Amina Sheik Mohamed: Advancing Health Equity Through Community-Driven Initiatives
Sheik Mohamed is Founding Director of the Refugee Health Unit of the Center for Community Health at UC San Diego’s Altman Clinical and Trans
About the Award
The Prebys Leadership Awards, formerly Leaders in Belonging, annually recognizes five leaders with a track record of promoting well-being for San Diego County. Each leader receives a $100,000 grant to support their work in the fields of healthcare, medical research, youth success, and visual and performing arts.
In January 2024, Prebys Foundation announced the first-ever recipients of its Leaders in Belonging initiative, recognizing five community leaders dedicated to fostering equity and belonging in San Diego. Each awardee received a $100,000 grant to support their vital work in the fields of healthcare, medical research, youth success, and visual and performing arts. The foundation is honored to support their continued efforts to build a more inclusive and just community for all.
To learn more about their inspiring work, click on the leader’s profile below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nomination FAQs
Who is eligible for a Prebys Leadership Award?
The Prebys Leadership Awards recognize leaders with a track record of promoting well-being for the San Diego County.
Nominees may work in any sector (nonprofit, public or private) but must:
- Be individuals (not an organization, group or pair of leaders)
- Be living and current residents of San Diego County
- Work in healthcare, medical research, youth development, and/or visual and performing arts
Nominators are strongly encouraged to review the selection criteria and the nomination questions carefully before nominating.
What are the selection criteria?
The Prebys Leadership Awards aim to recognize both the leader and their work. The following criteria are used to evaluate both elements within a nomination.
About the Leader
- Purpose. The leader is driven to achieve their goals and has a talent for igniting purpose. They possess a clear vision and the skills to empower others and turn that vision into action.
- Belonging. The leader fosters inclusion, promotes collaboration among people from different parts of the community, and helps bridge differing viewpoints.
- Opportunity. The leader creates opportunities for all San Diegans, regardless of background, to benefit from their work. The leader promotes equal access to excellence.
About the Leader’s Work
- Innovation. The leader advances a creative and culturally relevant solution that addresses challenges posed by existing institutions, practices, or systems.
- Impact. The leader has made substantial progress in addressing challenges facing San Diegans; and their work does or will enhance the well-being of a significant number of San Diegans.
- Scalability. The leader’s work could serve as a model for others, and public recognition could ignite further momentum for their work and field.
What is the selection timeline for the 2025 Prebys Leadership Awards?
July 1, 2024 Nominations open for the 2025 Prebys Leadership Awards.
Aug. 9, 2024 Nominations period closes.
Aug. – Oct. 2024 All nominations are carefully reviewed by staff and consultants of The Conrad Prebys Foundation.
Oct. 2024 An independent jury comprised of diverse San Diego leaders meets to discuss nominations and selects a group of finalists.
Oct. – Nov. 2024 Staff and consultants of the foundation conduct additional due diligence efforts, including reference phone calls to further understand the finalist’s work and its impact.
Nov. 2024 The jury utilizes findings from the due diligence efforts to identify five recipients of the 2025 Prebys Leadership Awards.
Late Nov. 2024 Award recipients are notified. All nominators are notified about the status of their nomination.
January 2025 Award recipients are announced.
Who can nominate a leader?
Anyone can submit a nomination. The nominator should be familiar with the nominee and their work and be able to describe how they meet the selection criteria.
Can more than one person submit a nomination for the same leader?
We recommend submitting only one nomination per leader. The strength of the information provided in a nomination, not the number of submissions, will affect whether the nominee moves on to the next stage. In cases where we receive multiple nominations for the same leader, we may select only one to advance for further consideration.
What are the nominations form questions?
The official nominations form will ask a nominator to provide basic information about themself and their nominee, such as demographic and contact details, and to describe how their nominee meets the selection criteria for the 2025 Prebys Leadership Awards. If you would like to prepare in advance, download this PDF to preview the questions.
Please note: the nominations questions and word limits provided below pertain to the 2025 Prebys Leadership Awards and are subject to change for future years.
How can I submit a nomination?
You can submit a nomination by filling out the official online nomination form here. We recommend that you review the eligibility requirements, the selection criteria, and the nominations questions before you submit a nomination.
Nominators may save their progress at any time by selecting the “Save” button at the bottom of the form.
Who should I contact if I have questions about the awards or nominating someone?
You can email questions to Crystal@prebysfdn.org or Tess@prebysfdn.org.
