Dale Fleming has over 30 years of varied experience in public sector health and social services administration. She retired from the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency in 2018 after 33 years of service, including 20 years serving in an executive capacity. During her career, some of Dale’s roles included strategy officer for an agency of over 6,000 employees; director of self-sufficiency services. and executive director of the Community Action Partnership, a federally funded program for economically disadvantaged communities. Some of her responsibilities included issuing millions of dollars in benefits and employment services to thousands of residents monthly; oversight of refugee employment services for hundreds of families resettled to the county by the Department of State in coordination with local resettlement organizations, and partnering with local social services and health organizations to enroll county residents in health care, nutrition assistance and cash assistance. As executive director of the Community Action Partnership, Dale developed and administered federal, state and local programs to strengthen economically disadvantage communities and their residents through local partnerships with both residents and organizations that serve them. She was also a synergistic force for Live Well San Diego, helping to expand this vision with communities that are not always heard or understood.

Dale is passionate about diversity, inclusion, and trauma informed polices and is considered a trailblazer in the County in the integration of trauma informed policy and systems change. She is a tireless champion for community empowerment, and believes that government can better serve the community through strategic partnerships within the communities they serve.

One key partnership developed during her tenure is the business partnership with 2-1-1 San Diego to offer health care and nutrition assistance enrollment by phone. This pioneering partnership, unique to California, created an entirely new method for residents in need to access County benefits; inquire about their County benefits, and learn about other possible assistance in the community to which they might be eligible—all by telephone. The integration of the County’s ACCESS call center with the 2-1-1 San Diego Connections Center is a model of private and public partnership for other counties and states, and opened the door for similar partnerships with other service lines in the Health and Human Services Agency.

Dale is currently an associate with CSD Marketing, LLC, where she supports the Caleb with Curls brand, a kid-centric multi-channel educational project with an 8-year old CEO. She also currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Choir San Diego, a nonprofit volunteer choir that raises funds for educational grants to local high school youth by performing and sharing the historical and cultural significance of the Negro Spiritual, and other American music genres influenced by spirituals. An accomplished soprano vocalist, Dale has toured Europe with the MLK Choir of San Diego, and provided background and lead vocals for local artists, both in live and recorded performances.