During its June 15 Celebrate Irvine award program, the Greater Irvine Chamber recognized 12 businesses and individuals in greater Irvine that have demonstrated the principles of community service, volunteerism, and the best traditions of good corporate citizenship.
Meet the 2023 Honorees:
- Business of the Year: Johnson & Johnson
- Executive of the Year: Chad Lefteris, Chief Executive Officer, UCI Health
- Entrepreneur of the Year: Andrew Dooyoul Kim, Founder & Owner, Marble Steakhouse & Grille; President, SongHyun Tax Consulting Group
- Inspirational Leadership: Bobby McDonald, President & Executive Director, Black Chamber of Commerce Orange County
- Corporate Social Responsibility: Bank of America
- Commitment to Sustainability: FivePoint
- Veteran-Owned Business of the Year: BERT Workplace Safety Solutions
- Minority-Owned Business of the Year: Diamond Jamboree
- Nonprofit of the Year: University Lab Partners
- Philanthropist of the Year: Wing Lam, Owner, Wahoo’s Fish Tacos
- Emergency Services Professional: Mike Hamel, Chief Security Operations Officer, Hoag Health System
- Volunteer of the Year: Nadine Afari, Manager of Research Programs, CHOC Children's Hospital Orange County
The awards were presented at the Hilton Irvine by Jessica Welch, executive vice president, Greater Irvine Chamber; executive director, Irvine Forward Foundation.
Bryan Starr, president & CEO, Greater Irvine Chamber, facilitated a fireside-style chat with City of Irvine Mayor Farrah N. Khan, who discussed Irvine as a global hub for innovation and technology, collaborations that are bringing housing to Irvine in innovative ways, and how Irvine is raising its profile nationally and globally, among other topics.
Edward S. Kim, M.D., M.B.A., Physician-in-Chief, City of Hope Orange County delivered the presenting sponsor’s message.
Several leading Orange County companies joined City of Hope Orange County in presenting the 2023 Celebrate Irvine, including Media Sponsor Unite Health Share Ministries; Corporate Sponsor OC Soccer Club; and Business Sponsors FivePoint, Google, Hoag Health, Octane, and University of California, Irvine.
Companies hosting tables at the event include Albertsons, Bank of America, Chapman University, Commercial Bank of California, Cox Communications, Diamond Jamboree, Johnson & Johnson, Kaiser Permanente, Office of Supervisor Katrina Foley, Parker Aerospace, SH Tax Consulting Group, Waste Management, Wells Fargo, and Zillow.
For more information about Greater Irvine Chamber and sponsorship opportunities, contact Courtney Nakagawa
