Democracy Depends on You!!
Join Us for the
2024 Sustainability Gala
Check out and join our growing list of sponsors here!
Our sustainability gala theme this year is Democracy Depends on You! The location of our gala will be at Bayonet & Black Horse Golf Club in Seaside and will honor two incredible contributors to equity and democracy in Monterey County, Dr. Dana Kent and Chelsea Tu (read more about them below!).
This promises to again be a spectacular event!
2024 Awardees
Visionary Leader
Dr. Dana Kent
Dana Kent, M.D. received a B.A. in philosophy from Radcliffe College/Harvard University and an R.N. degree from Hartnell College. She returned to school at Harvard Medical School at age 34 with 2 young children. Dana completed the residency program in Family Medicine at Natividad, where she was co-chief resident.
Dana first became involved in progressive causes in high school, in the late 1960’s.
After college and before nursing and medical schools, Dana worked for the United Farm Workers Union (UFW) for 3 years. She met her future husband, Sen. Bill Monning (Ret.), on Gabilan Street in Salinas, CA in 1976.
In the early 1980’s, in response to the increasing number of Salvadoran refugees and their needs, Dana co-founded the Salvadoran Medical Relief Fund. Also in the early 1980’s, after a mass pesticide poisoning incident, Dana volunteered as an interpreter at what would become the Monterey County Pesticide Coalition.
After finishing residency, Dana spent her clinical career as a family doctor at Natividad in Salinas and at Monterey County Health Department’s clinics in Marina and Seaside. At that time, she also worked in indigenous communities in Chiapas, Mexico during a cholera epidemic.
Dana spent the last 10 years of her professional career at Natividad Foundation, with a focus on disease prevention in the underserved population. She co-created and co-directed “5 Steps to Prevent Diabetes”, an evidence-based program located in community sites throughout Monterey County. Dana was also Medical Director of Natividad’s Diabetes Education Center.
Dana and her husband Bill live in Monterey County. They have 2 adult daughters and 3 grandchildren. Dana currently volunteers with Swing Left.
Emergent Leader
Chelsea Hsin-Feng Tu
Chelsea Hsin-Feng Tu is the Executive Director of Monterey Waterkeeper. Her vision is to ensure safe drinking water and coastal access for all communities. Previously, Ms. Tu worked as a senior attorney at the Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment. She also led climate justice advocacy at Public Advocates, and worked to protect freshwater resources, curb sprawl, and reduce toxins and pesticides at the Center for Biological Diversity. Ms. Tu also teaches the Environmental Justice: Race, Class & the Environment course at the UC Berkeley School of Law.
The Democratic Women of Monterey County is dedicated to creating opportunities for Democrats to interact, participate, and educate themselves and the community about political candidates and issues. Our objective is to inspire and empower all women who will be the architects of progressive social change. In the last three years, our organization has contributed more than $150,000 to local Democratic candidates (women and men) and organizations to achieve these goals.
