For Immediate Release
For additional information, please contact:
Sara Presler, SPresler@azfw.org, 602-532-2800, extension 6
LaTricia Woods, latricia@mahoganyxan.com, 480-374-1908
Arizona Foundation for Women to Honor AZ Supreme Court Justice, Human Trafficking SHEroes
PHOENIX, Ariz. – April 10, 2015 – The three honorees for this year’s 19th Annual Arizona Foundation for Women Awards Luncheon are advocates for justice for all women. Cindy Hensley McCain, Congresswoman Linda Smith and Justice Rebecca Berch are the three distinguished women to be honored on Thursday, April 16, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Phoenician Resort.
Sandra Day O’Connor Lifetime Achievement Award: Cindy Hensley McCain
Cindy Hensley McCain has dedicated her life to improving the lives of those less fortunate both in the United States and around the world. Cindy serves as co-chair of the Arizona Governor’s Council on human trafficking and on the McCain Institute’s Human Trafficking Advisory Council. She is dedicated to efforts to reduce human trafficking in Arizona, throughout the United States and around the world, as well as working to improve the lives of victims of human trafficking. Through her work with the McCain Institute, several partnerships have been formed with anti-trafficking organizations working on solving various aspects of the problem. Cindy also served on the Board of Directors for Operation Smile, a non-profit organization whose mission is to repair cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities for children around the world. Cindy serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the HALO Trust USA, a non-profit organization dedicated to landmine removal and weapons destruction in war-torn countries, Cindy is committed to the worldwide removal of landmines. She also sits on the Board of the Special Olympics Los Angeles 2015 summer games.
Cindy holds degrees in Education and Special Education from USC. She is the chairman of her family’s business, Hensley & Company, one of the largest Anheuser-Busch distributors in the nation. Cindy and her husband, U.S. Senator John McCain, have four children.
Voice of Women Award: Former Congresswoman Linda Smith
Linda Smith is a leader in the global movement to end sex trafficking of women and children. As a foremost expert on trafficking, Linda has spoken out against the trafficking of women and children in numerous Congressional hearings and in national and international forums. In 1998, while still a member of the U.S. Congress, Linda traveled to Falkland Road in Mumbai, India—one of the worst brothel districts in the world. The state of the desperate women and children enslaved in prostitution compelled Linda to found Shared Hope International. Shared Hope provides leadership in education and training, prevention strategies, research, and policy initiatives and supports care, shelter, education, and vocational training through the Women’s Investment Network (WIN) at Homes and Villages of Hope. Linda founded the War Against Trafficking Alliance (WATA) in 2001, coordinating regional and international efforts to combat sex trafficking. In 2011, Linda designed the Protected Innocence Challenge, an annual legal analysis and report card for each state, evaluating its laws on child sex trafficking. Linda’s passion for justice spurred the Demanding Justice Project (2014), a research and advocacy initiative to focus on demand deterrence through increased attention and advocacy on demand enforcement.
Linda is the author of From Congress to the Brothel and Renting Lacy. She and her husband, Vern, reside in Vancouver, Washington and are the proud parents of two and grandparents of six.
Marilyn R. Seyman Founder’s Award: Justice Rebecca White Berch
Rebecca White Berch was appointed to the Arizona Supreme Court in 2002 and remains on the Court as an Associate Justice. She served as the Court’s 23rd Chief Justice from 2009–2014. Before her appointment to the Supreme Court, she served as a Court of Appeals Judge, Solicitor General of the State of Arizona, First Assistant (Chief Deputy) Attorney General, ASU Law School faculty member, and as an attorney in private practice. Following graduation from law school, Justice Berch practiced law in Phoenix from 1979–1986, then joined the faculty at Arizona State University College of Law. During her years at the law school, Justice Berch earned a Master’s degree in English. The law school textbook she co-authored, Introduction to Legal Method and Process, is now in preparation for its sixth edition and is used in law schools throughout the nation. An active participant in the legal and social communities, Justice Berch has served with numerous organizations including the Board of Governors of the United States Conference of Chief Justices and the Board of Trustees of the National Conference of Bar Examiners. She is currently the Chair-Elect of the ABA Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. She maintains several other public service positions and speaks regularly on law-related topics to students, civic groups, and legal organizations.
A strong proponent of pro bono work, Justice Berch participates in and strongly encourages all lawyers to engage in volunteer work. The Pro Bono Suite at ASU’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law is named in her honor.
In addition to this year’s honorees, the luncheon is honored to have as a special guest, Marilyn Carlson Nelson, the 2014 Sandra Day O’Connor Lifetime Award Recipient. The emcee for the luncheon will be Lin Sue Cooney, the award-winning weeknight news anchor for 12 News.
For more about the 19th Annual Arizona Foundation for Women Awards Luncheon, including sponsorship and ticket information, please visit the Arizona Foundation for Women website.
Full versions of the honorees biographies are located on the AFW website, azfw.org.
All honorees will be available for media interview prior to the luncheon.
Please contact LaTricia Woods at 480-374-1908 to arrange an interview.
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About the Arizona Foundation for Women
Arizona Foundation for Women advances our vision to create a better life for Arizona’s women and children. Our mission is to mobilize the community’s power and resources to meet their unmet needs and empower long-term solutions by focusing on Safety, Health and Economic empowerment. We believe SHE Counts!® We use a holistic strategy of research, innovative programs and awareness and leverage our competitive advantages of thought leadership, expertise, responsiveness, relationships and collaborative spirit.
Together, we create a better life for Arizona’s women and children because SHE Counts!®
