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Congressman Thompson honors Women’s History Month, recognizes 'Women of the Year' for the Fifth District
U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-5) introduced H. Res. 629, a bipartisan resolution honoring March as Women’s History Month and recognizing this year’s theme, “Working to Form a More Perfect Union: Honoring Women in Public Service and Government.”
“Women’s History Month, now a national movement, began right here in our district,” said Thompson. “I’m proud to continue the legacy of recognizing and celebrating the many contributions women have made to our country and our local community by introducing this resolution.”
In his address on the floor of the House, Thompson noted that the roots of Women's History Month come from his district, Santa Rosa specifically.
In 1978, the Education Taskforce of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women initiated a “Women’s History Week” celebration to encourage the inclusion of women’s history in K-12 curriculum.
With the help of the National Women’s History Project, which was founded in Sonoma County, thousands of schools and communities joined in the commemoration of Women’s History Week.
In 1981 Congress gave Women’s History Week national recognition by designating it a national observance, and by 1987 Congress had expanded the national observance from a week to a month.
The National Women’s History Project (NWHP) is based in Santa Rosa and chooses the theme of National Women’s History Month each year.
This year, National Women’s History Month celebrates “Working to Form a More Perfect Union: Honoring Women in Public Service and Government.”
“This year we honor women who have shaped America’s history and its future through their public service and government leadership,” said Molly Murphy MacGregor, executive director and co-founder of the National Women's History Project. “Although often overlooked and undervalued, collectively they have dramatically influenced our public policy and the building of viable institutions and organizations. From championing basic human rights to ensuring access and equal opportunity for all Americans, they have led the way in establishing a stronger and more democratic country. We are proud to recognize their work not just in March, but throughout the year.”
In celebration of National Women’s History Month, Rep. Thompson is recognizing five extraordinary women, one from each of the five counties that make up the Fifth Congressional District.
“I am privileged to work with incredible women throughout our district,” said Thompson “And while honoring women should not be limited to one month out of the year, the good work these women have done for our district should be recognized. They are leaders in their community and thanks to their efforts, our community is stronger today.”
The women recognized are:
Monica Rosenthal, Lake County Woman of the Year: Rosenthal has been a Middletown resident for two decades, where she grows winegrapes, owns a small business and is an active member of several local community organizations. Rosenthal served as the District 1 representative on the Lake County Planning Commission from 2007 to 2009, she has represented the First District on the Lake County Farm Bureau Board of Directors for the past five years and she is currently serving her second term on the Napa/Lake Work Force Investment Board to promote employment training and job opportunities in Lake County. After the Valley fire, Rosenthal worked tirelessly to help Lake County recover and ensure that the needs of residents were met.
Josephine Orozco, Contra Costa County Woman of the Year: Orozco has been a resident of the city of Rodeo for more than 20 years. She has served on the Recreation Advisory Board, the R10, the Rodeo Chamber of Commerce and the Rodeo Christmas Tree Lighting Committee. She has supported local youth with scholarships through the Rodeo Crab Feed and Chili Cook-Off/Car Show events. As a small business owner, Orozco has worked with our local business community to improve Downtown Rodeo and never hesitates to donate food and refreshments to local charity events.
Maria Guevara, Solano County Woman of the Year: Guevara is the founder of Vallejo Together, which serves the homeless population in Vallejo by providing meals, connecting homeless individuals to resources and hosting several community events including “Unity Day” and the “Youth and Parent Expo.” Guevara tirelessly devotes her time and talents to those most in need in our community. She previously worked on the staff of Fighting Back Partnership in the Solano Mentor Collaborative Program, with Filipino American Social Services and as a board member of Youth & Family Services.
Evelyn Cheatham, Sonoma County Woman of the Year: Cheatham founded Worth our Weight (W.O.W.), a culinary and food service training program offered free of charge to young people ages 16 to 24 who have dealt with significant challenges such as foster care, homelessness or trouble with the law. W.O.W. helps these young people develop a useful skill and worthwhile passion in addition to instilling valuable lessons such as the importance of teamwork, hard work, and respect for oneself and others.
Linda Parks, Napa County Woman of the Year: Parks is the president and chief executive officer of Lixit Animal Care Products in Napa. Founded in 1968, Parks joined Lixit in 1971 as a buyer. At the time, Lixit only had 10 employees. In 1994 the original owner retired and the employees bought the business using a qualified employee stock ownership plan. Today, under Parks' leadership Lixit is a thriving business with more than 100 employees, many of whom are adults with disabilities. Lixit is of tremendous value to the community as it enables adults with disabilities to find employment and thereby gain independence. The average tenure of Lixit’s staff is seven to 15 years. Parks was named as one of the North Bay Business Journal's 2015 Women in Business award winners.
Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.