These women are the heartbeat of our community

On Thursday, May 8, the Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation presented the “2008 Pulse Awards” to three outstanding women at a springtime luncheon at the Sonoma Golf Club.
Carolyn Stone, Chair, Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation gave an appreciative welcome and introduced president and CEO of the Sonoma Valley Hospital, Carl Gerlach, who spoke in praise of the idea of the center and the work done by all.
The Pulse Award was presented to three outstanding women who have made Sonoma Valley a better place through their community involvement, volunteerism and philanthropy.
Suzanne Brangham has devoted her artistic and business talents to making beautiful places more beautiful. After living in beautiful places all across the country, she retired to Sonoma where she began another career renovating the General’s Daughter, creating an award-winning cooking school, Ramekins, and then developing historic MacArthur Place into first rate spa and conference center complete with the award-winning steak house, Saddles. She is devoted to the causes that make Sonoma special, serving on many professional and non-profit boards.
Karen Collins, who currently chairs the Community Advisory Board for the Carolyn J. Stone Center for Women’s Health and Wellness, is a leader of women in the most literal sense. Though her company, Going Places! she has fostered walking, hiking and trekking for women all across North and South America, Europe, Asia and New Zealand. She is a supporter of the California State Trails Commission and the Sonoma County Parks Commission and serves on the board of the Sonoma Ecology Center, the Yosemite National institutes and the Bay Area Ridge Trail. She co-founded the Sonoma Overlook Trail and serves on the City of Sonoma’s Environmental Advisory Commission. A survivor of breast cancer, she is grateful for the care she received at the Sonoma Valley Hospital through Drs. Elboim and Ahern.
Barbara Nobles moved to Sonoma in the third grade, and attended grammar school in what is now the Sonoma Community Center. Her community service includes fundraising for the Santa Rosa chapter of the American Cancer Society and Soroptimist International of Sonoma Valley, where she served at the club and district level. She also served on the Board of Directors for the Sonoma Chamber of Commerce. She has long been a member of the Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation and has worked tirelessly to make all their events beautiful through her dedication of time, energy, artistic talent and generosity. She was successfully treated several years ago for malignant melanoma and has suffered no recurrence.
Sonoma’s own Squire Fridell kept the program on course and the audience in smiles, as Master of Ceremonies.