Word by Word 2018

On October 10, 2018, the Friends of A Way with Words held a fun fundraiser with Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett, co-hosts of San Diego’s popular radio show A Way with Words.

The show celebrated the launch of its first national tour by honoring San Diego County leaders who build better understanding through language.

The evening included a lively preview of the new A Way with Words touring show, awards to three great communicators, a cocktail reception (with beer, wine, and a signature drink), hors d’oeuvres, dinner (including a meat, fish, or vegetarian option), dessert, and fundraising activities — including a live auction of dinner for four with Martha and Grant at an exclusive San Diego restaurant.

There was a lively audience of some 300 public radio listeners and civic-minded San Diegans in attendance at Parq West, in Bankers Hill, San Diego.

The Honorees

Toni G. Atkins was elected in 2018 as California’s first woman Senate President Pro Tem. Prior to that, she was San Diego’s first ever Speaker of the State Assembly. She first began serving our communities in the mid-1980s as director of clinic services at Womancare Health Center and later as a San Diego City Councilmember from 2000 to 2008, which included her position as acting Mayor in 2005, before being elected to the State Assembly in 2010. Throughout her career in government and public service, Toni has authored laws to help small businesses, preserve dignity for transgender individuals, protect wildlife, assist victims of domestic violence, protect our environment, ensure coastal access, address our housing and homeless crisis, and strengthen family justice centers, among other accomplishments. Read Senator Atkins’ full bio here.

Barry Edelstein is the Artistic Director of the Old Globe Theatre. He is a stage director, producer, author, and educator. Recognized as one of the leading American authorities on the works of Shakespeare, he has directed nearly half of the Bard’s plays. As Director of the Shakespeare Initiative at The Public Theater (2008–2012), Mr. Edelstein oversaw all of the company’s Shakespearean productions as well as its educational, community outreach, and artist-training programs. His book Thinking Shakespeare is the standard text on American Shakespearean acting. He is also the author of Bardisms: Shakespeare for All Occasions. He is a graduate of Tufts University and the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. Read more about Barry Edelstein here.

Dr. Maria Nieto Senour is the current President of the San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees. First elected in 1990, she was the first Latina elected to a city-wide school or college board office in San Diego. A former elementary school teacher and counselor, she recently retired from the Department of Counseling and School Psychology at San Diego State University, where she directed the Community Based Block (CBB) program, which specializes in preparing counselors from diverse ethnic groups to be multicultural specialists. She is very active in the San Diego community, having served on various boards in the city and as a consultant to local, state, and national groups with a focus on creating community dialogues on race relations and planning. Read more about Dr. Nieto Senour here.