Senator Holly J. Mitchell 2019 Honorable John S. Martinez National Leadership Recipient

SAVE THE DATE
20th Annual Families & Fathers National Conference 2019
March 4th - 7th, 2019
Hilton Los Angeles Airport
5711 W Century Blvd,
Los Angeles, CA 90045
A closing celebration, Thursday, March 7, 2019 6:00p.m. - 11:00p.m. join us here

Senator Holly J. Mitchell 2019 Honorable John S. Martinez National Leadership Recipient

During the closing gala intended for our conference attendees, speakers, guests, honorees, and open to the public Fathers and Families Coalition of America presents Dr. Ramon & Dr. Yolanda Nieves Family Affair National Awards Gala (a red tie/red dress event). FFCA is honored to host our 2019 Honorable John S. Martinez National Leadership Award - A Champion For Healthy Families to the Honorable Holly J. Mitchell, Senator for the State of California. The most recent honoree, 2018 Honorable John S. Martinez National Leadership Recipient, was Congresswoman Maxine Waters (C.A.), and we celebrate Senator Holly J. Mitchell for the 2019 Honorable John S. Martinez National Leadership Recipient. Senator Mitchell is representing nearly 1 million residents of the 30th Senate District, which ranges from Century City to South Los Angeles and takes in Culver City, Cheviot Hills, Crenshaw District, USC, downtown L.A. and a portion of Inglewood.

A third-generation native Angeleno, Senator Holly J. Mitchell, is the proud daughter of career public servants and the protégé of community leaders who instilled in her a passion for service. She continued her family legacy of "firsts" when she was named the first African American to chair the powerful Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee in December 2016. Less than two months later, a profile in The Los Angeles Times described Senator Mitchell as "the Legislature's moral compass." Holly proved to be just that in 2017 and 2018 when she oversaw the adoption of consecutive state budgets of nearly $200 billion. These state initiatives won wide praise for directing funds to elementary and college students, the healthcare systems, and long-neglected programs to assist infants, the elderly, youth, and working families. 

In recognition of her work, the five-member Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors last November presented her with its Distinguished Legislator Award. Advocate for children Mitchell, the mother of a teenage son, has devoted her professional life to creating a California where all children thrive. She has led the charge to reform the criminal and juvenile justice systems, expand access to healthcare, early care, and education, foster care, secure women's reproductive health, and end the trafficking of minors. She is a passionate defender of women's rights and the environment.

In addition to competing for a budget that better serves the more vulnerable among us, Mitchell joined up with Sen. Ricardo Lara and over two years jointly authored a robust package of 10 criminal justice reforms that place a greater emphasis on prevention, rehabilitation and maintaining family cohesion. Senator Mitchell previously headed California's most giant child and family development organization, Crystal Stairs, and worked for the Western Center for Law and Poverty. The experiences gave her valuable insights on how to improve services to diverse communities whose needs were not being addressed by state or local governments. 

With nearly 70 bills signed into law, Mitchell's other groundbreaking successes include improving human services, expanding access to healthcare, defending the civil rights of minorities and the undocumented, and reducing the numbers of children growing up in poverty. Senator Mitchell sits on the Senate Health Committee; the Joint Committee on Rules; the Public Safety Committee; the Labor and Industrial Relations Committee; and the Insurance, Banking, and Financial Institutions Committee. She also chairs the Senate Select Committee on Women and Inequality, which she founded. In January 2018, she was named vice-chair of the Joint Committee on Rules Subcommittee on Sexual Harassment Prevention and Response.

Senator Mitchell has been cited for her outstanding leadership by more than 100 community and business groups, including the Courage Campaign, Sierra Club, United Cerebral Palsy Association, the Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce, and the Women's Foundation of California Board. She was named the 2017 Lois DeBerry Scholar by Women in Government Leadership and this year received the first Willie L. Brown Jr. Advocacy Award from the California Black Lawyers Association. The National Conference of State Legislatures last summer elected her to its National Executive Committee. Her advocacy on behalf of the expansion of mental health services earned her Legislator-of-the-Year Award from the National Alliance on Mental Illness California, as well as the 2017 California Champion of Mental Health from Mental Health California. She also served as Faculty in Residence at Rutgers University in 1997 and has served as Legislator in Residence at Mount St. Mary's University since 2016.

Representative John S. Martinez was the Deputy Majority Leader serving New Haven's 95th Assembly District. He served as president of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators for two years. Rep. Martinez also briefly served as the chief executive officer of the Community Action Agency of New Haven. He was chiefly instrumental in sponsoring the Fatherhood Initiative of Connecticut legislation (P.A. 99-193), which was passed by the Legislature in 1999. John knew the importance of a father's interaction with his child and fought to help develop public policies that would benefit the state's fathers and their families. Representative Martinez championed legislation focused on improving the outcomes for children, substance abuse, reentry, criminal justice, and other policies with a focus on; develop the procedure for state standards and law for the State of Connecticut calling for fathers' involvement. John worked to bridge caucus issues with both the Hispanic and African American state and congressional leaders.

On Friday, October 11, 2002, the State of Connecticut, legislators nationally, advocates to strengthen families lost a champion for healthy families when State Representative John S. Martinez's life taken in a tragic automobile accident. At the time of his death, Representative Martinez was a member of the board of directors for Fathers and Families Coalition of America.

In 2003, honoring his memory and dedication to the vision of leadership and service in the community we established the Honorable John S. Martinez National Leadership Recipient. Honorees have been selected as dedicated public servants who always took the time to help others. Recipients demonstrate the character, generosity, compassion for the oppressed giving hope to families, and renewing strength in our communities. 

Join us at our closing event celebrating fathers, couples, and servant leadership (reserve your ticket here)

For support call 424-225-1323

Register Now for Reduced Rates
20th Annual Families and Fathers National Conference,
March 4-7, 2019, at the Hilton LAX Hotel
Los Angeles, California
Learn More: http://fathersandfamiliescoalition.org/conferences/national-conference.html

#earlyheadstart , #childdevelopment , #evidencebasedpractices , #ACF , #headstart , #professionaldevelopment , #AnnualFamiliesandFathersConference , #practitioners , #enagingfathers , #20thAnnualFamiliesandFathersConference , #marriageandfamilytherapists , #family , #engagingfamilies , #socialworkers , #FamilySupport , #ChildWellBeing , #childwelfareprofessionals , #familyfirstact , #StrengtheningFamilies , #runawayyouth , #fostercareparentsasfrontlineworkers , #endinghomelessness #fostercare, #juvenilejustice,  #healthyrelationships, #healthymarriages #coparenting, #evidencebasedinterventions, and #EngagingFathers