Success & Service: Ag group has Hilmar woman in key post

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When the leaders of American Agri-Women fly to Washington, D.C., next month to lobby lawmakers, a local woman will be playing a key role. Pamela Sweeten of Hilmar is vice president of education for Agri-Women, the nation's largest coalition of farm, ranch and agribusiness women. Sweeten, an almond broker, was elected to the post in December. She has held various leadership roles in the Stanislaus chapter of California Women for Agriculture.

Sweeten said the group's top priority is passage of AgJobs or similar legislation that will allow immigrant workers to continue harvesting American crops. The organization's priorities are explained on its Web site, www.americanagriwomen.org.

Last week's column listed the names of the five Stanislaus County sheriff's deputies honored by the Stanislaus Civitan Club as part of its annual Law Day observance. The list was based on a news release from the Sheriff's Department. What we didn't realize at the time is that the club recognizes an officer from every police agency in the county. Winners are chosen by personnel in the respective departments. So here is the complete list of the officers of the year:

Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department -- Deputy Tom Fara

Riverbank Police Services -- Deputy Robert Rowe

Patterson Police Services -- Detective Michael Fisher

Hughson Police Services -- Deputy John Howard

Waterford Police Services -- Deputy Marcia Matos

California State University, Stanislaus -- Sgt. Matt Dillon

California Highway Patrol -- Officer John Chituras

Modesto Police Department -- Community Service Officer Veronica Holmes

Ceres Police Department -- Officer Greg Yotsuya

Turlock Police Services -- Detective Michael Parmley

Newman Police Department -- Officer Chad Earle

Oakdale Police Department -- Officer Aaron Beatty

Bonny Jewell, a teacher in the Sylvan Union School District, was recognized with a 2009 Distinguished Service award from the California Association for the Gifted. Eleven such awards were given statewide, one in each region. She was honored in the San Joaquin Region, which includes Stanislaus, Merced, Mariposa, Fresno, Tulare, Madera, Kings and Kern counties. Jewell was honored by the Sylvan school board and at a reception at Standiford Elementary, where she has been a teacher in the academically talented and gifted program for nine years.

The Stanislaus County Legal Professionals Association honored its immediate past president Diane Mecca as legal secretary of the year. The award was presented May 6, when the group installed its officers for the coming year. Linda Brown is the new president.

Dianne Philibosian and Janice Brown were reappointed to University of the Pacific's Board of Regents. Both will serve three-year terms on the 27-member board. Philibosian, a professor in the Department of Recreation and Tourism Management at California State University, Northridge, is a 1968 graduate of the College of the Pacific. Brown is a federal appeals court judge in Washington, D.C.

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