Meet the Board behind Daylight San Diego’s community-driven journalism

As we grow our worker-led newsroom, each board member brings a unique perspective to help shape the future of Daylight.

A huge thanks to everyone who has been following along as we introduce Daylight San Diego and our co-founders. 

Before we continue our team profiles next week, we’d like to take a moment to introduce our board members. They’ve played a vital role behind the scenes as we’ve built out our vision and values, and we’re excited to finally spotlight their contributions.

Each of them brings a unique set of skills and connection to the diverse communities of San Diego, and we’re thankful that they have made a commitment to supporting us as we launch our newsroom.

As a nonprofit committed to worker-led practices that reduce power imbalances in and out of the newsroom, we also have three members of our co-founding team representing staff on our board: Marco Guajardo, Lauren J. Mapp and Maya Srikrishnan. Having their representation helps us ensure that the voices of journalists shaping our coverage are also shaping the direction of our organization — keeping us grounded, accountable and aligned with our mission from the inside out. 

To maintain transparency and avoid conflicts of interest, staff board members will recuse themselves from any decisions related to staff compensation or employment matters.

Now, we’re proud to introduce our board members and share a bit about who they are and why they chose to be part of Daylight.

Lallia Allali

Lallia Allali holds a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from the University of San Diego, a Master of Arts in Leadership Studies from USD and a  Bachelor's in Electronics. Lallia is a consultant leadership coach.

Lallia’s professional background includes a decade of work in education, focusing on educational outreach, training, creating resources, and engagement initiatives to support diverse communities including first-generation students, refugees, and marginalized groups, with an emphasis on Arab and Muslim students. 

Lallia served on the San Diego Unified School District DELAC for the last 10 years and is currently serving as a San Diego Unified School District Ethnic Studies Advisory Committee member. Lallia  has been a strong voice for countering bullying, improving school climates and bringing to light bigotry focused on the Muslim student population. In her capacity as a member of The San Diego Union-Tribune Community Advisory Board, Lallia wrote numerous articles that expressed the viewpoints of her community on local, national, and international issues.

Why I joined: In order to incorporate my perspective and the perspective of my community, I joined the Daylight board. Daylight will become more inclusive and representative.

Fun Fact: Traveling the world, as it offers a chance to explore diverse cultures, experience breathtaking landscapes, and expand our awareness and knowledge

Andrea Durazo

Hi, my name is Andrea Durazo. I'm a proud Imperial Valley native who swapped desert heat for coastal vibes to study English Literature and TV/Film at San Diego State. 

After college, I managed a small local production studio called Pixel Productions before taking to the skies and producing content for major airlines with In-Flight Media. I caught the public media bug at KPBS as an on-air fundraising producer, where I became a full-fledged news junkie — and developed a strong appreciation for tote bags. 

Currently, I’m the media and operations manager at the San Diego County Office of Education where I manage a team of talented creatives and technicians as well as our iTV Cable 16 channel and our local Community Access channel. 

I currently reside in El Cajon, where I’m raising two tiny humans under three with my husband Nicholas Peacock — who sounds like a British mystery novelist but is, in fact, an SEO wizard and businessman. I’m passionate about cinema, video production, non-profit media and building elaborate train track kingdoms with my toddler.

Why I joined: I joined Daylight because my time as a fundraising producer at KPBS showed me just how vital nonprofit media and independent journalism are to a healthy democracy and how much it takes to fund it. In a time when misinformation is everywhere and trust in the media is under attack, I felt a personal responsibility to support the journalists working to report stories that matter. Being a part of Daylight gives me the chance to help empower those voices — and do something that truly matters.

Fun Fact: I’m freakishly lucky — I win raffles so often that my family now enters my name into giveaways just to boost their chances. Somehow, if my name’s in the mix, the universe listens.

Lauren Garces (she/her)

Lauren Balcita Garces is a city-wide event producer and artist currently based in San Diego, California focusing on diverse community empowerment and sustainable, inclusive economic development.

Currently, she directs the marketing, outreach, and events with the Asian Business Association San Diego representing over 30,000 Asian Pacific Islander owned businesses. Her work is bridged as the special events director of the Convoy District, one of Southern California's largest pan-Asian economic hubs named the "Convoy Pan Asian Cultural and Business Innovation District" in 2020.

A leader and advocate in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, she serves as the co-chair of the San Diego Asian Pacific Islander Coalition. 

Her event production passion and engagements are dedicated to providing platforms and connections for diverse communities and cultures to be highlighted, bridged, and empowered. A few of the signature projects she has worked on include: Filipino Sun Festival, Kinda Kamayan, Linda Vista Multi-Cultural Fair, Asian Cultural Festival, San Diego Night Market, San Diego Ramen Festival, Asian Pacific Islander Festival Day at the San Diego County Fair, San Diego Padres Filipino Heritage Night, Seaworld Lunar New Year, Convoy Nights and Balboa Park December Nights.

Why I joined: The ways we share our stories and uplift the voices of those who don't always get heard are needed now more than ever. Proud to know the intentional ways Daylight is aiming to shed light, provide advocacy and represent these voices and communities!

Fun Fact: I train in Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) Eskrima!

Justin Rushing

Justin Rushing is a strategic leader with deep experience in journalism innovation, media philanthropy, and revenue strategy, with a focus on empowering BIPOC-led news organizations. 

As chief revenue officer at The Pivot Fund, he leads the organization’s earned revenue initiatives and builds national partnerships to strengthen sustainability for local publishers. He is also the co-founder of the HBCU Digital Media Collaborative, which supports the digital transformation of campus newsrooms at historically Black colleges and universities through innovation, training, and industry partnerships. 

Justin’s work is rooted in a commitment to community-driven journalism, equity and long-term impact. With a background in consulting and ecosystem development, he has advised emerging publishers and managed initiatives that enhance news engagement and economic opportunities in underserved communities. His approach blends strategic thinking, creativity, and collaboration to create pathways for institutional growth and storytelling power.

Why I joined: I’ve joined the Daylight board because I believe in its community-first vision and its commitment to being truly audience-centered. From its early inception, it was clear to me that the founders were driven by an innovative approach to challenge the status quo and build an engaging, vibrant, and reflective product that prioritizes community needs — while also uplifting underrepresented voices and perspectives that often go unheard and uncovered. 

Daylight understands what local news should be and how to deliver it in ways that inform and inspire both current and future generations of news consumers. I wanted to be part of this work because I believe my experience can contribute meaningfully to a team that is passionate, driven, and committed to creating something that genuinely connects people and brings communities together.

Fun Fact: I'm fortunate to say that I've traveled and visited 45 out of the 50 states in the US, and intend to travel to the remaining 5 in the Great American West (Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and Idaho) to check them off of my bucket list.

Want to support our efforts to bring Daylight to San Diego? 

• Please subscribe to our newsletter so you’re the first to know when we publish content or announce upcoming listening sessions.
• Consider making a tax-deductible donation to our fundraising campaign on Givebutter. A huge shoutout to Donna M. Stewart for her generous donation toward our goal of raising $50,000 by July 1 to support our journalism.
• We’re now formally accepting story ideas! If you have an idea or pitch that you think will interest other San Diegans, tell us about it!
• Do you have an upcoming event to promote? We are building an events calendar! If you are hosting public events, let us help you get the word out by using our submissions form.
• We are continuing to accept submissions to our Daylight San Diego Community Survey to help shape upcoming news content.
• Hit the follow button on our social media platforms (Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, X/Twitter, Bluesky, Facebook and YouTube) and share our page with your own community within the region.