A very surprised Cheryl Wasserman received the 2012-2013 Zontian of the Year award from Zonta Club of SCV at the club’s May business meeting. The award is normally presented at the club’s installation dinner, but Wasserman will be out of town and committee members who would make the presentation will be out of town for the club’s June meeting, prompting a surprise presentation this month.
Wasserman was nominated for the honor by two Zontians and was selected from a field of three nominees by a committee composed of former Zontian of the Year honorees.
A member since 2008, Wasserman served as chair of the club’s Young Women in Public Affairs scholarship committee for the past two years and has been active in the Girl’s Robotics program. She also served on the Zonta Foundation Board of Trustees for the past two years and has recently been elected to the club’s Board of Directors.
Outside of Zonta, Wasserman is a volunteer math tutor for Golden Oak Adult School, tutoring students working on the math portion of their GED examination, and in the homework help program at the SCV Boys & Girls Club. She served as secretary of her homeowner association board and has been an honoree at Zonta’s Women in Service Celebration.
She is known as a “cheerleader” for Zonta projects, keeping a monthly tabulation of contributions to Zonta International for last year’s “Do It for Dianne” program, and selling tickets for Zonta’s recent LUNAFEST women’s film festival.
The Zontian of the Year award is based on a compilation of both Zonta and community involvements and the representation of Zonta that she makes in the community.
“Cheryl Wasserman is a ‘natural’ for this award,” said Pat Willett, last year’s Zontian of the Year, who made the presentation. “Her energy and enthusiasm are irrepressible. When she takes on a project, you know it will be done well.”