For Immediate Release: March 21, 2022

Media Contact: Michelle.Sherwood@sen.ca.gov

SACRAMENTO, CA –Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) announced today that she has recognized Reedley resident Liset Garcia as the 14^th Senate District Woman of the Year.

 “I am honored to recognize Liset Garcia as the 14th Senate District’s Woman of the Year,” Senator Hurtado said. “As a daughter of immigrants, and a resident of the Central Valley, Liset is extraordinary—a combination of tenacity and grace. Her story embodies our way of life, and the sunflowers she grows represent her resilience and sunny attitude. I encourage you to listen to the podcast that I recorded with her this past weekend to learn more about the Senate District 14 Woman of the Year, her experiences and her farm.”

Image 1: Senator Hurtado presents Liset Garcia with an award recognizing her as the 2022 Senate District 14 Woman of the Year.

Liset is a true entrepreneur. She began selling produce with her parents along the road at eight months of age. Prior to settling in Reedley, she obtained her Masters of Public Health from the University of Southern California. She also received a Bachelor’s of Science in Molecular and Cell Biology, with a minor in Psychology from the University of California, Merced. Last year, Liset’s well went dry. She still maintained her flower and vegetable garden, often trucking water pumped by her father and brother from an agricultural well on their nearby property.

The Woman of the Year was founded in 1987 by Assemblywoman Bev Hansen (R) and Assemblywoman Sally Tanner (D) after the Assemblywomen noticed that there were no events planned for the month of March recognizing Woman’s History Month. They arranged to invite one woman from each of the 120 California State Senate and Assembly Districts, to celebrate and honor their accomplishments. This has become an annual event, organized by the California Legislative Women’s Caucus as a way to celebrate the contributions women make to society.

About Senator Melissa Hurtado

Senator Melissa Hurtado represents a new generation of Latina leaders as the youngest woman ever elected to the California State Senate and a product of immigrant parents. Senator Hurtado represents the 14th Senate District and focuses on rural community issues that often go unheard — access to clean air and water, food insecurity and poverty, inequities in environmental policies, agriculture and access to health care. In July 2020, she was appointed to the national Biden Latino Leadership Committee alongside former Labor Secretary and current Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis – the only two California Latinas on the Committee.

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