Meet the 2022 Women of Distinction
Women’s History Month gives us even more opportunity to recognize the trailblazers that came before us. We are lucky to have women in our lives that have helped so many of us achieve and succeed. I asked our community to nominate outstanding women in Orange County who are civically engaged and committed to improving our communities. From veterans’ service work to youth champions, to public safety and community partnerships, these 18 women work every day to make our communities better.
Education Award
Martha McNicholas
President and Trustee, Capistrano Unified School District
Martha McNicholas is currently serving her third term as Board President for the Capistrano Unified School District. She has spent decades advocating for students and youth, their families and public schools. She is a retired engineer with over 30 years of medical device and manufacture experience, thus her passion for encouraging students to pursue engineering in college and career. She is a cancer survivor, volunteer and advocate for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life.
Shannon Villanueva
Principal, DeMille Elementary
Shannon is a longtime resident of Orange County. She earned her undergraduate degree and teaching credential from University of California, a Irvine and her doctorate in Educational Leadership from California State University, Fullerton. Shannon has been an educator in the Westminster School District for nearly 30 years. She is the proud principal of DeMille Elementary School, the home of the first Vietnamese/English Dual Language Immersion program in the state of California. She loves living and working in the community in which she serves.
Health & Wellness Award
Helen Macfie
Chief Transformation Officer, MemorialCare
Helen Macfie is the Chief Transformation Officer for MemorialCare health system headquartered in Fountain Valley. Her passion is working to improve the care and safety for every patient and family needing healthcare. Helen has been leading MemorialCare’s COVID-19 Command Center response team since early 2020. She has served as an active member of the COVID-19 Vaccine planning efforts across the state and locally where MemorialCare has given over 191,000 vaccine shots in arms, with a focus on providing education and “pop-up” vaccination stations to help protect our communities.
Sue Bright
Executive Director, New Directions for Women
Sue Bright is a woman in long-term recovery who has dedicated her life to ensuring that all people who suffer from substance use disorder are offered an opportunity to heal from the devastating throws of addiction. Sue demonstrates her belief daily that we can make a difference in someone’s life with a little kindness, care and compassion at a time that they feel least worthy of it. Sue has been married for 36 years to her husband Rick and they have three grown sons who are well accomplished and four grandchildren who bring them so much joy.
Compassionate Community Award
Je’net Kreitner
Founder & CEO, Grandma’s House of Hope
Je’net Kreitner Is the Founder and CEO of Grandma’s House of Hope, a non profit charitable organization that Empowers the Invisible in Orange County. Three programs: Rescued and Restored Housing, Nana’s Kidz and HopeWorks! serve vulnerable populations experiencing homelessness and hunger and touch over 3,500 lives annually. Formerly unhoused herself, Kreitner was named Founder of the Year for the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ National Philanthropy Day and recognized as one of Orange County’s 100 Most Influential People in 2014. In 2019, Je’net published her first novel, entitled Resurrecting Hope: Overcoming the Invisible Violence of Child Abuse, documenting her professional and personal journey. To learn more, visit: www.GrandmasHouseofHope.org
Robyne Wood
Founder & Executive Director, Robyne’s Nest
Robyne Wood, resident of Huntington Beach since 2008, started Robyne's Nest in April of 2015. With decades of operations and management experience and a heart for helping those in need, it was with ease she started Robyne’s Nest to provide support and resources to local students who have little to no parental support. Coming from a dysfunctional family and having a difficult childhood, Robyne knows the struggles of being on your own before you're 18. This has given her an insight that many people don't have in these positions, as to what our at-risk and homeless youth are experiencing and needing…an insight and a gift that she is taking advantage of here in our community today.
Public Service Award
Lisa Kim
Assistant City Manager, Garden Grove
Lisa Kim serves as Garden Grove's Assistant City Manager and Community and Economic Development Director. Lisa's profound knowledge, experience, and passion for Garden Grove has led to a number of successful commercial developments, community revitalization efforts, affordable housing initiatives, homeless outreach resources, and active transportation projects in which the collective outcomes strive to enhance the community's long-term quality of life. Along with her career accomplishments, Lisa has invested much of her time and attention into selflessly serving the local community through several recognized organizations and philanthropic endeavors through Orange County United Way and OCAPICA.
Anna Derby
President, Golden Age Foundation
Anna Derby is an immigrant who moved to the US from Korea 40 years ago with two young children. She worked tirelessly to make her life and that of her children better and more meaningful. To give back, she dedicates her time here in Leisure World. Two of her significant activities are leading Sunshine Club, providing informational speakers to the community, and being President of Golden Age Foundation, a charitable group meeting the needs of residents for the last 12 years. Learn more about the Golden Age Foundation at www.GoldenAgefdn.org.
Veteran Services Award
Antoinette Balta
Co-Founder & Executive Director, Veterans Legal Institute
Antoinette Balta is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Veterans Legal Institute (VLI), a nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services to low income and homeless veterans. VLI has served over 9,000 veterans pro bono to date.
Carol Singleton
Supervisor, Heroes Hall Museum
Carol Singleton is the Supervisor of Heroes Hall Museum and Education Center at the OC Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, California. She is a veteran of the US Army. After her service, she worked as a high school English teacher, then a newspaper editor. She has worked for the State of California as a public information officer and outreach specialist for more than 16 years.
Public Safety Award
Carol Burtis
CERT Coordinator, HB Fire Department
Carol Burtis is the CERT Coordinator for the Huntington Beach Fire Department for almost 6 years. She was a CERT volunteer for over 23 years prior to becoming the CERT Coordinator. Her job includes disaster preparedness for the community through CERT classes, various presentations, public education events and various activities throughout the year.
Crissy Teichmann
Battalion Chief, Laguna Beach Fire Department
Crissy started her career in the fire service working as a volunteer Fire Prevention Officer in the City of Garden Grove, as a wildland firefighter with the US Forest Service and California Department of Forestry (currently known as CalFire), then getting hired as a firefighter/paramedic with the Laguna Beach Fire Department in 2000. In Laguna, she has held the positions of firefighter/paramedic, engineer, captain, administrative staff captain, and currently Battalion Chief. She lives in Huntington Beach with her husband Pete who is a Police Officer in the City of Huntington Beach.
Community Partnership Award
Kori DeLeon
President, RTI Insurance Agency, Inc
Kori is a mom, and a business owner that truly loves her community. When her children were in elementary school their media center faced budget cuts, but she stood up and chaired Project LEAP, a foundation to cover position costs that would have been otherwise lost. Mrs. DeLeon proudly chaired programs that raised well over a million for the Los Al School District. While her kids were in high school, she chaired the Seal Beach Summer Concert Series for five years, keeping live music in Seal Beach. Small business is her passion, and she became the Seal Beach Chamber president in 2019. During COVID they worked as a community with legislators such as Michelle Steel to help small business survive and continue to work to ensure we thrive. Together with her husband, were named Los Alamitos High School Hero of the Heart and they continue to work within the community to find ways to draw business back to Seal Beach.
Heidi Stoops
Realtor, Coast to Canyon Real Estate
Born and raised in Nashville, TN and have been residing in Aliso Viejo for 25 years. I am a top producing Realtor in south OC and have been in real estate for almost 20 years. I am a community volunteer for various events in Aliso Viejo, am on the Board of Directors for the Aliso Viejo Chamber of Commerce, on the executive Board of Directors for the Memorial Care Saddleback Medical Center foundation, and have numerous local charities that are close to my heart that I support.
Financial Service Award
Victoria Hà-Vy Le
Executive Field Chairwoman, First Financial Security, Inc.
Victoria is the Executive Field Chairwoman with First Financial Security, Inc. The core of her business focus is to financially empower families across America with modern retirement planning solutions that will protect clients in the event of untimely deaths, critical illnesses and living too long. Without proper financial literacy education and solutions planning, over 60% of Americans will immediately feel the impact of financial devastation if one or more of the occurrences take place. Additionally, she also helps business owners plan for their retirements using tax-advantage programs that are available to them, but most are not aware of.
Enae Jackson-Atkins
Esquire Accounting
Enae Jackson-Atkins dba Esquire Accounting, enterprising principal with a demonstrated history of working in the accounting profession, specializing in Small Businesses, Non-Profits, and Entrepreneurial Attorney Firms. Enae at Esquire Accounting is a strong consulting professional, skilled in Corporation & Small Business Accounting, Small Business Fiscal Strategic Advisory, Organizational Financial Operations, Nonprofit Organizational Accounting, Budgeting & Forecasting, Business Process Improvement, and Business Planning & Coaching. Esquire is where business owners come to maximize profitability and grow their businesses faster. #iaccount4u
Youth Champion Award
Chani Mintz
Director, Friendship Circle Orange County
Chani Mintz is the President and CEO of Friendship Circle and its Center for Special Needs, which provides assistance and life-changing support to over 1,000 individuals with special needs and their families by offering much needed recreational, social, educational, vocational and therapeutic programming for them. Chani is also the Co-Founder of Chabad Center for Jewish Life in Newport Beach which conducts an array of charitable, social, educational and humanitarian programs - Chani is a lifelong educator and special needs activist and resides in Newport Beach along with her husband Rabbi Reuven Mintz and their six children.
Phuong Cao
Co-Founder, Queen Maha Maya Foundation
Phuong Cao tried many ways to provide a better future for her family. She struggled and worked hard for those depending on her but focused on prayer. One day, at Mile Square Park she prayed and promised that if her business worked out, she would be committed into taking 30% for family, 30% to put back in the business, 30% to put toward charities, and the last 10% to put toward an emergency fund. In 1998, Ms. Cao opened a Beauty Salon and used that income her provide for family but also have a small savings. In 2000, she started investing in Real Estate, one small project at a time. She was blessed with many good opportunities and smooth transactions but, there were bumps in the road. In 2007, with her partner, Ms. Cao established the Queen Maha Maya Foundation in Westminster. Most of the financial support came from her own hard-earned money or close friends and families to help the orphans and people in need. She believes that giving back is truly a privilege and continues this work today.