Antelope Valley, CA – The Navigating Change Award is a leadership award presented by the Antelope Valley Economic Development & Growth Enterprise (AV EDGE). This year’s recipient will be celebrated during the Spring Business Summit, which will take place on Thursday, March 20, 2024, at the AV Fair & Event Center. This prestigious award honors individuals who have demonstrated exemplary leadership through their community service, significantly improving the quality of life for individuals and/or significantly helping organizations or local governments while meeting the changing circumstances or challenges in the Antelope Valley region.
Several qualified nominations were submitted for this year’s award, including:
- Dave and Kathy Gomez – IBEW/NECA/LMCC
- Kevin Harbour – BizFed Institute’s President
- Sandra Iskandar – Sandra Iskandar’s Collection
- Dan Jacobs – CEO of AV Fair and Event Center
- Felix Menedez – SALVA
- Anthony and Linda Myers – Save Haven id’s League of California City
- Sonia Sondra – MAMAS
- Sam Schmitz – Co-Owner Lucky Luke
- Dechane Yusef – E & E Love Foundation
The AV EDGE Navigating Change selection committee has announced the 2025 top three finalists.
- Dave & Kathy Gomez – IBEW /NECA /LMCC– Business Development – Dave and Kathy have been longtime members and leaders for IBEW/NECA/LMCC of LA County, where their professional roles focused on regional Business Development. The two have been instrumental in creating strategic branding and partnerships throughout the region. Their combined efforts have resulted in strategic workforce agreements with key regional stakeholders. Until Dave’s passing in late 2024, his contributions extended far beyond his professional career – Dave was an integral part of his community, serving on the Palmdale Water District Board of Directors, City of Palmdale Planning Commission, Los Angeles Community College District Bond Over-site Committee, Commissioner of Antelope Valley State Water Contractors Association, and as Deputy Mayor of Economic Development for the City of Lancaster. Kathy continues to play an instrumental role with IBEW/NECA/LMCC. She is a dedicated, active community advocate, serving as an active Board Member for several non-profit organizations, including the Palmdale Water District and the AV Fair & Event Center.
- Kevin Harbour – BizFed Insitiute’s President – Kevin is a seasoned business professional with over 30 years of experience as a Senior Executive in the IT and Communications industries with Fortune 100 companies like Xerox, HP, and Verizon as well as serving in the past as the UCLA Alumni Director of Corporate Strategic Partnerships. Kevin leads the effort to provide a platform for impactful discussions and programming that leads to collaboration among private and public sector leadership in areas and industries that impact our regional economy: Workforce Development, Aerospace Mfg., Energy, Construction, Water Resiliency, Education, Transportation/Goods Movement, Finance, Broadband Access, Environment, Healthcare/Life Science, Emerging Tech/AI, Education, Public Policy, Public Safety, and beyond.
- Dan Jacobs – AV Fair & Event Center CEO – Dan is a lifelong resident of Antelope Valley and has served as Chief Executive Officer of the AV Fair & Event Center since 1995, guiding the organization through decades of growth and transformation. Dan holds a B.S. from Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo and his M.B.A. from California State University-Bakersfield. His passion for the community is demonstrated by his active engagement as a board member for several regional organizations such as the Western Fairs Association, California Fairs Services, Authority, California Authority of Racing Fairs, Destination Lancaster, and the City of Lancaster’s Planning Commission. He has also contributed to his community as an adjunct lecturer at California State University-Bakersfield in the School of Business and Public Administration.
AV EDGE Board of Director President Marvin Tompkins commented, “Every person nominated demonstrates an unbridled passion for our community. Their dedication and commitment to improving the quality of life for the Antelope Valley is to be commended. Our top three finalists are all exemplary leaders who constantly challenge the status quo and take the initiative to work outside traditional norms.”
The 2025 Navigating Change recipient will be announced the week of March 8th and honored at the 2025 AV Edge Spring Summit on March 20th at the AV Fair & Event Center. This year’s Spring Summit will host keynote speaker Retired Col. Nicole Malachowski, USAF, a jet fighter pilot, combat veteran, and the first woman on the Thunderbirds Air Demonstration Squadron, acclaimed economist Dr. Robert Eyler, President of Economic Forensics and Analytics, specializing in public policy analysis, in-depth regional economic updates, and more.
AV EDGE Executive Director Drew Mercy states, “The final nominees all have a history of overcoming obstacles with an unwavering commitment to the community and improving the quality of life for the region’s residents. Our selection committee certainly has another difficult assignment in selecting the 2025 recipient. In addition to announcing the Navigating Change recipient, this year’s event promises to be inspiring and informative, thanks to the hard work of our partners and committee members. This is the region’s economic event of the year, and I encourage everyone to purchase tickets in advance.”
Individual event tickets start at $ 125.00 for AV EDGE members and $150.00.00 for non-members. Interested 2025 Spring Business Summit attendees are encouraged to purchase tickets early, as seating is limited. For event details, including sponsorship opportunities and detailed ticket information, visit avedgeca.org.
