CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OF BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL WOMEN CLUBS, INC. BESTOWS ROSE ANN VUICH COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AWARD ON JUDY CHU, CALIFORNIA STATE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION

The California Federation of Business and Professional Women (BPW) at its Annual Convention on May 16th in Fresno, California awarded the Rose Ann Vuich Community Involvement Award to California State Board of Equalization Vice-Chair Judy Chu. Rose Ann Vuich (1927-2001) was the first female member of the California State Senate in which she served from 1976 until 1992. She carried hundreds of bills on behalf of agriculture and for community projects in Tulare and Fresno County. She rose to become chair of the Senate Banking and Commerce Committee. She was also active in community affairs and served on the boards of the Alta District Hospital and Tulare County Fair. In the 1950s she was the first woman elected to head the Dinuba Chamber of Commerce. While State Senator, she continued with her brother to manage the family farm in Dinuba.

Judy Chu is a member of the East Los Angeles-Montebello Business and Professional Women, Soroptomist International and Eastside Optimist. Judy Chu’s first elected position was Board Member for the Garvey School District in Rosemead, California in1985. She worked to establish Harmony Week and then Harmony Month in Monterey Park to promote acceptance of diversity. The City won the League of California City’s Award for this program. She also helped to bring Rebuilding Together to Monterey Park and the San Gabriel Valley. On the last Saturday of April each year volunteers help low income and seniors with home improvements. In 1988 she was elected to the city council of Monterey Park, where she served as mayor for three terms. Chu was elected to the State Assembly in a special election in May 2001. She was elected to a full term in 2002 and was reelected in 2004. While in the Legislature her hate crimes bills improved the prosecution of hate crimes, prohibited the insertion of hate flyers in free publications, and created an anti-bias youth program. She successfully carried legislation to increase training for acupuncturists. She helped the elderly and disabled by allowing the vans that carry them to use carpool lanes. Her bills also worked to improve operations of domestic violence courts and established best practice models for campus sexual assault programs. She carried a bill to establish an environmental justice small grant program to help low income and minority communities combat the effects of pollution. She has also helped small businesses through a bill that improves the competitive bid process for emergency work done by Cal Trans. Barred by term limits from running for a third full term in 2006, Chu was elected to the State Board of Equalization from the 4th District, representing most of Los Angeles County. May 19th Chu won the Democratic Party nomination to succeed Hilda Solis, who was appointed as United States Labor Secretary, in representing California’s 32nd District. In the     July 14th runoff she will face Republican and Libertarian candidates for the Congressional seat.

Chu graduated with a B.A. in math from UCLA and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology and served as a faculty member in the psychology department in the Los Angeles Community College District for twenty years, with the last thirteen years at East Los Angeles College. She was also awarded the Public Service Award by the UCLA Alumni Association for her work in addressing the ethnic shift in Monterey Park. Chu is married to Mike Eng, who represents the 49th Assembly District in the California Legislature.

The California Federation of BPW Clubs, inc. provides members with professional development, networking, grassroots activism and career advancement resources. Its mission is to achieve equity for all women in the workplace through advocacy, education and information. For more information, call California Federation of BPW Clubs, Inc. President Janet Ramsey at (209) 383-7903