I was drawn to San Diego from suburban Orange County in 1981,” says Leslie Wade of Wade Communications. “I wanted to be in a big small town, and San Diego was just that. Still is.”

Having founded her firm nearly 12 years ago, Wade relishes helping government agencies communicate more effectively with citizens about complex planning and infrastructure issues. On the other hand, she also likes helping citizens communicate their needs to government agencies.

Wade recently celebrated — and was honored for — 10 years of representing the East Village Association, where she was involved in community efforts to site the ballpark and the main library. One of her newest clients is the San Diego Police Officers Association.

As a board member of the Downtown San Diego Partnership, Wade chairs the Public Facilities Committee, spearheading efforts to develop a strategy for replacing the City Hall complex without additional cost to taxpayers. She is a recipient of the Alonzo Horton Award for her participation in a campaign to privatize maintenance services Downtown.

A resident of Hillcrest, she is proud of the Downtown office space she built out on the ground floor of the Pannikin Coffee and Tea warehouse last year. Mother to Devin, a senior at Point Loma High School, Wade is past president and an active member of the National Women’s Political Caucus.

“People laugh when I tell them my hobby is quilting,” she says. “They have funny notions that you can’t be a feminist and do something as traditional as quilting. It’s a remarkable craft that combines engineering, construction, design and creativity. It works both the left and right sides of the brain, and I love it.”

— Charlene Baldridge