Assemblyman Lackey names latest Veteran of the Year honoree

Assemblyman Tom Lackey with Veteran of the Year Gwendolyn Bolden and State Sen. Scott Wilk/ Photo courtesy of Assemblyman Tom Lackey
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Veteran Gwendolyn Bolden was honored as the 2018 Veteran of the Year for the 36th Assembly District by Assemblyman Tom Lackey, R-Palmdale, in Sacramento on Wednesday, according to a news release.

“Ms. Bolden has been an outstanding example to her community throughout both her military and civilian career,” Lackey said. “From her time as an officer in the Navy to her career as a teacher and non-profit executive, she has been committed to educating others and giving back to those around her.”

Enlisting in the Navy in 1951, Bolden served in Korea at various duty stations and later enrolled in Officer Candidate School, serving as an Education Officer for the Commandment Ninth Naval District in Great Lakes, Ill.

After achieving the rank of lieutenant, she continued to serve until she was honorably discharged in 1956. From 1979 to 2009, Bolden served as the CEO of the Gwen Bolden Youth Foundation. Its mission is to improve students’ academic achievement through after-school programs.

She has been awarded by the Los Angeles Board of Education, the Air Force Flight Test Center and NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. An affordable housing development, Gwen Bolden Manor, was named after her in recognition.

Bolden received the African American Trailblazers Award in 2005 by former California Congresswoman Diane Watson and was invited to the White House by former president George W. Bush.

The above information was obtained by The Signal via a news release provided by the office of Assemblyman Tom Lackey.

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