XO,

Linda

Wine and Dine in Santa Barbara

Date: Monday, April 27, 2026

Time: 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. PT

Who: IWF So Cal members and guests

Where: Margerum Tasting Room

# of attendees: 15 Members and 5 guests

Cost to attend: $80 for members and $85 for guests 

IWF So Cal is hosting an evening of wine tasting and delicious small bites in Santa Barbara at the Margerum Tasting Room located in the Funk Zone. Registration includes a wine tasting flight and small bites in a private room. Please RSVP by April 20 if you would like to attend. Cheers to good wine and good vibes! 

Dine – Around in San Diego

Date: Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Time: 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. PT

Who: IWF So Cal members only

Where: Cafe Coyote – Old Town San Diego

# of attendees: 12 Members. This event is FULL. Join the waitlist below.

Cost to attend: $40 per person.

Join Dede Alpert on Wednesday April 29 at 4:30 pm for a Dine-Around in Old Town San Diego. Watch how tortillas are made, learn how to make the perfect margarita & then sit down to appetizers and your freshly made margarita. Dede is the former State Senator and former Assembly Person for San Diego and has been an IWF So Cal member since 2006.

The Future of Federal Cultural Policy

Date: Thursday, May 21, 2026

Time: 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. PT

Who: IWF members

Where: Virtually on Zoom

Cost to attend: Free, RSVP is required

IWF So Cal is convening a timely national conversation—moderated by one of the country’s most respected cultural policy leaders and a fellow IWF So Cal Member, Laura Zucker. This virtual program will examine what comes next for arts, culture, and the humanities in the United States.

Panelists include:

• Erin Harkey, CEO, Americans for the Arts and the Arts Action Fund

• Maria Rosario Jackson, former Chair, National Endowment for the Arts; currently Professor of Creativity and Social Impact at Arizona State University

• Deborah Rutter, former President & CEO, Kennedy Center; currently Vice Provost for the Arts at Duke University

Save the Dates! The IWF Western Regional Retreat will be July 31 – August 2, 2026

The 4th Annual IWF Western Region Retreat will be held in Northern California. The Retreat brings together members from IWF forums across the Western Region—including British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Northern California, Southern California, Idaho, Utah, and Hawaii—for a dynamic, mini-conference–style experience centered on shared learning and expanded regional connection. It will include special curated activities to build relationships and connections between members while experiencing the history and charm of Healdsburg, CA and its stunning surroundings. The venue is Bishop’s Ranch, the same location where IWF Northern California’s renowned annual “summer camp” is held and will allow all participants to enjoy the beauty and peace of this rustic gem. We hope you will join us for what will be an exciting and memorable weekend.

Timeline

April 23 to April 30: Provide a non-binding early indication of your planned participation; additional information about planned activities, accommodations, and pricing will be provided at this time.

May 20: Registration will open and payment will be due to reserve your spot. Space is limited to 80 IWF Western Region forum members and room preferences will be honored on a first come first served basis.

Starts: Friday, July 31st at 5:00 pm 

Ends: Sunday, August 2nd at 11:00 am

A Special Celebration of Life for Claire Rothman

Thank you to all who were able to join the virtual Celebrate of Life for Claire Rothman on Wednesday April 8 at 10 a.m. and thank you to all who shared their favorite memories of and with Claire. The photo tribute that was shown, as well as additional photos, can be viewed below.

As many on the call echoed, we need more Claires. She will be missed.

Pizza City Fest LA

Thank you Amy Dordek, IWF Chicago member, for extending this offer to the So Cal members.

Date: April 25 & 26, 2026

Time: 1:00 P.M PT 

This event takes place on Saturday & Sunday, April 25 & 26 from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. on the L.A. Live Event Deck. Pizza City Fest offers a stellar lineup of Southern California’s best pizza makers in one location, giving fans the unique opportunity to taste, see live demos, and attend panel discussions with culinary experts over two days at L.A. LIVE. 

To register use this link https://www.axs.com/series/31589/pizza-city-fest-2026-super-group-tickets?skin=pizzacityfest2026 and enter the discount code: IWFSC to receive the discounted price.

Martha Daniel

Martha recently published “You Gotta Have G.U.T.S.”, a book about how Gratitude can shift your perspective, Unity can multiply your strength, Trustworthiness can build lasting success, and Spirituality can guide you to win in every area of life. More information can be found on Martha’s website here.

Hannah-Beth Jackson

To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum conducted over 30 oral histories and interviews across the country and listened as American women declared that independence is not only essential but also deeply tied to financial power. We Do Declare is their oral history project exploring what independence has meant in women’s lives since the 1970s.

Hannah-Beth’s interview can be viewed here.

Jennifer Keller

Jennifer Keller has been named to the list of “Leading Commercial Litigators of 2026,” as selected by the Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journals.

The announcement can be viewed here.

Yolanda Nava

A Message from Yolanda:

Great News! I am up for two exciting honors. The first is the nomination for an Honorary Doctorate Degree from New Mexico Highlands University. My nomination is before the Faculty Senate.

As you know my career in Journalism began as the first Mexican American woman to appear on a network television station, KNBC/TV, Los Angeles. My career spanned 38 years, and I am now a nominee for a National Association of Hispanic Journalists, NAHJ, Hall of Fame Award. Wish me luck!

Jane Olson

On March 3, 2026, the American Women for International Understanding (AWIU) presented Jane with the Internationalism Award at their Alumnae Impact Celebration. The Internationalism Award is presented to individuals who have addressed issues facing women worldwide. Recipients have exhibited support for women’s issues and contributed to worldwide understanding, raised awareness of global concerns, and encouraged cross-cultural dialogue. This Award acknowledges the importance of individual women in developing a peaceful world for all.

Congratulations Jane!

March 2026 Orange County Dine – Around

Thank you to everyone who attended Susan Parks’ Dine – Around at the Pacific Club in Newport Beach on March 19.

L to R: Susan Parks, Nikki Clay, Maryellen Gleason, Karen Caplan, Christiana Haley-Stover, Linda LoRe, Judy Gradwohl, Susan Brennan, Tara Balfour.

IWF Global Updates and Conversation

Thank you Kathy Checchi for hosting the IWF Global Updates and Conversation on March 26. Highlights from the meeting are listed below.

• IWF will host one global conference a year beginning in 2028 and will instead host multiple opportunities to connect at various price points throughout the year.
• In 2025, IWF launched two new forums, IWF Peru and IWF Korea. In 2026, IWF has launched IWF Brazil – São Paulo and just approved the launch of IWF Uruguay. In the next 36 months, IWF plans on launching nearly 10 forums internationally.
• Stephanie O’Keefe spoke on the importance of engaging with women and girls at an early age in order to inspire them.
• Kathy and Stephanie spoke on the process of integrating the IWF Fellows with their local forums.

The Advice That Changed Everything

Thank you to all who attended the March 31 virtual celebration of International Women’s Month. Attendees heard inspiring pieces of advice from Leticia Buckley, former CEO of LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, Jessie Kornberg, CEO of the Skirball Cultural Center and Dee Dee Myers, Senior Advisor & Director for the Governor’s Office of Business & Economic Development for the State of California. Thank you Alison Kenney Paul, Sysco board member and current Vice President of IWF So Cal.

In case you missed it, the recording can be viewed here.

Save the Dates!

IWF – Trusteeship has the great honor of hosting the 2028 IWF World Leadership Conference & Gala in Los Angeles, California October 25 -27. We will welcome 1,000 of our IWF sisters from around the world and we’ll show them the beauty that Southern California has to offer. 

If you would like to volunteer on one of the planning committees, please contact Jenneva Guzman, admin@iwfsocal.org, and she will connect you.

Share your good news!

Submit announcements, honors and recognitions with

IWF So Cal – Trusteeship friends.

Please send an email with the subject line “Announcement” to admin@iwfsocal.org with your latest news.

Here’s all you need to know:

• SUBMISSIONS MUST BE SENT 10 DAYS PRIOR TO THE END OF THE MONTH
• UPDATES GO OUT THE FIRST WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH
• PROVIDE TEXT AND LINKS WHERE AVAILABLE AND APPROPRIATE
• HAVE SOMETHING SPECIAL YOU WOULD LIKE TO ANNOUNCE? UPDATES CAN BE SHARED AT ANY TIME ON THE FACEBOOK GROUP PAGE.

You can join the private Facebook group by clicking on the icon below. This will take you directly to the Facebook page where you can send a friend request to join the group.

Click here to email your announcement

Looking forward to hearing about these special times in your lives! Thank you very much.