SAN FRANCISCO — Pacific Asian American Women Bay Area Coalition (PAABAC) presented its 2019 Woman Warrior Awards on Oct. 6 at the InterContinental San Francisco.
The program celebrated and honored six outstanding Asian American women who have distinguished themselves in their professions while advancing the status of Asian and Pacific Islander women and promoting the interests of API communities:
• Evangeline (Vangie) Buell, civil rights activist, historian, musician
• Genevieve Jopanda, chief of staff to State Treasurer Fiona Ma
• Debbie Lee, senior vice president, Futures Without Violence
• Julie Matsueda, deputy director, Japanese Community Youth Council
• Julie Soo, community advocate, member of San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women
• Vicky Wong, president and CEO emeritus, DAE Advertising
San Francisco Assessor-Recorder Carmen Chu, a member of the Host Committee, served as emcee.
Also serving on the Host Committee were Anni Chung, Dianne Fukami, Yuri Futamura, Wendy Lieu Hassan, Caryl Ito, Mary Jung, Ellen Kiyomizu, Mimi Kwan, Carole Jan Lee, Katherine Jan Lee, Vivian Lee, Elsie Lum, Jan Masaoka, Nancy Mayeda, Janice Mirikitani, Sandy Mori, Susan Muranishi, Peggy Saika, Moira Shek, Reiko Homma True, Jennifer Varano, Shirley Wong, Tamiko Wong, Vicky Wong, Sharon L. Yow, Winnie Yu, Sally Yu Leung.
Sponsors included: Warrior — Nordstrom, PG&E; Catalyst — S.F. Association of Realtors, Wells Fargo; Ally — Dignity Health-St. Francis Memorial Hospital, Fiona Ma, Futures Without Violence, Japanese Community Youth Council, Julie Soo & Vicky Wong; Champion — AT&T, Kaiser Permanente, Kathy Ko Chin/Kresge Foundation, Vanita & Austin Louie; Advocate — Jose Pecho, Peggy Saika; Supporter — Charlene Jung, Sonia Melara, Jacquelyn Morgan, Ditka Reiner.