Monterey Park Mayor Thomas Wong will discuss “Monterey Park’s Response to the Star Ballroom Tragedy” at the Annual Conference of the Sierra Mar District Business and Professional Women on Saturday, April 20, 2024 at the 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. Mayor Wong will be speaking about 1:00 P.M. The conference and luncheon is open to all interested people. There is no registration cost for guests, but the cost of the box lunch is $15. Call Linda Wilson (626) 307-5650 or E-mail her at lindalwilson@juno.com to make a reservation or for questions.

Mayor Wong was elected to the Monterey Park City Council in November 2022 and is

currently serving as the City’s Mayor. Prior to his election to the City Council, he served as an elected board member of the San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District for ten years, including seven years as Board President. He also serves on the boards of the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership, Nature for All, Climate Resolve and various other regional organizations. Born and raised in Monterey Park to immigrant parents, Wong received his BA in Economics from UCLA and Master’s of Public Administration from USC.

At about 10:00 a.m. Cynthia Cannady, Chair of the Natural Resources Committee of the League of Women Voters – Pasadena Area  and Kathy Berlin, Chair of the national League of Women Voters Climate Action Plan Team, will discuss “Climate Action in Your Hometown: The Ten Actions that Local Governments Can Take to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Cynthia Cannady is a founder of IP*SEVA, an international network of intellectual property professionals dedicated to collaboration in the development of new energy technology. She is a member of the Bar of the State of California and holds a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School and B.A. degree from Stanford University. Her work experience includes: Director of the Intellectual Property and New Technologies Division at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, Switzerland (2001-2007); Vice President of Law for Research, Development and Manufacturing, Apple Computer, Cupertino, California (1993-1997); Attorney and Partner, Litigation, Fenwick & West, Palo Alto, California (1984-1992).  Cannady resides in Pasadena, California and is the Co-Chair of PASADENA 100, a coalition of non-profit organizations and individuals that advocates a transition to 100 percent carbon free electric power by 2030. She is the Chair of the Natural Resources Committee of the League of Women Voters – Pasadena Area. She has served as a member of the Board of Trustees of Stanford University and the boards of directors of Black Women Lawyers of Los Angeles and the Pasadena Delta Foundation.  She is the founder of the King Study Group, a group dedicated to studying the works and ideas of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Kathy Berlin is a life-long environmental activist. In 2010 she moved to California from Massachusetts where she had practiced law in the areas of Elder Law and Trusts and Estates. Berlin began her environmental work in the 1970’s with Sudbury Valley Trustees, a nonprofit whose goal is to preserve the land adjoining the Sudbury River west of Boston. Since retiring to California, she’s been an active member of the League of Women Voters-Pasadena area (LWV-PA), particularly focusing on efforts to mitigate climate change. She is a member of the League of Women Voters of California Climate  Change Task Force and Chair of the national League of Women Voters Climate Action Plan Team which created the “10 Actions Cities Can Take to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions.” She has actively lobbied political leaders on climate issues.

The luncheon speaker will be Elizabeth Anne Marie Mitchell, who in January was honored as East Los Angeles-Montebello BPW’s “Young Careerist for 2024.”

Elizabeth Mitchell has a Bachelor of Arts in English with a specialty in “Trauma and the Historical Narrative” from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She also has a Graduate Certificate in Biomimicry from Arizona State University and an Associates Certificate in Big Data Analytics from Mt. San Antonio College. She currently works at Sam’s Club through the company Crossmark/Product Connections as an “Engagement Specialist,” interacting with members while promoting a variety of products available for purchase. Due to her many years of experience as well as her dedication to her duties, Mitchell is often sent to the two most important events for the Walmart/Sam’s Club brand, travelling across the country to present new and exciting products to Corporate Officers and managers. In her free time, she is an avid bowler, having been a participant in the sport for more than 25 years, and enjoys travelling and visiting independent or used bookstores everywhere she goes.

Sierra Mar BPW District is based in the San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys and is part of the California Federation of Business and Professional Women (CFBPW).  The organization is a member of the National Federation of Business and Professional

Women’s Clubs (NFBPWC) and BPW International. BPW has been advocating for women’s issues for more than 104 years.

The mission of the Sierra Mar District of the California Federation of Business and                                                                    

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 and BPW International. For more information contact Linda Wilson at (626) 307-5650 or lindalwilson@juno.com.