Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By richards on March 15, 2013

As part of its ongoing commitment to cultural diversity and responsible banking, and in celebration of Womens History Month, Union Bank, N.A., has partnered with KCETLink to honor two outstanding women as part of the Local Heroes program.

LOS ANGELES, CA (PRWEB) March 15, 2013

In addition to Womens History Month local heroes, honorees were also identified during Black History Month (February) and will be identified during Jewish American Heritage Month (May); Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (May); Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month (June) and Hispanic Heritage Month (September/October). The year-long program will culminate in October 2013 when honorees will be formally recognized as part of the 16th annual Local Heroes Awards, which Union Bank sponsors. Since 1998, KCETLink and Union Bank have collaborated on the Local Heroes initiative and honored more than 150 outstanding community leaders.

Union Bank is proud to recognize the contributions of these local heroes who have

generously given their wisdom, time and resources to enrich our communities, said Union Bank Senior Executive Vice President Pierre P. Habis, head of Community Banking. We are delighted to partner with KCETLink as we recognize these individuals who personify our core values of diversity and community involvement.

KCETLink is honored to join Union Bank to pay tribute to these two inspirational heroes, said KCETLink Chief Executive Officer Al Jerome. These two honorees have made very valuable contributions to the community, and we are pleased to introduce them to our viewers through the video profiles airing throughout Womens History Month.

The 2013 honorees Womens History Month honorees are:

Gail Farber is the first female director of the Los Angeles County Public Works Department, one of the largest public works agencies in the United States. She is also the county road commissioner, county engineer, and chief engineer of the Los Angeles County Flood Control District. Ms. Farber has been an advocate for women in leadership roles and students seeking and succeeding in non-traditional roles. She was instrumental in the development of the Womens Leadership Conference, which annually draws more than 500 women from across the County, and she is developing outreach programs for students to encourage careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). She received a bachelors degree in civil engineering from San Diego State University and spent 19 years with Caltrans, serving in a variety of senior engineering and planning positions. Ms. Farber previously served as director of public works/city engineer for the cities of Pico Rivera and Orange, California.

Belinda Smith Walker is a board member of New Village Charter School, an all-girls high school in the Rampart neighborhood. New Village was established to meet the educational needs of young women with school histories marked by pregnancy, parenting and other hardships. Ms. Walker is also a founding executive director and board member of Girls & Gangs (G&G), a nonprofit that provides young women in the juvenile justice system with community re-entry services. In 1985, she cofounded the Los Angeles Womens Foundation (LAWF), a community-based foundation that provided grants and technical support to empower women and girls in Los Angeles; she also served as chair of the founding board of directors. In 2000, the LAWF merged with its sister organization in San Francisco to become the Womens Foundation of California, and Ms. Walker served on its governing board.

Throughout the respective commemorative heritage months, KCET, the Southern and Central California public broadcast service of KCETLink, will air a video profile of each honoree, highlighting how they have made a difference in their community. The 2013 on-air profiles can be viewed on the Web at kcet.org/heroes. KCET showcases the rich, vibrant history and cultural diversity of our region with special programs during the respective heritage months and throughout the year. For more information about the Local Heroes program or to nominate future heroes, please also visit unionbank.com/heroes.

Continued here:
Union Bank and KCETLink Honor Women's History Month Honorees as Local Heroes

Category: Jewish American Heritage Month
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