Garamendi honors Megan Grant as Lake County Woman of the Year
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — On Tuesday, Congressman John Garamendi honored 44 women from the Third Congressional District of California who are leaders and visionaries in their communities.
Among the honorees is Megan Grant of Upper Lake, who serves as assistant principal at Lucerne Elementary School.
She is part of a group of women who Garamendi said have all made significant contributions to society through public service, business, education and local advocacy.
“Every year I have the honor of recognizing the achievements and service of these distinguished women,” Garamendi said. “These leaders come from a variety of backgrounds, but every one of them has made a real difference to their communities and the people around them. It’s a privilege to be able to honor them.”
Last year’s Women of the Year event was conducted virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This year, thanks to the transformational work by many of our honorees as well as policies like the American Rescue Plan, we can once again gather in person with family and friends to honor the incredible work these women have done on behalf of our community,” Garamendi said.
The group gathered in Woodland for the award ceremony.
“The service and dedication each honoree has shown their community is deserving of recognition, and by receiving this award, their work will be commemorated and chronicled at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C,” Garamendi added
Grant, who was not able to attend the in-person event, was nominated for the honor by Lucerne Elementary Principal-Superintendent Mike Brown.
As an educator, she has dedicated her career to the education and well-being of her students. Since the beginning of her career, Grant “has worked tirelessly to improve lives and learning outcomes for her students,” according to her nomination.
Throughout her 15 years with the Lucerne Elementary School District, Grant is credited with having been a champion for educators and students alike. In a community faced with high levels of poverty she has worked tirelessly to improve learning conditions and outcomes for students in her care.
After the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of schools, Grant devoted countless hours toward designing a reopening plan that would protect the safety of students and faculty while allowing classrooms to reopen for in-person instruction.
This hard work not only benefited her students, but also enabled many families facing economic hardship to get back to work while their children returned to school.
“Though Megan faced the same difficulties and challenges that so many did working through a
pandemic, it never shook her resolve and only fueled her desire to do all she could for her students. This determination and compassionate mindset has enabled her to make a positive impact on the lives of countless,” the nomination said.
The full list of 2021 Women of the Year Honorees is included below.
Lake County
Megan Grant, Upper Lake
Glenn County
Dorothy Tefelski, Orland
Solano County
Audrey Calder, Vacaville
Susan Clark, Rio Vista
Col. Erin C. Cook, Travis Air Force Base
Birgitta Corsello, Vacaville
Karstin Feinhandler, Dixon
Col. Gwendolyn Foster, Travis Air Force Base
Lavona Hamilton, Vacaville,
Rochele Henderson, Suisun City
Deanna Hurn, Fairfield
Mary Jameson, Dixon
Cheryl Johnson, Fairfield
Lakethia Lake-Pascua, Fairfield
Alicia Minyen, Vacaville
Ana Petero, Fairfield
Candie Rodriquez-Selden, Suisun City
Steiphanie Tarter, Vacaville
Edith Thomas, Suisun City
Kathy Walsh, Dixon
Jeanie White, Vacaville
Wanda Williams, Suisun City
Lori Wilson, Suisun City
Yolo County
Tess Boyd, Woodland
Gena Bravo, Woodland
Joy Cohan, Davis
Sara Gavin, Davis
Autumn Labbe-Renault, Davis
Petrea Marchand, Davis
Elodia Ortega-Lampkin, Woodland
Carol Scianna, Winters
Tessa Smith, Woodland
Carol Souza Cole, Woodland
Susie Stocking, Winters
Rachel Warren, Davis
Yuba/ Sutter counties
María Arvizu-Espinoza, Marysville
Lisa Buschmann-Kirchner, Yuba City
Diana Langley, Yuba City
Rose McIsaac, Yuba City
Debbie Procayo, Yuba City
Nicole Rubio, Yuba City
Lisa Shelton, Yuba City