There are some people who give selflessly and continuously to make their community a better place for all and who don’t often get recognized. So it was a pleasant surprise to see the CUSD Board and its members acknowledge, thank, and honor a Coronado couple who make the island a better place. Alan and Lisa Kinzel.
School superintendent Karl Mueller acknowledged the efforts, contributions and tremendous impact of the Kinzels before other board members added their comments. Board President Maria Simon said, “Alan, what doesn’t he do?” while she also commented on how the Kinzels “give, give, give,” and board member Lee Pontes added that they are “amazing people.”
Alan and Lisa and their sons moved to Coronado only a few years ago. Lisa is a kindergarten teacher at Strand Elementary where she gives countless hours to students and families. Alan is a real estate broker with Douglas Elliman Real Estate where he makes sure his clients and their friends know his business goes way beyond a sale or listing. Alan truly is doing his part to activate community involvement and leading from the front. But that is what they do, not who they are. As busy parents and professionals, they carve out the time to serve on multiple community organization boards. Alan serves on the board for Coronado SAFE, Coronado Schools Foundation (CSF)Â and the Stephen J Wampler Foundation. This year he was recognized as Coronado Schools Foundation volunteer of the year. Alan is also a Rotarian and received the Gold Recognition of Excellence Award by the San Diego Association of Realtors in 2016. It seems there is no contradiction as to who the Kinzels are as human beings.
Alan and Lisa love giving back. One of the ways they have chosen to do this is by bringing the community together through Coronado’s Talent, an all ages show of local talent with all proceeds going directly to CSF. In its inaugural year, it raised $10,000, and in February of this year, it raised over $23,000! The Kinzels are grateful to the support of Coronado and the community for helping them turn a night of fun into a big deposit in the bank for our schools.
In addition to their community contributions, the Kinzels are active members of St. Paul’s Methodist Church where they give more of their time and talent. The Kinzels are outstanding examples of how we can all do a little (in their case a lot) to make a positive difference in the community we call home.
