Dr. Rodriguez Named Congressional Woman of the Year

Congratulations to Dr. Anne Rodriguez on being honored as a Congressional Woman of the Year.

Dr. Rodriguez, who sees patients at Lompoc Health – North Third Street – was chosen by Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, as one of six winners. Other honorees were Kathleen Baushke from Santa Barbara, Tracy Beard from Solvang, Noha Kolkailah from Arroyo Grande, Pandora Nash-Karner from Los Osos and Biz Steinberg from San Luis Obispo.

Dr. Rodriguez is a gynecologic oncologist and breast surgeon, treating patients with cancers and other disorders of the breast and female reproductive tract. She previously was director of the gynecologic oncology fellowship program at the University of California at Davis.

According to Rep. Carbajal, the Congressional Women of the Year Award honors exceptional women across the 24thCongressional District who have left a positive impact on their communities. Winners are nominated by their peers and span a variety of backgrounds and professions. The winners represent the thousands of women working tirelessly to improve quality of life on the Central Coast, his office noted.

“The recipients of this year’s Women of the Year Award are all doing incredible work to make the Central Coast an even better place to live, often without the recognition or compensation they deserve,” Rep. Carbajal said. “I am honored to recognize these remarkable, trailblazing women for their indelible contributions and leadership in our community.”

Rep. Carbajal will recognize the winners by entering a specially written tribute for each woman into the official Congressional Record, preserving their stories, and their impact on the community. An award ceremony will be held at a later date and each awardee will also receive a special congressional pin.

Her commendation from Rep. Carbajal states:

“As one of only two gynecologic oncology surgeons that serve Santa Barbara and the surrounding communities, Dr. Anne Rodriguez has dedicated her entire professional life to surgery and care of women with gynecologic and breast cancer. For the last four years, she has served as the Chair of the Department of Surgery at Cottage Hospital and sits on the board of the Santa Barbara Breast Care Alliance.

Aside from her professional life, Anne is a founding Board member of the local chapter of Boys Team Charity, a philanthropic organization that teaches young men from 7thto 12thgrade about the importance of giving back to the community through volunteering. She has also volunteered with the Goleta Public Library, Teen Court, Art from Scrap, the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission, Santa Barbara Bike Coalition, Santa Barbara Zoo, Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network, Montessori Center School, and the MAD Academy at Santa Barbara High School.”