Please Join us in Congratulating our 2020 Jean Cole Commitment to Service Award Recipient,Aaron Byzak
On behalf of Operation HOPE-North County’s board of directors, staff and families, we want to thank ALL of our nominees for their continued service and dedication to our community! Your commitment to serving others and selfless efforts are changing lives and spreading HOPE
Aaron Byzak is a proud lifelong resident of North County and has consistently demonstrated a commitment to the broader community through professional and volunteer efforts in the areas of health care, business, workforce development, education, and public safety. Aaron serves as the Chief External Affairs Officer for Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside where he is responsible for marketing, communications, government affairs, community engagement, and special events on behalf of the 386- bed general acute care medical center and a healthcare district serving the more than 400,000 residents of Carlsbad, Oceanside, and Vista, California. Ever since joining Tri-City Medical Center in 2018, Aaron and his team have helped redefine community engagement for the medical center. This is done through the COASTAL Commitment. An outreach initiative that directs financial and in-kind support to more than 50 local non-profit and community organizations to address priority health needs and social determinants of health in the coastal North County area. As part of the COASTAL Commitment, Aaron has led the effort to support the mission of Operation HOPE – North County. Aaron teaches Strategic Career Planning Class called; A 10-Step Guide to Realizing Your Potential for residents at Operation HOPE. He has helped coordinate other volunteers from Tri-City Medical Center’s Human Resources department who provide classes on interview and job search training. Aaron serves on 20 non-profit boards and committees, including North Coastal Prevention Coalition (president), NAMI San Diego, San Diego North Economic Development Council, Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, Vista Chamber of Commerce, and the Palomar College Foundation, among others.
Additionally, Aaron is an appointed commissioner on the City of Vista’s Community Safety Commission (vice-chair) and a trustee for the board of the Health Professions Education Foundation (HPEF) for the State of California. He also serves as a coach for Champions League baseball, a baseball/softball program for players with disabilities. He is leading the national outreach effort for International Albinism Awareness Day (IAAD) for the National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation (NOAH). Both of his children have albinism and are visually impaired. Additionally, Aaron is the founder and chief advocate for Hazel’s Army, a community advocacy and education group that in 2014 helped pass the most comprehensive assisted living reform agenda in California’s history. In 2019, Hazel’s Army expanded its mission to include support for other vulnerable populations, notably those suffering from mental illness. In July of that year Aaron published the report Mental Health Policy and Practice Reform: A Local, State, and Federal Perspective outlining 30 suggested reforms for all levels of government. Throughout his more than 20 year career, Aaron has held various positions in hospital and health system leadership, public policy, and Emergency Medical Services, including spending nearly seven years as an emergency medical technician working on basic and advanced life support ambulances in North County and throughout San Diego. Aaron lives in Vista with his wife, Amanda, and their children, Adam and Cassandra
Spring into HOPE Online Auction Update!
We have seen how much fun you all are having out bidding each other on our online auction that we have decided to extend the fun!
Our online auction fundraiser has been extended to
Friday, April 3, 2020!
We will have new items coming this week. Stay Tuned
Make your bid today to support the families and single women in shelter!
How the nominee exhibits a commitment to excellence
Aaron has a longstanding commitment to excellence that has exhibited in a wide array of programs and initiatives that he has led. First, to understand Aaron’s commitment to excellence, it’s essential to understand his guiding principles, including the value statements that Aaron wrote for himself nearly twenty years ago. These are the values that Aaron holds most dear and his personal definition for each: Integrity – Set the highest standard of ethical behavior in all decisions and interactions. Engagement – Form coalitions to accomplish common goals based on a shared vision— while reserving the right to go it alone if necessary. Passion – Show enthusiasm for your work and the work of others. Execution – Set the benchmark for performance in every activity. Aaron has lived these values throughout his professional, educational, and personal pursuits, and it has shown. Over the course of his career, projects and programs that Aaron has conceptualized or led have garnered more than 50 awards ranging from local recognitions to national best practice awards. The common thread between all of them is a dedicated focus on the community and a steadfast commitment to excellent outcomes. From leading efforts to reduce alcohol, drug, and tobacco use among youth, to the creation of workforce development programs for at-risk teens, to protecting the elderly in assisted living facilities and advocating for better care for those suffering from mental illness, Aaron has always brought people together to tackle challenges facing our community, demonstrated a passion for that work that is infectious and brings more partners to the table, and executed a vision/plan with a mind towards having the most significant positive impact possible given the effort’s available resources. Most importantly, he does this with honesty and integrity. Through it all, Aaron has demonstrated a commitment to excellence.
