Longtime Santa Monican Linda Gross has been named 2007 Assembly Woman of the year.
Nominated for the honor by 41st District Assemblymember Julia Brownley, Gross traveled to Sacramento earlier this week for the ceremony, held on the floor of the California State Assembly. The certificate of recognition was given to Gross by Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez.
Said Brownley, “For most of her adult life, Linda has dedicated countless hours to enriching the lives of the students of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. She began at Roosevelt Elementary and Santa Monica High schools, and over the years has devoted her time and considerable talents into improving the education and lives of children. I’m proud to honor her.”
Gross, Executive Director of the Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation, helped to establish a permanent endowment fund to “ensure arts funding in perpetuity” for the district. She is the driving force behind For The Arts, which funds the endowment, and is almost single-handedly responsible for the yearly For The Arts fundraiser. Last year’s event was held at Barnum Hall, featured Jackson Browne and Venice and raised $100,000
Among her other accomplishments, Gross raised awareness of the disparity in opportunities for children depending on what school they attend and is a founder of CEPS, the Community for Excellent Public Schools.
“The Education Foundation is my passion because of its mission to enrich the curriculum and provide access and opportunities for all students in our public schools,” said Gross. “Assemblywoman Brownley has long been a staunch supporter of education. We have worked tirelessly together for the past 20 years, therefore it was an honor to be recognized as her choice for 2007 Woman of The Year.”
