Influential Woman · Healthcare
Cherie Hull Lucas
Chief Executive Officer, ADS I Demure Wellnss
Escondido, CA 92029
Her Story
About Cherie
Cherie Lucas is a board-certified healthcare advocate, entrepreneur, and founder of multiple healthcare-focused organizations dedicated to improving the quality of care and support available to individuals and families. Based in Southern California, she has built a career spanning more than 35 years across caregiving, nursing, healthcare administration, staffing, and advocacy. Her professional journey began as a candy striper and evolved through clinical and administrative roles, including more than 17 years with BRH/HealthSouth, where she developed expertise in orthopedics, amputees, brain injuries, strokes, and hospice care. She later transitioned into healthcare entrepreneurship, earning recognition for her leadership and commitment to raising standards within the caregiving profession.
Since 2009, Cherie has developed a diverse portfolio of healthcare ventures, including ADS Home Care Staffing, AHC Academy, Advocate Homecare, Graceful Transitions, Demir Wellness, and the developing Legacy of Hearts program. Through these organizations, she addresses caregiver staffing and education, in-home support, end-of-life care, wellness services, and healthcare advocacy. A central focus of her work is ensuring that caregivers are properly vetted, trained, and equipped with the empathy, communication skills, and integrity necessary to provide exceptional care. She also advocates for seniors and families navigating complex healthcare, estate-planning, power-of-attorney, and aging-related decisions, emphasizing autonomy, transparency, accountability, and compassionate support.
Beyond her business leadership, Cherie is passionate about education, mentorship, public speaking, and strengthening connections between generations. Her Legacy of Hearts initiative seeks to bridge the gap between youth and seniors through meaningful interaction, communication, and purpose-building activities. She has also shared her experiences and insights through speaking engagements and is developing her book, No Regrets, which reflects on her personal and professional journey and the lessons she has learned about family, forgiveness, resilience, caregiving, and service. Her leadership and impact have been recognized through her nomination and award as Miss Executive West Coast 2026 for United Crown America, further reflecting her commitment to transforming healthcare and inspiring others through purposeful service.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Cherie
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the values instilled in me by my parents. My mother has always been driven, compassionate, and dedicated to caring for others, and I strive to emulate her integrity and commitment to service. My father was a quiet and kind person, and I grew up in a loving home where family, kindness, loyalty, fairness and service were deeply valued. These experiences shaped me into a leader who believes in serving others, leading with compassion, and making a lifelong commitment to caring for the people around me.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Does being a ceo strengthen the ecosystem, serve the same population, produce a measurable benefit, have a capable leader, and make financial sense without requiring Cherie to personally carry it?
My motto: “I am only as great as the people that surround me.” T
he next level of that philosophy is building people who can lead without waiting for you.
“How can I make this work?”
“Who owns this, what is the standard, how do we measure it, and can it operate without me?”
That's the transition that can take a collection of successful companies and turn them into an institution that lasts beyond its founder.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
As CEO of ADS and leader of multiple purpose-driven organizations, she has created an integrated ecosystem connecting home care, caregiver education, advocacy, wellness, and end-of-life support. Her leadership philosophy is simple: build with purpose, lead with compassion, and leave people better than you found them.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The greatest challenge—and opportunity—in health and wellness today is that people are overwhelmed with information but often lack trusted guidance. Consumers are becoming more proactive about prevention, healthy aging, longevity, nutrition, weight management, and overall well-being, yet navigating all the options can be confusing.
I believe our opportunity as leaders is to bridge the gap between healthcare and wellness by providing education, responsible guidance, and services that treat the whole person—not simply a diagnosis.
The future is about helping people become active participants in their health while ensuring that wellness remains ethical, evidence-informed, accessible, and centered on the individual.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that guide both my work and my personal life are integrity, compassion, faith, accountability, and service.
I believe how we treat people when no one is watching says more about our character than any title ever could.
I value keeping my word, doing the right thing even when it isn't the easiest thing, and surrounding myself with people who share a genuine desire to serve others.
Success, to me, isn't measured only by what I've built or accomplished; it's measured by the lives I've touched, the people I've helped grow, and the legacy I leave behind.
At the end of the day, I want people to remember not simply what I did, but how I made them feel and that I left things better than I found them.
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