Outstanding Women of Stanislaus County 2008

last updated: March 09, 2008 07:44:57 AM

The Stanislaus County Commission for Women has announced its Outstanding Women of Stanislaus County honorees for 2008.

This year's Outstanding Women are Sheila Carroll, Susan Lilly, Susan Mattos, Sandra McDowell, Estella Nañez, Gina Pallotta and Viji J. Sundar. Pioneer Women are Madeline Holloway and Phyllis Larrick, and Outstanding Young Women are Kyra Loretelli, Stephanie Ann Myers, Tram Phan and Kathryn Uyeno.

Awards will be presented March 22 at the Stanislaus County Commission for Women's 29th annual dinner, held at the Assyrian Cultural Center of Bet-Nahrain, 3119 Central Ave., Ceres.

The event begins at 6 p.m., and dinner is scheduled to be served at 6:30. The awards program gets under way at 7.

Cost is $40 per person, and pre-paid reservations are required. Contact Josefina Gutierrez-Miller at 918-3080 or e-mail SCCW01@gmail.com for details.

The Stanislaus County Commission for Women is an independent, nongovernmental organization to promote within the community an awareness of issues that concern women.

Sheila Carroll

Sheila Carroll has served the Stanislaus County community for a number of years and in many roles. She is chairwoman of the board of directors for United Way, serves on the board of the Modesto Symphony Orchestra Association and the Gallo Center for the Arts. She represents the county on the policy-making agency California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, appointed by Gov. Schwarzenegger. She was appointed by Gov. Wilson to the county fair board and she served two years on the civil grand jury. She served as president at the state level of the California Federation of Republican Women, working to elect women and pass legislation that ensured fairness to women. For her many volunteer activities, the 25th Assembly District named her a woman of the year in 2007.

Estella Nañez

As a counselor at Modesto Junior College for 19 years, Estella Nañez assists students at risk for achieving academic success by helping them with self-assessments, setting goals and following through on their plans. Because many of the students have not had such assistance in the past, she helps them focus on planning their educational path and overcome barriers to success. Her own upbringing and background, including participation in the Educational Opportunity Program as a student at San Jose State University, motivated her to pursue her counseling career. She holds workshops for students and develops courses relevant to their learning needs. She is a member of a number of guidance counselor organizations and has served on the board of directors for the California Community College Latina Leadership Network.

Susan Mattos

A lifelong West Side resident, Susan Mattos has served in many community leadership roles in Gustine and Newman. She was on the board of directors of the Orestimba Scholarship Community Association, which has given more than $700,000 in scholarships to students since 1993. Her interest in educational issues continued as she was chairwoman of a successful bond campaign for Newman and

Crows Landing schools so that facilities could be built or improved. In 2006, she was co-chair of fund-raising so that Golden Valley Health Center could build a new clinic in Newman to serve low-income, uninsured community residents. A successful businesswoman, Susan Mattos is a publisher for Mattos Newspapers and in 1988 received the Newman Chamber of Commerce's John T. Silveira Award. She was Rotarian of the rear in 1994 and again in 2001, a 2002 woman of the year for the state Assembly, and a Soroptimist woman of the year.

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