Photo by Mary O’KEEFE CV Weekly owner Robin Goldsworthy was one of 21 women in business who were acknowledged at a luncheon on Friday.
Luncheon offers opportunity to celebrate local businesswomen, learn about legislative developments and progress.
By Mary O’KEEFE
The 12th Annual Women in Business luncheon was held on Friday at The Castaway restaurant in Burbank.
California State Legislators, Senator Carol Liu and Assemblymembers Mike Gatto and Anthony Portantino presented the event. The women honored were from the 21st Senate District and the 43rd and 44th Assembly Districts.
In addition to honoring women in business, including non-profit organizations, the luncheon was a time for the representatives to share the progress, or lack of progress, with state legislation.
Portantino spoke of his bills concerning a ban on “open carry” gun policy. AB 144 makes it a crime to openly carry an unloaded handgun in any public place or street.
“You don’t need to take a gun into Starbucks,” he said.
He also lauded his Rape Kit testing bill that had recently been approved by the Senate Public Safety Committee. This law will required law enforcement agencies to report to the Department of Justice the number of rape kits they collect.
Portantino added that thousands of rape kits have remained unopened and untested across the state.
But the afternoon really belonged to the women who are “charting a course for the new economy,” according to organizers.
Keynote speaker Lisa Stevens shared statistics of how women have changed and are affecting business in California. She quoted a study released by Pepperdine University that found Fortune 500 firms with the best records of putting women at the top were 18% to 69% more profitable than the median companies in their industries.
Stevens continued to highlight how women’s approach to business leads to success.
“We listen,” Stevens said.
She shared the trials and tribulations that she had faced in her career as executive vice president and regional president for Wells Fargo bank.
Although banking has not been viewed in a positive light during these economic times, she looked to the positive to promote, showcasing philanthropic outreach and more helpful approaches her bank has made for businesses.
The honored women then got their time to shine, as one by one they were brought up and given an award in their field of excellence.
Those honored were:
Women in Arts and Entertainment – Susan Bray and Claire Roche; Woman in Science and Technology – Katrina Demaris Miller, M.D.; Most Inspirational Award –Thelma T. Reyna, Ph.D.; Empowerment Award – Doreen Garcia, Robin Goldsworthy and Melissa Johnson, Ph.D.; Environmental/Energy Efficiency Award – Seri McClendon and Diana Schulz; Outstanding Junior Businesswoman – Melissa Tyson, D.V.M.;
Outstanding Non-Profit Employees: Nicola Keller and Reverend Zelda Kennedy;
during these economic times, she looked to the positive to promote, showcasing philanthropic outreach and more helpful approaches her bank has made for businesses.
The honored women then got their time to shine, as one by one they were brought up and given an award in their field of excellence.
Those honored were:
Women in Arts and Entertainment – Susan Bray and Claire Roche; Woman in Science and Technology – Katrina Demaris Miller, M.D.; Most Inspirational Award –Thelma T. Reyna, Ph.D.; Empowerment Award – Doreen Garcia, Robin Goldsworthy and Melissa Johnson, Ph.D.; Environmental/Energy Efficiency Award – Seri McClendon and Diana Schulz; Outstanding Junior Businesswoman – Melissa Tyson, D.V.M.;
Outstanding Non-Profit Employees: Nicola Keller and Reverend Zelda Kennedy;
Tami Ginsburg Award – Elizabeth Bagwell and Roubina Der Sarkissian; Outstanding Non-Profit Executive Directors – Mary Donnelly-Crocker, Jennifer Flemming DeVoll and Dale Morimizu Gorman; Outstanding Corporate Woman – Kim Milstien; Outstanding Small Businesswomen – Liza Boubari, Jacqueline M. Horrick, M.S. and Celeste Licea. Tami Ginsburg Award – Elizabeth Bagwell and Roubina Der Sarkissian; Outstanding Non-Profit Executive Directors – Mary Donnelly-Crocker, Jennifer Flemming DeVoll and Dale Morimizu Gorman; Outstanding Corporate Woman – Kim Milstien; Outstanding Small Businesswomen – Liza Boubari, Jacqueline M. Horrick, M.S. and Celeste Licea.
