Awards Luncheon
Saturday, January 28, 2023
12:00 -1:00 p.m.
Ruth Hardy Park, Palm Springs
Tickets: $30
Sponsored by Aspen Mills
2023 Community Advocate
Julie Montante, Owner,
420 Bank Dispensary & Lounge
Julie personifies the definition of entrepreneurship constantly developing new business concepts to better serve the community in which she feels so passionate about. She has a zest for negotiating and bringing the best life saving and changing products available to her growing brick and mortar cannabis store the 420 Bank Dispensary and Lounge.
Julie Montante is a staunch supporter of the under served giving countless hours, and endless resources to the LGBTQ+ and Greater Coachella Valley Communities. She puts her expertise to work through Mizell Center, Well in the Desert, Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce, Villagefest, Find Food Bank, DAP Health, Guide Dogs of the Desert and charity events like the Palm Springs Health Run & Wellness Festival and Halloween Palm Springs.
2023 Health & Wellness Influencer
Benjamin Farber, DNP, RN, CNL, NEA-BC, CENP
VP Patient Care & Chief Nursing Officer, Eisenhower Health
Eisenhower Health is a not-for-profit, comprehensive health care institution that includes the 437-bed Eisenhower Medical Center, the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center at Eisenhower and the Annenberg Center for Health Sciences at Eisenhower.
Farber holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice, Systems Leadership from Rush University; a Master of Science, Nursing, Bachelor of Science, Nursing, and a Bachelor of Science, Physical Education and Kinesiology with an emphasis in exercise science from California State University, Bakersfield. In 2020, he was named a Samuel H. and Maria Miller Foundation Post-doctoral Fellow in the Marian K. Shaughnessy Nurse Leadership Academy, part of the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University. In 2021, Farber was named as a member of the inaugural cohort of the Coldiron Fellowship, a fellowship created in partnership with the Marian K. Shaughnessy Nurse Leadership Academy, American Organization for Nursing Leadership, The American Nurses Association, and the Healthcare Finance Management Association.
Farber is an active member of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership. Board service includes four years on the board of HIV Alliance in Eugene, Oregon, including two years as board president, and current service on the Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Nurse Alumni Association board.
Outside of work, Farber enjoys running, cycling, and spin classes, often coaxing friends to join him. In 2023, he’ll participate in the AIDS Lifecycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles alongside seven colleagues from Eisenhower Health. In addition to staying active, Farber enjoys discovering vegetarian options for his favorite comfort foods.
