You could say that Derek Danziger does public relations for all of Downtown. As communications manager for the Centre City Development Corp., the 29-year-old handles the organization’s media relations, creates and produces its print and visual materials and maintains three Web sites — ccdc.com, bandwidthbay.org and downtownevents.com — all advocating advantages to living, working and playing Downtown.

He writes for local and national publications, attends meetings of joint committees formed by CCDC, the Downtown Partnership, the city of San Diego and other organizations, and maintains volumes of construction project photos.

Expressing enthusiasm for the multiple projects under construction in the Centre City, Danziger notes that through his job he “promotes as much as possible to both business and residents the benefits of Downtown redevelopment.” Part of that redevelopment is the ballpark, which Danziger sees as a key to Downtown’s success.

“It’s important that the ballpark is located Downtown,” he says. “It will be an anchor in East Village that will attract other tenants just as Horton Plaza did to the Gaslamp Quarter in the 1980s.”

Danziger likes that his job allows him to interact with many people and see tangible results of his efforts throughout the processes of proposals, blueprints, renderings and finished projects.

“I get to work with so many great people within so many different organizations who have a common goal,” he says. Danziger also encounters many community members off the job, as a member of the UCSD Alumni, Triton Athletic Association and the Public Relations Society boards.

“An honor like this validates the work you do and what you give back to the community,” he says of the 40 Under Forty recognition. “It makes you feel a source of pride.”

— Lora Watters