Women’s History Month 

Blog post: March 30, 2026

This Women’s History Month, many of the women leaders in the Labor & Workforce Development Agency (LWDA) and our departments shared what drives them, what experiences have shaped them, and the women who have inspired them.

LWDA Undersecretary Jacque Roberts grounds her leadership in the core purpose of the Agency: ensuring that California’s workers, employers, and communities thrive.

“My goal is for the Labor Agency to be effective and efficient as we accomplish our core mission — to ensure safe and fair workplaces, deliver worker benefits, strengthen career pathways, and advance family-sustaining jobs for all workers in California,” she said.

Undersecretary Roberts also underscored the importance of understanding that strong teams lead to strong programs, which ultimately lead to better outcomes for Californians: access to career pathways, economic mobility, and safe and fair workplaces for all. “This is only possible if our team has the tools and support to collaborate with each other and our state and community partners,” she said.

Employment Training Panel Executive Director Jessica Grimes’ leadership mirrors the leadership qualities she learned from her mother.

“My mother, who passed away when I was seventeen, is my role model and the woman whom I strive to emulate,” she said. “My mother embraced everyone without reducing them to simplistic, reductive categories. She saw—and treated—people with respect, a perspective that contributed to her being both powerful and effective in her leadership.”

Director Grimes continued: “When I think about being effective, I often think about how to model my leadership style after her – earning and maintaining trust from my team and anyone I’m working with, while ensuring each person feels a profound sense of belonging.”

Victoria Hassid, Chair of the Agricultural Labor Relations Board, echoed Director Grimes’ sentiment when reflecting on the influence of her mother, who was a public servant and pushed through gender discrimination to serve California with integrity.

“In law school a professor told her she was taking the place of a man. When she was working for the State, a supervisor asked why she needed a raise since she was married,” she said. “She attended law school in an era where she was frequently discounted, discouraged, and dismissed because she was a woman,” she said. “Despite having to constantly prove herself simply because she was a woman, she loved public service and inspired that in me. She continues to be one of the first people I call when something good or bad happens at work.”

Nancy Farias, Director of the Employment Development Department (EDD), understands the challenges women can face, sharing, “sometimes we feel like we’re running in place.” In the following video, she encourages women to “never give up on yourself,”  emphasizing that your achievements are a result of hard work, not luck.

These stories weave a common thread: that our leadership styles and goals are a direct reflection of the people and experiences that have motivated and inspired us.

This Women’s History Month, we honor ALL the women across LWDA and each of our departments who continue to create a California where every worker can thrive — because a strong workforce is the foundation of a strong California.