March has been designated as Women's History Month and each year the California State Legislature encourages Legislators to highlight and honor deserving women for service to their community. On Monday Oakland's own Dr. Holly Joshi was recognized Monday as Woman of the Year by both Assemblymember Mia Bonta and State Senator Jesse Arreguin.
“Today, I recognized Dr. Holly Joshi as the Assembly District 18 Woman of the Year for her contributions to our East Bay communities. Dr. Joshi brings years of advocacy, community safety, and violence prevention experience to her role as Chief of the City of Oakland’s Department of Violence Prevention. Her unwavering commitment to public safety and community-based solutions has made a lasting impact on countless lives across the state. I am honored to uplift her leadership and her dedication to increasing safety and justice in our community,” Assemblymember Mia Bonta said.
"As the Senator from Oakland, and Chair of the Senate Public Safety Committee, I am thrilled to select Dr. Holly Joshi for Woman of the Year, in recognition of her tremendous contributions to advancing public safety in the East Bay. Her unrelenting commitment to eliminating gender-based violence and her leadership in Oakland's Department of Violence Prevention has helped lower crime rates while lifting up and inspiring our community," State Senator Jesse Arreguin said.
"I want to congratulate our Chief of the Department of Violence Prevention, Dr. Holly Joshi, for being recognized as Woman of the Year by our state legislators Senator Jessie Arreguín and Assemblymember Mia Bonta. Dr. Joshi is a daughter of Oakland and has worked to keep Oaklanders safe from gender-based violence and gun violence her entire career. As our Chief of Violence Prevention, she has done exceptional work as a leader of our Ceasefire strategy that has helped reduced crime throughout Oakland. This recognition reinforces the value of the dedicated Oakland staff who work tirelessly everyday to improve the lives of Oaklanders. Congratulations, Chief Joshi!" Oakland Mayor Kevin Jenkins said.
"I am incredibly honored to receive this recognition from Assemblymember Bonta and Senator Arreguin. Their work to represent the interests of our communities is felt and appreciated. The work of the Department of Violence Prevention is a deep commitment to the health and safety of all Oaklanders made possible through the day to day commitment of my incredible team of life coaches, violence interrupters, supervisors, and administrative support staff. Equally important are our City and County partnerships with public safety agencies, faith-based leaders, community-based organizational leaders, and elected officials who support us in our unapologetic focus on ensuring interventions and off ramps for those most vulnerable to gun violence. Through these cross-sector collaborations, we reduced violent crime by over 30% in 2024 and will continue our relentless pursuit of the healthy, safe, and equitable Oakland we all deserve," DVP Chief Dr. Holly Joshi said.