SACRAMENTO - Assemblywoman Anna Caballero (D-Salinas) today joined with Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and other legislators in honoring Santa Clara County resident Cecilia Ester Del Buono-Weymouth as the "Woman of the Year" for the 28th Assembly District, during a ceremony held in the State Capitol.

"For more than 40 years, Cecilia Ester Del Buono-Weymouth has dedicated herself to making her community a better place," said Caballero. "She has been a teacher, a mentor, a volunteer and an advocate on a range of issues, from housing and health care, to drug abuse prevention and parenting. She has touched the minds and hearts of all, and in doing so, has been one of the leaders who has built and shaped our community."

Cecilia Ester Del Buono-Weymouth is the daughter of a farm worker, Antonio Del Buono, who instilled in her the importance of helping others. The recipient of many awards, she has been a community activist for many years, working to secure a voice for people who are less fortunate and less likely to participate in community affairs. The first credentialed bilingual instructor in Santa Clara County, she also filled her life with volunteerism, advocating for farm workers, registering voters and getting out the vote, ensuring educational equity for all, and working for women's rights.

She is a founding member of the Latina Coalition, the Community Alliance for Upgrading Student Access and Achievement, South County Housing and many other similar organizations.

Caballero added: "Cecilia's everyday decisions and actions show her deep and total commitment to social justice and community building. I am proud to introduce her today as Woman of the Year from the 28th Assembly District."

The Woman of the Year awards are sponsored by the Women's Caucus of the California State Legislature. The annual Woman of the Year event was started in 1987 by former Assembly Members Bev Hansen and Sally Tanner. In celebration of the contributions to society made by remarkable women throughout California, Hansen and Tanner arranged to invite one woman from each Senate and Assembly district to come to the Capitol and be honored for their accomplishments. The women were to be recognized as Woman of the Year in a formal ceremony on the floors of the Senate and Assembly.

Ms. Del Buono-Weymouth attended the 2008 Woman of the Year ceremony accompanied by her friends, Betty Atkins and Shirley Trevino.