Ryan Waterman Honored with 2025 Big Champion Award by Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County

Ryan Waterman, a shareholder in Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s Natural Resources Department, was recently honored with the 2025 Big Champion Award by Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County. This prestigious award is presented annually to an individual who demonstrates exceptional leadership and unwavering dedication to the organization’s mission: empowering young people to reach their full potential.

Waterman’s involvement with Big Brothers Big Sisters spans decades. He began as a volunteer Big Brother in 1997, and has mentored four different Little Brothers—relationships he continues to maintain to this day. Since 2009, he has served on the organization’s board of directors, including a term as board chair from 2022 to 2023. Throughout his tenure, Waterman has exemplified a deep commitment to mentorship, community engagement and advancing the organization’s impact. In 2021, he was recognized as a Big Brothers Big Sisters Change Maker—one of 60 individuals honored for making significant contributions to the organization’s growth and success in celebration of its 60th anniversary.

“Receiving this award is truly an honor,” Waterman said in an official Big Brothers Big Sisters press release earlier this year. “My wife, Julia, and I share a deep commitment to this program. In fact, one of our earliest points of connection was when we learned that we’d both been Bigs. That connection to Big Brothers Big Sisters is something we have continued throughout our marriage. We believe in the incredible potential within every child, and we’ve witnessed up close how a caring mentor can unlock that potential.”

Waterman was formally recognized at the 63rd Annual Gourmet Dinner hosted by Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County on Sept. 25. To explore the organization’s work and impact, click here.