Sally McMahon, who is the California Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Vice President, will speak on “New Voting Procedures for 2020 in Los Angeles County” at the Winter Conference of the Sierra Mar District Business and Professional Women on Saturday, January 25, 2020 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 2009 S. Garfield Avenue, Monterey Park. Registration is at 8:45 a.m. with the meeting starting at 9:00 a.m. McMahon will be speaking at about 1:00 p.m. The conference and luncheon are open to all interested people. There is no registration cost for guests, but the cost of the box lunch is $10. Call Marie Clifton (626) 287-5306 or E-mail her at MClifton40@gmail.com to make a reservation or for questions.

Nan Johnson, who spear headed the Pasadena Celebrates 2020 Rose Parade float commemorating the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment whereby women won the right to vote, will be the luncheon speaker. She will talk about the effort that went into raising the funds for the float. Johnson is retired Political Science Adjunct Professor at the University of Rochester, NY, co-founder of the Friends of Women’s Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls, New York., the Founding Director of the Susan B. Anthony Center for Women’s Leadership at the University of Rochester and past President of the AAUW(Rochester). She was also active politically in New York. She was elected to the legislature in 1975 and returned to office seven times. As the first woman and first Democrat to serve as majority leader and the first woman to run for Monroe County executive, Johnson helped to set a precedent for local women in elective office. While in office, Johnson chaired the Human Services Committee, was instrumental in the formation of the Maternal, Infants and Children Policy Group, and worked on such issues as women in jail, childhood immunizations, and teen parenting. Johnson was the author of legislation concerning the postings of warnings about fetal alcohol syndrome. When she moved to Pasadena, she wondered what could be done to honor the Suffrage Centennial. A friend suggested a float in the Pasadena Rose Parade, which is seen around the world. The effort started January 30, 2019 with a meeting of about 100 people.

Conejo Valley BPW member Riley Wagner will be the morning speaker. She will be talking about her experiences walking behind the Pasadena Celebrates 2020 float in the Rose Parade. She will speak at about 10:30 a.m.

Sierra Mar District is based in the San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys and is part of the California Federation of Business and Professional Women.  The organization is a member of the National Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs (NFBPWC) and BPW International. BPW has been advocates for women’s issues for  more than 100 years. The mission of the Sierra Mar District of the California Federation of Business and Professional Women (CFBPW) is “to promote and support equity for working women in all phases of their lives and to promote personal empowerment and professional development.” Our objectives are “to advocate on state and national legislative issues of importance to women, to promote personal and professional development for women and to foster connections among women to promote BPW and its members.” Membership is open to both men and women who support this mission and these objectives. Those who are members also belong to CFBPW, NFBPWC-USA and BPW International. For more information contact Marie Clifton at (626) 287-5306 or MClifton40@gmail.com.