Police Foundation Honors Women in Blue
At its inaugural Women in Blue luncheon, the San Diego Police Foundation named three honorees: San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, San Diego’s First Lady Rana Sampson, and San Diego Police Department (SDPD) Assistant Chief, Shelley Zimmerman. Considered trailblazers in nontraditional careers, the honorees shared insights and anecdotes from their paths to success. The event was attended by 150 women and men from the business, nonprofit and government sectors at Donovan’s Circle of 5ths restaurant in the Gaslamp Quarter.
“Of course, blue is the color of the San Diego Police Department’s uniform. It is also the color often worn by top business leaders,” noted Sara Wilensky Napoli, CEO of the San Diego Police Foundation. “Traditionally, blue symbolizes trust, honor and strength, so it was a fitting theme for this event, which is all about courage, community service, and leadership.”
Dumanis is the first women to serve as District Attorney of San Diego County. Previously she was a Superior Court judge and a Deputy District Attorney. Sampson, wife of San Diego Mayor, Jerry Sanders, is now the director of development and marketing at the San Diego Center for Children. Earlier in her career, she was an NYPD undercover narcotics officer and patrol sergeant. Since then she has had a distinguished national career as a crime consultant. A 28-year veteran of the SDPD, Zimmerman now oversees the Neighborhood Policing section of the Department. She has earned numerous Exceptional Performance and Commanding Officer citations, and recently received the Exemplary Award presented by the San Diego Business Journal-Women Who Mean Business Awards.
Women in Blue is a program of the San Diego Police Foundation. Wells Fargo Bank was the lead sponsor of this year’s event, which was presented in affiliation with the San Diego Business Journal-Women Who Mean Business Awards. Proceeds from Women in Blue will support the San Diego Police Foundation’s work, to provide unmet needs for equipment, training and outreach for the SDPD, and the award-winning SafetyNet: Smart Cyber Choices™ program.