David Malcolm

David Malcolm is an American entrepreneur, real estate expert, community leader, and philanthropist. He has over five decades of experience and currently serves as the President of Cal West Apartments in San Diego.
Malcolm holds the highest commercial real estate designation (CCIM) in the US and is highly regarded for his work. In his career, Malcolm has worked with a number of high-profile clientele and is known to build close professional relationships with them. Malcolm has served on numerous public and private organizations' Boards of Directors. Public companies include Giant Group (NYSE), Aegis Communications (NASDAQ), ATC Communications (NASDAQ), and Payphone (AMEX).
Malcolm has been featured in several media outlets, including Forbes, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, Business Journals, Ceoworld Magazine, The World Financial Review, Startup Fortune, Tech Times, SD Metro, La Jolla Light, KUSI News, and others.
==Early life and education==
Malcolm grew up in a lower-middle-class family and was drawn to the real-estate industry while he was still in high school. Later he graduated from Harvard Business School's Presidents Program.
==Career==
Malcolm acquired his real estate license in 1972 and his real estate brokerage license in 1974.
In 1978, he established his first company, dealing in real estate sales, development, and finance. He still serves as Chairman of the company.
From 1989 to 1997, Malcolm held exclusive rights to Rally’s, a leading hamburger chain in Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties. As President, he managed more than 40 locations comprising over a thousand workers. 
Since 2018, Malcolm has served as the President of Cal West Apartments, offering quality rental housing in San Diego and South Riverside counties. In 2021, he joined the National Small Business Association (NSBA) Leadership Council, and the following year, he was accepted into the Forbes Business Council, a prestigious organization for successful business owners and leaders worldwide. In late 2022, Malcolm added another accomplishment to his impressive resume as he became an Entrepreneur Leadership Network Contributor. In 2023, Malcolm became a published Fast Company Executive Board contributor, further solidifying his presence in the business world. This was followed by his acceptance into the Business Journals Leadership Trust in 2024, where his article “Lessons learned from the Hollywood strikes: Three key negotiating skills” was nominated for Editor’s Choice. Given his exceptional and diverse business experience and leadership, having handled sales, acquisitions, and loan negotiations of more than $4 billion, Malcolm is also a distinguished Harvard Business School Lecturer.
Malcolm is involved in public and community service in addition to his professional job. He has been on the boards of a number of public and private companies, including Giant Group (NYSE), Aegis Communications (NASDAQ), ATC Communications (NASDAQ), and Payphone (NASDAQ) (AMEX). He has also served in several municipal and state government positions. He was on the Chula Vista City Council for 10 years and was in charge of the state's largest annexation, which included Castle Park in Otay and the unincorporated hamlet of Montgomery. For the Olympic Training Center, he obtained a $1 million contribution from Conrad Hilton. For 12 years, Malcolm served as the California Coastal Commissioner, the longest tenure in the agency’s history.
Malcolm was also a member of the San Diego County Assessment Appeals Board, and the Boards of Directors of the American Cancer Society San Diego, Corky McMillin Center for Real Estate at San Diego State University, First International Bank of San Diego, People’s Bank, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp., Scripps Institution of Oceanography and South Bay Family YMCA.
David Malcolm has been a steadfast advocate for homelessness prevention and reduction for many years. From 1982 to 2013, he served as a member of the Board of Directors at SVDP Management (Father Joe's Villages), where he worked alongside Father Joe Carroll to address homelessness in San Diego. The two shared a deep commitment to helping people experiencing homelessness, and their partnership brought about many positive changes in the community. Although Father Joe Carroll passed away in 2021, his legacy lives on through the continued efforts of Malcolm and others who work tirelessly to address this critical issue. In a 2023 publication, Malcolm sought to raise awareness of the increasing homeless population in California and stressed the importance of taking immediate action on this complex issue, “Fortunately (and I use that word tongue-in-cheek), the problem of homelessness is now so rampant and so widespread that real change is a social and political mandate. Turning a blind eye is impossible. Good. Let's get to it!”
As of 2022, Malcolm serves as the Chairman of the Lincoln Club of San Diego Political Action Committee, a member of the Board of Directors for San Diego Christian College, and is a five-year member of the Board of Directors of the San Diego YPO Gold Chapter.
David Malcolm and his wife Annie are dedicated philanthropists who passionately support various charitable organizations, including sponsoring two gymnasiums in San Diego. David's commitment to education led him to establish the David Malcolm Scholarship in 2021, which provides financial support to students who have overcome obstacles to achieve academic success. In 2022, the scholarship was renewed and awarded to two deserving recipients after a tremendous response from applicants. Thanks to the Malcolms' ongoing generosity, the scholarship has been renewed through 2024. This scholarship opportunity not only provides financial assistance but also empowers students to pursue their academic and personal goals, allowing them to make a positive impact on the world.
Malcolm and his wife also sponsored The San Diego Foundation's Community Scholars Initiative for 2021 with a $100,000 gift from the David Malcolm Family Trust. He also supports the Chula Vista Police Foundation as a Chiefs 4-Star Alliance Sponsor. Malcolm has volunteered for Meals on Wheels and coached AYSO soccer and little league baseball.
A long-time friend and philanthropic advisor to the late Jim Bashor and his wife Dianne, David is currently President of Mrs. Bashor’s companies. One role is advising on her philanthropic endeavors, based on their shared passion for making San Diego a better place for everyone. He negotiated and advised on the Bashors’ $16 million donation to San Diego Zoo Global. This donation helped build the 450-foot-long Bashor Bridge, which makes the zoo much more accessible to mothers with strollers and people with disabilities. This donation also ensures that active-duty military personnel can enter both the San Diego Zoo and the Safari Park in Escondido free of charge, and that wounded warriors can enter the Zoo one hour before opening to allow them a place to practice walking up and down the paths without dealing with crowds.
He also facilitated Dianne Bashor’s $15 million gift to San Diego State University for the recently opened stadium in Mission Valley. As a result, the newly named Snapdragon Stadium features Bashor Field.
In 2021, David managed Dianne Bashor’s $1 million gift to develop the San Diego-Imperial Council Boy Scouts of America’s newest facility – Camp Bashor. With capacity to host 400 campers, Camp Bashor offers a myriad of activities including a 600-foot zipline, an archery range, hiking trails to and from the Pacific Ocean, and a rope course. More recently, David facilitated Bashor’s major gift to San Diego Symphony campaign called “The Future is Hear.” In honor of this contribution to the city and the arts, the San Diego Symphony announced a new naming at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park: the Dianne Bashor Box Office. The Rady Shell was designed with San Diego Symphony history in mind and marked the first permanent outdoor venue with year-round activities including more than a hundred concerts and events annually.
==Certifications==
Malcolm has been a CCIM holder since 1988.
==Personal life==
Malcolm enjoys spending his free time with his wife Annie, children, and grandchildren.
==References==
==External links==
* David Malcolm San Diego
* CalWest Apartments
* David Malcolm Scholarship
* David Malcolm Family Trust
* 
* David Malcolm on Solo
* David Malcolm on Crunchbase
* David Malcolm on Forbes
* David Malcolm on Entrepreneur Leadership Network
* David Malcolm on Fast Company Executive Board
* David Malcolm on Business Journals Leadership Trust
Category:1954 births
Category:American entrepreneurs
Category:American real estate businesspeople
Category:Harvard Business School alumni