Mary Cheeks, President and General Manager of Jamul Casino, was awarded the San Diego Business Journal “Business Woman of the Year” 2021 award at its annual ceremony, which was held on November 18.
One of only four women in the region to receive this honor from a pool of 110 finalists, Cheeks was recognized as the top business woman in the “Large Company” category with 250 or more employees.
This is a recognition of Cheeks as one of San Diego’s highly esteemed female business leaders for her success in developing industry-wide COVID safety best practices, and in making Jamul Casino one of the region’s top destinations for food, gaming and entertainment.
This year’s “Business Women of the Year” competition was judged by some of San Diego’s most accomplished women, including:
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Kimberly Becker, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority
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Betsy Brennan, Downtown San Diego Partnership
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Chris Bryant, San Diego Employers Association (retired)
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Theresa Clements, J.P. Morgan
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Donna Deberry, Central San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce
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Lisa Easterly, Cyber Center of Excellence
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Lidia S. Martinez, ¡Adelante! Strategies
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Nancy Rohland-Heinrich, National University System
Erica M. Pinto, Chairwoman of the Jamul Indian Village, stated in a press release: “We are excited and proud to congratulate Mary on this well-deserved award! She is admired and well respected by the Tribe and all 1,000 team members. Mary truly celebrates, values, and listens to each individual. Her work ethic and leadership are quite extraordinary.”