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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 2603-6121CITY OF PALO ALTO CITY COUNCIL Special Meeting Monday, March 23, 2026 Council Chambers & Hybrid 5:00 PM     Agenda Item     1.Proclamation Recognizing March as Women's History Month Late Packet Report added City Council Staff Report Report Type: SPECIAL ORDERS OF THE DAY Lead Department: City Clerk Meeting Date: March 23, 2026 Report #:2603-6121 TITLE Proclamation Recognizing March as Women's History Month This will be a late packet report published on Thursday, March 19, 2026. 9 6 5 9 City Council Staff Report Report Type: SPECIAL ORDERS OF THE DAY Lead Department: City Clerk Meeting Date: March 23, 2026 Report #:2603-6154 TITLE Proclamation Recognizing March 2026 as Women's History Month ATTACHMENTS Attachment A: Women’s History Month 2026 APPROVED BY: Mahealani Ah Yun, City Clerk WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH 2026 WHEREAS, Women’s History Month is a time to recognize and celebrate the vital contributions of women throughout our nation’s history, and to honor the leaders, trailblazers, and community builders who have defined our civic institutions, strengthened our democracy, and shaped our communities; and WHEREAS, women have made significant contributions in Palo Alto for over a century, for example, during Palo Alto’s formative years, the Woman’s Club of Palo Alto served as an important forum for public leadership at a time when women were not yet eligible to vote or hold political office; the Woman’s Club contributed to the establishment of local schools, community beautification efforts, street tree planting, and the founding of the Palo Alto library; and WHEREAS, members of the Woman’s Club of Palo Alto, including suffrage advocates Alice Park and Emily Pardee Karns Dixon, reflected the long tradition of women’s civic leadership by helping lead the successful local campaign supporting California women’s right to vote in 1911; and WHEREAS, the City of Palo Alto has also been shaped by the generosity of local philanthropist, Lucie Stern, who in the 1930s commissioned the creation of enduring community institutions including the Lucie Stern Community Center, the Lucie Stern Community Theatre, the Palo Alto Children’s Theatre, the Children’s Library, and the Boy Scout’s Fire Circle, which continue to serve as vibrant gathering places for arts, education, and community connection; and WHEREAS, the City of Palo Alto has benefited from the leadership, service, and vision of women Palo Alto City Council members for more than a century, beginning with Emma Blair (1919–1925), Josephine Duveneck (1923–1927), Margaret Thomas (1925–1931), and Frances Merner (1937–1953), whose service opened the doors for future generations of women in local government; and WHEREAS, over the decades, women have continued to serve the City of Palo Alto with distinction, including Frances Dias, who made history as the City’s first woman Mayor in 1966, twelve additional women who have since held the office of Mayor and fifteen more women Councilmembers, whose leadership helped advance policies, strengthen neighborhoods, support education and families, protect open space, inspire future generations of women, and guide the City through periods of growth and change; and WHEREAS, these leaders, along with numerous women City staff members, including June Fleming, Palo Alto’s first woman City Manager, have helped shape Palo Alto’s commitment to civic engagement, sustainability, education, public safety, inclusion, and innovation; and WHEREAS, Women’s History Month also provides an opportunity to recognize women from many fields whose contributions have enriched the cultural, civic, and economic life of Palo Alto, including pioneer and businesswoman Juana Briones de Miranda, Stanford chemist and Nobel Laureate Carolyn Bertozzi, artist Joan Baez, Palo Alto Research Center groundbreaking computer scientists Lynn Conway and Adele Goldberg, Asian Americans for Community Involvement co-founder and Asian Women’s Home founder Mary Chan Seid, Judge LaDoris Cordell, physician Sarah Cody, hockey gold medalist Hilary Knight, and many more educators, nonprofit leaders, business owners, engineers, artists, athletes, public servants, caregivers, community volunteers, and stewards of the home. NOW, THEREFORE, I, Vicki Veenker, Mayor of the City of Palo Alto, on behalf of the entire City Council, do hereby proclaim March 2026 as Women’s History Month in the City of Palo Alto, and encourage all residents to honor the legacy of women past and present, to celebrate their contributions and achievements, and to continue advancing equity, opportunity, and full participation for women and girls in our community. PRESENTED: March 23, 2026 ____________________________ Vicki Veenker Mayor Proclamation