Elizabeth Fitzsimons Receives CEO of the Year Award

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.

PLF Receives Award and Grant from St. Germaine Children's Charity

(From left to right) Janice Farrow, St. Germaine Children’s Charity President-Elect; Elizabeth Fitzsimons, ECS CEO; Katie Christensen, St. Germaine Children’s Charity President; and Timothy Whipple, Development Director, beam with the Barbara Christensen Heart of San Diego Award in hand. June 2023.

SAN DIEGO — June 13 marked a memorable day for ECS’ Para Las Familias (PLF) program, as its noble mission and devoted efforts were celebrated and acknowledged at the St. Germaine Children’s Charity Luncheon. The PLF program was honored with the Barbara Christensen Heart of San Diego Award and a $5,000 grant.

Moreover, ECS’ CEO, Elizabeth Fitzsimons, delivered an impressive keynote address at the event. She emphasized the crucial need for comprehensive behavioral and mental health services, exemplified by programs like PLF within our community.

PLF is unwavering in its goal to disrupt generational trauma and abuse cycles that besiege numerous families, particularly those within underserved communities. Through a wide range of services - including individual and group therapy, parenting support groups, screenings, and others - the clinic works tirelessly to build healthy parent-child relationships, fostering healing from past traumas and paving the way for a brighter future.

ECS extends appreciation for this recognition from St. Germain’s. This grant empowers PLF to continue its essential work in the San Diego community.

CEO Elizabeth Fitzsimons' Thursday Visits

SAN DIEGO — Our CEO, Elizabeth Fitzsimons, continued her weekly tradition of Thursday visits, this time to our Harbison Head Start Center.

Leading by example, ECS CEO Elizabeth Fitzsimons connects with the dedicated staff at Harbison Head Start. May 2023.

Each Thursday, Fitzsimons makes it a priority to personally connect with our various programs, embodying the essence of leadership and demonstrating the importance of engagement across all levels of our organization. Her visits are a testament to her commitment and a reminder that every role, individual, and child matters in fulfilling the mission of Episcopal Community Services.

Her attendance is more than just a leadership visit – it demonstrates our belief that everyone has a role in fostering an abundant and equitable society where all have unlimited potential.

As a team, we strive to make this vision a reality, and we invite you to join us by visiting www.ecscalifornia.org to learn more.

Elizabeth Fitzsimons and a Head Start student work together diligently to construct a creative project. May 2023.

A Head Start student impresses CEO Elizabeth Fitzsimons with their jumping skills. May 2023.

ECS Attends the San Diego Girl Scouts Cool Women Event

Elizabeth Fitzsimons, ECS CEO, pins a Girl Scout Emerging Leader at the Cool Women event. March 2023.

On March 24, Girl Scouts San Diego held their annual Cool Women Celebration to honor exemplary women who serve as role models for girls. The event included a mentoring session, luncheon, and ceremony, where these female leaders shared the spotlight with Emerging Leader Girl Scouts who were recognized for their outstanding achievements.

The event was a huge success, and ECS proudly supported nine exceptionally cool women leaders who were delighted to have a Girl Scout at the table. The event was a great opportunity to empower even more girls to use their voices, develop a strong sense of self, step outside their comfort zones, and build resilience.

Girl Scouts San Diego plans to bring the event back in spring 2024, so stay tuned for next year!

Nine ECS women leaders attended the Girl Scouts Cool Women event. March 2023.