Q&A with Jessie J. Knight, Jr.

The JCVI CEO Council is a small group of distinguished men and women who are thought leaders in business, medicine, law, the arts and humanities, and community affairs. JCVI is fortunate to have individuals willing to serve as knowledgeable and enthusiastic ambassadors for our scientists and their research, and we are excited to introduce you to our inaugural member, Jessie J. Knight, Jr., Executive Vice President for External Relations at Sempra Energy. Knight is a board member of the Seattle-based Alaska Air Group and Alaska Airline, life member of the Council on Foreign Relations in New York and member of the corporate council of the Hoover Institution of Stanford University. Knight is a well-respected businessman and philanthropist in San Diego. He is also a frustrated musician and has been playing jazz guitar for 30 years. For the past 5 years Knight has been playing the Chinese instrument called Erhu. The entire JCVI team is thrilled to have access to all of Knight’s talents and resources.

Jessie J. Knight, Jr.

You are a native of Missouri. How did you end up in San Diego?

I moved to San Diego in 1999 from San Francisco after serving for six (6) years as the commissioner for the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), after being appointed by then-Gov. Pete Wilson. I was recruited to be the president and chief executive officer of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.

You and your wife, Joye Blount, are respected philanthropists in San Diego. How important is giving back to your community?

As the executive vice president of external affairs for Sempra Energy and with Joye being a Wealth Advisor at US Bank of the Private Client Reserve, we have a professional duty to be present and active in the community and it serves our personal philanthropic interests as well. We have a special interest for organizations that cater to military families, education, improving health and the support of women.

How did you become interested in the J. Craig Venter Institute?

Joye and I have a special interest in JCVI as we have been following the impact of the discovery of the human genome. We believe it’s not only going to have an economic impact in San Diego but also on health worldwide. We believe gaining a better understanding of genetic diseases will allow for improved health and the opportunity to change the course of medicine.

We are excited to have you join the JCVI CEO Council. What do you hope to accomplish in this new role?

Joye and I have had the opportunity to build many great relationships with many individuals and organizations. We’d like to expose JCVI to those we know and increase the reach of JCVI and drive community involvement and philanthropic support to the great work of JCVI.

What environmental/health goals do you personally hope to see JCVI tackle?

I have a personal interest in learning more about the possibilities for gene therapy. My family has been dealing with a genetic disorder for many years, and I’m hoping with my involvement with JCVI that I can understand the opportunities that genomics has for new possible treatments for rare genetic disorders.