SGV Awards Gala

2026 SGV Awards Gala
Saturday, October 24, 2026, 5:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Join us in celebrating the people and organizations that make the San Gabriel Valley a vibrant and thriving community. The 2026 SGV Awards Gala honors outstanding leadership, innovation, and impact across our region.

Watch for an exciting announcement about our unique location in the immediate future!

Sponsorship & Registration

Individual tickets: $275
Presenting Sponsor: $15,000 (1 available)
Gold Sponsor: $5,000
Silver Sponsor: $4,000
Program Ads: $500

Full list of sponsorship benefits below (or download the flier here).

We Thank Our Sponsors!

Leadership Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

2026 Awardees

Business of the Year

Transtech

Transtech is a full-service, multi-disciplinary consulting firm that has provided municipal services to public agencies and cities since 1989. With decades of experience supporting local governments, we bring the structure, responsiveness, and public-sector understanding needed to deliver results in complex environments.

Transtech has played a major role in supporting economic growth and safe communities throughout the San Gabriel Valley for more than 35 years. The firm provides essential municipal services to more than half of the region’s cities and has contributed to over $400 million in infrastructure projects, helping create a business-friendly environment for residents and investors alike. In addition to its professional expertise, Transtech actively supports local organizations and workforce development through partnerships and scholarships.

CEO of the Year

Ikenna Mmeje, CEO, USC Arcadia Hospital

Ikenna (Ike) Mmeje has guided the successful integration of USC Arcadia Hospital with Keck Medicine of USC, dramatically expanding access to advanced healthcare services across the San Gabriel Valley. Under his leadership, the hospital has onboarded more than 250 Keck faculty physicians, invested in new robotic and endovascular technologies, and achieved recognition as one of Los Angeles County’s top comprehensive stroke centers. Ike’s inclusive leadership style and focus on high-quality, community-centered healthcare have strengthened the hospital’s role as one of the region’s largest employers and most trusted healthcare providers.

Excellence in Economic Development

City of Azusa

The City of Azusa stands as a shining example of economic development. Through coordinated infrastructure upgrades, streamlined permitting, and interdepartmental collaboration, the city has helped bring new investment, jobs, and neighborhood revitalization, demonstrating how strategic public-private partnerships can address longstanding community needs. One recent success story among many is the 2025 addition of international superstore Vallarta Supermarkets in the Edgewood Shopping Center, mobilizing an important vacancy to restore access to essential grocery services in an underserved area of the community.

Excellence in Workforce Development

Dr. Christopher Sistrunk, City of Hope

For many years, City of Hope has been a longtime close partner with the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership, largely to the leadership of Dr. Christopher Sistrunk. Together, they provide professional development programs that expose youth and young adults to biosciences careers through initiatives such as STEP and VERT. These programs give students hands-on experience in science, nutrition, laboratory techniques, and cancer research within real-world lab environments. City of Hope also works with educators to align bioscience curricula with industry standards, supporting a strong regional pathway into the biosciences workforce. The San Gabriel Valley could not ask for a stronger ally in training the next generation of professionals.

San Gabriel Valley Advocates of the Year

San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust

The San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust is a joint powers authority created in February 2020 to fund and finance the planning and construction of homeless housing, and extremely low, very low, and low-income housing projects. Since inception, the SGVRHT has enabled cities to collaborate on addressing homelessness and expanding affordable housing, resulting in hundreds of homes and improved regional capacity. The effort has supported nearly 1,000 affordable homes and strengthened regional cooperation in addressing housing challenges.

Senator Susan Rubio

California State Senator Susan Rubio has been a tireless advocate for the San Gabriel Valley, championing initiatives that expand economic opportunity, affordable housing, and community investment throughout the region. Through her leadership in establishing and securing funding for the San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust, she helped create a critical resource that has funded hundreds of affordable housing units for low-income families, seniors, and veterans across the San Gabriel Valley. Senator Rubio has also advanced economic empowerment through her support of the East Los Angeles College Susan Rubio Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center, securing $2.5 million to expand entrepreneurship training, small business development, and pathways to ownership and economic mobility for underserved communities

Sponsorship Benefits

Download the Sponsorship Benefits

Title Sponsor
ONLY ONE AVAILABLE
$15,000

2 tables; premium seating, 16 seats
Central 2-page ad in event program
Video played during program
Speaking opportunity during the program
Recognition by MC during program
Logo displayed on table
Social media call-outs before event
Logo in video sponsorship loop before & after program
Pop-up ad at check-in
Logo displayed at check in
2 bottles of wine per table

Gold Sponsor
$5,000

1 table, prime seating, 8 seats
1-page ad in program brochure
Recognition by MC during program
Logo displayed on table
Social media call-outs before event
Logo in video sponsorship loop before & after program
Logo displayed at check in
2 bottles of wine per table

Silver Sponsor
$4,000

1 table, 8 seats
1/2 page ad in program brochure
Recognition by MC during program
Logo displayed on table
Social media call-outs before event
Logo in video sponsorship loop before & after program
Logo displayed at check in

Individual Tickets
$275

1/2 Page Program Ad
$500

300 dpi, full color
8.5” x 5.5” (landscape)
8.75” x 5.75 including 0.125” bleed
Due October 5, 2026

2025 Gala: "The Emerald Valley"
Pictures & Videos

Follow this link to see the 2025 San Gabriel Valley Awards Gala Program.

Follow this link to view the video tributes to last year's awardees on YouTube.