Jennifer Peck, Executive Director, Bay Area Partnership, Named Woman of the Year
AFTER SCHOOL AND CHILDREN’S ADVOCATE JENNIFER PECK NAMED SEVENTH SENATE DISTRICT “WOMAN OF THE YEAR”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Craig Cheslog (925-602-6593)
Thursday, March 6, 2008
SACRAMENTO–Senator Tom Torlakson has named Jennifer Peck, executive director of the Bay Area Partnership for Children and Youth, his “Woman of the Year” for the Seventh Senate District. The State Senate will honor Peck during a State Capitol ceremony on Monday, March 10.
Peck is a leader in advocating for and implementing programs to finance and build after school programs in the Bay Area’s poorest communities. She led the policy development behind recent legislation (SB 638, authored by Senator Torlakson) to expand and reform California’s after school funding to better serve the state’s highest-need communities.
“Jennifer was a driving force behind the effort to develop and pass legislation to implement $550 million in after school funding, prioritize state funds for low-income schools, and provide more local flexibility and accountability for positive student outcomes,” said Senator Torlakson. “Thanks to her leadership on SB 638, the number of school sites offering after school programs has increased from 1,000 in 2005 to over 4,000 in 2007. Jennifer is an outstanding partner and terrific advocate on behalf of our state’s children.”
Peck joined the Bay Area Partnership for Children and Youth in 2001, where she designed and implemented the organization’s efforts to finance and build after school programs in the region’s poorest communities. Since taking on the role of Executive Director in 2003, Peck has grown the Partnership’s scope to include support for Bay Area organizations serving children and youth, including financing and development of after school programs for teens and physical and mental health programs for youth of all ages. To date, through grant writing and program development support, the Partnership has generated more than $60 million in public resources for low-income schools in the region for critical youth programs.
Prior to her position with the Partnership, Peck spent eight years as an appointee of President Bill Clinton at the U.S. Department of Education, both in Washington, D.C., and in San Francisco, working to implement a range of initiatives including student loan reform, School-to-Work, and 21st Century Community Learning Centers.
The Woman of the Year ceremonies in the State Capitol will include a presentation on the floor of the State Senate, a breakfast reception with Lt. Governor John Garamendi, and a reception with the Legislative Women’s Caucus.
The 40 members of the state Senate and the 80 members of the Assembly each select a Woman of the Year to recognize those who have contributed time and energy to community causes. Torlakson represents the Seventh Senate District, which includes most of Contra Costa County.