Governor’s Dedication to Program for Inner-City Youth Is Recognized

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was honored Monday by a Los Angeles women’s group for his work with After-School All-Stars, a 9-year-old organization he founded that provides tutoring, sports and cultural programs for inner-city youth in 15 cities.

The Highlight Award, presented at a Women of Los Angeles luncheon at the Regent Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, was the governor’s first from a major women’s group since allegations surfaced last October during the recall race that he had groped several women.

At the time, Schwarzenegger, a Republican seeking to unseat Gov. Gray Davis, apologized for having “behaved badly” toward women while insisting that he would champion their cause.

Indeed, in brief remarks Monday that the friendly crowd of about 350 interrupted often with applause, Schwarzenegger asked a dozen or so of his female cabinet secretaries, staff members and employees to stand and be recognized.

“More than half of my administration is women, more than any other governor in history,” he told the assembly, which included many men. “Women will be at the table. Your ideas will be part of the solutions.”

Outside the hotel driveway’s ornate iron gates, two protesters waved hot-pink signs, urging passersby to remember the “16 women who bravely spoke out about Arnold’s sexual battery” and calling for an end to budget cuts in programs for children, women and the elderly.

But they were clearly a small minority. The luncheon attendees pulling into the crowded drive seemed not to notice.

Women of Los Angeles is an affiliate of WOMEN Inc., a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization based in Washington that was founded in 1991. With two other affiliates, Women of Washington and Women of Pasadena, the group numbers about 2,000.

The groups annually present three “highlight” awards to men who support issues important to women. Past recipients have included former Mayor Richard Riordan, broadcast journalist Ted Koppel and Kweisi Mfume, president and chief executive of the NAACP.

Several of those in attendance said they saw no conflict in Schwarzenegger’s being honored by a women’s group at a time when issues about his alleged sexual misconduct remained unresolved.

“I think the allegations were old and came to light miraculously when he was ahead in the polls,” said Ann Van Dormolen, president and chief executive of Philanthropic Administration Inc., a Culver City firm.

“It doesn’t bother me,” agreed Anne Villasenor, owner of Unisure Insurance Services in Torrance. “He’s proven himself to be a good man.”

Gail Berendzen, president and founder of WOMEN Inc., said the idea of honoring Schwarzenegger was first raised by Lynne Weaver, who a year ago left as Women of Los Angeles’ executive director to work for Schwarzenegger’s after-school program.

“Lynne was a liberal Democrat who went into working for Mr. Schwarzenegger with a little bit of hesitancy [but was] bowled over by his genuine efforts to do good things,” Berendzen said.

Soon after Weaver went to work for the Schwarzenegger organization, she was killed in the July 16, 2003, Santa Monica Farmers’ Market tragedy. Her husband, Rob Weaver, and her father-in-law, actor Dennis Weaver, were at the luncheon.

Schwarzenegger praised Weaver as an “outstanding, smart and compassionate” woman who “was very instrumental in me getting this award.”

He also credited two other “powerful women”: his wife, Maria Shriver, who introduced him and whom he wished a happy 18th anniversary, and his mother, whom he described as a tough disciplinarian who would whack his head with a yardstick if he shirked his homework.

Also receiving awards were Jorge Mester, music director of the Pasadena Symphony, and Peter W. Mullin, a philanthropist and a specialist in executive compensation.