One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Maria Shriver's Women's Conference: Over and Out?
Photo of the Long Beach Convention Center by J. Rossier Photography via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
The annual Women's Conference, grown, promoted, and made successful thanks to the participation of the now-former First Lady of California Maria Shriver, will not be returning to Long Beach in 2011, and, may in fact not be returning at all.
Our new First Lady, Anne Brown, said in a statement she "will focus [her] immediate energies on the challenges before our state and won't try to recreate the conference that Maria (Shriver) put on in Long Beach," notes the Daily News.
Shriver's event was part of a non-profit, The California Governor & First Lady's Conference on Women, which has now been dissolved. During the non-profit's years of operation, Shriver oversaw the granting of $5.5 million in funds to various organizations. A final round of grants, valued at a total of $700,000 were awarded prior to the group's dissolution.
Anne Brown says she is exploring her options for the scope and shape of any future Women's Conferences, however they have already canceled their placeholder dates with the Long Beach Convention Center. The convention, an economic boon to Long Beach, was first held there "during former Gov. (and Long Beach resident) George Deukmejian's term of office," in the 1980s. Last year's event drew tens of thousands, and featured over a hundred guest speakers, including First Lady Michelle Obama.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
