Assemblyman Vince Fong honored Carol Beecroft as the 34th Assembly District's 2020 Woman of the Year. Carol is the Chief Executive Officer of the Women's Center-High Desert located in Ridgecrest, Calif. Women's Center-High Desert is a grassroots program dedicated to domestic violence and women's issues. Under Beecroft's tenure Women's Center-High Desert has expanded to include a bevy of services such as sexual assault, child abuse, stalking, human trafficking, prison rape, teen dating violence and was one of the first programs to house a male victim of domestic violence.

"Carol has spent over 30 years ensuring those that have experienced trauma are met with open arms and hope," said Fong. "It was time Carol was recognized for her many years of service to Ridgecrest and all of Kern County as my 34th District Woman of the Year."

Over the past 30 years, Carol has been able to increase funding to provide trauma informed services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse. They now have 26 staff members, a main business office, three outlying area offices (Mojave, Tehachapi and Lake Isabella) and a state of the art shelter facility.

"Every victim and survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault or child abuse needs long lasting support to heal from the trauma," said Beecroft. "The victims and survivors that we have assisted and those that we will continue to support deserve a second chance for a hopeful future. I am proud to be a part of this work everyday, and I'm truly honored to be recognized as Woman of the Year by Assemblyman Vince Fong."

The Woman of the Year event was founded in 1987 by Assemblywoman Bev Hansen (R) and Assemblywoman Sally Tanner (D). In celebration of the contributions to society made by remarkable women throughout California, one woman from each Senate and Assembly district are invited to the Capitol and honored for their accomplishments. The women are usually recognized as Woman of the Year in a formal ceremony on the floors of the Senate and Assembly, yet the 2020 ceremony has been postponed due to COVID-19.