. Prior to his election, Todd served as District Director to U.S. Congresswoman Susan A. Davis and worked for the County of San Diego’s Health and Human Services Agency. Todd’s volunteer efforts to improve the community include his work as a San Diego Housing Commissioner from 2005 until his election, and as a member of the Mid-City Prostitution Impact Panel. As a Councilmember, Todd remains committed to community service and regularly volunteers with his staff on neighborhood projects.

Todd is the Chair of the Land Use and Housing Committee and a member of the Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhood Services, the Committee on Budget and Finance, and the Committee on Rules, Open Government, and Intergovernmental Relations. He also serves on the board of the Metropolitan Transit System and on numerous SANDAG committees.

His work has been recognized by numerous organizations, including the National Conflict Resolution Center (formerly the San Diego Mediation Center), the Greater San Diego Business Association, and the HIV Consumer Council. He was named a 1999 Harry S. Truman Scholar, one of San Diego’s “Top 40 Under Forty” by San Diego Metropolitan Magazine in 2005, and one of “50 People to Watch” by San Diego Magazine in 2008.

Todd is a graduate of the University of San Diego and an enrolled member of the Tlight-Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. He is a homeowner in the Cherokee Point neighborhood of City Heights.

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Alberto Cortés
Alberto Cortés currently serves as Executive Director of Mama’s Kitchen. A 26-year resident of San Diego, he has worked in the field of HIV/AIDS for 22 years.

Alberto is a member of the LGBT Community Leadership Council. Mr. Cortés serves on the Latino Advisory Board of the California State Office of AIDS, is a long-time member of the San Diego County HIV/AIDS Health Services Planning Council. He serves on the board of directors of The Association of Nutrition Services Agencies, a Washington DC-based national membership organization; and is an advisory board member for the Institute for Nonprofit Education and Research at University of San Diego.

Alberto earned a master’s degree in business administration from San Diego State University, is a veteran of the United States Navy Submarine Force, and sings with the Gay Men’s Chorus of San Diego. Alberto lives in the College Area with his life partner, Lyle Boatman.

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Barbarella
Barbarella is a columnist, socialite, and all around fabulous bitch. Her weekly column, Diary of a Diva, can be found in the San Diego Reader, and her red lips can be seen a few times a month on NBC News in the Morning, during her segment, Stepping Out With Barbarella. In her spare time, Barbarella likes fine wining and dining, traveling, and experimenting with new shades of red lipstick.

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Shelly Dunn
has been a member of the morning show Dave, Shelly and Chainsaw since 1990. The popular morning show has been mainly on 101.5 KGB FM opening the day for the classic rocker. The long time single girl finally found love in 2005 when she married her loving man, Mike. They happily live with their ‘family’ Herman, a 14 year old cranky cat, Lucy, a 4 year old goofy boxer and her new sidekick Spike,another boxer, who was rescued earlier this year. Lucy had taught him the ‘rules’ of the house…which consist of running to the door when someone is there and barking non stop and begging for treats from ‘mom’ and ‘dad’. When Shelly is not judging ‘QUEENS’ she loves to shop, cook and drink WINE!!!

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Benjamin Nicholls, Executive Director
Hillcrest Business Association
Benjamin Nicholls, a native of New Zealand, has worked in community and economic development for over ten years. Prior to working for the Hillcrest Business Association be managed the Pacific Beach Business Association for six years. He served as the Program Manager for the Pioneer Square Community Association in Seattle for five years. While in these roles he has implemented community projects relating to public space renewal, economic development, marketing, special events, and public safety. Benjamin has worked on a variety of political campaigns and for several nonprofit agencies. He began working with communities as an aide for a legislator in the New Zealand Parliament. Benjamin lives in the neighborhood of South Park, San Diego.

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Ann Walker
Award-winning actress Ann Walker is currently starring in the very popular LOGO TV series “SORDID LIVES-THE SERIES” as LaVonda Dupree. Ms. Walker is reprising the role which she originated in Del Shores 1996 play and 2001 movie by the same name. The series also stars: Olivia Newton-John, Rue McClanahan, Caroline Rhea and Leslie Jordan.

Previously, she appeared in a 10-month run of Del Shores’ play, Southern Baptist Sissies, both in Los Angeles and Dallas, Texas. Her portrayal of Odette Annette Barnett garnered her a Robby Award, a Maddy award, as well as the prestigious Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award and a nomination for The Ovation Award.

L.A. theatre-goers have also enjoyed her in other award-winning productions such as BALLAD (for which she received a Drama-Logue award and the Robby Award for Best Actress in a Drama), HOW THE OTHER HALF LOVES, STEEL MAGNOLIAS, THE GLASS MENAGERIE, and DAUGHTERS OF THE LONE STAR STATE also by Del Shores’ Some of Ann’s other film credits include: LONE RIDER, FATHER OF THE BRIDE II, THE FANATICS, IT TAKES TWO, SOULMAN and THE JAGGED EDGE. You can look for some of her movies-of-the-week on the Lifetime Network: THE MARY KAY LETOURNEAU STORY, SHE’S NO ANGEL and WILLING TO KILL, The Texas Cheerleader Story.

Ann is pleased to be a judge for the Battle of the Bar Queens this year!

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Hubert and Doug, RufskinHubert Pouches and Douglas Coats are the owners and creators behind the San Diego-based men’s fashion label, RUFSKIN. Their partnership is a romantic one that started 20 years ago in Paris, France, when Hubert was a modeling agent, and Douglas one of his models.

After both having successful careers in fashion and design, the couple noticed a demand for sexy, low-cut men’s jeans and decided to take matters into their own hands. What initially started as making jeans out of their home for friends 9 years ago has grown into a thriving collection with global sales from Berlin to Singapore.

RUFSKIN’s aesthetic is very clear – with a strong nod to 70’s styling, rugged sex appeal, and male figure enhancing designs. These ideals have carried the collection and garnered them strong mention in the press, but with recent growth in design you can find everything from a fitted dress shirt and trouser style pants, it denim jeans with corseting detail on the derriere.

After 8 years of growing the brand as a wholesale label – RUFSKIN launched their own e-commerce sales website, HYPERLINK “http://www.rufskin.com” www.rufskin.com, to a strong start. To continue with the growth of the label, RUFSKIN has also opened their first retail boutique in the heart of North Park on 30th Street between University and Lincoln.

Hubert and Douglas are elated that on the heels of their growing business ventures, they have also grown their family as well…welcoming their first puppy to the family, a French bulldog named Francois Benoit. Team RUFSKIN’s newest mascot, Francois, can be seen running through the warehouse and lounging on a rug in the boutique.

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Ruben Galvan
Wake-up with Ruben on San Diego 6 News in the Morning. Thousands of San Diegans do every morning on San Diego 6.

You can catch San Diego’s man about town Monday through Friday making us laugh and highlighting some of the most fascinating attractions in America’s Finest City.

Ruben Galvan is known to pop-up on the red carpet, sporting events, fashion shows, and at many schools throughout the county.

Ruben makes an annual appearance at the “Teen Choice Awards” and “Billboard Music Awards” in Las Vegas. He has interviewed a long list of celebrities that includes Jennifer Lopez, Tyra Banks, Jessica Alba, Eva Longoria, Black Eyed Peas, and many more.

Ruben joined San Diego 6 News in February of 2003. He started his reporting career in 2000 at KTVB-Ch.7 in Boise, Idaho. He then moved back to Texas and worked in Wichita Falls and Waco. During his time in Waco, Ruben anchored the weekend newscast and covered many stories, including President George W. Bush at his Crawford ranch. Ruben also worked for the consumer “Defenders” unit in Houston at KHOU-TV (CBS).

He’s a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and also a mentor to many youngsters. During his time off, Ruben enjoys flying back home to Houston where spends time with his mom (Stella), dad (Ruben), sister (Jennifer), brothers (Paul & Pete), and his two nieces Chloe and Emily.

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Tom Blair
A San Diego resident since his youth, Tom Blair is one of Southern California’s best-known and most-productive journalists.  A veteran of newspapers, radio, television and magazines, he was named editor of San Diego Magazine in 1995.  He began his newspaper career in 1972 as a reporter for The Evening Tribune and during the 1980s and early ’90s he was The San Diego Union-Tribune’s best-read columnist.

A 1971 graduate of San Diego State University, Blair was chosen that year as the “Outstanding Graduate in Journalism” by Sigma Delta Chi, the national journalism fraternity.  He has worked in print and broadcast media in both Los Angeles and San Diego for more than 35 years.  His radio reports have been broadcast on stations in San Diego for 20 years, and he served during the 1990s as a co-anchor of and contributor to the KUSI-TV Morning News.

Blair also has taught journalism at his alma mater, San Diego State University, where he has been a guest lecturer in the College of Professional Studies & Fine Arts.

His first book, Yesterday’s San Diego, which he co-authored in 1976, was published by E.A. Seemann Publishing, Inc., of Miami.  A second book, San Diego World Class City, was published in 1998 by Towery, of Memphis. His work has appeared in numerous regional and national publications, and he has served on the boards of more than a dozen charitable organizations and foundations, including the Monarch School, Scripps Cancer Center and the San Diego Film Commission.

In 2008, Blair was elected to the board of directors of First Business Bank, headquartered in San Diego, with branches in Ramona, La Mesa and the Del Mar area. He also has pursued a dual career in music, and is currently the male vocalist with the Bill Green Orchestra, “Society Beat.”