San Diego Rotary 33 honored its 70th “Mr. and Mrs. San Diego” recipients, Ben and Nikki Clay of Mission Hills with the prestigious award. With over 300 attendees, the Clays were presented with the award by San Diego Mayor, Todd Gloria. San Diego State University president Adela de la Torre offered remarks during the ceremony, highlighting the couple’s commitment to their alma mater over the years, and past Mayor Jerry Sanders also spoke to the Clay’s unwavering philanthropy for the City of San Diego. Their son, Jonathan Clay, spoke proudly of all of his parents’ accomplishments. 

The couple was chosen for the award for their long history of working to better San Diego through years of service to the community. Their vision and fortitude have shaped the region’s shorelines, skylines, and the civic pride of San Diego County. Attendees at the ceremony also included friends and family, Rotary 33 members, elected officials, business and community leaders.

The Clays have called America’s Finest City their home for over 50 years. They met while attending San Diego State University (SDSU) in the late 1960s, the place they like to say helped launch them. However, upon graduation in 1968, the future looked grim. Nikki recalled it was a challenging time for her and Ben, as the restored military draft and increase of the height limit, which had previously exonerated him, no longer applied. He immediately enrolled in the Army Medical Service  and served as a Captain in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps from 1969 to 1972. While Ben was serving on active duty, Nikki was working as the Education Director at Walson Army Hospital and helping Vietnam veterans earn their high school diplomas and college credits.

Upon returning to San Diego after military service in the early 1970s, Ben provided legislative representation for the City of San Diego and County of San Diego, where he served as the director of the Intergovernmental Affairs Office and was responsible for supervising legislative advocacy activities in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. In 1984, he founded The Clay Co., a government relations firm providing strategic counsel and implementing effective government relations programs at the federal level with offices in San Diego, Sacramento, and Washington D.C. In 1986, Ken Carpi came on board, and the company became Carpi & Clay. Ben oversaw the development and government relations activities at the City and County of San Diego, the Port of San Diego, and the Water Authority  Commission. For 35 years, he specialized in legislative and administrative advocacy at the State of California, representing public agencies, private companies, and not-for-profit organizations. In addition to running a successful advocacy firm, he was also involved in many civic and philanthropy-focused initiatives across the state. Ben retired from Carpi and  Clay in 2009.

Nikki started her career at the County of San Diego serving in many capacities including Citizens Charter Review, Waste to Energy and Recycling and Budget oversight while also establishing a job sharing program. She went on to serve as a senior vice president for Stoorza, Ziegaus, & Metzger, the largest public and government relations firm in San Diego for over ten years. By 2000, Nikki joined her husband Ben and established  The Clay Co. where she fully retired in 2020. Over the years, Nikki has served numerous non-profit, civic, and charitable organizations in San Diego, Sacramento, and Washington DC.

Together, the Clays have become important figures in San Diego; their civic leadership paved the way for some of the region’s most iconic celebrations and initiatives. Their mutual support toward one another has opened doors for women in leadership, in various roles typically held by men. Over the years, Nikki became the first female board chair of the Downtown San Diego Partnership and the San Diego Holiday Bowl. She was also the first woman to serve on the Board of the National Solid Waste Association of North America. Nikki has been a proud San Diego Rotary member since 1992, having served on numerous Rotary committees and is now serving on the Foundation Committee.

The Mr./Ms./Mrs. San Diego Award is the most prestigious award granted to a San Diegan. This is a longstanding San Diego tradition dating back to 1952, established with the Grant Club, and has been with the San Diego Rotary Club since 1976. To be nominated and qualify as a recipient, candidates must be alive, not now in government elective office, who has contributed outstanding community betterment to the San Diego region in a variety of ways, through their efforts over a long period of time. 

Award recipients are now chosen by the San Diego Rotary Club’s past presidents who are more closely involved in the community and those making the largest impact through a voting process after reviewing all qualified nominations. Previous recipients include Father Joe Carroll, Cecil Steppe, Leon Williams, Jerry Coleman, Malin Burnham, Jerry Sanders, and most recently, the late Peter Seidler. Though initially given only to men from 1952 to 1991, the award has also been given to multiple women, with standouts like Betty Peabody, Patti Roscoe, Yvonne Larsen, and Deborah Szekely. This is the fourth time in the history of the awards program that a married couple is honored. For a full list of recipients, visit the San Diego Rotary Club sitio web.

Nikki continues to inspire new generations of women leaders and has followed through with her commitment to public service. She actively serves on the boards of the Downtown San Diego Partnership, The Old Globe, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, San Diego State University Mission Valley Enterprises Board, and Scripps Health Board of Trustees. Previously, Nikki has served as chair of LEAD San Diego, SDSU Campanile Foundation Board, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, and was appointed by Governor Pete Wilson to the Board of Forestry overseeing Cal Fire and Forestry practice in California. Over the years, various mayors have appointed Nikki to Chargers and Padres Task Forces.

As a former president of the San Diego Symphony, Ben now serves on their board.  He has served 13 years as the board chair of The San Diego River Conservancy, where he was originally appointed by former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. He also serves as the Chair of the USS Midway Foundation Board and also serves on the USS Midway Board of Directors. Ben has served on the boards of the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, The Maritime Museum of San Diego, and The San Diego Natural History Museum, and as a member of the San Diego Economic Development Corporation’s Strategic Roundtable. He joined San Diego Rotary in 1978, serving as a past president, and chaired the club’s Centennial Celebration in 2011.

Together, the Clays have helped fund various projects in Sacramento and San Diego. In Sacramento, they established a fund to replace storm-damaged trees in and around the State Capitol. In San Diego, Ben and Nikki co-chaired the San Diego State University Centennial Celebration in 1997 and the City of San Diego’s 2015 Balboa Park Centennial Celebration. They are both still very active alumni of SDSU, helping wherever they can. In 1998, the Clays were honored as SDSU’s “Alumni of the Year.” In 2016, the Clay Gateway was opened as the formal campus entrance with shining plaques in their honor inscribed with “Through These Gates Will Pass Our Future Leaders.” 

The Clays support SDSU’s Presidential Scholars, the Ben and Nikki Clay Scholarship in Public Affairs, The Campanile Foundation Endowed Chair, the Veterans Program, Fowler Scholars, the Alumni Center, Mission Valley Park and Bike Trail, Athletics Directors Cabinet, and the Performing Arts District at San Diego State University.