Three Los Gatans are named as Women of Achievement

By Leigh Ann Maze

Three Los Gatos women--an educator, a poet and writer, and a speech and language pathologist--were honored at the 27th annual Women of Achievement Awards ceremony on Nov. 10 at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose.

Women from throughout the Silicon Valley who make a difference in their communities, excel in their field and help the advancement of women are nominated by their peers in 14 different categories ranging from arts to volunteerism.

More than 200 Bay Area women have been recognized since the nonprofit Women's Fund and the San Jose Mercury News teamed up to put on the event in 1972, according to Enid Allison, founder and past-president of the Women's Fund and the Women of Achievement Awards.

"This valley is so rich with women who are achievers in so many different and non-traditional roles," she said.

Allison remembers the very first Woman of Achievement Award, given to scientist Ellen Weaver. Weaver later told the Women's Fund that she was largely ignored and passed up for promotions in her male-dominated field until the award launched her on her career.

"I think each woman in each category will have a similar story," Allison said.


Mardi Murphy




Mardi Murphy

Mardi Murphy was honored in the category of arts. Murphy, a Los Gatos resident since 1979, is a writer and poet who began her career in the sixth grade with an award-winning poem about Christopher Columbus. She has been writing ever since, while pursuing a life of activism for women, working for the government and teaching.

An Irish-Catholic from the deep south, Murphy balanced the science of a master's degree in economics with a degree in creative writing. Her first manuscript of poetry, Hidebound, The Economics of Native American Women, was published by University Press. Murphy has established many venues through which women's voices can be heard and celebrated including a feminist literary magazine, Squeezebox and a literary press, Paper Tigress.

"This award is not just mine. It belongs to all of the people who I've published. They have been some of the best women writers in the 21st century," she said, naming writers such as Anne Sexton, Audrey Lord and Ellen Bass. Murphy, who identifies herself as an artist, said she is happy to be acknowledged for her writing and poetry.


Jill Capela




Jill Capela

Jill Capela was honored in the category of entrepreneur. She is founder, president and chief executive officer of Orthopedic & Neurological Rehabilitation Inc. (ONR) in Los Gatos. ONR, the largest independent rehabilitation company in the state of California, serves hundreds of facilities and employs more than 1,000 therapists.

Capela said she started ONR from her kitchen in 1988 after working for similar companies and growing frustrated at not having the resources or time to meet clients' needs. To women who wish to start their own business, she said, "Take a leap of faith. I have never taken a business course or accounting course, but I saw a service that was needed."

Capela is also on the board of directors for EMQ Children and Family Services, a nonprofit provider of treatment and support services for children with complex emotional, behavioral and social needs. She is active in the lives of her three children in the Los Gatos community and is a member of the California Association of Health Facilities and the American Health Care Association.

"It was a wonderful experience," Capela said of the awards ceremony. "I most enjoyed being in the presence of so many successful women."


Colleen Wilcox




Colleen Wilcox, Ph.D.

Colleen Wilcox, Ph.D. was honored in the education category. She is county superintendent of schools and chief administrative officer of the Santa Clara County Office of Education, the first woman to hold the post in the office's 140-year history.

"So often we think that women aren't really pioneers anymore because so much has been done," she said. "The reality is there are still so many positions that women haven't held."

Wilcox manages a $200 million budget for 37 school and community college districts with more than 250,000 students. She was recently named superintendent of the year by the Association of California School Administrators and was elected president of the California County Superintendents Education Services Association.

Wilcox holds degrees in speech pathology, speech and hearing sciences and educational administration. She served in the Peace Corps in Guatemala, has worked as a speech pathologist in hospitals and taught at the university level. Her involvement in public education began in Southern California working with Spanish-speaking children in special education classes.

Wilcox has written and illustrated children's books and is a strong advocate of the importance of arts, reading and parent involvement is student education.

"By acknowledging a few of us each year, it's an affirmation of the possibilities for all young women," she said of the awards.

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