Photographs by Spark Photography
Steve Quis has a face many 92127 residents know.
A four-time Emmy Award winner for local sports reporting, for years he was an on-air television personality at KUSI-TV, Cox 4, and KFMB-TV. And while it’s nice to be recognized and the television news business is exciting, it is not very conducive to family life – a priority for Steve and his spouse Jennifer.
“In the news industry, you work nights, weekends and holidays,” Steve said, because the events and coverage opportunities never stop because of the clock or day of the week. So he recently made a big career decision, joining Bridgepoint Education as Academic Communications Manager.
“The natural transition from media to public relations has been a positive experience, both professionally and personally,” Steve said, making it easier to stay involved in the recreational sports and organizations that he, Jennifer and their two children enjoy in their spare time.
Jennifer, a native of Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., and Steve – originally from Fullerton, Calif. – are parents of two children: Matthew, an 11-year-old fifth grader at Westwood Elementary School; and Katelyn, age 8, a third grader at Westwood. They attend San Rafael Catholic Church.
And they’re all into doing things together and in the community. “Our kids participate in all kinds of things, and we volunteer,” Jennifer said. “Steve coaches Rancho Bernardo Little League baseball, and Rancho Bernardo Pop Warner football. I have been a team parent for baseball, football and girls’ softball teams. With Steve’s help, I also was in charge of Girl Scout cookie sales for our daughter’s newly formed troop.”
The Quis parents also encourage their children to try new things and have fun until they find their niche. “They’ve taken everything from golf, to art lessons, to karate – all within the community,” Jennifer said. “As a family, we also like to travel for an event or experience, which seems to make it more memorable for the kids. For example, trips to Hawaii include surfing lessons; and we often travel to a professional or college athletic game.”
She noted that they once took their son to England to see an English Premier League game, and visited other cities to run half-marathons, while the children cheer them on (Jennifer noted that she beat Steve’s time at a race in San Francisco while running across the Golden Gate Bridge!).
All the family activities usually come to a culmination on Saturday mornings, or – as Jennifer describes it – the “Saturday Shuffle”. “You can find Steve and the kids at Panera in 4S Ranch reading the paper and ‘stealing samples’, while I jog to meet them or work out at LA Fitness. Then it’s divide and conquer to get the kids to all their games and events.”
Jennifer and Steve met while attending University of Arizona in Tucson (his story to his mother-in-law is that they met in church, but they actually met in a bar and discovered they had mutual friends). Their first date following the initial meeting lasted 12 hours, though it only was intended to be lunch. “We ended up talking for hours, then going to a movie, and then meeting friends afterwards for dinner,” Jennifer said.
Steve received his degree in Media Arts, while she secured both Bachelors and Masters degrees in Education. A teacher for 14 years, she currently teaches second grade at L.R. Green Elementary School in Escondido.
After starting a family in Phoenix, the couple decided they wanted to be in Southern California and closer to family – eventually moving into the Westwood neighborhood in 2000. “When looking at San Diego, we narrowed it down to somewhere in the Poway Unified School District,” Jennifer said. “We chose the Westwood neighborhood eventually because we wanted a neighborhood elementary school, we were impressed by the amenities at the Westwood Club and the proximity of Rancho Bernardo Community Park, and the easy access to Interstate 15.”
The only mar was the 2007 Witch Creek Fire, which destroyed many homes in Westwood. “The neighborhood was evacuated and we had conflicting reports on whether our house was still there. Steve used a media contact to sneak in the family in a news van to find out if the home survived,” Jennifer recalled. “It was definitely mixed emotions when we saw (our home) was still there, because so many on our street were burned to the ground. We didn’t realize purchasing a home on a corner lot with a fire hydrant would come in handy.”
But, if possible, the fire experience only strengthened their resolve on what is important and their commitment to staying in the area. “We have had amazing role models for marriage and family life,” Jennifer said. “Our parents have been married a combined 92 years! No matter where the journey of life takes us and the experiences we encounter, our priority is our faith and our family. We hope to pass that on to our children.”
