YairKatzOn Thursday, September 29, the Long Beach Post hosted an event to honor young people from around the city who are doing great things to better their community and beyond. Out of hundreds of nominations from our readers, judges chose 40 winners, representing a range of professions and activism. The Post will be profiling each honoree in the coming days.

Long Beach resident Yair Katz immediately made waves when he was hired as the chief financial officer (CFO) of MemorialCare over a year ago, revitalizing and strengthening the research arm, finance division and Memorial Medical Center Foundation.

According to his award nominators, Katz “brought new energy and focus to the real estate strategy, physician recruitment and retention and regional strategy for Miller Children’s beyond its traditional service area” in just his first year with the organization.

Katz has been commended for his diverse leadership and communications style, as well as the energy he brings to his role, compliments that he finds humbling.

“It is a tremendous honor and a humbling experience to receive this recognition which I accept on behalf of the more than 7,000 employees, physicians and volunteers who are part of the MemorialCare family at our hospitals and countless locations throughout Greater Long Beach,” said Katz. “I am also grateful to be part of this group of 40 outstanding leaders in our community who have accomplished so much to contribute to our wonderful city.”

He called the city, where he lives with his wife and two children, the perfect setting in which to live, work and dive deep into community service.

“Well before joining Long Beach Memorial, Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach and Community Hospital Long Beach, my family chose to make Long Beach our home because of the city’s great cultural diversity, progressive stance on emerging issues and the incredible sense of community that is ever present in our city,” Katz told the Post. “Long Beach has all the elements that make a community great—vitality, opportunity, possibility, welcoming and access with people who care deeply about all who live and work here. The city fosters and promotes education, the arts, business, travel, culture and entrepreneurship.”