Cerritos Resident-Woman of the Year Honored in State Capitol

Assemblymember Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia) celebrated the accomplishments of Cerritos resident Aparna Hande, the 56th Assembly District Woman of the Year, in a ceremony held on the floor of the California State Assembly in Sacramento on Monday.

Aparna Hande was selected as the district's honoree because of her strong ties with the Indo-American community and her commitment to the promotion of health and wellness through nursing.

As a Registered Nurse, Hande came from an underserved community to receive her Master’s Degree in Health Care Administration and worked in nursing management.

Her other notable achievements include:

• working with abused Indian women
• receiving the National Association of Indian Nurses of America’s Nurse Excellence of the Year Award in 2008
• Co-Founder of the Indian Nurses Association of Southern California
• Co–Founder of the Indo-American Universal Senior Association
• Co-Founder of the Indo-American Optimist Club
• President of the Federation of Indo-American Associations of Southern California

“I am proud to honor such an accomplished woman,” Assemblymember Mendoza said. “Her work is an inspiration to me and she is a role model for all women in the 56th Assembly District and throughout the state. Our community is blessed to have someone like Aparna Hande serving it.”

The ceremony honored Hande, along with 79 other women from the remainder of the state’s Assembly districts.

Hande along with the other nominees from the 56th District were at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts on March 2.

Assemblymember Mendoza, a public school teacher, serves the communities within the 56th District, including of Artesia, Buena Park, Cerritos, Hawaiian Gardens, Lakewood, Los Nietos, Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs, South Whittier and Whittier.