FRESNO – The Marjaree Mason Center is getting ready to once again honor and celebrate 10 distinguished women whose leadership, service and impact have lifted up the Central Valley.
According to an Aug. 6 press release from the Marjaree Mason Center (MMC), the 42nd annual Top Ten Professional Women Awards on Oct. 15 will recognize professionals in health care, education, law, business and public service. As part of the formal awards event, local Deputy District Attorney Rachel Baskin, herself a domestic violence survivor, will provide a keynote speech.
“This year’s program promises not only to recognize extraordinary women in our community, but also to shine a light on the strength of survivors and the importance of standing together to end domestic violence,” the MMC said in a press release.
This year’s honorees who work in the medical field include Dr. Jill Christine Friebele, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon and director of adaptive sports at Valley Children’s Healthcare; Joanne Lai, a licensed marriage and family therapist and the CEO and founder of Spiral and Bloom Embodiment Sanctuary; and physician Dr. Marina Roytman, a clinical professor of medicine and the liver program director for the Fresno campus of the University of California, San Francisco.
Those in the business field being honored by the MMC include Kina McFadden, CEO of business management consultant Eye Connect Dots; Debbie Raven, president and CEO of the Valley Small Business Development Corporation; and business owner Genesis Ortiz Wilson, who is a franchisee and chief operating officer for Dutch Bros Coffee Fresno and a partner with Trayla Properties.
Honorees also include Diane Lira, deputy superintendent for the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools; Jeffie Esparza Hickman, superintendent and principal at University High School; Amy Hance, general services director for the city of Clovis; and Fresno County Senior Deputy District Attorney Lisa Urrizola-Cooper.
According to a press release, honorees received nominations for the award by their peers in the community “who firmly believe in their deservingness of such an accolade for their exceptional work.” A four-judge committee made up of people from the community reviewed and scored the nominees, who were evaluated based on their achievements, leadership and commitment to making a positive impact.
Story of survival
Accompanying the awards ceremony will be a conversation between Baskin and David Carr, a former professional football player and California State University, Fresno student. Baskin, along with her brother and mother, was violently attacked by her estranged husband in 2009 at the age of 23. Despite sustaining gunshot wounds and cuts to the throat, all three survived.
A young mother at the time, Baskin was attempting to leave an emotionally and financially abusive marriage. Just weeks after the attack, Baskin returned to school to continue her studies as a paralegal, eventually completing her degree and enrolling in law school. Baskin joined the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office in 2021.
“The very system that once protected her became the one she now serves,” according to the press release. “Rachel now prosecutes cases that mirror the life she escaped. Her proudest accomplishment in breaking the cycle — her daughter, now 17, knows how to speak up, set boundaries and recognize healthy love.”
Baskin will share her story and discuss the power of second chances, justice and healing during her keynote speech.
Tickets to the Top Ten Professional Women Awards cost $100 per individual. A table of 10 can also be purchased for $1,000. Tickets are available to purchase online at the MMC’s website. The event is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on Oct. 15 at the Fresno Convention and Entertainment Center.
The MMC is a comprehensive domestic violence agency operating in Fresno County, providing safe housing, legal services, counseling and education to domestic violence survivors and youth. To contact the MMC, call the business center at 559-237-4706, or contact the 24-hour confidential emergency helpline at 559-233-4357 or at help@mmcenter.org.
