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Info Alert

INFO ALERT: Tracy Hernandez & other BizFed leaders honored by LA Business Journal

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Our Bizzi Awards Ceremony wasn't the only celebration in town on June 28. We shared the day of recognition with the Los Angeles Business Journal's Women's Leadership Symposium & Awards. We're thrilled to share that four BizFed leaders – including our Founding CEO Tracy Hernandez – shared the LABJ spotlight for their commitment to making a positive difference, expanding talent pools, and uplifting businesswomen in Los Angeles. Please join me in congratulating LABJ's CEO of the Year Johnese Spisso (UCLA); and finalists Tracy Hernandez (BizFed), Julie Miller-Phipps (Kaiser Permanente), and Mary Osako (UCLA). Tracy was among the finalists for CEO of the Year; Julie and Mary were shortlisted for the Executive of the Year award. We're grateful for LABJ's dogged coverage of local business issues – and recognition of outstanding business leadership.

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SUBSCRIBE: LA Business Journal
WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP SYMPOSIUM: Honorees
WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP SYMPOSIUM: Finalists

MEET THE LEADERS

Johnese Spisso: President - UCLA Health; CEO - UCLA Hospital System

Johnese Spisso has been president of UCLA Health, CEO of UCLA Hospital System and associate vice chancellor of UCLA Health Sciences since 2016. With 30 years of experience, she is a nationally recognized academic health care leader, overseeing operations of UCLA’s hospitals, clinics and the health system’s regional outreach strategy. Spisso led UCLA’s expansion to provide convenient access to care throughout Southern California, with more than 250 clinics recording more than 3.1 million outpatient visits in 2021. In 2021, UCLA Health announced its plans to transform a former medical center into a state-of-the-art neuropsychiatric hospital that will help address the region’s unmet need for behavioral health services. The new hospital will meet the state’s highest standards for acute psychiatric hospital buildings and will include comprehensive behavioral health care services for adult, geriatric, child, adolescent and intensive care patients, as well as crisis care. In addition to expanding inpatient capacity, an adjacent medical office building will be renovated to expand, relocate and optimize outpatient behavioral health programs and clinic research and educational programs associated with the licensed neuropsychiatric hospital and dedicated psychiatric emergency services.

Tracy Hernandez: Founding CEO - BizFed

Tracy Hernandez is the Founding CEO of the Los Angeles County Business Federation, widely known as “BizFed,” a nonprofit alliance of business networks that advocates for policies and projects that create jobs and grow the economy. Hernandez launched the grassroots alliance in 2008. Today, BizFed unites more than 240 organizations representing 420,000 companies employing 5 million people in Southern California. Its sister organization, BizFed Central Valley, unites another 80 groups. Hernandez leads a team of grassroots policy advocates at BizFed who are fearless in speaking truth to power. They are small, but mighty, and take on big challenges to tackle pressing issues at all levels of government and across all policy areas. Their efforts have led to tangible improvements for businesses, employees, and residents throughout Los Angeles County. Under Hernandez’s leadership, BizFed helped restaurants secure COVID relief grants and fought to reduce regulatory burdens, streamline permitting, and allow outdoor dining.

Julie Miller-Phipps: Regional President - Kaiser Permanente

Julie Miller-Phipps leads the hospital and health plan operations for Kaiser Permanente’s Southern California and Hawaii markets, and partners with the leadership of the Southern California and Hawaii Permanente Medical Groups to improve the health of over five million members and their communities. Combined, the Southern California and Hawaii markets have over 82,000 employees collaborating with 8,600 Permanente Medical Group physicians to deliver high-quality, affordable care through 16 hospitals and 264 medical offices. In the Los Angeles Basin, that includes seven medical centers. After 46 years and 12 positions within Kaiser Permanente, Miller-Phipps has announced plans to retire in July. She leaves a legacy of determination and leading from the heart that has resulted in tangible business outcomes. In addition, Miller-Phipps oversees funding and grants for programs that cultivate improvements in the economic, social, and environmental factors that strengthen the quality of health in Southern California and Hawaii.

Mary Osako: Vice Chancellor, Strategic Communications - UCLA

Mary Osako is the first person to lead UCLA’s communications and marketing efforts as a vice chancellor, serving in the role since September 2019. She oversees the university’s marketing and communications and helps maintain and enhance UCLA’s reputation as U.S News & World Report’s #1 ranked public university. Osako has more than 20 years of experience leading complex communications efforts at some of the most innovative Fortune 500 companies in the world. In her role at UCLA, she has developed initiatives to maintain and enhance its reputation as a world-class research university and ushered in new ways of communicating its story. She has also strengthened marketing, communications, and events across UCLA by instilling a commitment to collaboration for campus professionals. This is embodied in a weekly collaboration meeting where staff discuss updates from their departments, opportunities for collaboration, and how to communicate around pressing issues.
Congratulations to all finalists and honorees! David Englin BizFed President

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BizFed launched in 2008 and now unites more than 245 diverse business organizations. BizFed’s 150 investors include micro-businesses to iconic brands and institutions.

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