SACRAMENTO – In a ceremony at the State Capitol, Majority Leader Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) honored Karen Earl as the 47th Assembly District’s Woman of the Year in celebration of Women’s History Month. Karen Earl is the Executive Director of Jenesse Center, Inc., which is the oldest domestic violence intervention program in South Los Angeles. It is also recognized as the first shelter founded by African American women who were themselves survivors of domestic violence.

“I am proud to honor Karen Earl as Woman of the Year,” states Majority Leader Bass. “She has helped bring the issue of domestic violence to the forefront and serves as a beacon for women every where. Her drive to help women succeed illustrate her champion spirit that serves as an inspiration to us all.”

Earl started at Jenesse as a volunteer in 1986 assisting with proposal development, special events and as liaison to the board of directors. She became the full-time Executive Director in January 1997.

Prior to becoming Executive Director, Earl was District Chief of Staff for six years for Assemblymember Marguerite Archie-Hudson.  She assisted with policy development and legislative projects particularly issues impacting women and children.  She worked on Assembly Bills 167 and 801 that provided landmark funding for domestic violence shelters.  She also worked as a public relations and government relations’ representative for Rockwell International, serving on the President’s staff, where she was responsible for liaison activities with the federal government including Congress and the White House.  She developed special events, and disseminated grants to community organizations.  Her duties also included working with military personnel and other agencies associated with aircraft development and sales.
           
CA Assembly Speaker Emeritus Herb Wesson appointed Earl to the State Domestic Violence Coalition. She is the 2001 recipient of the Rosa Parks Award presented by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Los Angeles and the Martin Luther King Legacy Association. She also received the Community Service Award for the African American Chamber of Commerce. Glamour Magazine profiled Earl as a Hero for her work with survivors of domestic violence and she was featured with Halle Berry in People Magazine for their work with the Jenesse Center.

Each year, the California State Assembly honors women who have demonstrated leadership and extraordinary community service within their districts. Karen Earl serves as the chair of the 47th Assembly District Health Commission.

Karen Bass has been a State Assembly Member representing Los Angeles’ 47th District since 2005. In February 2008, she made history when the California Assembly elected the Los Angeles Democrat as its 67th Speaker, catapulting a Democratic woman to the post for the first time in the state’s history. Along with the California political first, Speaker-Elect Bass makes national history as the first African American woman to serve in this powerful state legislative role in the country. Speaker Fabian Núñez selected