San Diego City Councilmember Toni Atkins and other honorees from throughout California, including San Diego Fire Chief Tracy Jarman, were honored at the State Capitol last week in celebration of Women’s History Month.

Sen. Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego) honored Atkins last week as the 39th Senate District’s Woman of the Year for Atkins’ more than seven years of service on the San Diego City Council.

“Toni Atkins is a devoted public servant whose knowledge, compassion, and humor make her an outstanding advocate for the people of San Diego,” said Kehoe. “From building affordable housing, to creating living wage jobs, she has always worked to strengthen our neighborhoods and improve the lives of working families.”

In 2005, Atkins pushed through the ordinance requiring companies doing business with the city to pay employees $10 an hour with benefits, or $12 without benefits. In 2001, she led the charge to enact the nation’s first housing state of emergency, and secured $55 million to build affordable housing citywide.

“To be recognized by the State Senate alongside so many other talented and community-minded women is truly an honor and something I will never forget,” said Councilmember Atkins.

Atkins, who graduated from Emory & Henry College and lives with her partner Jennifer LeSar in South Park, was first elected to the council in 2000 and re-elected in 2004. Her colleagues chose her to serve as Deputy Mayor for more than four months in 2005, when the serving mayor abruptly resigned. She will be termed out in November 2008.

The Women of the Year commemoration acknowledges exemplary women throughout the state of California from each Senate and Assembly District.

Assemblymember Lori Saldaña, who represents the 74th Assembly District, nominated Fire Chief Jarman for her years of service to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. Since joining the department as a firefighter in 1984, Jarman progressed through the ranks and became the Assistant Fire Chief in 2003. She was appointed Fire Chief for the City of San Diego in 2006 and for the last two years has served as one of only two dozen female fire chiefs in the country. Jarman heads the second-largest department among that select company. Jarman and her partner live in Del Mar Heights.