A panel discussion, moderated by Malibu Times publisher Hayley Mattson, was held the following day
By Barbara Burke
Special to The Malibu Times
“My favorite role has always been that of a cheerleader — empowering and encouraging other women to reach their highest potential, because I believe that we are so much stronger together,” Ani Dermenjian said as she accepted the Lifetime Legacy Award at the Malibu Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce’s 4th annual Women’s Leadership Awards on March 21.
The well-attended event, held at Duke’s Restaurant, celebrated local women who have distinguished themselves in their careers in the public and private sectors and in philanthropy.
Keynote speaker Dr. Deborah Crown, dean of the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, brilliantly set the tone for the event as she focused on leading with kindness.
“Female leadership is essential and when women are respected and empowered to lead, everyone benefits.” Crown said. “A dimension of leadership is kindness — often in the business world, kindness is viewed as a weakness and a luxury we cannot afford. However, studies concerning transformational leadership theory have established that effective leadership involves inspiring and empowering others to reach the pinnacle of their careers. Consider the leadership styles of leaders such as Angela Merkel, Mother Theresa, Oprah Winfrey and Condoleeza Rice — those distinguished women demonstrated leadership with unwavering kindness and empathy — kindness is not tantamount to indecisiveness, rather it is a leadership strength.”
Presenting sponsor Aaron T. Jones of International Protective Services summed up his reaction when asked to support the annual gathering.
“As the proud dad of three daughters, when the Chamber approached me to support this event, I was all in!” he said. “I’m honored to celebrate women and their accomplishments.”
The ceremony recognized five local women at various stages in their successful careers in various economic sectors.
Accepting the Women in Philanthropy award was Ingrid Steinberg, co-founder and board president of Resilient Palisades, a climate-focused, neighbor-led nonprofit organization dedicated to responding to climate crises and protecting the environment. Steinberg embodies the power of women leading in the philanthropic sector, stated Pepperdine’s Heidi Bernard, who introduced her.
Steinberg explained that the organization utilizes volunteer teams to address solar power, concerns relating to waste and composting, and taking a water census.
“We hope to form a microgrid and we encourage gardeners using electric leaf blowers and to facilitate segueing away from toxic gas blowers,” she said. “We don’t shout at our neighbors — that never works. Rather, we are here to help and we firmly believe that when people in neighborhoods take action, we can do great things.”
The extremely honored Bridget Thomas, a Pepperdine student, received the Emerging Leader Award in recognition of her tireless advocacy for improving Pacific Coast Highway safety after the unfathomably tragic loss of her four friends who lost their lives on the highway last October. Thomas addressed her parents modeling leadership skills.
“My mom has taught me to be a strong leader with resilience and strength,” Thomas said. “My Dad taught me to always lead from the heart.”
Chamber member Cinda Roffman, a trained hypnotherapist and counselor, who specializes in helping others realize their full potential, warmly complemented the next awardee — Diane Kale, a certified health coach who was honored with the Women’s Leadership Committee Member of the Year Award.
“Diane brings people together with positivity,” Roffman said. “She is a ray of light.”
Accepting the award, Kale discussed the importance of belonging to the Chamber and how members of the organization show up for one another, which is pivotal to supporting one another’s successes and career growth.
“My husband Paul once told me long ago that, ‘Half of life is showing up and the other half is what you do when you get there!’” Kale said and, in so doing, she encapsulated what the Chamber of Commerce is all about — showing up and supporting others in their business and philanthropic pursuits.
The Woman of the Year Award was bestowed on Alice Meyering, associate dean of Santa Monica College’s Malibu Campus, who has been a driving force in bringing the campus to scale.
Expressing how honored she is to be recognized by the Chamber, Meyering noted that the support of Barbara Bruderlin, CEO of the Chamber, and Erica Segal, chair of the Chamber’s Women’s Leadership Committee, was instrumental in strengthening the ties between Malibu and SMC.
Women leaders reflect on how they succeeded and how they mentor others
On March 22, the honorees and guests attended a panel discussion hosted by the Chamber, featuring five local leaders and moderated by Malibu Times publisher Hayley Mattson.
Assemblywoman Jacqui Irwin; Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, the youngest elected woman to serve on that currently all-female board; Karen Jackson, executive director of recruitment at Pepperdine’s Graziadio Business School; and Malibu City Councilperson Marianne Riggins, the only woman serving on the council, gathered to discuss how they became leaders and how they support and mentor younger women.
The non-political discussion focused on lessons learned by the leaders and their experiences. When asked, “What does leadership mean to you?” two of the panelists, Riggins and Horvath, concurred that a good leader is a good listener who shows up. When asked how they honed their leadership skills, the panelists shared various stories, with Irwin noting that if there were no opportunities, she had to press for them to be created, including insisting on having a women’s swim team in high school even after Title IX was enacted.
“If you don’t keep pressing forward,” Irwin said, sometimes, “they’ll try to push you back.”
Jackson shared that for her, leadership was exemplified by her mother and father, whom she characterized as leaders in their respective businesses, in their community and in their home.
“I started to work when I was 7 years old,” Jackson said. “I would roll pennies for my Dad and I observed that he led by example — if there was no one else available to do whatever needed to be done to run the business, he’d do it himself.”
Addressing how she mentors, Horvath noted how important it is to let younger women know they’re not alone as they learn how to balance work and life and business and social activities.
“When I was first appointed to City Council, I was only 26 years old,” Horvath said. “Then, I was the youngest mayor in Los Angeles County, and recently, I was the youngest to be elected to the Board of Supervisors. Now, I’m the youngest in that body to serve as chair — it was pivotal that as I ascended to various positions, I remained mindful of bringing in young women and giving them an opportunity to replace me.”
Nodding her head in agreement, Irwin phrased that strategy as “having a bench of young women set up to take over,” as she moved on in her career.
Celebrating women and their accomplishments, their mentoring of younger women, and their realizing both their potential and the potential they have to serve and change communities — that’s why the Chamber sponsored both the Women’s Leadership Awards and the panel discussion. Summing up the success of the two gatherings, Pepperdine’s Heidi Bernard, who has served both the university and the Chamber for decades, correctly captured the sentiments of the attendees, “We are all energized when we spend time together celebrating women leaders.”