Women Empowering Women In Leadership hosted a pink-themed celebration for International Women’s Day on Saturday evening.
The event was to bring women together and honor women in the Santa Clarita Valley who are doing outstanding work within their fields.
“I think in Santa Clarita Valley, they’re [the event] super important because we have an amazing community of women, and we love to get together. It’s all about raising each other up, celebrating, and we are dynamic in this valley in particular,” said WEWIL founder Jennifer Abbott Aston.
The five women honored were:
• Emerging Leader: Brittany Barlog, who works with the Junior Chamber International Santa Clarita.
• Empowering Leader: Kelly Cude, a professor and the department chair for the Biological and Environmental Sciences Department at College of the Canyons.
• Accelerate Action Leader: Cherise Moore, president of the William S. Hart Union High School District board.
• Inspiring Leader: Pam Verner, president of SCV Real Estate.
• Public Service Special Recognition: L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger.
The energy was high during the event and everyone who attended had big smiles on their faces and welcomed each attendee with open arms.
Jenny Ketchepaw, vice president of WEWIL, said she was excited for the event because she gets the opportunity to honor women she believes are making a difference in the community.
“They are truly inspirational, empowering, and truly shining our love and light on them is really important tonight … We were so excited to come tonight because we get to celebrate not just these incredible women that we’re honoring, but we get to celebrate each other,” Ketchepaw said.
One honoree was shocked to find out about her nomination for being an empowering leader.
“I have to be honest. I was shocked,” Cude said. “I feel like most of the other women that were there are the major players in our community, which is a very strong community of networking and supporting each other, especially in the business community … but it was one of the biggest honors professionally that I have received.”
Cude was recognized because of her work with underrepresented students at COC who are taking some of the most challenging classes, according to Cude.
Moore said she was humbled to be recognized during International Women’s Day.
“It was truly an honor, it was amazing, humbling to be recognized amongst such fantastic women. It was a wonderful celebration of womanhood,” Moore said.
Moore was recognized because of her efforts and ability to create change, be an advocate or make a difference in the community.
Barlog’s recognition for the emerging leader award came from her work of being a leader in the community and bringing some attributes like her creativity forward with JCI Santa Clarita.
“I think I would love to impress on women that it doesn’t take a specific person to accomplish whatever it is you want to accomplish. But it does take dedication, framework and human qualities,” Barlog said.
Verner was recognized as the inspiring leader due to her work in the community with her business and volunteering to various organizations throughout Santa Clarita.
She recalled that women should take risks and put themselves out there to empower other women and be better versions of ourselves.
“I just want women to know that we have a voice, we shouldn’t be afraid to use it,” Verner said.
