37th District Women of the Year Awardees

On Friday, April 24, 37^th Assembly District CA Assemblymember Gregg Hart honored the 2026 California Woman of the Year, Primitiva Hernandez, at the County Administration Building in Santa Barbara, along with two others recognized as 37th CA Assembly District’s 2026 Women of the Year: Mona Miyasato and Claudia Cáceres. 

Hernandez’s Woman of the Year 2026 ceremony was held in Sacramento, March 17. For that ceremony Hart stated, “I was proud to honor Primitiva Hernandez of Lompoc at the 2026 California Woman of the Year ceremony at the State Capitol. Primitiva serves as executive director of the 805UndocuFund, one of the largest grassroots mutual aid organizations in California, serving families up and down the Central Coast. Primitiva is a proud immigrant from Mexico, a DACA recipient, and daughter of farmworkers. I first encountered Primitiva’s leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the 805UndocuFund worked to distribute aid to families left out of government economic relief programs. Today, Primitiva is on the front lines supporting our immigrant neighbors who face unprecedented threats. California is a better place because of the efforts of leaders like Primitiva. Next month, Primitiva will be joined by other phenomenal leaders in a celebration of women’s leadership on the Central Coast.”

At the April 24 ceremony for the 37th Assembly District 2026 Women of the Year, in addition to Hernandez, Hart’s honorees were: 

Claudia Cáceres, who shared when she received her award, “Thank you for your love, kindness and solidarity, to receive the recognition of the Woman of the Year 2026 represents our Latin and Mixed Community; they are the rock of the economy. The journalism and activism that I perform is an equity tool that breaks isolation and builds bridges of understanding, social change, and commitment to the Latino and Indigenous Community. We will continue to work, inform and, above all, stay united in LOVE AND KINDNESS! I will continue to be that trusted messenger and community organizer putting my talent and gift that God gave me at the service of others. And I am above all committed to social justice and leadership.” 

Cáceres’s press release states, she, “…is the Founder and CEO of Tu Tiempo Digital, a Santa Maria-based Spanish-language news outlet working to keep communities informed about local news. Claudia’s reporting spans topics including public health, immigration, education, and more. Her work has included promoting vaccine clinics and health resource fairs, as well as partnering with a Mixteco parent group in the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District to address social isolation and language access for families connected to Indigenous Mexican culture. Claudia is a trusted messenger in our region and has had a tremendous positive impact as a community organizer.”

Also awarded, and soon to retire, is Mona Miyasato, the County Executive Officer for the County of Santa Barbara. Her press release states, “Over her distinguished career in public service, Mona has strategically led cities and counties in meeting the ever-changing needs of the communities they serve. Serving as the CEO of the County of Santa Barbara since 2013, Mona has worked to modernize and transform the delivery of public services while providing steady leadership through natural disasters, a global pandemic, and periods of significant change. Mona is one of the longest-serving top administrators across California’s counties and is retiring from the County of Santa Barbara in June 2026. Mona is passionate about advancing the municipal management profession and serves on the boards of organizations that support the professional development of tomorrow’s city and county administrators.”