by Joe Ditler
I recall a story many years ago, when I was a waterfront reporter, about the Virgilio family (dad, mom and five young children) sailing their boat from San Diego to Hawaii – a genuine family outing.
The problem was that the generator failed on their 46-foot sloop half way there. None of them had crossed the Pacific before, and to make matters worse, as a result of the equipment failure, they lost all navigational and auto steering aids. That’s the equivalent of having your road map blow out the window on an isolated mountain road, at the same time as you lose your power steering and brakes.
When the Virgilios lost their navigational system, teenage daughter Maria, the oldest of their children, grabbed a navigation textbook and began to apply practical celestial navigation to their situation. No one had used a sextant at sea before, but they calculated their way exactly to their destination.
Maria popped up on our radar in 2012 as a candidate for the Coronado School Board. She is Maria Virgilio Simon now – a Coronado resident and the mother of three children. And she is running for re-election to the Coronado School Board.
My first professional experience with Maria took place when she served as Executive Director for the San Diego Museum Council (1993-1997). I grew to know her well then, watching in amazement as she helped navigate nearly 50 museums and non-profits to their destinations and goals.
Just as she was networked, dedicated and passionate about her work at Museum Council, attending to every detail no matter how big or small, I have watched her apply this same fresh and passionate dedication to her work on the Coronado School Board.
I think the greatest security for me comes in knowing that someone like Maria Simon won’t give up when the going gets rough. She’s a tough, solution-oriented woman who has shown that she keeps her head and doesn’t panic in the face of challenge and adversity. She is a person who seeks out options when there appear to be none.
I’ve been so very impressed with Maria’s first term on our School Board. I’d sure like to see her continue at this wonderful and productive pace. I urge my friends to vote for MARIA SIMON FOR SCHOOL BOARD this November to make sure Coronado’s children continue to navigate safe harbors.
 Joe Ditler
