The city of San Diego has established a partnership with the Prebys Foundation to fund the creation of the position of Director of Global Affairs, who will be responsible for designing and executing the city’s international strategy. The goal is to coordinate local efforts to attract foreign investment, strengthen international partnerships, and promote joint solutions to global challenges such as climate change and defense innovation.
The position will be part of the Mayor’s Office and will be funded by the Prebys Foundation for an initial period of 18 months. The initiative is inspired by similar public-private partnerships, such as the resilience directors supported by the Rockefeller Foundation and the sustainability directors promoted by Bloomberg Philanthropies.
The position will be filled by Ben Moore, a diplomat with 18 years of experience in the U.S. State Department, who was already collaborating with the Mayor’s Office through the Lewis Local Diplomats program. Over the past year, Moore has been involved in developing San Diego’s international agenda, including trade missions, strengthening relationships with sister cities, and coordinating future global events.
Recent actions promoted by the city include a trade mission to the Philippines, strengthening ties with Perth, Cavite City, Edinburgh, and Yokohama, as well as preparing for international events such as the 2026 World Cup, the 2028 Olympic Games, and the 2029 Invictus Games. Efforts have also been made to position San Diego as a center for technological innovation and cross-border cooperation.
Despite being the eighth largest city in the United States, San Diego has had less international involvement compared to cities such as Los Angeles or Chicago. Cities such as Tokyo and Beijing have departments dedicated exclusively to international affairs, with staffs of dozens of people, while in San Diego this work has been more limited.
The Director of Global Affairs will work in coordination with institutions such as the World Trade Center San Diego, the Regional Chamber of Commerce, local universities, and cultural and economic organizations in the region. Their duties will include promoting foreign investment in strategic sectors, supporting the establishment of a Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) office, and leveraging international agreements such as AUKUS (Australia-United Kingdom-United States) to promote defense collaboration.
With this new position, San Diego seeks to consolidate its international presence and leverage its border location, innovation ecosystem, and growing air connectivity to strengthen economic, academic, and cultural ties globally.
