The YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley hosted its annual Marin Women’s Hall of Fame Induction Dinner and Ceremony on March 4 at the Embassy Suites in San Rafael, celebrating a new class of extraordinary women from Marin County. Since 1987, the Marin Women’s Hall of Fame has honored women of distinction, preserved their stories, educated the public about their contributions, and inspired future generations of women and girls.
Celebrating Legacy and Leadership
More than 350 individuals gathered for the event, including 35 past honorees who warmly welcomed their new ‘sisters’ into the Marin Women’s Hall of Fame. Among them were Dr. Gina Fromer (Class of 2023), who served as the evening’s emcee, and Joan Brown (Class of 2014), who led the official induction ceremony.
Words of Inspiration from the Inductees
The Class of 2025 inductees honored during the dinner and ceremony included:
- Chantel Walker, CEO and Managing Partner, CWISER Ventures and San Anselmo Town Council Member
- Jean Shindoa Bolen, M.D., International Author and Speaker, Feminist and Psychologist
- Judy Arnold, Retired Marin County District 5 Supervisor
- Maria Socorro Romo, Executive Director, West Marin Community Services
- Susan Gilmore, President and CEO, North Bay Children’s Center
Each of the five inductees delivered heartfelt acceptance speeches, reflecting on her life’s work, proudest achievements, personal journeys and hopes for the future of women and girls in Marin. All five were selected by an anonymous committee from nearly 100 nominations.
Setting the Stage for Women Leaders in Marin
“At the Marin Women’s Hall of Fame, we come together not only to celebrate accomplishments but to acknowledge the ongoing journey toward equality, empowerment, and opportunity for women everywhere,” said Adriana Caldera Boroffice, CEO, YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley. “The five leaders being inducted into the Hall of Fame remind us that greatness knows no gender and that leadership comes in many forms, at different stages of life and through many different pathways.”
Sponsors included the Marin Women’s Hall of Fame Legacy Fund, Kaiser Permanente, Marin Community Foundation and North Bay Woman.
Photos by D. Kelly Images
A freelance writer in Marin who writes about family, kids and parenting, Glass is the mother to one son, one dog and a hamster named Miss Geri. When she’s not writing, trekking up steep hills in Marin or driving her kid to sports practice, she and her family spend time in their tiny cabin in Lake Tahoe. She avidly supports the California Academy of Sciences, a world class science museum and research institution, and the Institute on Aging which provides much needed services to Bay Area seniors and disabled adults. Glass is obsessed with baking the perfect loaf of banana bread, something she makes so often she no longer needs to look at a recipe card.
