Senator Limón Honors Local Women Leaders as Women of the Year
(SANTA BARBARA) – Last week, Senator Monique Limón honored eleven women at the annual Women of the Year celebration held during Women’s History Month. Senator Limón recognized leaders who are supporting our students, women, children, small businesses, farmers, local governments, healthcare providers, and communities in need.
“As the Vice Chair of the bipartisan California Legislative Women’s Caucus, it is my honor to recognize eleven women in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties as Women of the Year,” said Senator Monique Limón. “Each woman has left their mark on their industry and plays an important role in the success of their organization. As a former Woman of the Year, I know just how much this award means to our honorees and I want to congratulate them on this well-earned achievement.”
This year’s honorees are:
- Gina M. Gonzales-Carbajal, Chief Programs Officer of the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara
- Ashley Costa, Executive Director of the Lompoc Valley Community Healthcare Organization
- Lori Lander Goodman, Executive Director of LEAP: Learn. Engage. Advocate. Partner
- Roberta M. Jaffe, Farmer Activist of Condor's Hope Vineyard
- Katrina B. Mitchell, MD, Breast surgeon, lactation consultant, and perinatal mental health provider of Sansum, part of Sutter Health’s Greater Central Coast
- Wendy Sims-Moten, Executive Director of First 5 Santa Barbara County
- Marlyss Munguia Auster, President & CEO of Visit Ventura
- Pattie Braga, Executive Director of the Ventura County Leadership Academy
- Tammy I. Glenn, Executive Director of the National Volunteer Caregiving Network; Ventura County CAREGIVERS: Volunteers Assisting the Elderly
- LaRita Joice Montgomery, Chair of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee of Ventura County
- Vanessa Rauschenberger, General Manager of Gold Coast Transit District
The origins of the Woman of the Year ceremony can be traced back to 1987 when the California State Legislature first recognized women in California at our State Capitol. Since 2016, Senator Limón has honored twenty eight women from Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. California State Legislators have now honored over 2,000 California women.
For full biographies of this year’s honorees, please click here.
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Monique Limón represents the 21st Senate District, which includes Santa Barbara, Ventura, Goleta, Buellton, Carpinteria, Guadalupe, Lompoc, Santa Maria, Solvang, Camarillo, Fillmore, Ojai, Oxnard, Santa Paula, Port Hueneme, Blacklake, Callender, Grover Beach, Los Berros, Nipomo, Oceano, Woodlands. She currently serves as the Chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus, Chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, Vice Chair of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus and Vice Chair of the Central Coast Caucus.