Sacramento - Assembly Member Betty Karnette (D – Long Beach) today led the flag pledge for the 2007 Woman of the Year festivities at the state Capitol and officially recognized Alexandra Torres-Galancid, Executive Director of Women in Non-Traditional Employment Roles (WINTER) as Assembly District 54 Woman of the Year.

“People expect their state government to support and sponsor a social and economic climate that is good for individuals, families and industry as a whole,” said Karnette, “but a strong society relies on people like Alexandra Torres-Galancid who make sure that society doesn’t get let down by picking up where government leaves off.”

Torres-Galancid has led WINTER as Executive Director of WINTER since 2003, using a mission-driven focus on quality.  The agency’s emphasis is now on performing the highest quality work to promote excellence, achieve equity, and improve access to high-wage non-traditional jobs for women and youth.

The California legislature’s Woman of the Year program provides each member of the state Assembly and Senate with an opportunity to recognize the important contributions that women make to communities all across the state.  Karnette decided to honor Torres-Galancid because they share a common interest in helping to prepare women for modern, vocational employment and pairing them with employers who need them.

“I am humbled and honored to be recognized for doing what I love to do and for being involved in my community,” said Torres-Galancid.  “At WINTER, we have coordinated numerous job training and placement programs that have resulted in thousands of LA County women becoming employed and self sufficient.”

As a non-profit agency and a national leader in diversity workforce development and alternative education for inner-city youth, young adults and women, WINTER is currently the only tradeswomen agency in Southern California serving the County of Los Angeles. Its’ two main divisions, the adult program and the youth program, strive to provide meaningful education, job training, work and community learning service opportunities for women of all ages while addressing and improving equal access to living wage employment for all.

WINTER is located at 690 Studebaker Rd., Long Beach, CA, 90803, and can be reached by phone at 562/431-0302.