Throughout the evening, honorees shared their stories from the past and plans for the future. Andrea Sheridan Ordin gave a little insight into the prejudices that she encountered early in her career. She recalled specific questions posed to her during an interview: How do you handle getting over being a woman? Do you plan to have children? What would you do if your child is sick, your husband is at work, and you have a hearing out in Bakersfield? In spite of all this, it was an exciting time to be a lawyer, and she will work now to ensure that the County receives the quality representation it needs. Rich Sanchez gave a synopsis of the different changes in government technology that he has seen during his 35 years with the County and highlighted projects that he is currently working on. Richard J. Bruckner has moved and made the transition from Connecticut, where the “state next door” is only half the size of the Los Angeles County. He joins the County after serving as the City of Pasadena’s Director of Planning and Development. With the slump in housing they have had a moment to catch their breath, but he and his staff are working hard to provide planning services that balance the needs for growth and conservation in a jurisdiction this large.