12 Remarkable Women Revealed As Honorees for NWPC LA Westside Calendar Gala in October

by Catherine Hood and Karriann Farrell Hinds

Current and previous Calendar honorees (left to right):
Robyn Ritter Simon, Amy Howorth, Barbara Ruskin, Kristie Holmes,
Jane Hasler Henick, Lindsey P. Horvath, and Lee Saltz

With three months remaining until the NWPC LA Westside Calendar event, the "12 Remarkable Women Leaders" were announced last Thursday morning in the Garden at Factors Restaurant in Beverly Hills.

Loyola professor and radio personality, Jessica Levinson, delivered remarks at the well-attended breakfast meeting where anxious politicos and activists gathered to hear which “12 remarkable women” will grace the pages of the organization’s celebratory 2016 calendar.

The Remarkable Women Leaders Calendar seeks to honor 12 women who have made significant contributions to the betterment of our communities, particularly in regards to issues impacting women, and who serve as role models and mentors to women in public service.

  

After the announcement, Prof. Levinson shared a few special remarks regarding some of the still pressing issues regarding the gender disparity in politics, including the unique challenges women still face in running for political office, and why it is important to work towards achieving diversity in ranks of elected officials. In regards to the last election, Ms. Levinson who is also Vice President of the Los Angeles Ethics Commission, commented:

“I am deeply saddened that we must find cause for celebration when fewer than one in five representatives, but approximately one out of two members of the population, are women. We need the best representatives advocating for their constituents, not the second or third best.”

The Remarkable Women Leaders Calendar and Gala is a major fundraiser for NWPC LA Westside, which is known for its work in supporting pro-choice, progressive women candidates for elected or appointed office – from the local to national levels – through trainings, endorsements and contributions. The funds raised at this seminal biennial event helps NWPC LA Westside work towards addressing the inequities that exist in the political process. The Calendar event will take place on Thursday, October 22nd, 2015 at The Mark for Events in West Los Angeles. To RSVP and purchase tickets please CLICK HERE or simply visit our website www.nwpclawestside.org.

The 2016 “12 Remarkable Women” honorees are:

Amy Howorth

Manhattan Beach City Councilmember

Amy Thomas Howorth was elected to the Manhattan Beach City Council in 2011. She served as mayor of Manhattan Beach in 2014 and served for 8 years as a member of the Manhattan Beach School Board. @amyhoworth

Ana Guerrero

Chief of Staff, Office of Mayor Eric Garcetti

Ana Guerrero serves as Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Chief of Staff. In this capacity, she is the primary driver of his agenda to improve neighborhoods, create jobs and make City Hall work better, and directs all aspects of the Office of the Mayor.

Betty Yee

California State Controller

Betty Yee was elected California State Controller in 2014. Previously, Betty served on the California Board of Equalization and has over 30 years of experience in state and local finance and tax policy. @BettyYee2014

Elizabeth Gelfand Stearns

Chair of The Judy Fund

Producer of the critically acclaimed, award winning film Still Alice, Elizabeth Gelfand Stearns serves as chair of The Judy Fund, where she works to ignite public awareness and engagement in the battle against Alzheimer’s disease. She was appointed to the National Board of Directors of the Alzheimer’s Association in 2011.

Dr. Kristie Holmes

Adjunct Associate Professor, USC; Women’s Rights Advocate

Dr. Kristie Holmes has acted as moderator for an NGO at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, as well as participated as a panelist at the Women Leaders Forum as part of the United Nations General Assembly. Currently, she serves on the board of United Nations Women U.S. National Committee. @DRKristie

Laura Rosenthal

Malibu City Councilmember

Laura Zahn Rosenthal was elected to the Malibu City Council in 2010. Laura, a practicing clinical psychologist for over 30 years, serves as a member of the League of California Cities Environmental Quality Policy Committee and serves as the  alternate representative to the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission. @Laura4Malibu

Leanore “Lee” Saltz

Public Health Advocate/Educator

Lee Saltz is a retired teacher and longtime community advocate on public health, social justice and reproductive rights issues. Lee serves on many boards, including the National Council of Jewish Women, the Friends of the Beverly Hills Public Library and on a special project with the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust.

Madeline Di Nonno

Executive Director of Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media

Madeline Di Nonno is the Executive Director of The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media and See Jane.  Madeline focuses her 25 years experience in media, marketing and business development experience to raising awareness around regarding gender diversity and equity in entertainment mediums.

Mona Pasquil

Appointments Secretary, Office of Gov. Jerry Brown

Mona Pasquil serves as Appointments Secretary in the Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. and is responsible for helping the Governor recruit top candidates to serve California. @monap22

Nury Martinez

Los Angeles City Councilmember, 6th District

Nury Martinez serves as the only woman elected out of 18 Los Angeles city offices. Prior to her election to City Council, Nury served on the Los Angeles Unified School Board and was a community advocate. @martinez_nury

Paula Madison

Author/Former Television Executive

Paula Madison is an award winning journalist, former television executive, successful business owner and appointee to the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners. Paula was named one of the "75 Most Powerful African Americans in Corporate America" by Black Enterprise Magazine in 2005 and recently published Finding Samuel Lowe about her family’s efforts to explore their ancestry.

Sheila Keuhl

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, 3rd District

Sheila Kuehl was elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in 2014. Previously, Sheila served as a member and Speaker of the California State Assembly and as a member of the California State Senate. @sheilakuehl

The National Women’s Political Caucus (NWPC), Los Angeles Westside is a multi-partisan, grassroots membership organization dedicated to increasing women’s participation in the political process. NWPC LA Westside recruits, trains and supports pro-choice women candidates for service in elected and appointed public office at all levels of government. Follow NWPC LA Westside to keep informed about women leaders working throughout the Southern California region on Twitter @NWPCLAWestside, on Facebook , and on the web at www.nwpclawestside.org.

NWPC LA WESTSIDE HONORS 12 WOMEN IN LOS ANGELES FOR ADVANCING OPPORTUNITIES OF WOMEN FOR ELECTED OFFICE

Contact: Laura Walsh (702) 521-8196 laura@cerrell.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NWPC LA WESTSIDE HONORS 12 WOMEN IN LOS ANGELES FOR ADVANCING OPPORTUNITIES OF WOMEN FOR ELECTED OFFICE   Complete list of honorees was announced today to NWPC members, friends and supporters Los Angeles - July 23, 2015 - The National Women's Political Caucus (NWPC), Los Angeles Westside, a grassroots organization dedicated to increasing women's participation in the political process, announced their selection of twelve honorees who have made significant contributions to achieving equality for all women through their political participation. The announcement was made Thursday morning to NWPC leadership and members, as well as friends and supporters at Factor's Famous Deli in Los Angeles. Also in attendance were three of this year's honorees: UN Women's Committee National Board member Dr. Kristie Holmes, Manhattan Beach Councilmember Amy Howorth and public health advocate Lee Saltz. Other honorees include prominent elected officials, business leaders and creatives who represent the diversity of women in Los Angeles. California State Controller Betty T. Yee, Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl and Ana Guerrero, Chief of Staff to Mayor Eric Garcetti, were among the other remarkable women designated with the honor.   "I am delighted to be included in the 2016 Women Leaders Calendar," said Paula Madison, 2016 honoree and Vice President of the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners. "I proudly support the efforts of the LA Westside Chapter of the National Women's Political Caucus to increase gender equality in the political landscape." "I'm incredibly honored to be chosen as a 2016 Remarkable Women Leader," said Manhattan Beach Councilmember Amy Howorth, a 2016 honoree. "The bi-partisan work of NWPC is crucial for not only women, but for their children and indeed all people. When women thrive, we all thrive." Attendees of the event included NWPC board members, current and past honorees. "Serving as a past board member and President of NWPC LA Westside helped lay the groundwork for my appointment and subsequent election to the West Hollywood City Council," said West Hollywood Mayor Lindsey Horvath. "It was a tremendous honor to be recognized as a 2010 Calendar Honoree, as the work the organization performs to tackle gender parity is extremely worthwhile." Following the announcement, a keynote speech was made by Jessica Levinson, an election law expert and Professor at Loyola Law School known for her regular appearances on broadcast news programs. "Women are underrepresented at every level of government across the country. There is a vital need for a substantive discussion about ways to work towards equal representation," said Levinson. "I am thankful to NWPC for providing this platform, and for recognizing the important work these women and this organization perform throughout the community." The twelve remarkable honorees will be celebrated at the NWPC, LA Westside's Calendar Gala on October 22. The event recognizes the outstanding contributions and remarkable achievements made by the women who live, work and give back to our community. It will be the sixth Calendar event in eight years. For more information, please visit: http://www.nwpclawestside.org/CalendarEvent2015.html The 2016 honorees include: Madeline Di Nonno, CEO, Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media Ana Guerrero, Chief of Staff, Mayor Eric Garcetti Dr. Kristie Holmes, National Boardmember, United Nations Women's Committee Amy Thomas Howorth, Councilmember, Manhattan Beach Sheila Kuehl, Supervisor, Los Angeles County Paula Madison, Vice President, Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners Nury Martinez, Councilmember, Los Angeles Mona Pasquil, Appointments Secretary, Governor Jerry Brown Laura Rosenthal, Councilmember, Malibu Lee Saltz, Public Health Advocate Elizabeth Gelfand Stearns, Founder & Chair, The Judy Fund; Co-Producer, Still Alice Betty T. Yee, California State Controller ### The National Women's Political Caucus (NWPC) is the only multi-partisan organization dedicated to recruiting, training and supporting pro-choice women running for office. Our NWPC LA Westside chapter focuses on supporting pro-choice women seeking elected or appointed positions within local and statewide government in the cities of Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Santa Monica and Malibu, as well as unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County. For more information, please visit: http://www.nwpclawestside.org/index.html

Breakfast July 23 - Join NWPC LA Westside As We Announce the 12 Remarkable Honorees for our 2016 Women Leaders Calendar

ONE WEEK AWAY! The Suspense is Over...   Join NWPC LA Westside  As We Announce the   12 Remarkable Honorees for our 2016 Women Leaders Calendar Please join NWPC LA Westside for our July Membership Breakfast at Factor's Deli as we announce the women who have been selected for the  2016 Remarkable Women Leaders Calendar. Twelve accomplished women were selected to grace the pages of our  Biennial Calendar, which supports our efforts to recruit, train and support women  seeking elected and appointed office. Thursday, July 23, 2015  7:30 AM - 9:30 AM 9420 W. Pico Blvd., West Los Angeles  Breakfast Included. $30 Per Person Featuring Special Remarks By Professor Jessica Levinson Loyola Law School We are honored to welcome Professor Jessica Levinson, Loyola Law School, to share special remarks regarding the challenges facing women in politics and running for political office. Ms. Levinson serves as the Vice President of the Los Angeles Ethics Commission and is a popular commentator and guest speaker on TV, radio and print outlets throughout the country. Questions? Email us at  nwpcla@gmail.com Media Inquiries may be directed to  Robyn Ritter Simon at  Robyn@RobynRitterSimon.com

The Decline of Women in America?

HUFFINGTON POST

We are mothers, sisters and daughters. We are multi-taskers, leaders and advocates. We are care-takers, Governors and executives. We are 51% of the population. Yet still, in 2012, women are seeing vicious attacks on basic (some might say "unalienable") rights. How did this happen? How, in the 21st century, are we having conversations that move the debate further away from equality?

The current generation of young women has often been told that our mothers and grandmothers did the fighting for us. Because of their determination, we have the right to vote, we have access to contraception and abortion is legal. We grew up thinking that the fight was over and that we could live our lives in equality. We believed that after decades of effort and sacrifice by brave women who came before us, that being a woman would no longer be the reason we couldn't do something. Sadly, in just one day, there were more than enough examples to tell us that our fight is far from over.

On Thursday, February 16, 2012, five middle-aged men in Congress held a hearing about our access to birth control. No women were allowed at the table, and no women who support birth control were allowed to testify. This travesty of misrepresentation ignored the fact that 98% of women in the United States use some form of birth control. Congress was proposing to make decisions about our bodies, but no one thought to ask what we thought.

Meanwhile, just a little to the south, the State Legislature in Virginia passed a law requiring that women receive a trans-vaginal ultrasound, which includes inserting a probe inside of the woman, if they want to get an abortion, even if it is against their will. Put another way: this past week, the Virginia State Legislature approved state-sanctioned rape.

On that same day, a major political donor gave an interview on national television, blaming the fact that we even have to have conversations about birth control on women and offered a an offensive suggestion, saying "Back in my days they used Bayer aspirin for contraceptives. The gals put it between their knees and it wasn't that costly." The donor didn't mention how women are hyper-sexualized in the media and constantly criticized about their appearance. Instead, he simply suggested that women close their legs, and seemed annoyed that women's health would consume precious hours of the 24-hour news cycle.

As frustrating and offensive as these past days have been to women across the country, these examples also help to highlight the work that needs to be done. Enough is enough. It is time for a new generation to take action. It is time for a new generation to build on the victories won by of our mothers and grandmothers and to acknowledge that our fight is not over. It is time for a new generation of women to get politically engaged, and there is an obvious place to start -- we need to elect more women to office.

While there are many men who stand as feminist allies, the reality is that women and men govern differently. Women and men approach decision-making differently, build consensus differently, and have different experiences that inform their opinions. This is not to argue that one gender's approach to governing is better than the other's; it is to point out that, in a democracy, a group that makes up more than half of the population should have its unique approach to governance represented by more than half of the legislators. Unfortunately, we aren't even close to that level of fairness.

Currently, only 17% of the members of the United States Congress are women -- that's less than 1 in 5. There are only 6 women serving as governors in the United States -- about 1 in 8. If this past week has taught us anything, it should be that we cannot expect equality to exist in either our laws or the national debate surrounding lawmaking, if women are not at the table as legislation is considered. So then, the question confronting a new generation of women is simple: why aren't women represented equally in government? Why so often do we not have a seat at the table?

One possible answer to this incredibly complex question is that women are not represented equally in government because we don't have many role models to look to and know that "we can do it." Political role models and mentors are often the ones who help first-time candidates make the difficult decision to run for office, and without role models, many women never get the urging they need to launch campaigns.

There are a few solutions to this problem. We need to do a better job of asking other women to run for office. We need to remind women that they can run for office, that they have what it takes to be an elected leader and that we will support them if they take that critical step. Women need more mentors. It isn't enough for women to simply serve in elected office -- achieving equality requires foresight and planning. It is incumbent upon all elected women to mentor other women, so there is a pipeline of talented young women who are ready to run when the opportunity presents itself.

We need to support each other -- not just emotionally, but monetarily as well. Women do not give as much money to political candidates as men do. Running for office is an expensive journey to take, and women need to be able to rely on other women for financial support when they run for office.

We need to vote for one another. When women vote, women win. If we are going to achieve gender equality in elected bodies, we need to get out the vote. We need to exercise the right our grandmothers fought so hard for and vote for women who are courageous enough to run for office.

We need to support women candidates in these ways because women face many difficult challenges when running for office. Often, women are still the primary caretakers for their children and elderly parents. Women are criticized for our appearance much more than men. Questions about what we are wearing, how much make-up we have on and how much we weigh are constant and are only questions that we as women have to face. We are asked questions about how we plan to serve in elected office with children and, at the same time, we are criticized if we made the choice not to marry or have a family.

We face many roadblocks. And yet, as women what we know to be true is that we can do anything. We can be full-time mothers and work outside of the home. We can take care of our elderly parents and serve in Congress. We can be single parents and executives. And it's about time, in 2012, that we can make up 51% of the elected leadership.

So what can you do to get involved today? There are many organizations working hard to ensure we achieve equal representation in government. Running Start, WUFPAC, Off the Sidelines, National Women's Political Caucus, The 2012 Project and Emily's List, just to name a few. Do research. Get involved. Ask a woman to run. Run for office yourself. Talk to your friends about getting involved.

Enough is enough.

It is time for our generation to take action. To build on the success of our mothers and grandmothers, and acknowledge that we have our own war to fight. And there is so much to do.

Huffington Post URL:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nomiki-konst/the-decline-of-women-in-a_b_1289367.html
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Lindsay Bubar is the Campaign Manager for California State Assemblymember Betsy Butler and the President of National Women's Political Caucus, LA Westside. She is a tireless advocate for environmental reform and equal representation for women in politics. She serves in leadership positions for Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters, LA Running Start, Planned Parenthood and San Fernando Valley Young Democrats.

Nomiki Konst is a Congressional Candidate for Arizona's 2nd District this fall. She's the founder and former President of Alliance Hollywood, an organization dedicated to training members of the entertainment industry on how to speak civilly about politics. She's an advocate for civil discourse, Millennial politics and equal representation.