I'm Fabulous! (According to THE Magazine)

Last night I was among the honorees at THE Magazine's 50 Fabulous Women of Influence event. It was so nice to be among so many other hard-working San Gabriel Valley women and hundreds of guests.

There was food, wine and friendship during a big reception outdoors in the Metro right of way*.

After THE Magazine Publisher Steve Tobia opened the formal program, Mayor Bill Bogaard spoke to the gathering of 300 people.


Each of the 50 women** was introduced and presented with roses from Piccolo and certificates from U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff and California Senator Carol Liu.

Thanks to so many people who came to support me, including (left to right below) Vannia De La Cuba, field representative to Pasadena Vice Mayor Victor Gordo; Tom Coston; and Pasadena City Councilwoman Jacque Robinson, as well as Ben Green, Judy Kent, Jan Sanders and many more.


The really cool thing about the evening was that each of the honorees chose a favorite local charity, and people made pledges to support them. Mine was Mothers' Club Family Learning Center. I was president of the board of directors several years ago and recently co-founded an advisory group made up of all the former board presidents.

I can't even tell you how many people I cajoled, I mean dragged, I mean encouraged, I mean insisted on making a pledge to Mothers' Club! I purposefully cropped this photo to protect the privacy of the pledgers. It resulted in many hundreds of dollars for Mothers' Club and more than $25,000 cumulatively for all 50 of the local charities.


I want to give a special shout-out to Sarah Orth, development director at Mothers' Club. She stood there all evening at our little table, providing brochures and verbal information to all my pledgers.


*The asphalted alleyway above underground Metro Gold Line tracks. After receiving permission from Metro, the chain-link fencing has been removed and the City of Pasadena has been installing benches, planters and other items to create a more engaging sense of place.

** Agnes Grohs, entrepreneur/humanitarian; Amanda Stephanovich, pharmaceutical executive/community volunteer; Ann Erdman, public information officer/community advocate; Anna Addis, management executive/community advocate; Barbosa Polverini, local developer/arts advocate; Cherie Saxton, artist/education advocate; Christina Avaness, nutritionist/author; Christy Zamani, non-profit executive/youth advocate; Deanne Carnighan, educator/arts entrepreneur; Debbie Manners, non-profit executive/health advocate; Diane Cullinane, medical director/health advocate;Dianne Philibosian, educator/youth advocate; Dolores Hickambottom, lifelong community activist and advocate; Doreen Garcia, non-profit executive/substance abuse prevention advocate; Elsie Benton, non-profit executive/substance abuse prevention advocate; Felicia Williams, green energy executive/environmental advocate; Franci Levine Grater, community volunteer; Gail Ellis, college counselor/philanthropist; Gale Kohl, restaurateur/community volunteer; Heather Sturt Haaga, artist/non-profit executive; Helen Morran-Wolf, non-profit executive/community volunteer; Houry Aposhian, banking entrepreneur/community volunteer; Irene Quinones, educator/youth advocate; Jacqueline Bracy, OB-GYN/women's health advocate; Jeri Nichols-Sutherling, healthcare executive/disabled-youth advocate; Jill Underwood, hospital executive/animal advocate; Joy Sullivan, entrepreneur/community volunteer; Joyce Chang, multicultural entrepreneur; Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, artistic director/arts advocate; Julie Giulioni, parent/education advocate; Karen Davis, civic leader/mentor; Linda Taix, fitness entrepreneur/community volunteer; Liz Rusnak Arizmendi, auto executive/community volunteer; Mercy Tolentino Steenwyk, entrepreneur/mentor; Mikala Rahn, educator/education advocate; Nikki Vitale, fashion entrepreneur/community volunteer; Pat Anderson, chamber executive/civic leader; Patti Carmalt-Vener, psychotherapist/arts advocate; Rachel Fine, non-profit executive/youth advocate; Sandra Troup, interior designer/community leader; Sharon Hawkins, healthcare entrepreneur/seniors advocate; Sindee Riboli, entertainment executive/community volunteer; Sue Mossman, heritage advocate/civic leader; Susana Porras, non-profit executive/teen advocate; Tahra Goraya, state senate district director/community advocate; Terre Osterkamp, OB-GYN/education advocate; Ursula Hyman, attorney/community volunteer; Valereen Essandoh, executive/philanthropist; Wenonah Valentine, non-profit executive/youth health advocate; and Yolanda De Garcia, AIDS awareness advocate.