Addis Announces 2024 "Woman of the Year" Honorees
Friday, July 12, 2024
MORRO BAY – Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) announced the 2024 "Woman of the Year" honorees, recognizing community members within Assembly District 30.
"I am honored to celebrate the extraordinary contributions of these seven exceptional women. Their leadership has profoundly strengthened our community and their dedication exemplifies the spirit of service and innovation of the Central Coast," said Addis.
The honorees for Assembly District 30 include the following:
Annalisa Mitchell, Regional Director of the "Integrated Substance Use Disorder Treatment" Program at the California Department of Corrections
Elaine Johnson, Executive Director of Housing Santa Cruz County and Board President of NAACP Santa Cruz County
Kassi Dee, Business owner of Nan’s Books & Crystals and Kassi Dee Graphic Design in Grover Beach
Khouloud Pearson, Director of the San Luis Obispo Legal Assistance Foundation
Kate Woods Novoa, Founder of the "BigSurKate" blog
Kirsten Liske, Vice President of Community Programs at Ecology Action
Susan Swick, Executive Director of Ohana at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula and Chief Mental Health Officer at Montage Health
The "Woman of the Year" awards are overseen by the California Legislative Women's Caucus to honor outstanding women in each legislative district. This year's honorees in Assembly District 30 will be celebrated over the coming months at various events across the Central Coast.
Dawn Addis was elected to the California State Assembly in 2022 to represent the coastal 30th Assembly District, which includes San Luis Obispo, Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties.
CONTACT: Julie Cravotto, (916) 319-2030
2023 Woman of the Year
I am pleased to announce Francisca Arroyo Rosales as Woman of the Year for the 30th Assembly District. It was an honor to present her achievements on the Assembly floor.
Since moving to Seaside in 2001, Francisca has displayed a strong record of civic engagement, including her work on disaster assistance for families who have been impacted by the 2023 storms, and in the Seaside community during the COVID pandemic. During the pandemic, Francisca became a Monterey County VIDA Community Health Worker, where she became equipped to deliver information about COVID-19 testing and vaccinations. In this capacity, she was also able to help residents with access to rental and utilities relief, among other resources.
A former elementary school teacher in Mexico City, Francisca's passion can be seen through her previous work for the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District as a former volunteer for Seaside High School's "Gear Up" program where she focused her time on increasing opportunities for underserved youth.
Francisca's leadership and work to assist youth with alcohol and substance abuse issues and her civic engagement has made the 30th Assembly District a better place. We are proud of the work she continues to do in our communities.