Mill Valley resident Jan Pedersen Schiff, the founder and artistic director of Singers Marin, is one of the five Marin women who will be inducted into the Marin Women's Hall of Fame this April.
The induction ceremony — the 25th for the hall — is April 13 at the Embassy Suites hotel in San Rafael.
Here are brief bios of Schiff and the other new inductees, provided by the Marin Women's Hall of Fame.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Jan Pedersen Schiff
Founder, Artistic Director, Singers Marin
Resident of Mill Valley
For the past 26 years, Jan, the founder and conductor of Singers Marin, has provided choral instruction to people of all ages and enabled thousands to enjoy beautiful music. She has developed structured programs to develop vocal skills that support musical development, especially for female teens. She offers women, men, youth and families the opportunity to be part of choirs that bring joyful music to residents, in particular, she has offered significant community outreach for low-income families as well as performing for seniors and the elderly. With over 70 local performances this past year, 56 were at senior care facilities or community-wide events at no charge. She has conducted choruses at 8 International Performance Festivals & Tours, 10 National Performance Festivals and Singers Marin has won 10 Competition Performance Awards. Jan strives to not only teach Marin to sing in perfect harmony but to embrace Singers Marin’s mission of “touching hearts…uplifting spirits."
EDUCATION
LeeAnn Bartolini, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology, Dominican University of California
Resident of Nicasio
Co-Founder of Dominican’s Women and Gender Studies program and dedicated volunteer advocating for fairness, justice and ending the problems of Domestic Violence. Along with her visionary and inspirational work as a 25-year professor and practicing Clinical Psychologist, she is an advocate to advance human and women’s rights. She has volunteered for the International Rescue Committee, worked with women in prison and jails and has focused on efforts relating to global issues: domestic violence, women’s economic oppression, lack of opportunities and access to clean water. She also serves on the Board of Directors at the Center for Domestic Peace.
TECHNOLOGY
Christine Bronstein
Founder, A Band Of Wives (ABOW)
Resident of Kentfield
Harnessing the power of social media as a platform, Chris has created an innovative concept of women supporting each other to succeed by creating a band of wives, a new kind of sisterhood that brings community back to communities. Her ABOW provides direct and virtual support for women who connect, network and promote their businesses, talents, events and passions online and offline. Her collaborative model is groundbreaking and she has grown this powerful platform to over 5,000 “wives” in just a few short years. This network and information website reaches women from coast to coast and empowers them to excel, create, and make the world a better place. She is also a gifted writer, motivator and connector.
RELIGION & SPIRITUALITY
Rev. Jan Heglund
Chaplain, San Rafael Police Department and San Francisco FBI
Resident of Fairfax
Jan is an ordained Episcopal deacon and member of St. John’s in Ross. Her devoted ministry is to law enforcement and their critical needs. She works with local Marin agencies and the FBI and is a founding member of the First Responders Support Network, ministering to the first responders and the victims who are touched by violent crime. She accompanies officers on death notifications, rides patrol and is often first at the scenes of suicide, trauma and crime. She performs at their weddings and officiates at their funerals. When Rev. Jan dresses, she puts on a bulletproof vest and then her clerical collar. She is a trusted servant, a calming influence and courageous spirit who lives and offers a ‘state of grace’ to everyone she meets. Jan is a recipient of the 2013 Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award.
SOCIAL CHANGE
Jennifer Siebel Newsom
Founder/CEO, "Miss Representation"
Resident of Ross
In 2011, her breakthrough, documentary film which she wrote, directed and produced “Miss Representation” was accepted into the Sundance Film Festival. Soon after, a team and nonprofit status were in place, as she geared up for the US national broadcast premier on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. Her documentary ignited an international social action movement online with trailers going viral across the world. From Vogue to Entertainment Weekly, her message against sexism and disrespect towards women, and the need to remove offensive advertising and the inappropriate over-sexualization of children to sell products, captured millions of followers who gladly pledged to help her shift behaviors and practices that demeaned or misrepresented females and children. She is an actress, speaker, filmmaker and advocate on a mission, determined to shift the cultural mindset and eradicate sexism while empowering women to reach their full potential. She is the wife of California's Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom. "The Invisible War," an expose of rape in the military that she helped produce, was just nominated for an Academy Award for best feature documentary.
Early bird tickets to the induction gala are $165 through Feb. 28 and $175 thereafter. For all the details, check www.marinwomenshalloffame.org.
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