Tessa Smith, current chair of the Multi-Cultural Community Council, is the recipient of the League’s 2022 Democracy Works Award. Smith was nominated by Will Ferrier & Wendy Wilcox, who state “Tessa Smith has dedicated her life’s work to making a positive impact and improving the human experience of local citizens by closing the gap in racial disparities. Tessa has worked tirelessly as Chair of the Yolo County Multi-Cultural Community Council (MCCC), a group that advises the District Attorney’s office on community and race issues. She also brought together a rich mix of stakeholders to bring awareness with the goal of driving change, to the issue of racial disparities in the health, criminal justice, and child welfare system.”

Ms. Smith resides in Woodland and is employed by the Yolo County Health & Human Services Agency (HHSA) as the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Coordinator and is engaged in the following community groups:

• Appointed to the Yolo County Child Abuse Prevention Council

• Member of the MICAH Forum, a partnership with Greater Second Baptist Church & St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Woodland.

• Current Chair of the MCCC and a member since 2016.

• Co-Lead of Resilient Yolo, a group of trainers and providers who work to reduce adverse childhood experiences and build resilience in children and families

• Leads the HHSA Cultural Competence Committee

• Mental Health First Aid trainer for HHSA, training 4000 + community members. (MHFA teaches understanding the signs and symptoms of a mental health crisis)

Learn more about Tessa Smith at the Democracy Works Awards presentation and Dinner on Wednesday, May 25th at the Historic Woodland Hotel, College & Main Street Woodland. Parking is located at the rear of the hotel. Doors open at 5:30 pm. The presentation begins promptly at 6:00 pm with a catered dinner to follow on the Hotel’s lovely patio. Tickets for the event including dinner are $33.00 each and reservations are required. The reservation form is available here along with two payment options. Individuals can download the reservation form, complete and return the form with their check payment to the League of Women Voters, Post Office Box 2463, Woodland, Ca 95776. A ticket will be emailed to you. Payment can also be made with PayPal using the button below. The processing fee will be added to the cost of your ticket. Bring your emailed receipt to the event as your “ticket”.

The LWVW Annual Meeting will be held after dinner and members are encouraged to attend our Democracy Works Award & dinner, then stay for the meeting as members will be voting on our new Slate of Officers, 2022-2023 Program and budget for the next year. Nominations for League officers and Directors will be taken from the floor at this meeting. Your participation is critical to our functioning for the next League year and an excellent way to stay abreast of plans as we are looking to an active, important and eventful year. The primary election is June 7th and midterms occur in November.

See you on May 25th at 5:30 pm!!