Burbank—Today, on the steps of Burbank City Hall, Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) recognized Gloria Salas as the “2022 Woman of the Year” for the 43rd Assembly District in honor of her exceptional social justice work.
“Gloria is tireless in her leadership and advocacy,” said Assemblymember Friedman. “Her service to women is especially inspiring: From locally organizing hygiene kits for older homeless women and survivors of domestic violence to collecting winter clothing for the Armenian widows and orphans during the Artsakh War, Gloria works for those who are most in need and just trying to survive.”
Committed to a vision of equality, Salas imagines "a world in which women’s rights are recognized as human rights and every woman is able to achieve her full potential. In such a world, no woman lives in fear of violence.”
Salas is the past president of the local Zonta Club of Burbank and currently serves as the Area 3 Director and Lieutenant Governor-elect for Zonta International District 9. She is the Moderator of her church’s Peace & Justice Ministry, where she is involved in food, clothing and toy drives for those in need. In her roles as Executive Board member of Burbank for Armenia and as a member of the Burbank Human Relations Council, Gloria works with other community leaders to create more equitable and inclusive communities. One of Salas’s favorite quotes of Mother Teresa sums up her volunteerism: “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
Every year, in celebration of Women’s History Month, the Legislature recognizes a “Woman of the Year” in every Assembly and Senate district in the state of California. Assemblymember Friedman recognizes outstanding individuals whose work is influential in the areas of policy, advocacy, research and community-building programs to promote safety, well-being, sustainability, education, a more caring society.
Laura Friedman represents the 43rd Assembly District which encompasses the cities of Burbank, Glendale, and La Cañada Flintridge, as well as the communities of La Crescenta and Montrose, and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Atwater Village, Beachwood Canyon, Los Feliz, East Hollywood, Franklin Hills, and Silver Lake