While locals and flatlanders alike flocked to the Santa Cruz coastline on March 20 to escape the heat wave that gripped the state, a representation of local dignitaries met up with 13 women who were honored by the office of District 28’s Assemblymember Gail Pellerin for her annual Women of the Year (WOTY) Awards.
Held at the stunning Seymour Marine Discovery Center, the luncheon was an inspiring peek into how sisters are doing it for themselves, and bringing along others for the ride.
Joining Pellerin to celebrate the women were 19th District Congressman Jimmy Panetta, Fifth District Supervisor Monica Martinez, Scotts Valley Mayor Donna Lind, Scotts Valley Vice-Mayor Steve Clark and a host of other notable faces from all strata of local leadership.
The women being feted were from all across Pellerin’s district, which ranges from Los Gatos to Morgan Hill, and the far northern reaches of Boulder Creek to Santa Cruz. With many more women nominated than could be honored, Pellerin and her staff had the difficult task of narrowing the field to 12 regional winners and one statewide honoree.
The San Lorenzo Valley was in the mix with three nominees from the region: Lindsey Speth and Ann Bennett Young of Ben Lomond, and Tonje Wold-Switzer of Bonny Doon.
Speth serves on the board of the Fire Safe Council of Santa Cruz County and leads a Firewise community in Ben Lomond. Her work reflects a deep dedication to education, community collaboration and strengthening local preparedness.
Young is managing director of Mindshare Coaching, helping leaders inspire strong team results. Drawing on 30 years in the life sciences industry, she specializes in translating complex science into clear ideas. She also volunteers with the American Red Cross and leads Damians Ladder, supporting seniors and disabled homeowners.
Wold-Switzer is executive director of Santa Cruz Long Term Recovery Group and a CZU Fire survivor, and leads core disaster case management and volunteer rebuild programming. Through partnerships with local, state and national groups and agencies, she leverages her sociology background to build sustainable support systems to propel long-term community resiliency.
Each of them were thrilled to be honored for their contributions to their local communities.
“I truly appreciate the prize. I’m so honored, and at the same time, I just appreciate the sentiment behind it about lifting women up, making sure that women support each other, and that we know about the important work that we all do,” Wold-Switzer said.
Young, who was nominated by community activist Peter Gelblum, was equally ebullient about her nomination.
“I was so moved. I know a lot of the folks here, because I worked with them in other capacities, so this is especially touching,” she said. “When I see people I have the pleasure of working with in a partnership or otherwise, it’s an awesome feeling to stand shoulder to shoulder with them.”
Speth was a bit more circumspect in her remarks.
“I feel like everyone is so amazing. I feel like I aspire to be as worthy as these other women. I feel more of just like a regular person, just trying to make my neighbors safer and keep our community whole,” she said.
Mayor Lind was thrilled to see how many women were recognized at the event.
“It was an honor to participate in recognizing an inspiring group of dedicated and accomplished women. So many of them are quietly serving in our communities and staying under the radar while making such a difference for others,” Lind said.
Pellerin also awarded Folake Phillips of Los Gatos with the California Woman of the Year prize. Phillips is the founder of AWỌ Center and creative director of Afriicionado Collective, with over two decades of experience spanning multidisciplinary curation, intercultural program design, and human development.
Folake is skilled in creating inclusive spaces for dialogue and heritage preservation with a focus on youth mental health and culturally grounded wellness solutions, and her recognition culminated in a standing ovation from the 100-plus attendees.
“As the U.S. representative for the 19th Congressional District, clearly there are a number of challenges that we face on a daily basis, be it in Washington, D.C., or right here in the 19th. However, when you see so many women who really step up and kind of give us that sense of what matters, that’s what gives me hope,” said Congressman Panetta. “Leadership these days isn’t necessarily coming from the top down—it comes from the ground up, and we’re seeing it right here today. And I’m so glad to see what Assemblymember Gail Pellerin does to highlight those ‘weavers,’ as David Brooks calls them, those people who weave together the community, so that we’re strong at the bottom level. That’s the way we build our foundation for purpose and success, especially with the challenges that our democracy faces these days. But knowing our community is strong, because of these women, that’s how we win.”
For those interested in learning more about the WOTY nominees or nominating a potential recipient, visit pellerin.asmdc.org/2026-women-year-honorees.
