Lt. Gov. Diane Denish Recognized by International Women's Forum

Lt. Governor Diane Denish was recognized for her years of service to New Mexico by the International Women’s Forum. The tribute said:

Diane Denish is “a champion of education, children and health care.... Named one of the Top 100 New Mexicans in honor of her community leadership.... Widely heralded as a guardian of early education, during her time in office, she has fought to expand pre-Kindergarten programs across New Mexico. She signed into law bills creating the Children’s Cabinet and the Next Generation Fund to support positive after-school activities, and she brokered an agreement on new payday lending regulations and reform of the Regional Housing Authority. She led the effort to provide home loan protection that has helped New Mexico consumers avoid high-cost mortgages."

"Among her honors are PNM’s Entrepreneurial Advocate of the Year; Leadership New Mexico’s Distinguished Alumnus Award; the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award; Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce’s Excellence in Education Award; the Women Impacting Public Policy New Mexico Legislative Leadership Award; and the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Child Health Advocate Award. As Chair of the Children’s Cabinet, she continues to improve the lives of children.”

“I am truly honored and humbled by this recognition from the International Women’s Forum. To be one of the five women named as the 2009 Women Who Make a Difference is truly a privilege,” Lt. Governor Denish said in a statement in response to the honor.

“The International Women’s Forum Gala was an amazing event, capping four days for a record-breaking 1,100 women leaders from 45 nations and five continents,” according to New Mexico chapter 2009-10 President Lynne Behnfield Thomas. “It was very special to have our own Diane Denish honored as one of the global women exhibiting a positive impact on our complex world,” she added.

The International Women’s Forum, founded by Elinor Guggenheimer and Eleanor Holmes Norton in 1982, is a global organization focused on advancing women’s leadership. While started in the United States, the organization now has more than 4,300 members in 23 nations and 64 affiliated forum locations.