Four women with ties to La Jolla recently received recognition from state Assemblywoman Tasha Boerner as part of her Women of Impact honors.

Boerner (D-Encinitas) recognizes women from her 77th Assembly District (which includes La Jolla) and their community contributions to commemorate Women’s History Month in March. This year’s theme was “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future.”

The four women with La Jolla connections earned honorable mentions. They are Donna Aprea, a volunteer for the La Jolla Community Planning Association; Debby Buchholz, managing director of La Jolla Playhouse; Dr. Crystal Cené, UC San Diego Health chief administrative officer for health equity; and Dr. Tracy Nguyen, an optometrist and president of the Society of Women Engineers San Diego.

“This year I was proud to receive many nominations for my annual Women of Impact awards, making it hard to choose just one person per category,” Boerner said. “There are so many amazing women doing impactful work in the district. That’s why I am also proud to honorably recognize Donna Aprea, Debby Buchholz, Dr. Crystal Cené and Dr. Tracy Nguyen from La Jolla for their contributions.”

Here’s what Boerner had to say about each of the honorable mentions:

• Donna Aprea: “As a longtime volunteer with the La Jolla Community Planning Association, [Aprea] has served for years at the forefront of public participation, often welcoming attendees at the sign-in table, ensuring residents are informed and facilitating inclusive access to the decisions that shape our neighborhood.”

• Debby Buchholz: “Debby has become a nationally respected leader in American theater, transforming how new work is developed, how organizations are led and how the arts can serve both artists and communities. Under her stewardship as the former general manager and current managing director, La Jolla Playhouse has produced more than 60 world premieres and sent 29 productions to Broadway.”

• Dr. Crystal Cené: “She leads strategic initiatives to eliminate barriers to quality health care and foster an environment where everyone can thrive, regardless of race, language, socioeconomic status, gender identity or background.”

• Dr. Tracy Nguyen: “She is committed to service-driven leadership and sustained community impact for one of the biggest Society of Women Engineers chapters globally. Dr. Nguyen selflessly volunteers over 500 hours annually, freely giving her time to engage the community with consistency and purpose. She maintains over 100 outreach activities each year, works closely with SWE at UC San Diego and provides direct mentorship to students across the region.” ♦