Women Who Make A Difference Award Winners

Soroptimist International of Long Beach has recognized the following women and organizations advancing the status of women.

Trail Blazer Award
1999 JoAnn Falletta 2009 Beverly O'Neill, Ed.D.
Women Helping Women Award
1981 Beverly O’Neill, Ed.D.		1992 Carmen O. Perez
1982 Martha Drage Alexander		1995 Trudy Polsky, J.D.
1983 Sarah Fogg		1996 Gerrie Schipske, J.D.
1984 The Honorable Sheila Pokras		1997 Helen H. Britton
1984 Mary Soth 1998		1998 Rev. Dr. Mary Ellen Kilsby
1985 Ding Jo Currie		2000 Paula Cohen
1986 Norma Gibbs 2001		2001 Marilee Jones-Cofield
1987 Jan Foster		2002 Jennifer Andrews
1988 Marie Webb		2003 The Honorable Deborah B. Andrews
1989 Maycie Herrington		2004 Jan Peckham
1990 Iris Schutz, Dr. P.H.		2005 Theresa Murphy
1991 Olivia Nieto Herrara*		2006 E. Jan Kehoe
Ruby Award In 2007, Soroptimist International of Long Beach changed the name of the Women Helping Women Award to conform to that of Soroptimist International of the Americas.
2007 Pilar Pinel		2010 Julia Taboada
2008 Audrey Stephanie Loftin		2011 Anita Gibbins
2009 Virginia DeMoss
Women of Distinction Award
1987 Katherine White, M.D.*		2003 Margaret Reep
1988 June Cooper, Ph.D.		2003 Suzanne Nosworthy
1993 Marilyn Russell Bittle		2003 Lindsay Shields-Green
1993 Louise Duvall		2004 Shirley Saltman
1993 Geraldine Stramski, M.D.*		2004 Virginia L. Baxter, Ph.D.
1994 Diane Creel		2004 Diane DeWalsche
1994 Pamela Kushner, M.D.		2004 Indira Hale Tucker
1995 Diana Bonta, R.N. Dr. P.H.		2005 Erica Williams Hopkins
1995 Beryl O'Kelly Brooks*		2005 Maria Angel Macias
1995 Lilyan Frank		2005 Barbara Enlow
1995 Bonnie Adler Lowenthal		2005 Sherry Meinberg, Ed.D.
1995 Gene Page*		2006 Amy Coppenger
1996 Sandy Blankenship		2006 Jean Egan
1996 Minnie L. Douglas, Ed.D.		2006 Guadalupe Padilla-Robb, M.D.
1996 Dorothy Mitchell		2006 Alexandra Torres Galancid
1996 Georgia Nelson		2006 Nancy Kindelan
1996 Regina Grant Peterson		2007 Amelia Nieto
1996 Hazel G. Wallace, Dr. P.H.		2007 Sabira Tejnai, M.D.
1997 Dorothy Deatherage, Ed.D.		2007 Lou Anne Bynum
1997 Lois Ledger		2007 Lillian Kawasaki
1997 Elisa A. Nicholas, M.D., M.S., P.H.		2007 Evelyn Knight
1997 Wilma Powell		2007 Dr. Lydia Hollie
1998 Jean Bixby Smith		2008 Christi Wilkins
1998 Mary McMullin		2008 Mary Blackburn
1998 Bryna Kane, M.D.		2008 Marie LaFortune, RN., Ed.D.
1999 Constance W. Glenn		2008 Kate Marr
1999 Nancy K. Lewis		2008 Monica Stel
1999 Doris Topsy-Elvord		2009 Shirley Wild
1999 Jeanne Karatsu		2009 Michelle Molina
2000 Linda Howell DiMario		2009 Sithea San
2000 Helen Z. Hansen		2009 Lillian Lew
2000 Pamela Seager		2009 Alyce LaViolette
2000 Jana Martin, Ph.D.		2010 Pamela Shaw
2000 Pamela Bourette Schuur		2010 Tammy Newland
2001 Carol A. Churchill		2010 Bea Antenore
2001 Claudia Freitas		2010 Barbara Long
2001 Eunice N. Sato		2010 Laura Farinella
2001 Mary Thoits		2010 Judith Luther-Wilder
2001 Malinda Waddell		2011 Cindy Allen
2002 LaVerne Davis, Ed.D.		2011 Jody Cormack, DPT
2002 Phyllis O. Arias		2011Robin Thorne
2002 Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D.		2011 Kimberly BeDell, M.D.
2002 Marcy Zwelling Aamot, M.D.		2011 Arlene Mercer
2002 Gwendolyn Morris*		2011 Teri Tan, Ph.D.
2002 Marianne Venieris
2003 Jane Netherton
2003 Blanche Brewster Cannady		*Deceased
Businesses and Organizations Advancing the Status of Women
1993 Women Lawyers of Long Beach 1995 California American Women’s Economic Development Corporation (AWED) 1996 Literary Women Festival of Authors 1997 CAMEO, Professional Auxiliary, Assistance League of Long Beach 1998 Continuing Education Center for Women, Long Beach City College 1999 American Association of University Women (AAUW), Long Beach Branch 2002 Economic Development Office, Long Beach City College 2003 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 2005 Long Beach Museum of Art 2006 Children’s Benefit League 2007 Early Care and Education Committee 2008 Women in Non-Traditional Employment Awards (WINTER) 2009 National Council of Negro Women, Long Beach Chapter 2010 Interval House Crisis Shelters & Center for Victims of Domestic Violence 2011 California Conference for Equality and Justice