Be sure to mark your calendar for Feb. 25 as The Business Journal honors outstanding executives in the Central Valley with the CEO of the Year.

We can add second annual to this event now. Last year James Kim was the inaugural CEO of the Year. Kim steered Central Valley Community Bank through a $99.4 million merger with Community West Bank in 2023. He’s now CEO of Community West Bank here in Fresno.

That’s the sort of leadership you can expect from this year’s CEO of the Year program, which for the first time will include seven CEO honorees in the running for the award. They were selected by a panel of The Business Journal’s executive leaders with input from the newsroom.

We looked for examples of leadership in action guiding mergers & acquisitions, managing difficult challenges and capturing prime opportunities. Fostering company culture, retaining good people and serving the community are also the hallmarks of a great CEO.

The CEO of the Year will be named at the Feb. 25 event at Pardini’s in Fresno as part of a program that will include the release of our 2025 Book of Lists.

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This year’s seven CEO of the Year honorees form a deep roster of executive leadership in the Central Valley and beyond:

 

William “Michael” Betts IV
Betts Company

Betts has been president and CEO at Betts Company since 1995. A sixth-generation family business, Betts Company manufactures heavy duty truck parts in its Fresno facility. He’s also a founding member of the San Joaquin Valley Manufacturers Association, leading efforts to train the next generation’s workforce for well-paying careers in manufacturing.

 

Genelle Taylor Kumpe
Fresno Business Council & San Joaquin Valley Manufacturing Alliance

Kumpe has dedicated her career to creating transformative change, empowering individuals and advocating for women and children. She brings a wealth of experience and passion to her dual roles as CEO of the Fresno Business Council and CEO of the San Joaquin Valley Manufacturing Alliance. She leverages her leadership to drive collaborative efforts that address complex community issues, foster economic vitality and create opportunities for all.

 

Nicole (DiBuduo) Linder
Marjaree Mason Center

Linder assumed the role of CEO of the Marjaree Mason Center in September 2016. She oversees more than 100 employees who annually serve more than 8,000 adults and children from Fresno County who have been affected by domestic violence. She has also spearheaded a $21 million fundraising campaign for the new Isnardi Foundation Building in Fresno

 

Eric Gerald Rawn
Xobee Networks

Rawn is the founder of Xobee Networks (aka BCT Consulting), one of the fastest growing technology companies in America. Headquartered in Central California, Xobee has become one of California’s most advanced and innovative managed IT service companies, with more than 5,500 clients and offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Fresno, and Palm Springs.

 

J.P. Shamshoian
Realty Concepts

J.P. Shamshoian is the owner and CEO of Realty Concepts, Lending Concepts, Steadfast Escrow and Sure NHD, and a co-owner of Parker Property Management and Land Concepts. He oversaw the acquisition of Guarantee Real Estate by Realty Concepts earlier this year to forge one of the Valley’s largest residential real estate brokerages.

 

Bettye Smith
Payroll People Inc.

Founded in 1981, Payroll People Inc. has deep roots in Fresno. Smith took full ownership of the company in 2002 with a mission to blend innovation with community commitment. Under Smith’s stewardship, the company has consistently led with forward-thinking strategies. The company is also preparing for global expansion by developing software solutions capable of navigating international markets.

 

Dora Westerlund
Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation

Westerlund is the founder, president and CEO of the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation, a nonprofit established in Fresno in 2004 to foster entrepreneurship as a pathway to economic self-sufficiency for minority and underserved communities. Under her leadership, the organization has positively impacted the lives of more than 30,000 entrepreneurs and leaders-in-training across California.

We hope you can join us on Feb. 25, 2025, as we name the CEO of the Year.

For sponsorship opportunities for this event, please contact Ashley Webster Rudolph.