Karen Collins of Sonoma is county’s Woman of the Year

Rep. Mike Thompson announced Sunday that Karen Collins is the 2024 Sonoma County Woman of the Year, noting that, “As a chair and member of various other community organizations, Ms. Collins’ dedication as a public servant is clear.”

A longtime resident of Sonoma, Collins has been involved with the city’s Environmental Advisory Commission and its Parks and Recreation Task Force, the Sonoma County Regional Parks Advisory Commission and the Jack London Park Partners board.

“Karen Collins is a prominent leader in our district on environmental and women’s health issues,” Thompson said in a news release. “She is an outstanding member of our community, having served on countless commissions and organizations throughout Sonoma County.”

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.” Each year, Thompson recognizes one woman from each of the five counties in his district.

This year’s honorees also include Maria Cisneros in Napa County and Ana Santana in Lake County.

Women’s History Month has its origin in Santa Rosa.

In 1978, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women coordinated a “Woman’s History Week” in early March to correspond with International Women’s Day. Two years later, a group of Sonoma County women founded the National Women’s History Project in Santa Rosa. The goal was to highlight and recognize historic national achievements by women.

In partnership with other women’s advocacy groups and historians, the National Women’s History Project successfully lobbied for national recognition, an effort that ended with President Jimmy Carter declaring the week of March 8 as National Women’s History Week.

Buoyed by that success, the organization began advocating for the entire month of March to be designated as Women’s History Month. In 1987, Congress passed legislation to enshrine the idea.

You can reach Phil Barber at 707-521-5263 or phil.barber@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @Skinny_Post.