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East County News Service
Oct. 23, 2025 (East County) -- The San Diego Regional East County Chamber of Commerce awarded a group of top females from around the county last Friday at its 23rd annual Women in Leadership event.
The Women in Leadership Luncheon, with more than 450 attendees at Sycuan Casino, honored seven women who excel professionally and as community leaders -- women who demonstrate exemplary character, integrity and leadership.
The 2025 awardees were Dr. Julie Hayden, Dyna Jones, Gizelle Lukach, Janet Hanley, Michelle Ziemba, Noura Bishay and Susan Roberts-Egley.
Ziemba took the Michele Tarbet Award, named after the woman who helped launch the WILL event more than 20 years ago.
Michele Tarbet began her career as a nurse, and steadily advanced through healthcare administration to become CEO of Sharp Grossmont Hospital in 1996. She touched and inspired many people at the hospital, from physicians and staff to volunteers and patients.
She brought a high level of integrity to her work, and a genuine sense of caring. Some consider her greatest achievement and community legacy the expansion of Sharp Grossmont into a premier medical center.
In 2004 Tarbet received a Women-in-Leadership award. About a decade later, Tarbet died after battling brain cancer.
The program was emceed by Fox 5 KUSI's Lauren Phinney and featured keynote speaker Dr. Alexandra Kharazi.
The East County Chamber reported that it received a record-breaking 87 nominations for the 2025 awards. Since starting more than two decades ago, the event has welcomed more than 6,000 attendees and celebrated nearly 150 extraordinary women leaders from every corner of San Diego County.
Keynote speaker Dr. Kharazi, a a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon in San Diego, immigrated with her family from Kyiv, Ukraine when she was six years old. Today, she operates at multiple hospitals across the region, including Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center and Sharp Grossmont Hospital.
She is also the author of "The Heart of Fear" and the founder of The Heart of Motivation Consulting, focusing on resilience and mindset in high-pressure careers.
A closer look at each the WILL event winners is below:
Dyna Jones
Dyna Jones is a respected entrepreneur, senior care advocate and community leader with more than 20 years of experience in senior care and healthcare workforce development.
She is the Ffounder and CEO of First Promise Care Services, a licensed caregiving agency serving seniors throughout San Diego County; Heart to Serve Institute, a training school that equips caregivers, Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) and Home Health Aides (HHAs) to enter the healthcare field; and Bliss Care Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to providing free, compassionate caregiving and essential services to underserved and low-income seniors.
Jones's journey from humble beginnings in the Philippines to becoming a recognized leader in the United States inspires countless individuals to pursue their purpose and create lasting community impact. Through her leadership, Jones has created a holistic ecosystem of care, supporting seniors, empowering healthcare workers and building pathways for diverse entrepreneurs. Her work reflects her deep faith, resilience and commitment to serving others with excellence and compassion.
Beyond her entrepreneurial ventures, Jones is deeply engaged in community leadership. She currently serves as Vice President for the South and East San Diego Region of the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce – Greater San Diego (FACC-GSD), and as an Executive Board Member of the Coalition of Filipino American Chambers of Commerce (COFACC).
She also serves as a Board Director for the El Cajon Valley Host Lions Club, where she continues to champion service and community engagement.
A proud and long-time member of the San Diego Regional East County Chamber of Commerce for nearly 20 years, Jones is also active in several organizations, including the San Diego County Council on Aging (SDCCOA), Asian Business Association (ABA), and the San Diego Regional Home Care Council (SDRHCC).
Gizelle Lukach
Gizelle Lukach is seasoned professional in the beauty industry, with more than 35 years of experience as a licensed esthetician and professional makeup artist. Her career includes working with Univision (2015-25) and Telemundo (2020-present), where she has been able to showcase her talent in the realm of makeup artistry for both television and the big screen.
She has contributed her artistic talents to various commercials for major networks, leaving a valuable mark in the world of media and entertainment.
Beyond her accomplishments in the beauty and entertainment industry, Lukach is a dedicated advocate for the Latina community. As the CEO and Founder of Mujeres Aca Entre Nos (Women Here Together), she plays a pivotal role in addressing the unique needs and challenges faced by Latinas in the greater community.
Her commitment to empowering women and fostering community engagement reflects her passion for making a positive impact beyond the glamour of the makeup chair.
Janet Hanley
Janet Hanley has been a registered nurse for more than 40 years in the field of acute and critical care nursing. For five years, she was the Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Patient Care for the Magnet Designated Sharp Grossmont Hospital leading the organization to Magnet Re-Designation.
Hanley then took the role of the Sharp Healthcare Chief Nursing Information Officer and Vice President of Patient Technology, Innovation, and Efficiency for Sharp HealthCare. She worked with teams of clinicians and information systems staff to assess a need for, purchase, design and implement technology that affects patient care.
Hanley was integral in implementing the new electronic medical record at Sharp HealthCare. She is past president of the San Diego Chapter of the Association of California Nurse Leaders chapter and the past chair of the Quality and Patient Safety Committee for the Association of California Nurse Leaders where she chaired the Annual Program Committee. In January 2026, she will assume their Board Member position representing San Diego County.
Hanley’s passion is clinical care excellence and performs as a Magnet Appraiser Lead and Mentor for the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Janet is the current VP of the Orthopedic, Neurosciences and Spine Service Line for Sharp HealthCare.
Dr. Julie Hayden
Dr. Julie Hayden is a visionary leader dedicated to transforming lives and rebuilding communities across San Diego County. As CEO of East County Transitional Living Center, she oversees one of the region’s most effective programs for helping individuals and families move from homelessness to stability, employment and permanent housing- - at a cost nearly 20 times lower than traditional models.
Dr. Hayden is also the co-founder of the Rhombus Model, a comprehensive framework that integrates education, workforce development, mental health and addiction recovery into a unified continuum of care.
Through this model, Dr. Hayden leads a network of organizations -- including Genesis Recovery, New Vision Counseling Center, La Mesa Counseling and Rhombus University -- each working together to serve underserved populations and address homelessness, substance use and mental health challenges while equipping people to thrive long-term.
In addition to her organizational leadership, Dr. Hayden serves on the Executive Committee of the San Diego County Behavioral Health Advisory Board and is the Chair of the San Diego MFT Consortium, where she advocates for systemic collaboration, workforce development and improved access to behavioral health care.
Michelle Ziemba
The Michele Tarbet Award winner Michelle Ziemba currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at UC San Diego Health’s East Campus Medical Center on Alvarado Road near La Mesa, where she leads strategic and operational initiatives to expand healthcare access across East County.
In addition to this role, she also oversees the Neurological Institute, Psychiatry and Rehabilitation Service Lines for UC San Diego Health, driving innovation in clinical operations, program development and organizational performance.
With more than three decades of distinguished leadership in hospital and healthcare systems, Ziemba has built a legacy of transforming care delivery models to improve access, quality and outcomes. Her career spans executive roles in academic medical centers, trauma systems and emergency services.
Ziemba is passionate about bringing healthcare to underserved communities and has been instrumental in developing regional programs and telemedicine initiatives that bridge gaps in care. Her work has extended internationally through USAID-funded projects, where she helped design trauma systems and telehealth programs in the Balkans.
A recognized thought leader, Ziemba has collaborated with state and national governments to shape trauma and emergency care systems, and she continues to advocate for equitable healthcare access through strategic partnerships and policy engagement.
Noura Bishay
Noura Bishay is an award-winning urban designer, celebrated for her exceptional leadership and advocacy for social impact and equity-driven design. She is the founder of NPB Design studio which strives to design spaces that heal, inspire, and empower our community and planet.
She forged with resilience through the trials of surviving two Arab Springs in Egypt, eventually moving to San Diego with her family. After receiving three scholarships, she was determined to transform her vision into tangible change.
Bishay's distinguished portfolio is a testament to her unwavering commitment to compassion and creativity, spanning more than 100 international projects and earning recognition through various awards and nominations. Among them, a congressional honor, finalist for the BBB Torch Award for Ethics, and San Diego Magazine's Woman in Art + Design Pioneer.
Bishay has also been nominated for the prestigious JMK Innovation Prize, the Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize, and the Inclusive and Diverse Leadership in Action Award.
She sits on the board of San Diego's Veterans Chamber of Commerce and is the visionary founder behind She Makes History Award, NPB Design Studio, SD Microgreens Plants, Sustainable Living Training, The Hidden Gazebo Eatery, Tables of Hope and Gardens of Hope.
Susan Robert Egley
Raised in the heart of Point Loma’s Portuguese fishing community, Susan Robert Egley's roots are deeply tied to San Diego’s rich cultural and military heritage. After her family relocated to the San Diego subdivision of San Carlos, she graduated from one of the first classes at Patrick Henry High School, setting the stage for a lifelong commitment to education, service and advocacy.
Egley’s military connection runs deep. Her father, a Navy Korean War veteran from Augusta, Ga., instilled in her a profound respect for service. That legacy continued through her son, a Marine, and her son-in-law, a Marine veteran who completed four tours in Afghanistan.
Egley pursued studies in marketing and public relations at Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges, later earning her teaching credential from National University. For more than 25 years, she served at the East County Career Center with the Grossmont Union High School and Adult School District.
As a business consultant, Egley worked with companies across San Diego County, including veteran-owned businesses, helping them recruit, hire and train employees. She organized numerous job fairs and community events in collaboration with local cities and elected officials, always with a focus on inclusivity and opportunity.
Through this work, Egley recognized a critical gap: the veteran business community lacked the recognition and support it deserved. She made it her mission to elevate these voices, ensuring their contributions were honored and their needs addressed.
After dedicating 30 years to GUHSD, Susan transitioned into a new chapter of service with the East County Chamber. Fueled by a passionate vision, she founded the Veterans East County Alliance (VECA) in 2021 -- a transformative program designed to honor and support Veteran Owned Businesses and Veteran Friendly Businesses.
VECA has become a dynamic force, bringing together veteran entrepreneurs, community leaders, educators, elected officials and resource organizations. Through networking, marketing, training, and leadership development, VECA strengthens the fabric of the veteran business community in East County and beyond.
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