By @tonymanolatos

Aimee Faucett has spent her career in the room where decisions get made.

From City Hall to the Chamber of Commerce, and now as CEO of the San Diego County Building Industry Association, she’s built a reputation as someone who understands how things work in San Diego—and how to move things forward.

She also happens to be one of only two people in town who has hired both me and my wife, Elizabeth Wilberg. The other is Karin Winner, former editor of the San Diego Union-Tribune. 

Our shared history made for a fun conversation.

Elizabeth, my co-host, is “very strategic, visionary, forward thinking,” Aimee said. I’m “more of a street fighter.” 

That got a laugh, but there’s some truth to it.

Elizabeth leads a large nonprofit, and I work in public affairs, often on the front lines of policy, land use, and reputation battles in San Diego. 

That means lobbying, negotiating, and sometimes pushing through tough issues. 

It’s the same kind of work Aimee has done throughout her career. 

She acknowledged she has some street fighter in her—necessary in many of the rooms she’s been in, and part of what makes her effective.

In the Arena

Aimee served as Chief of Staff to Mayor Kevin Faulconer during some of the most challenging moments the city has faced—Hepatitis A, homelessness, COVID-19. She described the job as “all-consuming,” driven by constant problem-solving and decision-making with incomplete information.

There’s no pause button. No perfect data set. No luxury of hindsight. You make decisions with what you have and move.

While Aimee and I worked closely together at City Hall, we were sometimes on opposite sides of issues later in our careers. That never got in the way of the relationship.

“One of the things I always admired about you…we could disagree, but I knew next week if I needed you, you’d be there,” I said.

“Absolutely,” she said. “Politics and government is a debate about community. Everybody has ideas. They’re all worthy of being listened to, and it’s not personal.”

The Housing Reality

At the Building Industry Association, Aimee is focused on one of San Diego’s most persistent challenges: housing. And she’s clear about something many people miss. This isn’t just a supply issue. It’s a policy issue.

Housing in California is layered with regulation. It’s slow by design. Add in politics, financing, environmental constraints, and community opposition, and it becomes clear why progress is incremental. There’s also a generational divide, with longtime homeowners often resisting change while younger San Diegans struggle to stay.

There’s no single fix. But there are better ways forward—if there’s the will to pursue them.

Leadership

Aimee has worked for two very different mayors—Jerry Sanders and Kevin Faulconer—and saw how leadership shifts depending on the moment. Sanders brought structure during crisis. Faulconer brought collaboration when the city needed stability. Different approaches, both necessary.

Elizabeth saw that leadership up close.

“Amy, you've been such a champion of women in leadership,” she told her. “I remember when I came to work for you at the Chamber…you had extremely high expectations and I felt that I could meet them because you believed in me.”

That reflects something that came up throughout the conversation. While she pushes hard and expects a lot, Aimee also invests in the people around her.

What People Don’t See

Toward the end of the conversation, I asked Aimee what people don’t see. Her answer was simple: how much she cares.

“I think people don’t see how much I actually care…to my core,” she said.

That doesn’t always come across. Directness can be misread, and intensity can be mistaken for something else. But in her case, it comes from a place of investment in the work, the people, and the outcome.

The Bigger Picture

Aimee didn’t sugarcoat where she thinks San Diego stands.

“I think San Diego is on the wrong track,” she said. “People are very angry. They don’t feel like they’re being listened to.”

She said City Hall needs to do better. It needs to listen and find ways to meet people halfway.

It’s a simple point, but an important one. Whether it’s housing, homelessness, or anything else, progress doesn’t happen without trust. And trust doesn’t happen without listening.

Aimee’s focus now is on bringing housing solutions forward—real ideas grounded in the experience of the people actually building homes and shaping communities. That doesn’t mean everyone will agree. But it does mean the conversation is moving forward.

And in San Diego, that’s where real progress starts.

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