Senate District Honors Woman of the Year

A Granada Hills resident known for her volunteer efforts has been honored as Woman of the Year in the 19th Senate District.

Yolanda Petroski, 56, was presented with a commendation last week by state Sen. Cathie Wright (R-Simi Valley) on the Assembly floor in Sacramento along with 39 other women honored by their respective Senate districts.

“It was a thrill of a lifetime,” said Petroski, currently an assistant vice president at the Bank of Granada Hills. “I was in the company of many outstanding and deserving women.”

She was selected for the award by officials in Wright’s office.

“I am delighted for the opportunity to honor Yolanda for her many contributions to the community,” Wright said.

Last month, Petroski was recognized for her volunteer efforts by the Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce, who named her Citizen of the Year.

Petroski serves as treasurer for the Supporters of Law Enforcement in Devonshire, or SOLID, which raises funds for the Devonshire Division to supplement the Los Angeles Police Department’s budget.

She is also a 20-year member of the Granada Hills Woman’s Club where she has held the post of crime prevention, veterans and safety chairwoman.

Prior to her affiliation with the woman’s club, Petroski was a member of the Junior Woman’s Club from 1968 to 1978, during which she developed an interest in volunteerism, she said.

“Our motto was ‘Trying to live each day and accomplish something, not merely to exist,’ ” she said. “It was the last line of our junior pledge that we would recite before each meeting. It meant a lot to me then and it means a lot to me now.”