Discussing his work, Philip Forgione tells an anecdote about a janitor who worked at NASA. When asked what he did for a living, the custodian said, “I help get rockets to the moon.”

Forgione, 32, chief operating officer of San Diego Medical Service Enterprises, compares himself to that janitor. Forgione’s leadership and management role, he says, help the organization provide the community’s safety net, a very noble cause.

Forgione also is the general manager for a partnership between Rural Metro of San Diego, a branch of Rural/Metro Corp., and the city of San Diego. The emergency medical service provider responds annually to 100,000 calls for aid. Other clients, in addition to San Diego city, include the north coastal cities in County Service Area 17, Sharp HealthCare and Palomar Pomerado Hospital.

As part of his work, Forgione frequently explains the proper use of 911 at community meetings. In addition, he serves in an advisory capacity for the San Diego County Mothers Against Drunk Driving and is on the board of the San Diego County Taxpayers Association. Forgione is a corporate council member of the San Diego Opera and has worked in the Adopt-A-Block Program. His professional memberships include the city of San Diego National Management and the American Ambulance associations.

His activities range from refurbishing a house with Strive San Diego to introducing peers to the opera. The varied involvements, says Forgione, reflect his organization’s mission statement calling for a partnership with the community. That’s also an ongoing goal of Forgione.

Forgione is engaged to Shannon Hosking, a representative with First American Title.

“Phil is a born leader,” says Richard Ahrendt, Rural/Metro Corp.’s general manager. “Many employees look to him as a mentor.”

— Liz Swain