East County Chamber Honors Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District Leaders and Partners
El Cajon, CA – On Saturday, February 22, 2025, Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District leaders and partners were honored by the San Diego Regional East County Chamber of Commerce at the 113th Annual East County Honors event. The event recognized outstanding East County businesses and community leaders, including Sally Cox, Javier Ayala, and The Water Conservation Garden. Honorees were awarded due to excellent community involvement, consistently working with, and contributing to, the East County Chamber, and demonstrating a strong sense of ethics and personal integrity.
“The District is proud to have leaders and partners in the East County community who support and collaborate with each other on such a grand scale,” said Chancellor Lynn Ceresino Neault. “Our awardees truly embody our commitment to supporting East County students, organizations, businesses, and community groups.”
Sally Cox - Leadership East County: Ms. Cox was presented with this award for demonstrating community leadership, resulting
in a substantial positive impact, and for working to better the community through
public service, projects, or volunteerism. Sally serves as the CEO at the Foundation
for Grossmont and Cuyamaca Colleges, which distributes more than $400,000 in scholarships
each year, assisting over 500 Grossmont and Cuyamaca College students. Additionally,
under Sally’s leadership, the Foundation established the Promise Plus Scholarship
Program with the goal of creating an endowment that will provide 150 additional scholarships
to students each semester.
Javier Ayala - Business & Education Person of the Year: Dr. Ayala was presented with this honor for actively working to develop improved
understanding and respect between the business and education communities in his many
roles. His efforts resulted in positive new collaborations with local business and
education to generate desirable outcomes. Javier serves as a Dean at Grossmont College,
where he leads career technical and academic, instructional, credit and non-credit
programs, as well as student support services. Additionally, he serves on the boards
of the Lemon Grove
School District and the East County Chamber.
The Water Conservation Garden - Business of the Year Award, Environmental Services: The Water Conservation Garden
has had a long-standing partnership with the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College
District, the Helix and Otay Water Districts,
as well as the Sweetwater Authority, the San Diego County Water Authority, and the
City of San Diego. The Garden was honored due to their outstanding customer service,
positive reputation in the community, and for consistently delivering top quality
educational and environmental services. For over 25 years, The Water Conservation
Garden has been educating and inspiring students and community members in East County
and beyond, through excellent exhibits and programs that promote water conservation
and the sustainable use of related natural resources.
About the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District (GCCCD) The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District (GCCCD) includes Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges, which offer hundreds of degree and certificate programs, including Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, and Advanced/Basic Certificates. GCCCD is the largest provider of higher education and job training in East County, and is a top transfer pathway to San Diego State University. The colleges lead the way in developing educational programs, classes and services that meet the needs of the community of learners, and prepare students to meet changing community and workforce needs, while advancing social justice and economic mobility. Learn more and enroll at www.gcccd.edu/enroll.