Media Contact: Susan Cox, (626) 302-2255
ROSEMEAD, Calif., Feb. 7, 2014 — At Southern California Edison’s (SCE) 12th Annual Black History Month celebration today, Jackie Lacey, the first woman and first African-American to serve as Los Angeles County district attorney, urged the audience to keep Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream moving forward by encouraging future generations of African-Americans to pursue careers in public service.
“I have one of the most rewarding jobs in the world,” she said at SCE’s Energy Education Center in Irwindale. “I have my dream job, my dream did come true. I tell people just take that first step and there will be so many people out there to help you along the way. Sometimes what seems like the impossible is merely different.
“We must do everything we possibly can to encourage and mentor more young African-Americans to pursue public service careers in the justice system.”
She credited SCE and its parent company, Edison International, for providing scholarships to underrepresented students across its service territory.
More than 400 people attended the “Celebrating Business & Community Partnerships” themed event, which recognized the accomplishments of local African-American businesses and leaders, their contributions to economic growth and their service as education and energy-efficient champions.
Faye Washington, president and CEO of YWCA Greater Los Angeles, was the recipient of SCE’s Community Partnership Award.
Jaylin Miller, an eighth-grade student at Marshall Fundamental School in Pasadena, also addressed the audience. She was presented with a certificate of appreciation by Janet Clayton, senior vice present of Corporate Communications for SCE and Edison International.
Additional SCE award recipients were:
- Energy Efficiency Participation Award — Imperial Heights Church of the Brethren in Los Angeles. Accepting the award was Pastor Thomas M. Dowdy Jr.
- Diverse Business Enterprise Award — SL Hare Capital Investment Bankers is a Los Angeles-based investment banking firm certified as both a Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise and a minority-owned Business Enterprise. Accepting the award was Syngon L. Hare, chairman and CEO.
Chris Schauble, a co-anchor for the KTLA 5 Morning News, was the emcee.
About Southern California Edison
An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population of nearly 14 million via 4.9 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.
