Guests at Envision: Building Tomorrow’s Workforce, Today were treated to a selection of handcrafted cocktails and food, a commemorative photobooth, and live music by the SFJazz High School All-Stars during the welcome reception.
On May 22, 2025, JVS supporters and alumni gathered at the Terra Gallery in San Francisco for Envision: Building Tomorrow’s Workforce, Today. For the third year in a row, attendees convened for an evening gala celebrating another year of JVS’s deep impact on California jobseekers and communities.
Envision guests received VIP treatment during the welcome reception, where they dined on regional gourmet food and indulged in handcrafted cocktails. State and local policymakers, including CA State Senator Scott Wiener and San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, mingled with guests and made new connections with JVS alumni before the program.
From left: JVS supporter Elyse Kaye and CA State Senator Scott Wiener; Ret. VA State Senator Dick Saslaw, JVS CEO Lisa Countryman-Quiroz, and San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie; JVS Board Vice President Max Simkoff, Board President Erran Berger, and Board Member Hakeem Oseni II
During the event program, five JVS alumni were recognized for their outstanding career advancement in new videos that also featured employer partners from Wow Kids Dental and Kaiser Permanente. The alumni are thriving in healthcare and tech-focused careers, and each completed a JVS program over the past five years, including Foundations in Dental Assisting, Medical Assistant Certificate, IT Support, Cybersecurity, and the Job Search Accelerator training programs.
JVS’s 2022 Alumni Achievement Awardee Diego Aguilar brought the house down with a speech highlighting his progress and major life changes since completing his Auto Mechanic training program in 2021. “I’m proud to say that since this video aired in 2022, I have arrived,” Diego declared to thunderous applause. “After I got the apprenticeship, I showed up ready to learn, and I haven’t stopped since. I’ve been promoted twice, and today I’m a Journeyman Machinist. Then last month, I bought my first home!”
From left: JVS dental programs alum Melissa Gurule with Foundations in Dental Assisting Instructor Samantha Belloso; JVS 2022 Alumni Achievement Awardee Diego Aguilar; JVS tech programs alum Kali Meeks
The 2025 Alumni Achievement Award went to Omar Moawad, a 2020 Foundations in Dental Assisting graduate, in honor of his incredible career development and commitment to the community. Omar quickly secured a dental assistant role after completing his program, and since then, he has returned to JVS as an instructor and mentor, helping others pursue brighter futures. This fall, he’ll begin his Doctor of Dental Surgery program at USC.
“JVS gave me a chance—a foundation,” Omar said. “Through their program, I gained not only a job and financial stability but also the confidence to pursue something bigger.”
New in 2025, JVS introduced the Employer Partner Award, which was presented to UCSD Health for their exemplary work in developing a Sterile Processing Technician training program for food service and custodial employees.
From left: Omar Moawad received the Alumni Achievement Award from fellow alum and JVS Board Member Yasmeen Gonzales; JVS staff at the end of the program; Doug Levine and Monica Redmond accepting the Employer Partner Award for UCSD Health from JVS Director of Program Design Dorit Leavitt.
The evening wrapped up with an inspiring fundraising moment, led by JVS CEO Lisa Countryman-Quiroz and JVS Board Vice President Max Simkoff. Following the program, guests were treated to a variety of desserts and beverages as they formed new connections among members of the JVS community.
Envision will return in 2026, with save-the-date announcements arriving by mail and email in the spring. Interested supporters can sign up to receive JVS e-newsletter updates by subscribing to our mailing list.
Envision guests mingle during the dessert reception.
