Catherine Keen Named a "Woman of the Year" in the 29th Congressional District
| Tuesday, March 30, 2010 | Contact: Sean Oblack (202) 225-4176 |
Catherine Keen Named a “Woman of the Year” in the 29th Congressional District
Washington, D.C. – On Saturday at a reception in Pasadena, Representative Adam Schiff honored Catherine “Cathy” Keen for her commitment and service to Glendale by naming her a “Woman of the Year.”
“The children of Glendale could not ask for a more effective and enthusiastic advocate than Cathy,” Schiff said. “Her involvement in education and philanthropy on behalf of children make her worthy of being named Woman of the Year.”
Cathy has served the Glendale community primarily in the area of child advocacy, spending many years as an officer in the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) at the elementary, middle school, high school, and council levels, including president of the Glenoaks PTA for two years. She was awarded the California Golden Oak Service Award by the State PTA, the highest level award bestowed by the PTA. She also served as president of the Glenoaks Elementary School Foundation in 1994.
Cathy is active in Las Candelas, a philanthropic group which works to improve the lives of emotionally disturbed children. Cathy served as president of Las Candelas for two years and has chaired their biennial benefit twice, raising $140,000 for programs for emotionally disturbed children. In 1993, she was a finalist for the Glendale News Press Woman of Achievement, nominated for her help with the family of a dying child.
She chaired the Glendale Healthy Kid’s (GHK) popular “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” for nine years and also served on the Board of Directors of GHK for six years. She served as president of the Board of GHK and temporarily filled in as executive director. Cathy personally published the GHK newsletter for five years and received the GHK Volunteer of the Year Award.
Cathy is currently serving as president of the Kiwanis Club of Glendale, the second woman in eighty-nine years to hold this position. In Kiwanis, she has served as Chairman of Youth Services for two years, overseeing nineteen Kiwanis projects to help community youth, and has served on the Board of Directors. Cathy also publishes the weekly Kiwani News and is a regular reporter for the news when not serving as president.
Every March, during Women’s History Month, Rep. Schiff honors one outstanding woman from each of the communities in the 29th Congressional District. These women come from all walks of life and represent the thousands of women who make a positive impact in our region. While there are no specific criteria for nomination, Rep. Schiff looks for women who — through their work or volunteerism — have improved the quality of life for our community.
Rep. Schiff represents California’s 29th Congressional District, which includes the communities of Alhambra, Altadena, Burbank, Glendale, Monterey Park, Pasadena, San Gabriel, South Pasadena and Temple City.