Meet JC Hurtado=Prater

We had the good fortune of connecting with JC Hurtado=Prater and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi JC, we’d love to start by asking you about lessons learned. Is there a lesson you can share with us?
The most important lesson I have learned through my career and, more recently, building a leadership business is the importance of 2 character traits: courage and consistency. For me, these have been the most important traits that have helped me get to where I am today… and are helping me get to where I am still heading with my career/business. Courage to face the inevitable obstacles and rejection that come from pursuing any dream; consistency to stay the course – every day – and keep showing up in the difficult seasons.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve spent my career at the intersection of leadership, education, and purpose. Today, I serve as Associate Dean for External Relations and Associate Professor of Leadership and Management at Point Loma Nazarene University’s Fermanian School of Business, where I help build bridges between the university and the broader business community. My work centers on developing leaders of integrity… people who lead with both competence and character.

The journey here hasn’t been easy. I started with very little… waiting tables, working in warehouses and grocery stores, and spending time in ministry and the nonprofit sector before finding my calling in leadership and education. Each of those experiences taught me empathy, hard work, and respect for people at every level of an organization. My years serving in the U.S. Army reinforced those lessons… teaching me discipline, resilience, and the importance of serving something larger than myself.

Those experiences shaped how I lead, teach, and build teams today. Whether I’m in the classroom or advising executives through Montara Leadership Partners, my advisory firm that helps leadership teams close the gap between strategy and human performance, I carry those lessons with me.

What sets me apart is a commitment to the human side of leadership based on my philosophy of human flourishing. I believe the world doesn’t just need more successful leaders… it needs more authentic, self-aware, and enduring ones. Through both PLNU and Montara, my mission is the same… to build organizations and leaders that last.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If a close friend were visiting San Diego, I’d want them to experience the best of what makes this city so special… equal parts ocean, food, and energy. We’d start with jet skiing across San Diego Bay and kayaking through Mission Bay and the SoCal coastline, taking in the skyline and sea breeze. One morning we’d hit Mission Trails for a hike before grabbing lunch with a view at C-Level on Harbor Island.

No trip would be complete without a baseball game at Petco Park, cheering for the Padres under the lights, and a night out at The Rady Shell for a concert on the bay. San Diego is one of those rare places where you can work hard, play hard, and still find peace by the water… and that balance is exactly what I love about living here.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shout goes to the following people:
– Terry and Beth Prayer – for providing a life beyond amazing
– Russ and Janie Cox – for believing in me an giving me a place to grow and call home
– Jamie Hess – for being an empowering leader and culture builder
– Jim Daichendt – for providing a roadmap to what leadership success looks like
– Steve Suhrheinrich – for your friendship, tough questions and success accountability
– David Aduddell – for opening up doors for continued growth
– Joss and Juni – for being my inspiration to keep climbing

My shoutout goes to the following book:
– Poor Charlie’s Almanack | If there was only one book, outside of the Bible, this would be it.

My shoutout goes to the following business teacher:
– David C. Baker

Website: https://www.jchp.co

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jchurtadoprater/

Twitter: https://x.com/JCHurtadoPrater