OCEANSIDE – On Thursday, March 26th, Assemblywoman Laurie Davies honored 31 women who were nominated by residents of the 74th Assembly District for the 2026 Women of the Year Program.
The event was held in Oceanside at the Pannikin Coffee and Tea. Each woman was recognized by Assemblywoman Davies for their valuable contributions throughout the community.
Assemblywoman Davies stated, “To all the women who were nominated, I want to extend my deepest gratitude. Your work and contributions do not go unnoticed. The passion with which you serve our communities ignites hope and drives progress, making our world a better place, day by day. May today be a reflection of the appreciation and admiration that your communities hold for you.”
Assemblywoman Davies concluded by restating a popular International Women’s Month quote saying, “Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.”
Below is a list of the nominees who were recognized:
| Janetha Bailey-Long Natalie Buchanan Catherine Caldwell Sibelia Chaiyahat Linh Chuong Tonya Danielly Marilou de la Rosa Margaret Duplechain Wendy Duran Diane Eisendrath Betsy Heightman Renee Huggins Sofia Hughes Alexis Kramer Sue McLeod | Kati Mendoza Kerri Mikita Serena Milne Mayor Esther Sanchez Monica Sanders Marjorie Saylor Gayle Shockley Gael Strack Jennifer Tabanico Evelyn Thomas Portsha Thurmon Vickie Tillman Jessica Waite Linda Walshaw Inez Williams Dawn Wood |
Eight exceptional women received additional recognition in the form of Assembly Resolutions for their outstanding work.
Corporal Evelyn Thomas was awarded the Service to Veterans and Military Community resolution for her tireless and robust efforts serving our military veterans and LGBTQ communities.
Gael Strack was awarded the Leadership in Family Justice Advocacy resolution in recognition of her longstanding career working to support victims of domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual assault.
Jessica Waite, owner of numerous local restaurants including The Plot and Wrench and Rodent Seabasstropub, was awarded the Excellence in Business and Sustainability resolution for her dedication to local sourcing and waste reduction.
Kati Mendoza was recognized with Champion for Community Literacy resolution for her program that installs donated bookshelves in local laundromats to encourage and foster reading and literacy amongst children and adults.
Linda Walshaw, CEO of the Mobile Home Advisory Committee (MAC), was awarded the Excellence in Community Advocacy resolution in recognition of her work educating mobile homeowners about their rights and applicable laws.
Marilou dela Rosa was awarded the Community Service Extraordinaire resolution for herefforts to prevent child abuse and her work celebrate Filipino culture.
Serena Milne received the Excellence in Environmental Stewardship resolution for her efforts preserving Oceanside’s beaches as the Save Oceanside’s Sand Citizen Science Chair.
Sue McLeod was awarded the Service to Youth resolution in recognition of her co-founding of Got Your Back San Diego, an organization that provides weekend food assistance for children in San Diego who are identified as food insecure.
Additionally, Mayor Esther Sanchez was recognized for her 25 years of public service and received a bouquet of 25 roses – one for each year of service on the Oceanside City Council.
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