2010 Inductees
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Suzanne Shenfil
BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS
Video Interview.
Director of the City of Fremont Human Services Department for more than 30 years, Suzanne Shenfil is a tenacious and fierce advocate for the most vulnerable populations in Southern Alameda County. She was integral in the establishment of the Fremont Family Resource Center, bringing together 27 agencies serving individuals and families. Other programs she helped establish include the 'Pathways to Positive Aging' and the 'Community Ambassadors' Program for seniors. A genuine believer in collaboration, Suzanne sits on several committees seeking to improve services throughout Alameda County - working to improve mental health services and programs for the homeless.
boona cheema
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Video Interview.
As the Executive Director of Building Opportunities for Self Sufficiency (BOSS), boona cheema exhibits the uncanny ability to reach and serve our community's poorest residents. Since 1978, boona has helped BOSS grow from a one-stop center to a County-wide network of model programs. She is at the forefront of the fight against cuts to homeless and poverty programs. Her work flows from personal experiences of being displaced from her home and volunteering with war-wounded children. Her experience, knowledge, and commitment make boona an invaluable resource for those struggling at the bottom rungs of society.
Favianna Rodriguez
CULTURE AND ART
Video Interview.
Favianna Rodriguez is a silk screen printmaker whose work exhibits astounding exuberance and insight. The co-founder of the East Side Arts Alliance in Oakland, Favianna uses visual, performing, and literary arts to empower racially diverse neighborhoods. She is also artistic director and co-founder of the web company Tumis, a bi-lingual design studio dedicated to global human rights. The company provides communications materials to organizations such as the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and KPFA Radio to promote the cause of social justice. Favianna harnesses her impressive creative powers each day to make our community a better place.
Regina Jackson
EDUCATION
Video Interview.
For the past 15 years Regina Jackson has served as Executive Director of the East Oakland Youth Development Center, serving as the driving force of an organization that provides critical support and mentorship for some of Oakland's most at-risk youth. Programs championed by this tireless advocate for youth include the Culinary Arts Program, Pathways to College and the Summer Cultural Enrichment Program. Regina has demonstrated resilience and determination by creating programs that expose young people to opportunities for success, helping them to defy situations that could easily be deemed hopeless.
Sandra J. Threlfall
ENVIROMENT
Video Interview.
Sandra J. Threlfall is founder and Executive Director of Waterfront Action Inc., which promotes public access to the Oakland-Alameda Estuary and Lake Merritt through public awareness, education and direct action. Waterfront Action frequently holds public meetings which focus on waterfront plans and improvements, bringing area residents, developers and local officials together without government support to promote the best interests of the waterfront. Sandra has received numerous awards for raising public awareness and promoting public access to the waterfront.
Gayle Quinn
HEALTH
Video Interview.
Gayle Quinn is Director of Health Education at the West Oakland Health Center, where she has faithfully served the community for more than 40 years. She has spearheaded Family Life education in Oakland schools, led efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, provided health education to detainees at local jails and promoted a multitude of health education programs including the Oakland Crack Task Force, Black Infant Health and the Every Woman Counts battle against breast cancer. The first in her family to attend and graduate college, Gayle is now a community leader in efforts to protect and promote public health.
LaDonna Harris
JUSTICE
Video Interview.
Commander LaDonna Harris, a valued member of the Alameda County Sheriff's Office for 30 years, is the first African American female in the organization to attain the position of Division Commander. She is a devoted mentor to younger female law enforcement officers and an accomplished instructor at the Sheriff's Office Regional Academy. Commander Harris is also a champion of programs supporting the successful re-entry of inmates into the community. She has risen to the highest ranks of law enforcement - a field long dominated by men - by abiding by her credo of "doing the right thing for the right reason.
Kathy Kuhner
NON-TRADITIONAL CAREERS
Video Interview.
Kathy Kuhner, mother of 10 children, is a self-made woman. She has had successful stints as a therapist, community organizer and now, as a real estate developer - a field that is almost exclusively male-dominated. She began her current career renovating homes in Contra Costa County, then moved back to Alameda County in 1999 and started Dogtown Development, initially developing properties and revitalizing Oakland's Dogtown neighborhood. Her company now develops property throughout Oakland and over the past decade, has completed 26 projects representing over 100 new homes, condominiums and lofts.
Lisa A. Poyneer
SCIENCE
Video Interview.
Lisa A. Poyneer is an engineer at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory who is instrumental in the development of the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI), which will be the world's most powerful optical instrument of its kind once it is completed next year. The instrument will survey stars and take direct images of faraway planets about which little is known. Lisa's research was essential in winning the $24 million contract to pay for the GPI's development. Using algorithms she developed, the GPI promises a performance level that is up to 100 times greater than current instruments of its kind.
Vanessa Woodmansee
SPORTS AND ATHLETICS
Video Interview.
Vanessa Woodmansee parlayed her competitive spirit and organizational prowess, becoming the lead organizer of Hayward Area Recreation and Park District (HARD) Men's Fastpitch Softball league and the Adult Co-Ed Volleyball Leagues. Under her guidance, the leagues have thrived, and adults of all ages have found joy through athletics. An accomplished athlete, Vanessa played on a Women's National Championship softball team in 1983. Vanessa, a case worker for the Alameda County Department of Child Support Services, shows dedication to local sports that has helped the HARD leagues maintain their high quality despite budget cuts and other hardships.
Taylor Marie Lyons
YOUTH
Video Interview.
Taylor Lyons is a passionate supporter, counselor and mentor to youth in her hometown of Oakland. Since age 14, Taylor has devoted countless hours to youth through her work with the Boys and Girls Club of Oakland. Taylor, a student at Holy Names High School in Oakland, has assisted other youth through tutoring on science and art projects and helping on numerous field trips. Since 2008, she also has been involved and served as a defense attorney with the McCullum Youth Court, a restorative justice program that works with youth who have committed misdemeanor crimes.