Corporate Citizenship - (co-honoree)

Manpower, Inc.
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Mel Katz has been one of San Diego’s most respected business leaders since 1977 when he purchased the local Manpower franchise with Phil Blair. That was 30 years ago, and Manpower’s revenue was $340,000. In 2006 it’s revenue was $81 million. They have a permanent team of 110 people and over 3,500 temporaries working every day. They specialize in temporary, temp-to-hire and direct hire in clerical, professional and light industrial. Manpower in San Diego is the largest Manpower franchise in the U.S.

Beyond Manpower Mel’s devotion to both economic development and civic improvement has earned him an impeccable reputation in the San Diego community. He is an outspoken advocate of child literacy, K-12 and higher education. Mel currently serves as the chair of the San Diego Board of Library Commissioners, which oversees the 35 libraries in the City of San Diego and is vice chair of the Library Foundation. He is also currently on the UCSD Foundation Board, the USD School of Leadership and Education Advisory Board and the Urban League’s Executive Board.

Mel is an active member and has served as chairman for the San Diego Workforce Partnership, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the San Diego Convention Center. He was one of the forum founders of the Business Roundtable for Education, and in 1994 he created Insights, a prestigious, one-day speakers series under the auspices of the Chamber of Commerce. In those five years they brought to San Diego 56 World renowned speakers including President George H. Bush, Jimmy Carter and Mikhail Gorbachev. Mel has been recognized as a Junior Achievement Hall of Fame Laureate and has received the Sam Walton Business Leader Award, the LEAD San Diego’s Visionary Award for Regional Stewardship and the Press Club Award for the Insights program. Manpower has won awards from the Urban League, the San Diego Business Journal, Better Business Bureau and the Association of Fundraising Professionals for diversity and ethics, Best Places to Work and Corporate Philanthropy.

Mel has been married to his wife Linda for 30 years, and they live in Del Mar. They have three children, Lindsey, Ashley and Jeffrey.