[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 164 (Tuesday, October 18, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1059-E1061]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING THE 2022 WOMEN OF THE YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN GARAMENDI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 18, 2022

  Mr. GARAMENDI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 2022 Women of 
the Year. The honorees represent some of the most outstanding and 
dedicated women in California's 3rd Congressional District. Nominated 
by their peers, these women are recognized for the integral and crucial 
roles they play in improving the lives of everyone in their 
communities. This year marks the 102nd anniversary of the 19th 
Amendment, which guaranteed and protected women's constitutional right 
to vote. In securing the right to vote, suffragists broke through a 
seemingly impenetrable barrier to women's full and equal citizenship in 
our country, signaling a new era of equality. Yet, even today, women 
still face significant barriers to their rights and liberties from pay 
discrimination to criminalizing women's reproductive rights. I take 
heart that each of this year's honorees will be a vital part of the 
work left to be done to realize women's full equality and rights.
  The 2022 Women of the Year are:
  Claire Arano is a positive force in her community who has a passion 
for helping others. For the past 20 years, she has served on the Orland 
Planning Commission, demonstrating an extraordinary commitment to her 
region. In her role, Claire successfully helped streamline the 
processes for business and license permits and helped promote economic 
growth by recruiting new businesses and industries to the Orland area. 
As a volunteer in the community, Claire works with one goal in mind: 
shaping the best possible environment for her community. She has served 
as President of the Orland Chamber of Commerce, the Orland Rotary Club, 
and the Glenn Chorale. In each of these positions, she stood out as a 
leader and role model. As a Rotarian, Claire championed scholarships 
for needy students, guided them to college, and helped many in securing 
their first jobs. As President of the Glenn Chorale, she established a 
college scholarship program for students who enrolled in a music 
course. Claire continually leads by example and puts the needs of 
others ahead of her own. She has a charitable heart and a compassionate 
disposition; she is a tremendous asset to the community.
  Jerrylean Baker is a dedicated community leader, strong advocate, and 
shining example of a true public servant. She is a proud senior citizen 
and lifelong member of the NAACP who advocates for civic engagement, 
addressing health and education disparities, and monitoring equal 
opportunity. Envisioning a society where all individuals enjoy life, 
she serves her community with unmatched passion and dedication. She 
consistently displays compassion and grace when volunteering in her 
community and you will often find her organizing clothing and coat 
drives, packing sandwiches for the homeless, and preparing holiday 
meals. She is an incredible advocate on issues critical to seniors, 
fighting for better housing and reliable transportation. As a fierce 
advocate for education, Jerrylean devotes herself with unparalleled 
enthusiasm to students who have a desire to attend college. Through her 
work with the NAACP, she has been instrumental in raising funds for 
scholarships. Jerrylean's hard work and dedication have enriched the 
lives of countless residents throughout her community. Jerrylean is an 
inspiration to her family and her community, and she exemplifies the 
qualities of a tremendous woman of compassion, courage, and faith.
  As co-founder of Sunrise Special Services Foundation, Annie Barnes 
has dedicated the past twenty years of her life to improving the 
quality of life for those in underserved communities. Her incredible 
journey began thirty years ago, having faced her own hardships while 
raising her young children, promising herself to one day give back by 
helping those in need. Pursuing her dream, she completed her college 
education and became an accomplished grant writer while developing 
programs for California Tribes and rural communities. Annie secured a 
position with the Office of Rural Health Policy as a Rural Fellow where 
she was recognized by UCLA as a national Healthcare Leader. Upon 
receiving her master's in clinical psychology from UCSF, she became an 
advocate for integrating western medical models with traditional 
healing practices for Tribal, Latino, and other communities of color. 
Annie's accomplishments include securing funding for the Inter-Tribal 
Council of California to train communities in violence prevention 
models and developing programs for the prevention of diabetes II 
complications for the Lake County Tribal Health Consortium. Annie's 
commitment to overcoming challenges, her positive impact on countless 
lives in her community, and her unwavering advocacy for those in need 
make her an inspiration to all who know her.
  Diane Barney has made an extraordinary difference in her community 
through her extensive career in journalism and healthcare as well as 
her involvement in civic clubs and public service. She has had an 
outstanding career

[[Page E1060]]

first as a journalist and then as Editor of the Vacaville Reporter, 
serving the northern Solano Community from 1984-2009. During her 
tenure, she focused on every facet of the community, reporting on 
schools, health, government, and social events as well as working to 
balance the role of a local newspaper in informing the public and 
telling the stories of regular people living regular lives. She is now 
the editor of Wellspring, a free health education publication that is 
delivered to 70,000 Solano residents. Diane has also had direct 
involvement with a host of public initiatives, including publicizing 
free immunization clinics through news releases, contributing health 
columns to local publications, and as a founding member of the Solano 
Public Information Network, was instrumental in educating the public on 
the pandemic's progression. As a community advocate, Diane has been a 
tireless volunteer for Soroptimist International of Vacaville and has 
served on multiple committees promoting their accomplishments. She 
served on the Solano County Library Advisory Council and sits on the 
Board of Directors of the Vacaville Chamber of Commerce, serving on the 
Travis Regional Armed Forces Committee. Diane always finds a way to 
balance her work life, community service, and her role as a wife and 
mother. She has a heart for public service and advocacy and is a 
tremendous asset to her community.
  Camille Benner is an exceptional leader and advocate for Yuba and 
Sutter Counties. Camille volunteers for SayLove, a group that mobilizes 
people and resources to promote positive impacts and change within the 
community. She is also a member of LEADership, where she works on 
fundraising to establish clothes closets in elementary schools and 
raise money for the local Shady Creek Foundation to send kids to camp. 
She is extremely engaged in her community and is always willing to lend 
a helping hand from MCing events to helping organize fundraisers around 
town. Camille currently works for Habitat for Humanity where her giving 
spirit and the endless energy she puts into projects serve as an 
inspiration to both her colleagues and the Yuba-Sutter community at 
large. Camille has an amazingly positive attitude, but she also does 
not shy away from discussing life's struggles, and by sharing her own 
stories and success in overcoming adversity, her authenticity and 
resilience inspire others to do the same. Camille treats everyone she 
meets with compassion and creates lasting connections with those she 
helps. Camille is the proud mother of three sons who have learned to 
share her same passion and dedication for community service.
  Barbara Bulkley is an active member of the Dixon community whose 
positive impact has been felt by many. Barbara has been an integral 
member of the Soroptimist International of Dixon for 31 years. She is a 
woman who works tirelessly behind the scenes to make everything run 
smoothly and successfully. She can be found cooking, handling event 
registration, setting or cleaning up events, and personally selling 
more than half of the Soroptimist raffle tickets herself. She is known 
throughout her community for her endless generosity, for years she has 
provided a Christmas tree lighting in the Dixon downtown area for the 
entire community. When the Dixon Soroptimists had exhausted their 
emergency budget in helping a community member pay rent while they 
cared for their terminally ill child, Barbara stepped in to assist the 
woman with an additional three months of rent. When fires ravaged her 
county, she stepped up and donated bottled water to assist the 
firefighters and displaced families. All of these generous 
contributions were made behind the scenes while being an active owner 
of Bulkley Ranch with her late husband Bob. All who know Barbara can 
attest to how much she loves her town and cares about helping others. 
There are countless women whose lives have been changed as a direct 
result of Barbara's generosity. Her service to others and her community 
is a shining example to everyone she meets.
  Dr. Debapriya Chakraborty is a dedicated public servant who puts her 
expertise to work creating sustainable and equitable public policy in 
her community. Since earning her Ph.D. in Economics from UC Irvine, 
Debapriya has led the policy team at the Plug-In Hybrid & Electric 
Vehicle Research Center at UC Davis. Her research focuses on policy 
issues related to electric vehicles, charging behavior, charging 
infrastructure integration, and the effects of transportation 
electrification policy on the energy market. Debapriya has an 
invaluable skill for bringing together aspects of her research into 
actionable outcomes for policymakers. Through her passion and 
expertise, she has been leading the fight against climate change by 
working to make transportation sustainable, affordable, and easily 
available to everyone. Inspired by her upbringing in a large Indian 
city with extensive transportation challenges, she strives to ensure 
that all communities have equitable access to electric vehicles. 
Debapriya also serves as a commissioner of the Davis Bicycling, 
Transportation, and Street Safety Commission and has advised the Davis 
City Council on transportation policy, road safety, and transportation 
infrastructure maintenance. Debapriya is also an active member of the 
Women's Transportation Seminar International, where she has been 
mentoring students on closing the gender workforce gap and promoting 
career opportunities for early-career professionals interested in 
pursuing a career in transportation. She has a passion for creating 
equity and sustainability through public policy and is committed to 
finding a solution to one of the world's most critical challenges.
  Sally Christie has a demonstrated passion and commitment to 
preserving the culture, history, and agricultural lands of the rich 
Delta community she lives in. Sally is on the advisory committee of the 
Delta Education Vineyard, an educational readiness program that works 
to cultivate the next generation of community leaders and agricultural 
professionals and secure the legacy of the Sacramento Delta region. 
Taking on many leadership roles in her community, Sally is also a 
member of the Walnut Grove Community Church where she is known as a 
spiritual leader with a passion for providing parishioners with 
leadership in the areas of stewardship, worship, and mission outreach. 
Sally is known throughout the Delta region for her generosity and 
caring nature. The work she has done educating future leaders will 
leave a lasting legacy, preserving and enhancing the spirit of this 
Delta community.
  Rose Conroy spent her career as a firefighter and has served as a 
role model for women beginning their careers as first responders and 
public servants. Rose first joined the Davis Fire Department in 1979, 
rising through the ranks to become Fire Chief in 1994. At the time of 
her appointment, Rose became the first woman to lead a professional 
municipal fire department in the State of California. She led the Davis 
Fire Department for the next 16 years, maintaining the highest 
standards of the profession and instituting innovations such as the 
customer service immediate feedback reporting system after each call. 
As a highly visible woman in an occupation still dominated by men, her 
drive and determination led her to break the glass ceiling almost 30 
years ago. Although Rose retired in 2010, her legacy lives on in the 
recent elevation of another female Davis Fire Department firefighter 
who, in February, was promoted to the position of Battalion Chief. 
Rose's early trailblazing role and her 30 years of service are 
memorialized in the California Firefighters Memorial statue in Capital 
Park, Sacramento, where her likeness is the only woman among the four 
firefighters depicted. Rose continues her unselfish community service, 
serving as Board Vice President for Communicare Health Centers, 
providing health services to tens of thousands of low income Yolo 
County residents. She embraced her role as Fire Chief with passion and 
professionalism and continues to have a positive impact through her 
volunteer work.
  Roberta D'Arcy has dedicated her life to caring for others through 
her career as a nurse, leading various county health programs, and 
through her involvement in the community. Her nursing career began in 
the 1960s when, at 23 years of age, she became Director of Nursing for 
Yuba County Hospital. She later spent seven years at Fremont Hospital 
in Labor and Delivery while running various prenatal classes for 
expecting parents. Roberta later became the Detox Program Manager in 
Marysville from 1975 to 1979 and in 1980 was presented with the 
opportunity to become jail nurse for the Yuba County Jail. It was there 
that she recognized the severity of addiction and how it affected 
entire families. Roberta was instrumental in developing the First Steps 
program in Yuba City, which provides intensive day treatment services 
to substance-abusing mothers. She was also instrumental in co-founding 
the Fathers First program in Yuba County, which remains a vital tool 
for fathers who are in recovery, newly out of incarceration, or simply 
in need of support in fathering skills. After retiring in 1999, Roberta 
began work at Harmony Health Family Resource Center in Marysville and 
in later years worked in Homeless Services. Her work of assisting her 
community's most vulnerable members has directly changed the lives of 
countless individuals and has made her an indispensable part of the 
community.
  Anne Davis East has given her time volunteering for countless 
organizations in Yolo County and has worked tirelessly to improve the 
quality of life for those in her community and beyond. As an original 
member of the Board of Directors for Dinner on Main, Anne was 
instrumental in organizing the very first Farm to Fork dinner event in 
Woodland, highlighting the beauty, heritage, and agriculture of Yolo 
County. Additionally, Anne volunteers for the chamber of commerce where 
she's served as a judge for the Holiday Parade and provided pro bono 
consulting services to re-establish the Woodland Downtown Group. As an 
integral member of the community, she also participated in the Woodland 
Redistricting Advisory group. Anne has worked tirelessly to

[[Page E1061]]

bring community events to Woodland that engage families, helping 
organize the Big Day of Giving which benefited a local girls' fast 
pitch softball team, working with her church and the Woodland Public 
Library to provide books to children, and arranging to have blankets 
distributed during the church's Monday food program. Anne's 
selflessness is an inspiration to many within her community. She is a 
positive role model for children and adults alike, demonstrating what 
it means to be a generous, caring, and passionate member of the 
community.
  Erin Donley Marineau is a passionate leader in our community having 
served five years as the Executive Director of Tree Davis. A devoted 
environmentalist, Erin has dedicated herself to growing Yolo County's 
urban forest and supporting the community. She largely accomplished her 
successes by engaging local volunteers, partnering with local 
municipalities, and securing the funding necessary to grow the urban 
forest throughout Yolo County. During her five years, Erin and her team 
of volunteers planted thousands of trees and logged in tens of 
thousands of hours of work. Some of her many accomplishments include 
spearheading the development of California's first climate-ready 
landscape tree planting effort. This effort included identifying and 
adopting a palette of climate-resilient species of trees. To help 
ensure the adoption's longevity, Erin collaborated with leadership to 
develop a new Climate-Ready Urban Forestry Education Program for high 
school students throughout Yolo County that would promote healthier and 
better-suited trees that could withstand the changing climate. When 
Erin found out this new program created a supply issue, she negotiated 
with horticultural nurseries throughout multiple western states to help 
ensure a steady supply of appropriate species and quantities for the 
coming planting season. Her knowledge, enthusiasm, and passion for the 
environment have made a lasting impact that will be felt in Yolo County 
and communities across the western United States for many years.
  Debbie Egidio is the president and CEO of the Vacaville Chamber of 
Commerce and serves as chairman of the chamber's Educational 
Foundation. Her leadership has been responsible for developing and 
enhancing the success of the 450 businesses in Vacaville while 
attracting new business to the region. Debbie is also co-founder of DTS 
Egidio, a local marketing and public relations firm. Before starting 
her company, Debbie worked as Marketing Director at Triad Communities 
where she provided marketing and public outreach for several projects, 
including the Lagoon Valley Project and the rehabilitation of the 
historic Empress Theatre in downtown Vallejo, a $3 million 
redevelopment project that partnered Triad, the City of Vallejo, and 
the Vallejo Community Arts Foundation. Debbie is a graduate of UC Davis 
with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Managerial Economics and 
has put her expertise to use in many community and industry 
organizations throughout her career. Her outstanding career 
accomplishments and dedication to serving her community are an 
inspiration to aspiring leaders.
  I congratulate each of them and commend them for their work. I am 
inspired by them and firmly believe when women succeed, America 
succeeds.

                          ____________________