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Tierrasanta Village Leadership - Founders

Susan Deininger, Co-Founder

Picture of Susan Deininger Susan’s motto has been ‘see a problem? Let’s resolve it.’ During her 40 + years of social work in California, she designed and set up programs throughout the State to resolve problems for clients she served in agencies and in private practice. Susan earned her BA from the University of Illinois and her MSW in clinical social work from the School of Social Work, University of California at Berkeley. Tierrasanta Village was founded in response to living in a NORC that had no services for seniors. Now it does!

Susan was a founding Director of the Tierrasanta Foundation, a 501c3 raising funds for local non profits and infrastructure projects (a personally pavered bandstand for our concerts in the park) for which no other funds are available.

Susan is a pastor's wife with three children and four grandchildren. Faith gives hope and hope gives confidence that good things, like Villages, can be achieved with patience and perseverance. She continues to respond to other San Diego neighborhoods and other residents wanting a Village for their under-served areas of town. A Village is an ancient idea that has not died because it is so important to health, security and happiness. Susan loves Tierrasanta Village and supports anyone else wanting a Village for this Community!

Candy Walsh, Co-Founder

Picture of Candy Walsh Candy Walsh and her husband, PK, have lived in Tierrasanta/Villa Portofino since 1978. She has been retired since 2005, but as a working mother, she did experience Tierrasanta as a bedroom community. Commuting, raising a family, shopping, and chores left little time to grow neighbor relations. Candy and PK did meet other parents as they reared their son in the community and involved themselves in his school and sports activities but when their son graduated and moved away many of those parent connections became limited to brief encounters in the community. So, how did one build adult social connections in a community where the focus had been on youth activities? Since her retirement, Candy has found many other residents whose experience mirrors her own.

Candy is one of the Founders of Tierrasanta Village of San Diego, and brings a high- level of organizational skill and management competence derived from her 35-year work history that included retail, direct sales, and corporate experience.

Throughout her 20-year career with a large defense contractor, Candy held various security clearances. She organized large events, and worked at executive-level program and project management tasks. Candy interfaced with customers, employees and management at all levels.

Since 1988, she has been the coordinator of a Retiree Group composed of former company executives, engineers and program managers.

Candy’s passion is her family, friends and pets. Her interests include gardening, reading, going to garage sales, Costco, home renovation, and entertaining.