San Diego-Tijuana World Design Capital CEO Is Out

More than two years after the San Diego-Tijuana region was designated “World Design Capital” 2024, the man charged with leading the effort was abruptly fired this week.

In a message obtained by Voice of San Diego, Carlos de la Mora wrote to his board that he was surprised to hear the news and shocked to learn that Tuesday would be his last day as CEO.

“I will always look back at this time of my life with sincere love and gratitude,” he wrote.

The timing has surprised many in the cross-border community, coming just as San Diego and Tijuana start their year-long tenure as World Design Capital 2024, a designation made by the Montreal-based nonprofit, World Design Organization. 

Supporters hope the distinction puts an international spotlight on design and culture in the cross-border region for the next 12 months. They hope it will increase the region’s visibility, create new opportunities for collaboration between the two cities, and generate millions in revenue through tourism.

Heading the binational effort is the nonprofit World Design Capital San Diego Tijuana 2024, or WDC. It is led by five board members representing the Design Lab at the University of California San Diego, the Burnham Center for Community Advancement, Design Forward Alliance, and the cities of San Diego and Tijuana.

De la Mora became CEO in July 2022. He holds degrees in architecture and urban design from schools in Mexico and the United States. He previously led the Urban Land Institute office in Mexico City. 

The WDC is responsible for staging seven major “signature events.” That includes exhibits, lectures, festivals, and design tours. Staff members are currently evaluating more than 300 proposals for community events that focus on a series of issues from arts and culture to climate and sustainability to science and technology.

Tijuana-San Diego is the first bi-national region to get the World Design Capital designation. The region prevailed over a competing bid from Moscow. 

But winning the designation is just the first step. Making it work means fundraising millions of dollars and obtaining the buy-in of the region’s business and political leaders.

To date, the city of San Diego is WDC’s biggest known funder. The City Council approved a $3 million contribution last year. The WDC has not announced any other sizable contributions, and organizers have been under growing pressure to find additional sponsors. One big challenge has been communicating the project’s scope and purpose to members of the general public.

“It’s a great event, but people might initially have an issue understanding what it’s about,” said Jose M. Larroque, managing partner of Mexico of the international law firm Baker & McKenzie and a member of the WDC’s advisory board.

Several members of two WDC advisory boards told me they were puzzled by the timing of the leadership change.

Members of  WDC’s board of directors did not respond to interview requests.

WDC sent out a statement on Thursday about how it plans to move forward.

“Carlos has played an important role in the growth, development and success of WDC 2024. ” the statement read. “We are deeply grateful for Carlos’ dedication and hard work and wish him the best of luck in his endeavors.”

The statement also said WDC “will be leaning into its esteemed leadership team to lead them through the year as they work to design a better future for our cross-border region.”