Girls Inc. of Carpinteria Women of Inspiration Luncheon honorees include community volunteer Gail Persoon, left, Emilie Newmann of the Weingart Foundation and Maeve Juarez of the Montecito Fire Protection District. 
Girls Inc. of Carpinteria interim Executive Director Lisa Rivas, left, with event co-chairs Dawn Howard and Jacquelyn Pawela-Crew. 
Emcees Alitza Gonzales, left, Laura Flores and Monica Delgado. 
From left, Stefanie Herrington, board member Winfred Van Wingerten, honorary board member Betty Brown and keynote speaker Jessica Clark. 
Randy Weiss of sponsor Union Bank and Sigrid Wright. 
The crowd of 250 supporters at the Girls Inc. luncheon. 
Kim Drain, left, and Cristina Careno of sponsor McCann Mini Storage and Hazelwood Moving & Storage. 
A floral centerpiece created by Christina Welch Floral.
Girls Inc. of Carpinteria recently held its Women of Inspiration Luncheon and recognized three honorees with deep roots in community service who have proven to be outstanding role models for young women.
The Women of Inspiration awardees included first responder Maeve Juarez, a wildland fire specialist for the Montecito Fire Protection District; Gail Persoon, a community volunteer and dedicated Girls Inc. supporter and board member; and Emilie Newmann and the Weingart Foundation, supporter of Girls Inc.’s Eureka! Program.
“This year’s event features an incredible lineup of standout women and girls, each of whom embody our mission to help girls reach their full potential and thrive,” Girls Inc. of Carpinteria interim Executive Director Lisa Murphy Rivas said. “This luncheon is such an empowering event with the community in support of our programs.”
Held in the nonprofit organization's decorated gymnasium, Girls Inc. of Carpinteria members Alitza Gonzales, 16, Laura Flores, 16, and Monica Delgado, 14, did a solid job as emcees and presented the awards to the honorees. The fundraiser was co-chaired by Dawn Howard and Jacquelyn Pawela-Crew.
The featured inspirational speaker was Jessica Clark, a local entrepreneur, Girls Inc. of Carpinteria alumna, past Girls Inc. of Carpinteria Women of Inspiration honoree and past Carpinteria Valley Chamber of Commerce Small Business Owner of the Year. Clark is co-owner of Corktree Cellars and Peebee & Jay’s in Carpinteria with her husband, Kevin, and partner in Rincon Brewery and Peebee & Jay’s Port Hueneme.
She supports a wide variety of local causes, including Girls Inc., Hugs for Cubs and the Carpinteria Education Foundation.
“I am so humbled and honored to be speaking at this year’s Women of Inspiration Luncheon,” Clark said. “This is by far one of my very favorite events. I’m continuously in awe of the enormously positive effect Girls Inc. has on the young girls in our community and am a huge supporter of their mission.”
Board president Theresa Herta wrapped up the program by thanking the numerous sponsors as well as the local growers who donated a variety of flowers and orchids, and Christina Welch Floral, which created yellow and white centerpieces that were given to drawing winners.
Girls Inc. of Carpinteria is a member of Girls Inc., a nonprofit organization that inspires all girls to be strong, smart and bold. With local roots dating to 1864 and national status since 1945, Girls Inc. has responded to the changing needs of girls through research-based programs and public education efforts that empower girls to understand, value and assert their rights.
It provides programs for girls ages 6 to 18 that focus on science, math and technology, health and sexuality, economic and financial literacy, sports skills, leadership and advocacy, and media literacy.
Click here for more information about Girls Inc. of Carpinteria, or call 805.684.6364.
— Noozhawk contributing writer Rochelle Rose can be reached at rrose@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkSociety, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.