On April 16 at a luncheon in Echo Park, Rep. Adam Schiff honored 13 inspiring women from communities in the 28th Congressional District – Atwater Village, Burbank, Echo Park, Elysian Valley, Glendale, Hollywood, La Canada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Los Feliz, Pasadena, Silver Lake, Sunland-Tujunga, and West Hollywood.

“Today, I met with remarkable women from my district who have all worked tirelessly to make our communities a better place,” said Schiff. “It was an honor to recognize their outstanding work in the 28th District. These women have worked to found or support a myriad of charitable organizations and given so much of themselves to improve the common good. They are all pillars of our communities and I thank them for their invaluable service.”

Among the honorees were Anita Quiñonez Gabrielian of Glendale, Jeanne Broberg of La Cañada Flintridge, Dr. Diane L. Evans of La Crescenta and Pat Kramer of Sunland-Tujunga.

Schiff began the introduction of each honoree by stating, “I rise today in honor of Women’s History Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our nation’s women. It is an honor to pay homage to outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional District.”

Of Anita Quiñonez Gabrielian of Glendale, he noted that Quiñonez Gabrielian holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a focus on finance and accounting, enjoyed an “exceptional career” for 33 years at AT&T, and is currently, president/CEO of Gabrielian & Associates Insurance Services, Inc. and the co-founder and partner of CG Benefits Group.

“Anita has been a dynamic force in the community, and her selfless service, expertise and incredible work ethic have benefitted many organizations over the years,” Schiff said. “She has served on the City of Los Angeles Workforce Investment Board, and on the board of the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership. A staunch advocate for accessible quality education, Anita wholeheartedly enjoyed serving as a member of the Glendale Community College Board of Trustees for 15 years, including Board of Trustees president for three terms.”

Jeanne Broberg of La Cañada Flintridge was also recognized. A mother of eight, Broberg was described as a “selfless advocate” for children who was an active member of the La Cañada Elementary School Parent Teacher Association (PTA). She is an active volunteer with La Cañada Flintridge schools, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts of America, YMCA day camps and sports programs, thespian and choral activities and the American Youth Soccer Organization.

“In addition to being a longtime volunteer with the Assistance League of Flintridge, where she served as its 2015-2016 president, Mrs. Broberg’s passion for genealogy and family history led her to become director of the La Crescenta Family History Library in 2006 and, eventually, a consultant at the Santa Monica Regional Family History Center from 2012 – 2014,” said Schiff.

Dr. Diane L. Evans was recognized for her years of service, including director for Earth Science and Technology Directorate at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the last 15 years. She is the first woman to lead the Earth Science activities at JPL. During her tenure, the Directorate has grown substantially in annual funding and the number of space borne missions in development has increased as well.   

Evans is responsible for the implementation, development and operations of JPL’s Earth Science flight experiments and missions.

“One such mission was entitled ‘Grace’ and accomplished its main goal of measuring the Earth’s gravity field and measuring water loss from major aquifers and ice loss from Greenland,” said Schiff. “The Grace mission represents one mission whose science results have expended beyond its original objectives to include other crucial measurements, thus making key contributions to understanding our world. Dr. Evans has been instrumental in defining the missions, which often include domestic and foreign partnerships.

Pat Kramer of Sunland-Tujunga is a communications expert who creates original content for business and corporate entities for their marketing, outreach and public relations efforts. For over 30 years, she worked as a consultant to companies in education, entertainment, healthcare, financial services, real estate, transportation, politics, arts and culture, cities, agencies and non-profit organizations to improve their communications materials.

A dedicated volunteer in her community, Kramer’s activities include over 30 years of participation in the Sierra Club ¬– Angeles Chapter where she has held leadership positions and advocates for issues affecting the quality of life in the foothills. A Sunland Tujunga Neighborhood Council (STNC) member for many years, some of her accomplishments on the council include helping to complete a decade-long project to create a new community park in Sunland, Oro Vista Park, as inventory chairperson, organizing the STNC’s 2017 move to North Valley City Hall, and co-chairing the 2018 STNC’s Emergency Preparedness Day. She also chaired the Ad Hoc Signage Committee and currently chairs the STNC’s Safe Traffic and Transportation Committee, which creates informative monthly meetings about improving safety on Sunland-Tujunga’s streets.

“In addition to her outstanding work in the community, Ms. Kramer is passionate about animal rescue work, and has been working to try to initiate the City of Los Angeles’ Department of Animal Service’s Volunteer Animal Officer program and supports other worthwhile animal rescue organizations,” added Schiff.