A couple of extraordinary events are coming up in a town thick with good deeds recognized with public gatherings and fund-raisers.

Tired of San Diego’s favorite columnist, Neil Morgan, giving voice to whiners looking for leaders? Heck, attend a few of these events and give more credit to the leaders who do lead, please.

Mark your calendar for the night of April 19, when Malin Burnham, Art Rivera and a roomful of luminaries at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort honor Harold K. Brown, associate dean of SDSU’s College of Business Administration, with a $105,000-or-so endowment of Brown’s Center for Community Economic Development. That’s the goal, at least, and may give Brown enough peace to continue semi-retiring. Helping him helps empower hundreds of San Diegans with a basic education in private enterprise from the CCED. Net proceeds become scholarship money. Tickets are $150 each or $2,000 for a table of 10 by calling the Alarus Agency at (619) 235-4542. A reminder is on Page 25.

In a similar vein of education in private enterprise — schools do an adequate job of teaching public enterprise in civics, but almost ignore what drives two-thirds of the economy -— do note that the big San Diego Rotary Club 33 will host the 27th annual Camp Enterprise, whisking 80 high school students away to Camp Cedar Glen for a weekend of intense adventures in entrepreneurship, business, marketing and bookkeeping. Grown-up (mostly) Rotarians serve as counselors, teachers and chaperones. While the public is not invited to this retreat April 11-13, Joanne Gribble, herself an ex-street reporter turned overeducated Ph.D., offers a neat peek at Camp Enterprise on Page 57.

Our most ambitious design on your calendar is April 12, when the San Diego Metropolitan and Tijuana’s distinguished Frontera newspaper inaugurate the Tijuana/San Diego 20/20 Regional Leader Awards at the San Diego Convention Center. The luncheon will honor 20 of the brightest cross-border business and civic activists on this side of the line, and 20 of the best on the Mexico side.

Cost for the entire show is $45, cheap when you consider a good meal and dog-and-pony show in the big ballroom usually go for $65 or more. For reservations, please call Cyndi Meeves at the Metropolitan at (619) 233-4060, Ext. 314.

Why bother? Hey, don’t if you don’t want to rub shoulders with 40 of the finest bi-cultural, bi-national, bi-metropolitanos that Tijuana and San Diego have to offer in this, the largest international city in North America. Minneapolis/St.Paul ain’t got nothin’ on TJ/SD, bay-buh, except for the ease of travel between the two. All the more reason to honor those who are bridging the gap. Sempra de Mexico, Uniradio, Telemundo, the Building Industry Association of San Diego County, VITAmerica, Jorge Ahuage and the Port of San Diego think enough of the effort to chip in as charter sponsors, thank you. For a fuller (but still incomplete) measure of enthusiasm toward the region’s bi-cultural leaders, check out Page 7.

And so, with inspiration from our own Chula Vistan Patrick Osio and Tijuanense turned Otay Mesan, Oscar Payan, and with the coordination of Frontera Publisher Jose Santiago Healy, we’re proud to present the inaugural 20/20s, not unlike the highly successful Forty Under 40 Awards in September, now heading into its third year. Except this time, we don’t discriminate against really old people, older than 40. The 20/20 nominees who didn’t make the cut just yet can take heart in the quality of the winners and the camaraderie to be had this year and next when their friends nominate them again and this year’s honorees come watch them accept. Please attend April 12, especially if you were nominated, win or lose. And thank you to all the nominators. Join us, por favor.

The following is the judges’ selection of the first 20 San Diegans to be honored April 12. More complete profiles of all 40 winners will be published in the April edition. But for now, San Diegans extend our gratitude to, and look forward to applauding:

Paul Ganster, the director of SDSU’s Institute for Regional Studies of the Californias, produced the “San Diego-Tijuana International Border Area Planning Atlas” in 2000, but the good doctor has been at it for decades.

Victor Diaz and his wife Martha are legendary in radio. His Califormula Broadcasting, the last of the independents, owns Radio Latina, by far the most popular Spanish language station in San Diego, and XLNC1 Classical Music, perhaps a bigger public service than the symphony itself. “But more than that,” says a judge. “They never pass up opportunities to plug worthy causes. And from their ranks have come many of today’s PR and ad agency owners.”

Paul Espinosa “is in a class all his own in documentary film making. He is brilliant, unselfish and opens many a mind with his border documentaries.”

Dr. Elizabeth “Betty” Jones, the pediatric nutritionist and associate professor at SDSU and UCSD, chairs the Foundation for the Children of the Californias. She is a highly respected health care promoter and giver on both sides of the border, and has been for ages.

Victor Castillo, operations manager at Southwestern College’s Small Business Development & International Trade Center, is one of the most deserving in his own quiet way. His curriculum vitae only tells part of the story.

Manny Aguilar, the immediate past president of the San Diego County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, can’t get nearly enough of his behind-the-scenes involvement in binational business promotion onto his résume. Onto Topolobampo!

Mitch Beauchamp, flamboyant as he may be, carries the fight for reopening the SD&AE line to Plaster City, from the National City Council and the MTDB board.

J.T. “Tom” Hawthorne? Of course. He was a pioneer in setting up a service business in Tijuana and helping Mexican construction companies improve their service through training and consulting. His example in setting up equipment rental dealerships in Mexico provided confidence for others to follow.

Enrique Morones wrote the book for Padres beisbol and now look what’s happened.

Doug Perkins took over Greg Cox’s position as executive director of the South San Diego County EDC and has led the council into becoming a major force in working relationships with Tijuana. He’s the glue of the EDC’s efforts, and still carries Pacific Gateway Group.

Dr. Fred Schnepper, as co-founder of Fronteras Unidas Pro Salud, has helped countless low-income Tijuana families obtain better health.

And up and coming, definitely making a mark:

Viviana Ibañes, international affairs coordinator for the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, connects it with 13 chambers and professional organizations in Tijuana, at last count.

Susan Albin, who goes beyond her Fleishman-Hillard PR capacity to promote binational opportunities, just got elected to the Hispanic Chamber board.

Gustavo Perez, as deputy to Perkins at the South County EDC, has taken charge of special programs and leads major studies such as the Crossborder Air Passenger Terminal now recommended by the San Diego City Council.

Martha Lima Morris stands on the edge of Chuck Nathanson’s limelight, offering San Diego Dialogue every reason for success with its Forum Fronterizo and Celebration of Civic Excellence.

Stephen Gross, a fixture in border real estate circles, has worked with Baja industrial developers in leasing their buildings, has been very active in the Otay Mesa Chamber and runs Border Trade Services with 100 people serving the maquiladora industry.

Rob Hixon, with CB Richard Ellis, the BIA and NAIOP, helped build 25 houses in Tijuana last year and chairs Baja 2002, a similar effort, in September. He’s also on the board of the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, Pacific Chapter.

Patrick Martin keeps Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch smart on both sides of the border and keeps’ clients cross-border businesses clean. Who better than the former president of the San Diego County Bar’s Taxation Section? He chairs Fondo Para La Paz, assisting the poorest with food and health care.

A founder of UCLA School of Law’s La Raza Alumni Association, George Gonzalez, another esteemed counselor with Gordon & Rees, kept Walt Disney cool with Mexican permits for explosives and staff to film “Pearl Harbor.”

And as the publisher of sandiego360.com and mazatlan360.com, the San Diego Metropolitan enjoys special admiration in recognizing Mayte Rodriguez, publisher of the Baja Traveler, an annual tourism publication. If we knew as many tourism officials as she, baja360.com would be spinning already.

Watch for the April edition to really appreciate these leaders’ contributions, and see you at the San Diego Convention Center April 12. Muchisimas gracias.