Thompson Announces 2024 Yolo County Woman of the Year
Press Release
Posted:
Yolo County – Today, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) announced that Karen Urbano was chosen as the 2024 Yolo County Woman of the Year. Every year, Rep. Thompson selects inspiring women from California’s Fourth District to recognize their outstanding work and effort to make our community a better place over the last year.
“Karen Urbano works tirelessly throughout our community to protect and expand voting rights,” said Thompson. “She has served as both President and Vice President of the Woodland League of Women Voters. Her work has included registering voters at local high schools to encourage young people to engage in our democratic processes and support local government. Her dedication to these issues and unwavering commitment to justice and equity for all make her exceptionally deserving of this award and I am proud to recognize all that she has accomplished.”
The Woman of the Year Recognition Ceremony was started in honor of Women’s History Month to recognize the service of women in our community.
Women’s History Month has its origin in California’s Fourth District. In 1978, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women coordinated a “Woman’s History Week” during the week of March 8th to correspond with International Women’s Day. In 1980, a group of Sonoma County women founded the National Women’s History Project (NWHP) in Santa Rosa, California. The goal of this organization was to highlight and recognize the historical national achievements made by women.
In partnership with other women advocacy groups and historians, the NWHP successfully lobbied for national recognition, with President Jimmy Carter declaring the week of March 8th as National Women’s History Week. After this accomplishment, the NWHP began advocating for the entire month of March to be designated as Women’s History Month. Seven years later, Congress officially passed legislation designating the entire month of March as Women’s History Month. Every year since, Women’s History Month has been recognized in March to uplift and celebrate the incredible contributions and accomplishments of American women.
