Press Release from Congressmember Adam Schiff
Los Angeles, CA – On Thursday, April 5th, at a luncheon in Echo Park, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) honored a group of inspiring women from communities in the 28th Congressional District – Atwater Village, Burbank, Echo Park, Elysian Valley, Glendale, Hollywood Hills, La Canada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Los Feliz, Pasadena, Silver Lake, Kagel Canyon, Sunland, and West Hollywood.
“Today, I met with thirteen remarkable women who have all worked tirelessly to make our communities a better place. It was an honor to recognize their outstanding work in the 28th District,” said Rep. Schiff. “These women have worked to found or support a myriad of charitable organizations, started multiple businesses and given so much of themselves to improve the common good. They are all pillars of our communities and I thank them for their invaluable service.”
Rep. Schiff issued the following statement regarding awardee Kiljoo Lee Kurumada:
I rise today in honor of Women’s History Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our nation’s women. It is an honor to pay homage to outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional District. I would like to recognize a remarkable woman, Kiljoo Lee Kurumada of La Crescenta, California.
Kiljoo was born in China and raised in South Korea. In 1967, she graduated from the Seoul National University College of Music and in 1969, she moved to the United States.
In 1983, Ms. Kurumada co-founded the Korean Resource Center (KRC), an extraordinary non-profit organization, whose goal is to empower immigrant, low-income, Asian American, Pacific Islander, and minority communities in Southern California. By using a holistic approach, this distinguished organization endeavors to support these communities by incorporating culture, services, education, coalition-building and organizing toward improving their lives.
Ms. Kurumada has taken on a prominent leadership role in the Korean-American community. She served as KRC board chair for more than two decades, and also served as founding board chair of the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC), a grassroots organization that promotes the active and organized participation of Korean and Asian Americans to achieve social and economic justice.
During her long tenure at the Korean Resource Center, where she currently volunteers two days a week helping low-income families and seniors with general inquiries, Ms. Kurumada and her colleagues have championed numerous causes, including access to health insurance, affordable housing, voter registration, senior advocacy, youth education and immigration reform.
Kiljoo has lived in La Crescenta for over four decades. She is married to Stephen Kurumada, and they have two children, Jennifer and Michael, and four grandchildren.
I ask all Members to join me in honoring this exceptional, well-respected woman of California’s 28th Congressional District, Kiljoo Lee Kurumada.
The full list of honorees from this year are: Claudette Nicole Saba Monestime (Atwater Village), Vicky Marachelian (Burbank), Isa-Kae Meksin (Echo Park), Emily Gleicher (Elysian Valley), Lori Hartwell (Glendale), Anastasia Mann (Hollywood Hills), Donna Ford (La Canada Flintridge), Kiljoo Lee Kurumada (La Crescenta), Brenda Levin (Los Feliz), Patricia Anne Kinaga (Pasadena), Nina Sorkin (Silver Lake), Kelly Erin Decker (Kagel Canyon), Medea Kalognomos (Sunland) and Ivy Bottini (West Hollywood).
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