Ryan Nunez, Staff Writer

PCC trustee Dr. Jeanette Mann has been chosen by Sen. Jack Scott (D-Pasadena) as the 2008 Woman of the Year. She was honored at a state capitol ceremony on March 10. Mann was the first woman elected to the Board of Trustees of PCC and has served on the board for 24 years. She has also worked as Special Assistant to the President for Equity and Diversity at California State University, Northridge.

“I am extremely proud to recognize the accomplishments of Dr. Jeanette Mann who has enriched our community with her leadership and community activism,” Scott said in a press release. “For more than three decades she has improved our community through her work for higher education, in her writings on women and affirmative action and through her political activism.”

Besides being pioneer and a trailblazer in her own right, Mann has dedicated herself to helping other women excel as well. She was a representative for Assemblymember Carol Liu on the Advisory Committee on the Assembly Select Committee on Community Colleges. Liu is currently attempting to become the first female Asian Pacific Islander to be elected to the state Senate. Mann’s achievements also include time served as President for California Women in Higher Education and as vice president of Women Equity Action.

Mann said she was named woman of the year for two specific achievements. “I spoke with Senator Scott personally and he told me that it was for two things: my work on the PCC board, I was the first woman elected to the PCC Board of Trustees, and secondly the work that I did with Foster Care Project. FCP is a group of volunteers who work to recruit people who are interested in working with agencies that serve foster kids and do things to make their lives better.”

Mann said she was honored by the award but hoped that the award would serve to encourage students to participate more in school and community activities. “I think it’s extremely important that [students] volunteer in their own community. Anyone who lives in this country is very fortunate. Maybe they can’t volunteer a lot while they’re going to school full-time, but anyone who goes to school, gets their degree and gets ahead should then start thinking about giving back to their community.”

Share This