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Hello Mr. xxxxxx,
This is Congressman TJ Cox, your representative in Congress. In 1973, the U.S. Congress designated August 26 as “Women’s Equality Day.” The date was selected to commemorate the 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. This year marks the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote, this is an opportunity for our nation to celebrate the progress we have made towards achieving women’s equality in the full sense of the word.
Today, while we still have a long way to go in achieving gender equality I want you to know that I am proud to stand with the many women of the Central Valley who continue to advocate and break down barriers for themselves and for the generations of women to come. That’s why, this year, we are celebrating the first-ever Valiant Awards, a virtual ceremony to recognize women who have made a positive impact on the lives of people in the 21st Congressional District.
RSVP to watch the ceremony live on Zoom tonight
My office was overwhelmed with nominations for this recognition and I want to thank each of you that took the time to share a story of a woman in your life who is fighting for our communities. From the many nominations received, I am proud to honor the the following women as the first ever class of Valiant Award honorees:
Fresno County: Angelita Echeveste-Duran, Dianna Hernandez, Reyna Rivera, Julie Mendoza
Kings County: Fabiola DeCaratachea, Patricia Nolen, Amy Ward
Kern County: Arleana Waller, Dee Slade, Mayra Helo-Trevino, Suzanne Villaruz
Tulare County: Elena Saldivar
Tonight, Tuesday, August 25th from 5:00 to 6:30pm, I will host a virtual award ceremony to honor each of the women listed above for their contributions to California’s 21st Congressional District.
Please share this communication and join me in honoring these exemplary women. RSVP to the Valiant Awards at bit.ly/valiantawards. If you have any questions please reach out to my Selma District Office at (559) 460-6070.
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Biographies of CA-21’s
Valiant Women |
Angelita Echeveste-Duran from Parlier is the Resource Director for the Comprehensive Youth Service of Fresno, INC. She is an outspoken advocate for our Fresno County’s most vulnerable families. For nearly ten years, she has devoted her life to building a network of Neighborhood Resource Centers (NRCs) to support the health, well-being, and success of children and families living in Sanger, Selma, Reedley, Fresno and the surrounding communities including Del Rey, Parlier, Fowler, and Kingsburg. Her dedication and passion for helping to improve the lives of others by giving them a needed “hand up” strengthens families and the community. She has helped more than 200,000 children and families through the much needed services provided at one of Comprehensive Youth Service’s four NRCs. Angelita’s passion to improve the systems that touch the lives of children and families- and her determination to do whatever it takes to make that happen- is truly making a difference. |
Dianna Hernandez from Riverdale is an educator with Fresno EOC Head Start and has worked in rural low-income communities in Fresno County for over 31 years. In this capacity, Dianna provides in-home early childhood education, parenting education, special education, mental health services, social services, and literacy training for families. Her family migrated to the San Joaquin Valley in 1973 from Texas to work as farm workers. Her childhood taught her to set an example for her family by addressing the historical discrimination faced by community members in the San Joaquin Valley. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, going on nature walks, rescuing animals, and advocating for clean air and water.
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Julie Mendoza from Sanger is the CEO and Director of HOPE Sanger Transitional Living Center in Sanger California with which for the past 10 she has helped provide food and other necessities to the chronically homeless and families in crisis. She hopes to share the concept of creating transitional living centers with other communities in need of addressing the growing homelessness issues. Her greatest accomplishment has been taking a motel ridden with crime and drugs, and transforming it, with a team, into a productive functional organization impacting the lives of many families. Julie was born and raised in Sanger and she graduated from Sanger High School 1981. She has been married for 35 years and is the proud mother of one son. In her free time Julie enjoys reading, gardening, playing guitar and spending quality time with her family and close friends. |
Fabiola DeCaratachea from Lemoore for more than 20 years has been dedicated to connecting culturally diverse and under-served communities in the Central Valley with resource and programs to help improve their health, safety and quality of life. Since joining Richard Health and Associates in 2013, Fabiola has been instrumental in the creation of public and private outreach initiatives that are linguistically and culturally relevant for children 0-5, low-income communities, people of color, women and immigrant communities. She has a strong commitment to building public/private partnerships with, and among, community partners who provide direct services and funding to under-served communities. Previously, Fabiola served as Victim Advocate, Director of a Domestic Violence shelter, and Program Officer overseeing Family Resource Centers throughout Kings County. In 2019, she was appointed to the board of the Women’s Foundation of California where she represents the Central Valley and continues to lead on issues of gender justice and culture change. Fabiola is originally from Michoacán, Mexico and was raised in the Central Valley having graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a major in Politics. She is a wife and a proud mother to four children.
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Patricia Nolen from Corcoran is the eighth daughter of Thelma and Harry Williams and grew up in the City of Fresno. She graduated from Edison High School and Fresno City College. She worked and retired from the U.S. Postal System and learned the importance of volunteerism from her mother who was involved in several organizations throughout her life. Ms. Nolen has followed in her mother’s example, volunteering her time and skills with various organizations including organizations in the City of Corcoran where she serves as Vice Mayor of the City Council. She is a part of the decision making for her community and is the first African American woman to ever serve on the Corcoran City Council. This year, she will begin serving her second term on the Council. She is the proud mother of two sons, one daughter, two stepdaughters, and two stepsons. In her spare time she enjoys sewing, crafts, and cooking. |
Amy Ward from Lemoore has been the President & CEO of the Greater Kings County Chamber of Commerce, formerly the Lemoore Chamber of Commerce, since June of 2017. Prior to that she was the Regional Community Services Director for Lincoln Military Housing for 10 years where she oversaw community events, public relations and marketing for LMH and military families across multiple bases. Originally from Temecula, CA she has been a resident in Lemoore for nearly 17 years. Ms. Ward enjoys spending time with her family, cooking for friends and finding new and innovative ways to serve her community. She is incredibly passionate about bringing people/organizations together to encourage a spirit of collaboration to help drive communities forward. As a female leader in Kings County she is dedicated to teaching future female leaders that they have what it takes to make an impact in their local communities!
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Arleana Waller from Bakersfield is an award winning ShePOWER Global Ambassador, a seven times author, advisor, advocate, and professional public speaker. Arleana is the founder and visionary of the ShePower Leadership Academy, COLDf / MLKcommunity Initiative, and The Frink Firm. Additionally, Arleana has served as a member of several executive boards including the Forbes Coaches Council, Black CEO Women Council, Global Goodwill Ambassador and the ShePower Global Network. Arleana’s mission is to empower one million women and girls globally to own their ShePOWER without apology and bring equity to high disparity communities. Her most rewarding accomplishment is being mom to Kadar & Bentley while helping young girls navigate their way through life. |
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Dee Slade from Bakersfield serves as the Executive Director for the African American Network of Kern County (AANKC), a Business and Professional organization which promotes higher learning by creating educational programs designed to empower the next generations to be strong leaders in business and community development. The organization’s “Each One Teach One” Partners in Progress Buffalo Soldiers Program (EOTOPPBS) which encourages the youth to be good citizens and to strive for excellence in academics, self respect, honor, diversity, citizenship and ethical behavior towards others. Currently, she is a member of California State University Bakersfield President’s Community Ambassadors; Vice-Chair of California State University Bakersfield’s Center for Social Justice; the Kern County Housing & Opportunity Foundation board; The Children’s Movement of California; Building Resilient Infrastructure for Tomorrow’s Economy(California BRITE Coalition); Action for Wildfire Resiliency; Black and African-American Advisory Panel of the California Community Colleges; The Leadership Conference; Kern County 2020 Census Complete Count African American Community Sub-Committee, NAACP, National Council of Negro Women and Lt. General, Buffalo Soldiers.
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Suzanne Villaruz was born and raised in Delano. As a young girl, Suzanne saw her parents participate in different Filipino organizations as well as the labor movement of the 1960’s. Suzanne received her BSN in Nursing from CSU Bakersfield after attending UCLA and Bakersfield College. She received her credential from CSU Fresno and has worked as a credentialed school nurse for over 30 years for McFarland Unified School District. Volunteering in leadership and support roles in diverse and traditional organizations over many years has given Suzanne the skills and insight into the needs and joys of her community. In 2016, Suzanne was elected to the Delano Union School District Board of Trustees, one of her most valued and important roles yet. This is the culmination of her years as a school district nurse, volunteering and learning about the needs of her community, and her passion for children, their education and future success has led her to this role. She is a proud mother and continues to draw inspiration from her mother, Juanita Quiocho Villaruz. |
Dr. Mayra Helo is the Director of Student & Family Services with Richland School District in Kern County. She oversees attendance, expulsions, a School Readiness Program and a Family Resource Center. Dr. Helo is also the Foster Youth and McKinney-Vento Liaison for the District. She has been in the education field for 24 years as a Structured English Immersion Teacher, an Assistant Principal, a Principal, and a Culture Diversity Instructor at Tulare County Office of Education. Dr. Helo is a Christian, a mother of 3 children (26, 20, and 8), and a dog owner of Casey, a cattledog mix. On her free time, she enjoys hiking, whitewater rafting, hitting the bag, fellow-shipping, reading, advocating and feeding the needy.
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Elena Saldivar from Pixley has advocated for her community by serving on the SAFER Advisory Group that influences how California’s Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund (SB 200) will be implemented. Long before she was part of the Advisory Group, Elena organized in her community to spread awareness of the high levels of arsenic and 123-TCP in their drinking water supply. She volunteers for the monthly food distribution events in Pixley because she believes families should have access to fresh and healthy foods. In addition, Elena serves as Treasurer for the Pixley Town Council, a board that coordinates and promotes community events. Elena is originally from Earlimart, CA and the daughter of farm worker parents. She retired from a career in education, is the proud mother of five children, and spends her free time advocating for her community. |
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Reyna Rivera lives in Selma with her husband Juan Rivera and three children, Juan Diego, Alicia, and Marissa. Her mother, Maria Garza, lives around the corner from her home where she gets to enjoy her company every day. Her mother has taught her that faith and family always come first. She has had the pleasure of working for the city of Selma for almost 18 years where she has been able to assist community partners and Selma residents. Her focus and outlook on community service has always been to treat everyone like family, and to show love and unity. She believes everyone has a purpose and that we all need to be here to help one another. She practices and embodies this belief daily and it has brought her peace with the strides she has made and the person she has become.
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