Press Release
Posted:
St. Helena –Today, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) announced that Thea Hensel was chosen as the 2025 Sonoma County Woman of the Year. Each year, Rep. Thompson chooses women from California’s Fourth Congressional District to honor for their positive contributions to our community.
“Thea Hensel exemplifies the spirit of civic leadership and environmental advocacy,” said Thompson. “Ms. Hensel co-founded the Santa Rosa Southeast Greenway and spearheaded a 15-year grassroots effort to secure 49 acres of former Caltrans property and convert it into a vibrant public park. Her coalition of organizations, businesses, educators, families, and public officials is now designing Santa Rosa’s newest park. The City of Santa Rosa will soon break ground on Ms. Hensel’s vision, a sustainable urban green space with community gardens, neighborhood parks, restored natural habitats, and revitalized creeks. I am proud to recognize her as Sonoma County’s Woman of the Year.”
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 “Women’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 in 1980, 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.
A complete list of 2025 winners include:
- Wilda Shock – Lake County Woman of the Year
- Norma Ferriz de Massaro – Napa County Woman of the Year
- Lisa Hilas – Solano County Woman of the Year
- Thea Hensel – Sonoma County Woman of the Year
- Mary Yin Liu – Yolo County Woman of the Year