CUESTA COLLEGE HONORS 2006 SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY “WOMEN OF
DISTINCTION” ON MARCH 31
Eight
exceptional women will receive special recognition in March, at the
Cuesta College “Women of Distinction” luncheon. The awards luncheon is
scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friday, March 31 at the Cuesta
College San Luis Obispo Campus Conference Center. The luncheon is part
of the college’s 32nd annual Women’s Forum.
Cuesta
College Women of Distinction Award candidates are nominated by
individuals and organizations from throughout the county. Winners are
selected by the Cuesta College Women’s Forum committee, which is
composed of community representatives and college staff. The women who
were nominated have distinguished themselves in the areas of community
and public service, education and progress for women.
 Sandra
Boxer of Paso Robles is this year’s recipient of the Progress for
Women Award, which goes to those whose commitment to a particular
program or issue of special relevance to women has resulted in the
improvement of the quality of life for women.
Boxer
and her husband Jerry were integral in the development of the Cuesta
College North County Campus. Boxer served on the core committees,
educating the community about Cuesta and soliciting private gift
support. Her positive energy has sustained the Paso Robles AAUW
(American Association of University Women) in its mission of gender
equity. Boxer has acted as a liaison between AAUW and AVID (Advancement
Via Individual Determination), guiding efforts in mentoring youth and
promoting positive portrayals of women in history. Boxer’s home is
located near the North County Campus, and is known among many students
as the “Cuesta Annex” because of the many Cuesta events hosted there.
Deborah
Nicklas of San Luis Obispo is the recipient of the
Community and
Public Service Award, Professional Category. This is awarded to a
woman who has, through her employment, distinguished herself by
outstanding service to human or community needs.
Nicklas
is currently the Executive Director of the Foundation and Public
Affairs at French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo. She has
served as Board President and as Chair of the Capital Campaign Steering
Committee for the Friends of Prado Day Center, during which nearly
$400,000 was raised to assist the operations of the Day Center. The San
Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce also has benefited from Nicklas’
contributions and leadership. In 1999, she served as the Chamber’s Chair
and was recognized by the Chamber as the Citizen of the Year in 2002.
She also has been active with the American Heart Association and the San
Luis Obispo Community Health Foundation.
 Linda
Chipping of Los Osos is the recipient of the Community and Public
Service Award, Volunteer Category for her work in environment,
community development and art. This award is given
to women who have distinguished
themselves as volunteers in the community through outstanding service to
human or community needs.
Chipping
has been the Board President of the
Coastal San Luis Resource Conservation District between 1997-1999 and
2003-2006. She has been a Board member since 1995, devoting her time to
the City of Arroyo Grande and San Luis Obispo County in developing a
sustainable cost-effective flood control plan for the Arroyo Grande
Watershed. According to one nominator, Chipping has always publicly
advocated for the preservation of precious agricultural resources,
showing commitment, perseverance and dedication to her beliefs. A Cal
Poly graduate, Chipping joined the Peace Corps and worked for three
years on a community development program in Nepal.
Marylou
Gooden of San Luis Obispo will receive the Women in Education
Award, given to women whose exceptional commitment to teaching and
learning has done much to improve the quality of education.
As an
educator, Gooden has worked tirelessly to enhance the
opportunities for young people, using creativity and hard work to
achieve her goals. Gooden is currently the principal at Los Ranchos
Elementary School in San Luis Obispo. She has been an asset to the San
Luis Coastal Unified School District since 1988. Gooden won recognition
as an outstanding 5th and 6th grade teacher at
Charles E. Teach School in San Luis Obispo, and was a catalyst in
drawing awards to the school and its program. Other awards included
recognition from the John Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth
and being selected “Teacher of the Year” by her peers. According to one
nominator, Gooden leads by example as a program developer and life-long
learner.
.jpg) Joy
Pedersen of Morro Bay is this year’s recipient of the Community
and Public Service Award, Young Professional. This is awarded to a woman, 30 years old or younger, who has distinguished herself
as a volunteer or professional in the community through outstanding
service to human or community needs.
Pedersen
is currently the Director for
Student Community Services at Cal Poly. An academically gifted student,
Pedersen was valedictorian of her class at Morro Bay High School,
finished her undergraduate degree in three years at Claremont
McKenna College, earned a master’s degree in education with distinction
from Cal Poly and is now enrolled in the joint doctorial program in
education policy and administration through Cal Poly and UC Santa
Barbara. According to one nominator however, Pedersen’s degrees or
titles may not convey her passion for making the world a better place.
She has
a work ethic which extends to a deep sense of civic responsibility and
active community involvement.
Jane
Sinton will be honored with the first-ever Barbara George Women
in
Philanthropy Award. This is awarded to a woman who is a
professional in philanthropy leadership and has provided outstanding and
sustained work for nonprofit 501C3 organizations by leading, modeling,
and promoting charitable giving with one or more organizations. Not
intended for recognition of a philanthropic gift but instead the
leadership of and service to philanthropic causes that has made a
substantive and positive difference.
Sinton
was a member of the original steering committee to establish the San
Luis Obispo County Community Foundation. She was subsequently elected as
the Foundation’s Founding President and served for three years. During
that time, Sinton was a tireless Foundation advocate and spent many days
traveling the state and nation to learn how to start and grow an
effective community foundation. As a result of her leadership, the
Community Foundation has grown to more than $21 million in assets and
has awarded more than $5 million in grants and scholarships. Throughout
this time, Sinton continues to serve as the Foundation’s Development
Committee Chair, guiding the Foundation’s asset development program.
 Pamela
Martens of Cambria is another individual to be recognized with a new
award. Martens will be honored with the first-ever Susan Dressler
Women in Administrative Leadership Award. This award is to a woman
who has distinguished herself as an administrative, managerial and/or
executive leader for a sustained period of time. The award is intended
for a woman who has made substantive improvements in an organization,
demonstrated effective leadership and management, improved the quality
of an organization, and helped both men and women develop their
leadership skills.
Martens
has been the Superintendent of the Coast Unified School District
since 1997, a position according to nominators, that she has handled
with unsurpassed professionalism. Martens has dedicated her life to
education for more than 30 years and participates in numerous local
organizations, including the Cambria Connection Advisory Board, the
Cambria Allied Arts Association and the Friends of Hearst Castle Board
of Directors. Martens is intelligent, energetic and deeply committed to
the success of students according to one nominator. She was a leader in
the successful passage of two bond measures for new facilities at both
the high school and elementary school level. The academic performance of
students in her district on state assessments is consistently among the
highest in the county and exceeds state and national averages.
Kathleen
Long of San Luis Obispo is this year’s recipient of the
Grace N.
Mitchell Lifetime Achievement Award. This award is given to a woman
with distinguished service and dedication to women in more than one of
the four categories, and over an extended length of time throughout her
professional or voluntary career.
Long
has the unique, pioneering distinction of being the first female Board
certified, trained pediatrician in the history of San Luis Obispo
County. Since 1972, she has cared for countless children and families,
balancing a personal and professional life at a time when few
professional women were encouraged to do so. She was a pioneering
proponent of breast-feeding in the 1970s, encouraging and openly
advocating for this now crucial and standard form of infant feeding.
Long also became the first local expert and advocate for special needs
children with spina bifida and other serious crippling diseases.
Described as a “true pioneer” by her nominators, Long has never sought
attention for herself and has toiled for years in the background while
leaving an indelible mark on the quality and availability of pediatric
services for local children.
For more
information on the Cuesta College Women of Distinction, contact Cuesta’s
Community Programs Office at 546-3132.
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