Nanette R. Buenavidez (Woman of the Year)
Nanette Buenavidez MSN/Ed. RN, was selected as the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center's Chief Nursing Officer in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. She leads her nursing team with a steadfast and calm nature that evokes a level of peace in those around her. She has been with the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center for over a decade and has been recognized as Nurse Leader of the Year. Her leadership throughout the pandemic has been greatly admired by her peers at the medical center. Ms. Buenavidez's compassion and dedication in her work has consistently boosted morale amongst her team throughout her tenure as Chief Nursing Officer.
2022 Women of Distinction
Bertha Velasquez
Bertha Velasquez is a 33-year member and Executive Board Member of the United Steelworkers Local 8599 which represents the Classified and Hourly employees of the Fontana Unified School District. Within the school district, she has worked within the Special Education Department with students ranging from Preschool to High School. She has been an exceptionally active member in a number of committees and has devoted countless hours of community service to raising funds for the Ronald McDonald House, Relay for life, Loma Linda Veterans, and the Annual Local 8599 Sock-Tober Sock Drive. Ms. Velasquez stands as the Co-Chairperson of the Women of Steel Committee. The previously mentioned Sock-Tober drive helped the committee earn the prestigious Jefferson Award for outstanding community service. This year the event helped to garner over 5,000 pairs of socks for families in need within the Fontana Unified School District. She is known within the Next Generation Committee as Grandma Gen as she encourages members of all ages to volunteer within the union and the community at large. Ms. Velasquez has been a true leader within the community as her contributions have changed the lives of many.
Lidia Petrov-Jones
Lidia Petrov-Jones holds a Master’s degree in Electro-Mechanical Engineering. She worked in an Aerospace Industry as an Operations Excellence Manager. Her strengths are in Leadership, strategical planning, and Continuous Improvement. She has a Nutritionist Health Coach Certification with an emphasis in diabetes. Lidia was born in Argentina and immigrated to California in the late 80's. Her desire to educate and help the community to live healthy was in her heart since a very early age. When her brother was struck with diabetes and her father at later age, Lidia embarked in a journey to help families and adults with diabetes. In 2017 Lions Clubs International opened a diabetes platform, Lidia was awarded a grant from LCI and started the first Diabetic Camp for families and children affected with Type I and Type II Diabetes at Camp Terracita Pines located in Wrightwood, Ca. Later she organized a camp for adults with doctors and nurses. The camp offers seminars, support groups, and more education has followed every year and it has been well received. Lidia targeted those of low income families with diabetic children. Working with Loma Linda Children's endocrinology, all her camps were free of charge to children. In 2020, Lidia in conjunction with Doctors and medical students, published a book labeled "Workbook and Guide to Nudge Away Diabetes", available in Amazon hard copy and auditable. Lidia is coaching internationally via Zoom and is a guest speaker for engagements all over the world now, her goal is to open more camps and raise diabetes awareness around the globe.
Carolina Holt
Carolina Holt is a kindergarten teacher at Redwood Elementary in Fontana and leads the Dual Language Program there as well. She possesses an extraordinary work ethic and remarkable ability to connect with her students. Ms. Holt has adapted to the challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. She has comforted parents by keeping them updated on the progress of their children, communicating constantly throughout the school year, and responding to any concerns that the parents may have. She is always learning new ways to utilize technology and available tools to help the kids learn to the best of their abilities. Her experience, knowledge, and advocacy with the Dual Language Program has helped improve the bilingual abilities of a number of students. Despite her busy and overwhelming days, Ms. Holt has been an extraordinary and involved role model for the children, parents, and other educators alike.
Mariana Martinez
Mariana Martinez is a resident of Fontana where she works and volunteers. Ms. Martinez is currently attending Chaffey College in pursuit of a double major in Psychology and Social Behavioral Sciences. She is a member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee where she maintains an active leadership role and employment with the National CORE. She maintains a wholehearted approach to volunteering where she assisted the Water of Life Family Church and Fontana P.D. with programs and events to assist seniors. She loves to work with people to better the community and train future leaders. She has an innate ability to balance study, work, and volunteering which is fundamental to her continued success. Ms. Martinez is a highly motivated professional with excellent leadership skills which help her to be an exceptional member of the community through her joy, kindness, creativity, and authenticity.
Erika Santillan
Erika Santillan is the owner and founder of the Inland Gardens and Tropics, a Woman-Owned Small Minority Business Enterprise that was established in 2011. The company specializes in wholesale nursery sales, contract grows for public works, CalTrans, state-funded projects, and private, commercial, and residential projects. The company also serves as a consultant to private entities that need landscape design concepts and value engineering. Ms. Santillan is a passionate and committed business owner in the Inland Empire. Her business has excelled in an industry predominantly serviced by male owned businesses. Through her company, she has built relationships with schools and nonprofits to assist in providing concepts to teach the youth about the importance of gardening and water sustainability within their communities. She has served as a role model for other entrepreneurs and helped to create a number of local jobs and opportunities for small businesses to join larger ventures. She currently serves as the Board Director for the NLBWA-IE which assists local entrepreneurs in their future aspirations. One of Ms. Santillan's greatest commitments is to encourage and mentor local Latina entrepreneurs and pave the way for their success.
Paula Flores
Paula Flores is loving and compassionate mom, wife, daughter, and friend of Colton. Throughout her trials and tribulations over the last year, she has found time to volunteer for Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society. Ms. Flores has a heart that always thinks of others and looks for ways to help her loved ones and those within the community. Paula was nominated because she is a selfless and loving person and her empathy and compassion deserve recognition. Her community is her life, her family and friends know that she is always there to help and provide. Although she has endured challenging life obstacles she has always carries a smile on her face and continues on with unparalleled strength.
Roseanna Campos
Pastor Roseanna Campos is devout believer in prayer, spiritual deliverance, and maintaining one's restoration through the Presence of God through worship, word, and prayer. She is the Founder and CEO of Women of Worship and Welfare International. As a single mother, she is a strong advocate for women as she assists others in conquering their fears and achieving success through adversity. Pastor Campos has also assisted the homeless community by supplying meals, care packages, groceries, and personal essentials. She helps lift the community and actively finds ways to leave a positive impact on those around her. Pastor Campos has been a mother-figure for a number of women as she provides them with personal guidance and counseling with love.
Kim Brown
Kim Brown has been an educator with the Colton Unified School District, San Salvador Children's Center, for 20 years. She organized a support group called Intercity Kids-PRAAC to promote Resilience in African Americans. Ms. Brown spends her time providing clothing and food to homeless women and men in San Bernardino County. In spite of the pandemic, she has continued to feed the homeless population on a weekly basis. Ms. Brown has established an agreement with local food vendors to donate food products and provide hot meals for around eight years. She has dedicated much of her life to providing assistance to disadvantaged populations and helping others identify resource opportunities. Ms. Brown is a loving and caring resident of Colton and her work has helped change the lives of many in the community.
Stacia Guillen
Stacia Guillen is a community activist who is passionate about creating positive change within the community. She has lived the entirety of her life in the areas of Colton and San Bernardino. She has organized several community events such as Toy Drives, Community Clean Ups, Food Drives, and other functions that helped raise awareness of local injustices. Ms. Guillen is the founder of Revive SB which is comprised of community organizers and activists who are committed to making a positive social impact in their hometowns. She has genuine dedication to making a difference in her community and maintains a positive mindset of what the future may hold. Ms. Guillen has overcome a great deal of adversity, but she approaches her challenges by taking action and inspiring hope rather than standing idly by.
Karen Suarez
Karen Suarez has acquired more than a decade's worth of experience in nonprofit management, community and government relations, education, and philanthropy through her involvement with the Wells Fargo Social Impact Sustainability Team, The Dominguez Dream, American Heart Association, and serving as a Congressional Field Representative for the 43rd Congressional District. She is known for her contagious energy and compassion for people. She is a proud daughter of immigrant parents and has earned a dual Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Human Development, as well as a Master's in Higher Education Administration. She currently serves as the Director of Uplift San Bernardino at the Making Hope Happen Foundation and serves as the Co-Chair for the Inland Empire Economic Growth and Opportunity and the Inland SoCal Housing Collective. She is a relentless pursuer of social change at the local level and actively formulates strategies to create an improved San Bernardino and Inland Empire. Ms. Suarez is beloved by her colleagues and family and exemplifies what a true leader and innovator should be.
Martha Romero
Martha Romero began her career as an Eligibility Worker II for the County of San Bernardino's Transitional Assistance Department which helps applicants obtain public assistance. She became incredibly involved in her union and took on a role as a Steward where she fought grievances and stood up for workers' rights. She subsequently became a member of the Teamsters Local 1932 Board of Directors and looked to help community members from the harmful impacts of air and noise pollution of warehouses in the area. She also fought to increase security and futures for poor-paying jobs. Ms. Romero has dedicated her career to helping others and improving local communities. Her efforts to protect citizens have greatly improved conditions in the Inland Empire. She has worked with officials to ensure proper working conditions, pay, and environmental awareness from companies such as Amazon. Ms. Romero's love and devotion to what she does has been an incredible inspiration for all of those around her and she is a phenomenal voice for Latinas who work, raise families, and care about their communities.
Susan Gomez
Susan Gomez was born and raised in the Inland Empire and has dedicated her life to helping those around her. She was the events planner for the Edwards Mansion in Redlands and worked for several decades in providing social work for people with disabilities. She was also the CEO of the Inland Empire Community Collaborative where she led nearly 100 nonprofits in working together and improving outcomes for individuals and communities throughout San Bernardino and Riverside County. She was also Co-chair of the Funders Alliance, a member of the Inland Empire Capacity Builders Network, a fellow for Hispanics in Philanthropy, a member of the Latino Community Foundation, a board member for the California Association of Nonprofits, and chair of the UCR IE Rise Nonprofit Equity Committee. Ms. Gomez has been committed to addressing the needs of children and families within the Inland Empire. Through the IECC, she has trained nonprofits to build community power and ensure marginalized voices were being heard in their respective regions. Ms. Gomez has been instrumental in mobilizing and uniting organizations to advocate for the causes they are passionate about in the pursuit of a better future for those in the Inland Empire.
Keynasia Buffong
Keynasia Buffong has been an influential voice and educator for the African American students in the Inland Empire. She has been inspired by San Bernardino elders such as Dr. Margaret Hill, Wilbur Brown, Ratibu Jacocks, and Frances Grice and urges her students to pursue what is best and most meaningful to themselves. Ms. Buffong is a champion for the Cooperative Economic Empowerment Movement and is a member of the San Bernardino Countywide Equity Element Group where she focuses on community development. She is also the founder of the National Black Grads, a nonprofit organization that provides academic support services and financial resources to African American High School graduates. The program has honored over 3,500 graduates with many of them going on to become engineers, authors, NFL stars, nurses, and much more. Ms. Buffong has also helped teach life skills classes to foster youth. She also serves as a part of the San Bernardino Community College District Black faculty as Staff President and the program coordinator for Umoja-Tumaini. She has also formed the Inland Empire Goals Setting with her husband Jonathan, who worked with families to achieve individual and community goals. Ms. Buffong has helped to garner much praise around the culture, heritage and accomplishment of African American Students and actively works to improve the lives of many in the Inland Empire.
Consuelo Mayland Therkel
Consuelo Maylad Therkel was born and raised in the Philippines as the youngest of five children. After receiving her higher education in Business Management, she came to the United States in 1987. She found employment with K-Mart where she reported to a number of district directors and participated in a number of company-sponsored projects. After her husband had unexpectedly passed away, she and her family began a non-emergency medical transportation company for members of the community. She is currently affiliated with Business Network International which allows her to build meaningful business partnerships with individuals locally and globally. Ms. Therkel is also involved with a number of ministries within the community that help minister to incarcerated women in a number of county jails. She is also a Gideon auxiliary which helps to distribute Bibles all across the world. She has spent the majority of her life making connections with people from all across the world and stands as a testament to what perseverance and growth can mean to future entrepreneurs. Her work in the community is the epitome of resiliency and compassion.
Summer Steele
Summer Steele currently serves as the Director of the California State University, San Bernardino Cal SOAP Consortium Program. She has served in a number of programs including DSP&S. EOP&S/CARE, TRIO Upward Bound, GEAR UP, and most recently the TRIO Educational Opportunity Center in the area of Coachella. She has been an outspoken advocate of funding for Pre-College programs in CSUSB and actively participates in a number of community and campus committees. These include serving as Co-chair of the GIA Financial Aid Action Network Team, GEAR UP California Partnership Initiative, and Division of Student Affairs Professional Development Team. Ms. Steele has provided services to underrepresented students and families within San Bernardino County. Amidst the pandemic, she led a team in the creation of an annual virtual college and career fair for students within the area. She has also focused on providing services such as dual enrollment opportunities, fellowship work experience for undocumented and first-year students, and continues to work with the CSUSB community to secure research project stipends. Ms. Steele has dedicated her life to serving first-generation low-income students and currently serves on her daughter's school site council and Parent Teachers Association.
Heather Dyer
Heather Dyer has served as the Chief Executive Officer and General Manager at the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District since January 2020. She is the first female General Manager for the District and the first Endangered Species Biologist to serve in the role. She helped to launch the District Communications Plan and completed a Classification and Compensation Study to make the district more competitive to job seekers. She also helped to create the Upper Santa Ana River Habitat Conservation Plan which protects twenty-two native species of the Santa Ana River Watershed. Ms. Dyer has prioritized long-term water supply reliability by optimizing local and statewide projects including the State Water Project. She is also developing a Climate Resilience Action Plan to identify, mitigate, and adapt to the effects of climate change brought on by drought, wildfire, and shifts in overall ecology. Ms. Dyer is making great changes to the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District and is actively looking for ways to improve the future of the fragile ecosystems around San Bernardino.
Maria Guadalupe Ortiz
Maria Guadalupe Ortiz has dedicated a great deal of her life to helping and serving her community in San Bernardino. She is a mother, teacher, published poet, storyteller, musician, and activist. From 2005 to 2012, she volunteered her time leading a faith-based LOC that organized around immigration rights and legislation such as the Immigration Reform and the Campaign for Citizenship at St Bernardine's Catholic Church. She obtained her B.A. in 2010 and achieved her dream of a Master's degree in Spanish Literature, Linguistics, and Civilization with a minor in Latin American Studies. She now teaches as a Spanish professor at San Bernardino Valley College. Ms. Ortiz had previously done pastoral work with immigrants in detention and is now a part-time Liberation Campaign Coordinator. Through this, she creates a relationship with immigrant persons in detention while garnering help and resources for them in the community. She has fought for pardons of immigrants and aided in the liberation of two people who would have otherwise been deported. Ms. Ortiz is an activist and advocate for immigrants within the San Bernardino community and has helped change the lives of many.
Dr. Barbara Flores
Dr. Barbara Flores is a pioneer Latina scholar, activist, leader, educator, children's literature writer, and international expert in literacy and biliteracy development. Her work has been published in a number of professional journals, books, and chapters. She had worked as Professor Emerita at California State University, San Bernardino for nearly forty years until her retirement in 2019. Dr. Flores had been appointed by the California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond, to be a Co-chair of his statewide Literacy and Biliteracy Initiative. She was also appointed to be on the Biden-Harris National Education Committee to develop and make recommendations on education policy. She had also co-chaired the Education Diversity Subcommittee. She had served in a number of education positions within San Bernardino including the San Bernardino City School Board since 2008 as Vice President and President, President of the California Latino School Boards Association, and most recently the Executive Board of the California Association for Bilingual Education. President. Dr. Flores has dedicated her life to education and helping youth within the community. Her contributions to local, state, and federal education programs have paved the way for many to find success in their futures. She has left a lasting mark on her community and will continue to influence lives for years to come.
Farah Mohamed
After the passing of her brother Abdi, Farah Mohamed dedicated all of herself to giving back to the community. Her family had grown up in Somalia, in a community without food, clean water, and parks. Abdi had begun mentoring children from the community in an effort to prevent them from joining local gangs. He helped immigrant parents with documentation, school resources, court fees, health services, and provided food to local seniors. Ms. Mohamed wished to continue her brother's love for the community through the Smile America Abdi Foundation which thrived in honor of her brother. Despite being a teacher, she has devoted her time after school on nights and weekends to continuing her brother's work. Ms. Mohamed has worked with local organizers, community partners, local churches, and even Mayor Deborah Robertson to achieve the Foundations goals. They have helped to feed the seniors and homeless of San Bernardino and find housing for them at local shelters. The Foundation has also helped to donate over 5,000 toys to a number of cities in San Bernardino County. Ms. Mohamed has encountered a number of challenges in her life and she has used them as motivation to ensure that those in her community are loved and helped in any way that she can.
Karen Benitez
Karen Benitez is known for providing one of the most essential service in our community, child care. Through her services to the community, parents and caregivers attend school and work while having the peace of mind that their children are in great hands. She is always going above and beyond when looking after the children at her child care or preschool. This includes not only the basic ABC's and 123's, but also manners, respect, and love for one another.
Jennifer Morris
Jennifer Morris is a superb therapist that has been serving the San Bernardino County for quite some time. She has worked with the Local Union SEIU and UHW to advocate for hospital workers rights throughout the pandemic. Ms. Morris has also fought to keep mental health programs open all across San Bernardino and is appreciated by many in her community for her invaluable contributions to championing mental health support.
Silvana Montes
Originally from Nayarit, Mexico, Silvana Montes started gaining experience in food at a young age. As a child, she would help her mother and great-grandmother prepare traditional Mexican dishes in clay pots for town festivals. In 1998, she moved to the United States and began working as a cooking assistant at Scripps College. She was exposed to a number of cultures and techniques which include Italian, Mediterranean, American, and Asian Gastronomy. Ms. Montes has been blessed with many opportunities to grow in the culinary arts. She has started her own catering and food service businesses and in 2018, she participated in the Small Business Entrepreneurs Program at the Mexican Consulate and Businesses Management and Leadership Academic Program with the NLBWA-IE. She has catered to a number of well-known organizations and in 2019, she expanded her business by partnering with Foothill Kitchens LLC which allowed her access to commercial kitchens and a banquet room. Ms. Montes has also supported a number of organizations such as Unidos Por La Musica in providing food donations to the community. She has also helped to support a women's group in their projects while creating opportunities for them to achieve their goals. Most recently, she had been invited to participate in the NLBWA-IE Latina BizCon where she met with corporations and public entities for contract opportunities. Ms. Montes currently serves as the ambassador of the NLBWA-IE and continues to be a successful business entrepreneur and role model for women who are considering starting a business.
Carrie Matthews
Carrie Matthews is a resident of Grand Terrace who started the Heart Matter Foster Family Agency in September of 2016. The organization serves to meet the needs of foster youth in the County of San Bernardino. Ms. Matthews serves as the Executive Director of the organization and is highly dedicated to serving the physical, emotional, educational, and mental health needs of children by providing quality foster care. The children under her care come from many different backgrounds and histories, but she works to ensure that her organization makes a lasting positive change in their lives. Ms. Matthews wants the very best for all of the children that pass through her organization and has served over three hundred foster youth in her time.
RJ Jackson
RJ Jackson is an author and international speaker who shares a life-changing message of vision, hope, transformation, and courage based on her own personal life challenges. She has encouraged, empowered, and enlivened the hearts of many people across the globe including the U.S. Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Cambodia, Barbados, Bermuda, Africa, and Thailand. Ms. Jackson possesses a level of energy, humor, and passion that draws people in and enables them to learn and feel what she is teaching.