![\"Michael](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/106\/2019\/12\/brunker.jpg?resize=993%2C521&ssl=1\")
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Michael Brunker \u201974 remembers the exact moment his life changed. It was in 1963 on his 11th birthday.<\/p>\n
Ernie Harwell, then the Detroit Tigers\u2019 legendary announcer, called his mother\u2019s name in a local raffle. She won his-and-hers cars, which his father promptly sold. The 1963 Dodge Dart and Plymouth Fury helped the Brunker family move to a new neighborhood, and Brunker said it changed the trajectory of his life.<\/p>\n
Since that day, Brunker has moved a long way from his first house on Prairie near Fenkell and Livernois. He is vice president for mission advancement at the YMCA of San Diego and the executive director of the San Diego Regional Police Athletic League. His work and dedication to the community and serving others earned him the title Mr. San Diego 2019 by the San Diego Rotary.<\/p>\n
His career, too, has roots that go back to his childhood.<\/p>\n
In 1967, while attending St. James Catholic School in Ferndale, a speaker came to talk to the students about living the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis young African-American man came from a local business group and stood before us and he said something that really resonated,\u201d Brunker said. \u201cHe talked about love, not hate; light not darkness and fulfilling that vision. That resonated with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brunker said he held himself to those ideals and still uses them to focus himself today.<\/p>\n
While attending University of Detroit where he earned a Political Science degree, Brunker worked as a custodian at St. Beatrice Church in Southfield, where he had his first opportunity to give back. A Catholic Youth Organization basketball games was being played in the gym and when the team got behind early on the coach, who knew Brunker had played basketball in high school and at University of Detroit, called for Brunker.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was half-time of the first game of the season. They were losing pretty badly so the coach sent for me to see if I had any pointers,\u201d he said. \u201cI ended up coaching the team for the rest of the season and won the CYO title that year.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said he got involved not to win titles, but to work with the children. \u201cI\u2019m a product of those kind of services and mentors.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brunker said he was influenced by many great leaders, including his neighbors, Melvin Franklin of the Motown group The Temptations, and Dick Lane of the Detroit Lions. It was his father, however, who had the greatest influence.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe wisest person I knew was my father and he never graduated from high school,\u201d Brunker said. \u201cHe taught me to be thankful for what you have because nobody owes you anything. He told me to work hard, eat the fish and throw away the bones.\u201d<\/p>\n
After several years coaching basketball at various levels in Detroit, Brunker moved his family across the country for a basketball coaching job with San Diego State under Smokey Gaines. After five years, and two losing seasons, Brunker knew change was on the horizon.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey sent us to the NCAA tournament and the coaches\u2019 convention, which is where coaches look for jobs. I had offers to continue coaching but it all meant leaving San Diego where I had a young family,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Instead of going to the NCAA championship game that night, Brunker sat in his hotel room contemplating his next move. \u201cI just made the decision that I wanted to do something else that would reflect what I really loved doing. I decided to go off on my own. I wanted to get involved with AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) or CYO or PAL (Police Athletic League) \u2014 those were the things that helped protect me from myself in Detroit.\u201d<\/p>\n
After returning to San Diego, Brunker was surprised to discover there were no similar programs for kids. So he helped create them.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s important to listen to the call and if it is a match for your personal mission in life, then you do it. I spend my Heaven doing good on Earth,\u201d said Brunker.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m looking at the opportunities we have to be inspirational. We see those opportunities in front of us every day. The pressure is making sure these people living in at-risk conditions don\u2019t just hear us talking about doing things. The mentors I\u2019ve had in my life have made a difference, and I truly believe our best work is yet to come,\u201d Brunker said.<\/p>\n
After beginning the Police Athletic League in San Diego, he was contacted by the YMCA to gauge his interest in serving as the executive director of the San Diego county location. Brunker said he had no history with the YMCA, but when he learned the mission was to help people through the development of the spirit, mind and body, he was interested.<\/p>\n
Brunker said through his work and the work of his employees, the Jackie Robinson YMCA of San Diego county moved to a brand new $40-million facility with 200 people on payroll. He was recently named the YMCA\u2019s vice president for mission and advancement.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think there is so much involved with being a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cYou have to be able to control, perform to plan, organize and staff accordingly. I didn\u2019t do it alone. The staff I\u2019ve had were respected and appreciated for their work.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the Jackie Robinson YMCA of San Diego county, Brunker said he felt the greatest accomplishment was growing the team and employing people from San Diego\u2019s most underserved areas. He said he enjoyed seeing young kids who have been served by the program coming back with their kids, spiritually grounded and doing great things in their lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cA life is not important unless it has an impact on other lives,\u201d said Brunker. In his new position, Brunker said he will serve more kids and families in a bigger way and make a bigger impact in the San Diego area.<\/p>\n
Brunker was recently honored by the Rotary Club of San Diego as the 2019 Mr. San Diego.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I\u2019ve ever felt uncomfortable about anything, it was getting that call to find out I\u2019d be Mr. San Diego,\u201d Brunker said. \u201cI\u2019m feeling bad about this because that is not why I do what I do. I don\u2019t deserve to be recognized. I\u2019m not feeling comfortable with it. Then I prayed upon it. There are two things that came to mind. The Lord said, \u2018Be thankful\u2019 and also \u2018Because of you.\u2019 I truly believe I am where I am today because of everyone who helped me growing up\u2014tracing all the way back to Detroit.\u201d<\/p>\n
And he reveres the higher power at work in his life.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m returning the glory to God,\u201d he said. \u201cI think if we can all do that, it can make a difference in a lot of people\u2019s lives.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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