Rep. Adam Schiff recently announced his selections for the 2016 Women of the Year. These inspiring women come from communities in the 28th Congressional District – West Hollywood, Burbank, Pasadena, Silver Lake, Echo Park, Elysian Valley, Los Feliz, Sunland/Tujunga, Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge and La Crescenta. This recognition is made each year during Women’s History Month.

“This remarkable group of women demonstrate the truth of the maxim that if you need something done, ask a busy person,” Rep. Schiff said. “Each has worked tirelessly to support a myriad of charitable, business and community causes, and made an indelible mark on our region. I’m honored to recognize these women and show appreciation for their extraordinary work in our community.”

These honorees come from all backgrounds and professions and represent the thousands of women who make a positive impact in their communities. While there are no specific criteria for nomination, Rep. Schiff looks to recognize women who – through their work or volunteerism – have improved the quality of life for the community.

Rep. Schiff introduced each awardee and entered a special tribute into the Congressional Record on April 22 at a luncheon in Echo Park.

Portions of his recognition are noted below.

Among those honored were Marlene Hitt of Sunland.

A lifelong Sunland resident and consummate volunteer, Hitt has been active in many organizations in the Sunland-Tujunga community. She has been a member of the Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council for many years, serving in various leadership roles and on many committees.

Hitt has been a dedicated and devoted member of the Little Landers Historical Society (LLHS), a non-profit organization founded in 1959 to preserve Bolton Hall. The LLHS subsequently collects, preserves and displays records, artifacts and landmarks of the history of the Sunland-Tujunga area and people active in that history in the Bolton Hall Museum. For nearly three decades, Hitt has served the LLHS and Bolton Hall Museum as museum director, docent director, boardmember, archivist and docent. In addition, she and her husband Lloyd were very involved in the successful effort to obtain historic designation for a portion of the Verdugo Hills Golf Course, where a World War II detention center for Japanese-Americans was located.

A well-regarded writer, Hitt is a longtime member of the Chupa Rosa Writers of Sunland-Tujunga and the Foothills, and has authored anthologies, readings, poetry chapbooks, a non-fiction book, “Sunland-Tujunga, from Village to City,” and has written articles for many newspapers. Along with other community members, Hitt co-founded the Sunland-Tujunga Poet Laureate program, where she was honored to serve as its first poet laureate.

Also being recognized was Lena Kortoshian of La Crescenta.

Kortoshian attended California State University, Northridge, where she received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, and a master’s degree in leadership and policy studies.

For many years, Kortoshian has been a pillar of education and an avid supporter of local youth. Her career in education began in 1986, when she was working as an instructional assistant at an elementary and a middle school in the Glendale Unified School District. Since then, she has served in many capacities, including as a mathematics teacher at Glendale High School and Clark Magnet High School, assistant principal of Herbert Hoover High School, and a mathematics administrator at the Los Angeles County Office of Education. Kortoshian has also served as assistant principal and associate principal of Clark Magnet High School, and is currently the principal of the school.

Kortoshian served as a volunteer math tutor with the Committee for Armenian Students in Public Schools, a non-profit organization that addresses both the educational and social needs of immigrant children in public schools, and continues to tutor students after school, giving special attention to each student she helps. She is also a member of the board of regents of Prelacy Armenian schools – a board that is appointed by the prelate and executive council of the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America.

Over the years, Kortoshian has received recognition for her contributions to the community, such as the Armenian American Chamber of Commerce’s “Friend of the Armenian Community” award.

Betty Porto of La Cañada Flintridge was also honored.

After Fidel Castro’s violent revolution erupted in Cuba in the 1950s, Raul Sr. and his wife Rosa requested permission to leave the country. As they waited for approval, both Raul Sr. and Rosa were dismissed from their jobs. To support their three children – Betty, Raul Jr., and Margarita – Rosa, a talented baker, refined her recipes and started selling her cakes to neighbors and friends. The Porto family’s request to leave the country was eventually approved, and they entered the United States in the early 1970s. In the United States, they opened a bakery in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles that quickly flourished, and Betty Porto, in addition to her siblings, was there to lend a helping hand.

Porto attended John Marshall High School in Los Angeles and simultaneously worked at the family’s bakery, Porto’s Bakery & Café, taking care of the front of the house since she loved interacting with people and enjoyed customer service. Upon graduating from high school, Porto received a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in political science from California State University, Los Angeles, and the University of California, Los Angeles, respectively. Her goal was to attend law school, but she changed her mind after spending time with her family at the bakery had awakened her passion for the family business, and she wanted to support her parents.

Over the years, Porto and her siblings became increasingly involved in the community by supporting many worthwhile organizations, including Glendale Healthy Kids, American Red Cross, Glendale police and fire departments, and the Alex Theatre to name a few. For the past seven years, Porto has been a staunch supporter of Union Rescue Mission, donating the remaining food from Porto’s Bakery & Café at the end of each day. She also gives tours of Porto’s Bakery & Café to culinary students, to show them first-hand, out of the classroom setting, how to run a bakery, and has even hired some of these students to work at Porto’s Bakery & Café.