Ruby Award - Previous Winners

Our 2011 Ruby Award Winner: Dr. Carol Ann Burton

Professionally, Dr. Carol Ann Burton has had a distinguished career helping women as an obstetrician and gynecologist.  She has served on the Board of Directors of the Glendale YWCA since 2006, and started her term as President in June 2011.  In this capacity, she contributes greatly to the well being of the women in our community, since the Glendale YWCA provides many programs to assist victims of domestic violence, including a shelter.  Dr. Burton is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Southern California.  Congratulations, Carol Ann!

Our 2010 Ruby Award Winner: Nelan Boghorian

At the time she received this award, Nelan Boghorian was the director of the Encore Plus Program at the Glendale YWCA. The Encore Plus Program provides breast and cervical cancer screenings at no cost to low-income women over the age of 40. Each year the program provides over 5,000 mammograms to women in need. The program also provides health education to thousands of women and girls each year. Nelan also assisted with raising funds for the program. By educating women who may not have health insurance or a way to obtain breast or cervical cancer screening, Nelan has truly empowered these women to take charge of their health.  Congratulations, Nelan!

(Note: prior to 2010, this award was called the Making a Difference for Women Award.)

Our 2009 Making a Difference for Women Award Winner: Rohida Khan

At the time she received this award, Rohida Khan was the Director of Network of Emergency Trafficking Services (NETS) Western Territory, a project of the Salvation Army. In this capacity, she directed an innovative program that helped combat all forms of human trafficking and provided comprehensive services to victims of trafficking in ten western states. She has also developed and implemented multi-disciplinary task forces, public awareness campaigns, and trafficking response protocols. She often provides training and technical assistance to other anti-human trafficking projects. Since receiving this award, Ms. Khan has taken a position with the Department of Homeland Security, where she continues to assist human trafficking victims after their perpetrators have been caught. Congratulations, Rohida!

Our 2008 Making a Difference for Women Award Winner: The Honorable Karla Kerlin

Both professionally and personally, Karla Kerlin has shown her commitment to ending violence against women. As a community volunteer, Ms. Kerlin served on the Glendale Commission on the Status of Women from 2004-2008. She was a Board Member for Peace Over Violence (formerly the L.A. Commission on Assaults Against Women,) and has also mentored female high school and college students. As an attorney, she worked as a Deputy District Attorney for the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office from 1990 – 2008. In that capacity she prosecuted perpetrators for sex crimes and child abuse. She also trained police officers in the area of investigating and prosecuting sex crimes. In the fall of 2008, Ms. Kerlin was appointed by the Governor of California to be a Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge. Congratulations, Karla!