April 26, 2007

Celebrating women who’ve taken risks to rise to the top

A crowd of more than 300 people gathered at the Marriot on April11 to celebrate the San Jose/Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce’s fifth annual Women in Leadership dinner.

Speaking at the dinner was Almaden’s own Delores Carr. “There is no marble ceiling in Santa Clara County,” said the county’s first woman to serve as District Attorney who noted other women taking over jobs formerly dominated by men, such as Katherine Gardner as the county’s presiding judge and Sheriff Laurie Smith. Carr encouraged those attending to “take risks and get out of their comfort zone. There are boundless opportunities to give back to your community.”

Other Almaden guests at the dinner include Alexandra Dorian, the new owner of Emile’s Restaurant in downtown San Jose. During the dinner, the Chamber also recognized Monica Sandoval, Corella Hernandez and Melissa Shain-Shain Bautista and presented them with $3,000 grants. All three are working, attending school and raising families.

Welcoming the guests was Chamber President and CEO Pat Dando.

San Jose/Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Pat Dando greets Santa Clara County District Attorney Delores Carr, the featured speaker of the Chamber’s fifth annual Women in Leadership dinner. Both women live in Almaden. Photos by Carol Rosen	Emily Moody, left, from Stanford Hospital joins City Council members Judy Chirco and Nancy Pyle at the dinner. Other council members at the dinner included Vice Mayor Dave Cortese and Councilwoman Nora Campos.