ECS CEO Elizabeth Fitzsimons smiles with her Rising Star Award. June 2023.
SAN DIEGO — At the core of ECS’ mission to break barriers and transform communities is the passionate leadership of its CEO, Elizabeth Fitzsimons. Her commitment to this cause has not gone unnoticed. Fitzsimons was recently recognized as a finalist for the San Diego Business Journal’s (SDBJ) CEO of the Year Award, and on June 27, she was honored with the Rising Star CEO of the Year Award. This achievement has filled the ECS board and staff with immense pride.
With a quarter of a century’s experience as a San Diego business professional and two years at the helm of ECS, Fitzsimons has demonstrated transformative leadership with solid business acumen. Her unwavering dedication to ECS’ purpose of cultivating a strong, vibrant, and just San Diego region is evident in her work.
ECS Leadership Team celebrates with Fitzsimon. From left to right: Hazzy Pipo, VP of Administration; Elizabeth Fitzsimons, CEO; Adrienne Wilkerson, Communications Director; Sherri Kelly, Chief of Staff; Rosa Cabrera-Jaime, Director of Early Education & Family Services; and Timothy Whipple, Development Director. June 2023.
Under Fitzsimons’s direction, ECS has seen substantial growth, including the launch of a new safe haven for unhoused individuals grappling with mental and behavioral health issues. She has also boosted the brand’s recognition and credibility in the community, fostered an inclusive work environment, and made it a point to visit various ECS program locations every Thursday. These are just some highlights of Fitzsimons’s effective servant leadership.
Upon receiving the award, Fitzsimons graciously acknowledged SDBJ for spotlighting the positive strides in the San Diego community. She thanked other finalists, ECS board and staff members for their collaborative efforts, ECS clients for their trust, and her husband for his unwavering support.
In her words, “I always leave these awards feeling so good about our community and all the good things that are happening.”
As Fitzsimons celebrates this well-deserved recognition, ECS looks forward to her continued contributions to the organization and the broader San Diego community.
From left to right: Tony Manolatos, Fitzsimon’s husband; Elizabeth Fitzsimons, ECS CEO; and Jessica Grounds, CEO of Corporate Directors Forum prior to the SDBJ CEO of the Year Awards Ceremony. June 2023.
ECS CEO Fitzsimons hugs Girl Scouts of San Diego CEO Carol M. Dedrich after receiving their awards. June 2023.