SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Cathleen Galgiani has selected Mayor Ellie Wooten of Merced as her Woman of the Year for the 17th Assembly District. Eighty women, one from each Assembly District in the state, are selected annually. Galgiani selected Mayor Wooten for her continuing and significant contributions to her community. Each honoree will be introduced during a ceremony in the Assembly Chambers on Monday, March 5th where each will receive a resolution. California’s First Lady, Maria Shriver, is scheduled to speak to the assembled honorees during the ceremony, congratulating them on being selected out of the millions of women in the state.  Upon adjournment of the floor session, a luncheon will be held for all 80 honorees. 

Mayor Wooten will be escorted by Assemblymember Galgiani. “I am fortunate to have enjoyed a wonderful partnership working with Ellie over the last four years,” Galgiani said. Galgiani added, “I admire Ellie’s passion, tenacity and commitment to the Merced community, and am proud to nominate her. She is an inspiration to women of all ages.”

 “This is a great honor. I doubt that I will achieve this level of feeling again in my life and I thank Cathleen Galgiani for this privilege.” said Mayor Wooten after hearing the news that she had been chosen.

Mayor Wooten, a native of San Francisco, moved to Merced in the 1970’s. She has been the catalyst behind many charitable efforts in Merced County.  She has selflessly donated her time on behalf of children’s services. domestic violence, the American Cancer Society and other health related causes, and animal rescue organizations.

Mayor Wooten’s professional career as a Realtor has been filled with local, state, and national awards from her peers, including being in the top one percent of sales personnel world-wide for Century-21.

In addition, Mayor Wooten has worked with business advocacy groups such as Merced Trade Club, the Greater Merced Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Merced County Association of Realtors and numerous other organizations in the community.

Elected to the Merced City Council in 2003 and to the position of Mayor in 2005, Wooten has served on the Central Valley Economic Development Commission, the Fatherhood Initiative, the Lao Family Community, Inc., the Public Facilities Finance Plan Sub Committee, the Senior Center Board, the San Joaquin High Speed Rail Committee, and with the Merced-Somoto Sister City Group, as well as attending numerous functions representing the City of Merced at local, state, and federal levels.

Galgiani said, “I’m very pleased to honor Ellie Wooten with this award.  I have had the opportunity to work closely with her on local issues such as the Railroad Crossings Task Force bringing together the railroads, the PUC, the City and County to try to find solutions to the vehicle congestion is the City of Merced due to train delays.”

Wooten and Galgiani worked together with Assemblymember Barbara Matthews on legislation requiring the California PUC to amend the formula used for selecting projects eligible for the State’s Railroad Crossing Grade Separation Program.  “Our legislation will ensure that the “threat to public safety response times” is considered as a means of prioritization for funding grade separation applications,” Galgiani said. . “Ellie has been a tenacious Chair of our Task Force, and I always know she’ll be the first to call if any money for Merced is on the chopping block in the State budget.”