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By Karen PearlmanNov. 1, 2025 (East County) -- Santee resident and San Diego East County Economic Development Council leader James Sly could be named the new CEO of the Grossmont Healthcare District this week.
The GHD board meeting agenda for Nov. 4 lists a Chief Executive Officer employment agreement for Sly.
Aaron Byzak has been the interim CEO for the Grossmont Healthcare District since March 2025 following the GHD board's decision to not renew the contract of Christian Wallis. Byzak has also been the communication strategy consultant for the GHD.
The agenda says that if Sly is approved by the five-member healthcare district board, his appointment will start on Dec. 15, and he will earn an annual salary of $285,000 with a yearly $10,000 stipend. The board will also consider extending Byzak's contract through Dec. 31.
The meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. at the GHD district office in La Mesa. The meeting will be shared viz Zoom as well. You can view the agenda here.
Sly is currently President and CEO of the East County EDC, taking on the role in December 2020, succeeding Jo Marie Diamond. He was previously the East County EDC's Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. He first joined the East County EDC in 2012 and his initial work focused on assisting manufacturers with Department of Defense procurement. He also helped launch the East County Small Business Development Center.
Sly is a Board Member of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority and serves on the boards of the San Diego Regional East County Chamber of Commerce, the Gillespie Field Development Council and the Santee Chamber of Commerce
Previously, Sly worked as a management consultant and a workforce expert for programs including the One-Stop Career Center Network and San Diego's CalWORKS Welfare-to-Work and Refugee Resettlement programs.
Sly holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Management and Administration from San Diego State University. He also completed a nonprofit management development program at the Harvard Business School.
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