Edna was a very active member 10 years ago as a young mom of a son. She joined and became involved in almost every committee and helped on all of them. Edna's professional life took hold and she had to back away from non-profits until her business was more established. Edna was very involved in the State Women's Insurance organization and became a leader for many years.

After her daughter was born and growing up, she wanted to give back and joined Zonta again and with a gung-ho attitude. She has been very involved in PR for the club this year, taking it to a new level. She put Zonta on the map, so now you can find us in places like LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.  Also on the map are new ideas, Membership Monday, Women Wednesday, Throwback Thursday and Flashback Friday all located on social media. And locally, she has put us on all the community calendars in town: City of Santa Clarita, KHTS, Inside SCV Magazine, Santa Clarita Magazine, the Signal, and SCV Non-Profits event calendar.  We have press releases monthly if not more often in all the local media. If that is not enough, Edna has written most of the blogs that are posted on our website and on social media.  Thanks to Edna and her PR committee, the whole of Santa Clarita knows who and what Zonta is.

Edna runs a very professional PR committee meeting, featuring a detailed agenda and limited to one hour. If we finish early, then we have social time, but that’s it - one hour.

Edna was born in Cebu, Philippines and moved to Chicago before she was 1 year old.  At the age of 10, her family moved back to the Philippines where she attended an International School.  Then at the age of 17, Edna moved back to the US.  She received a B.A. in Economics from UCLA at the age of 21 and at 29, received my MBA while maintaining a full-time career in the insurance industry & raising a family.

After losing her father at a very young age from a heart attack, her mother’s struggle with breast cancer, and Edna’s own inability to conceive, she began her own company, The Wellness Institute, which focuses on holistic health & wellness.  Prior to that she worked in the insurance business becoming President of the LA Chapter of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, founding President of the LA Chapter of Women in Insurance and Financial Services. She was a busy young lady!

She has served as a director on the club board 2010-2011. Upon returning to Zonta in 2019, she asked what she could do and it was suggested she run for the club secretary position, which she did. Like everything Edna does, she took the secretary very seriously and detailed all of the club board and business meetings thoroughly.  She did not miss anything. Committees she has served on include Women in Service, JMK, YWPA, Virginia Wrage and Healthy Women’s Day.

Now another surprise.  We are pleased to present this certificate to Ella Fernandez as our Zontian In Training.  Ella has accompanied Edna everywhere, proudly wearing her Zonta shirt.  Some day she will make a great Zontian and hopefully as a member of our club.

Edna is very quiet and private, but has a heart of gold and loves helping others in any way she can. Our club is very fortunate to have Edna as a member, along with her beautiful daughter, Ella, our Zontian in Training.