Mary Reina is ‘Woman of the Year’ for 36th Assembly District

Reina, a registered nurse and  director of the Forensic Services Unit at Antelope Valley Hospital, was recognized during a special Assembly ceremony at the State Capitol.

“Mary Reina embodies the ideals of the Woman of the Year ceremony and is a great representation of the commitment to service that exists in the Antelope Valley,” Lackey said. “Over the years, she has done a tremendous amount of work for our community, working to help ensure justice and assistance to those in need of help when they report violence.”

Reina has been a longtime advocate for raising awareness about violence as a population health issue and has been a proponent of assisting vulnerable populations in the health care and justice systems.

“I would like to thank Assemblyman Tom Lackey for recognizing me as Woman of the Year for the 36 Assembly District. It is an honor and I hope it will inspire others to get involved in our community,” Reina said. “Thanks to the Antelope Valley Healthcare District for supporting the Forensic Services Unit and recognizing that violence affects the physical and mental health of our community. Because of Antelope Valley Hospital’s support, there is a great collaborative effort with our community partners to address the needs of people in the AV and surrounding communities that suffer as a result of adverse experiences.”

Reina has been a registered nurse for 30 years. She is nationally certified as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner and has provided expert testimony in the field of forensic nursing. Reina has also been published in a textbook entitled Interpersonal Violence by G.W. Publishing.

“With the help of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and my district office, she has helped create self-defense classes to empower people in our community,” Lackey said. “The impact of Mary’s work is immeasurable and she is very much deserving of this honor.”

Held annually, the Woman of the Year ceremony celebrates California’s extraordinary women. The first ceremony was held in 1987 to help commemorate Women’s History Month. The event has become an annual Capitol tradition to salute women who have done outstanding community service. Honorees are presented with a framed certificate from the State Assembly recognizing their outstanding contributions during a ceremony in the Assembly chambers.

–