for several charitable causes throughout the region. The foundation’s name stems from two sources—the Kilkenny’s Irish family heritage and a nod to the mascot at their beloved University of Oregon. Pat and Stephanie subscribe to the idea that personal good luck and fortune should be shared with those in need. In that spirit, the couple matches all annual donations made to Lucky Duck up to $1.5 million. In 2016, around the same time the Kilkenneys were keeping an eye on the growing local homelessness crisis, a group of business and civic leaders were also in the early stages of studying the issue. That private sector group included San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler and veteran businessman/activist Dan Shea, who concurrently serves as CEO of Feeding San Diego. Seidler and Shea founded the Tuesday Group, a collection of well-connected San Diego movers and shakers who are voluntarily pulled together out of concern for the unsheltered population. The name derives from the day the group meets over Zoom on a weekly basis. According to Moser, Tuesday Group has not missed a meeting—including on holidays— since it first formed in 2016. Throwing their weight around Tuesday Group has no formal governance structure, but it has lots of local pull. Seidler and Shea are individuals whose phone calls are taken and press conferences are noticed by local politicians. Homelessness is an immediate problem that too often does not get a speedy reaction from politicians, Seidler believes. “On this issue, there’s too much lip service,” he says. “And what’s tough is every few years, we get
OPPOSITE PAGE: A winter coat recipient. THIS PAGE, ABOVE: A Lucky Duck tech training program.
BOTTOM LEFT: Drew Moser. BOTTOM RIGHT: Dan Shea.
a new set of politicians. Most of them care. But most of them know nothing about homelessness.” Politics can be a waiting game. Successful business executives, though, are not the most patient people. “We push the politicians,” Seidler says. Shea says he’s never been shy about being vocal about what he believes politicians are, or are not, doing well. “I’ve seen how politicians make promises and do nothing once they get elected,” Shea says. “I’ve never been afraid to voice an opinion on that.” He says the Tuesday Group will support any elected official— regardless of their party—if he or she is willing to take positive action and not waste time spinning their wheels.
Many initiatives that come out of Tuesday Group meetings are adopted by Lucky Duck, which then can act as a fundraising arm. Dan Novak is a prominent member of Tuesday Group (he says he’s missed just two meetings over the years). He’s a retired senior executive at Qualcomm and was formerly general manager of Cox Communications’ Channel 4 San Diego. “Peter Seidler, Dan Shea, and many people in this group have the ability to bring matters of attention to public officials,” Novak says. “They have tremendous influence. And they’re using it to improve a really complex social issue.” For example: Behind the efforts of Lucky Duck’s board
83 CHARITABLE SD GIVING GUIDE 2023 SDMAG.COM/CGG
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