Published Mar. 10, 2022
BY EMMA BROWN
During Women’s History Month, the importance of honoring the women in the Monterey Bay community cannot be overstated. On the Central Coast alone, thousands of women strive every day to improve the lives of the people around them, working tirelessly to elevate their craft and inspire others. Here’s a peek into the lives of three of those thousands.
Hon. Carrie Panetta
Hon. Carrie Panetta (left) enjoys spending time with husband Jimmy, daughters Siri and Gia and dog, Copper. (courtesy of CARRIE PANETTA)
Growing up in North Dakota, Carrie Panetta always had an interest in the law, even when the extent of her legal expertise was arguing with her parents.
“I grew up in a small town where there weren’t a lot of attorney role models,” Panetta says. “In fact, I don’t think they’ve had a woman attorney in that town yet. Wow. But my family still always encouraged me to be a lawyer.”
Her passion led her to the University of North Dakota, where she obtained bachelor’s degrees in political science and English, before attending the University of Virginia’s law school, where she obtained her judicial degree. That was when she realized California was calling her name. After law school, Panetta entered private practice, working at a San Francisco law firm in business litigation for six years before ultimately becoming a deputy district attorney in Alameda. While working at the DA’s office, Panetta met her future husband, Jimmy, another prosecutor for the county. After years at the council’s table, Panetta turned her attention to the judge’s bench.
“Once I became a prosecutor I started thinking about being a judge,” Panetta explains. “When I practiced civil litigation, it never really occurred to me because we’re not in court all that much. But then as a prosecutor, I was in court almost every day, and having that added exposure to judges made me think, ‘Oh yeah, I’d like to do that.’”
Judge Panetta was appointed to the bench in Alameda in 2007 by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, where she served for six years before transferring to Monterey County, going on to preside over felony trials for nine years before switching to civil trials in January 2022.
On top of her impressive career, Panetta has raised two daughters, Siri and Gia, with her husband, who is now the congressional representative for the 20th district. In her free time, Panetta plays the piano, avidly runs and enjoys time with friends and family.
Lt. Amy Tomlinson
For Lt. Amy Tomlinson, her path to the sky was not always clear. Originally from Carlsbad, California, Tomlinson attended the University of Southern California in 1996, but after joining the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps her sophomore year, she knew her future was flying. Though her father was also a naval aviator, Tomlinson’s journey to the Navy was paved by friendship.
“My freshman year of college, in some of my favorite classes, the people I was working on projects with and the people I found myself hanging out with and becoming friends with were in ROTC,” explains Tomlinson. “They were fun, they were like-minded, and I was drawn to them.”
After nearly a decade of service, Lt. Amy Tomlinson retired from the Blue Angels as one of the first female team members. (courtesy of AMY TOMLINSON)
After receiving her bachelor’s degree in public relations, Tomlinson reported for flight training at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida, in 2000, beginning her journey among the clouds. After two years, she transitioned to the Naval Air Station in Oceana, Virginia, for fleet aircraft training.
“I did a whole other year of training to learn about fleet aircraft and be able to fully function in that airplane, from take-off to landing to the tactics to being in the air, weaponry and all the advanced techniques that come with a fleet aircraft.”
Three months after finishing training in 2003, Tomlinson was deployed on the USS Roosevelt to Iraq to fly in combat. The lieutenant joined the Navy Fighter Squadron, ultimately flying 33 combat missions in the Persian Gulf. After returning home, Tomlinson moved back to California to become an instructional aviator, teaching pilots how to fly F-18s.
And in 2008, Tomlinson became the first woman ever to join the Blue Angels, the elite aviation squadron.
“Typically the Blue Angels had been mostly male, and so it was really cool to get to be a girl in uniform,” says Tomlinson. “I’d be in Omaha, Nebraska, and have a little 7-year-old girl come up to me at the crowd line and say, ‘Mommy, look, there’s a girl. I didn’t know girls could be in the military.’”
After leaving the Blue Angels, Tomlinson joined the Navy Reserves before retiring one year ago. During that time, she attended Santa Clara University and earned her MBA.
Today, Tomlinson lives in Pacific Grove with her husband, Lt. Cmdr. Warren Tomlinson, and her children, Alex and Katie. She now works as a Project Development Director for Concentric Power Inc., while also serving as a city council member for the city of Pacific Grove.
“I like to help people,” Tomlinson says. “I want to be involved and make things go well for others. I love to help our community and serve our community and help my kids’ school and serve the school through volunteerism.”
Kate Rider
A Central Coast local, jeweler Kate Rider has always been inspired by the beauty of her home. After going to the University of California, Santa Barbara for sociology, Rider returned to the Carmel area to work in graphic design at an advertising agency. In 1992, Rider and her husband, Kevin, moved to Big Sur, where they would raise their three daughters, Amelia, Gweneth and Hannah.
Jeweler Kate Rider works to create thoughtful pieces of jewelry with an eco-conscious focus. (courtesy of KATE RIDER)
Beginning in 2007, Rider began working with gems as a hobby, taking a metal-working course at Monterey Peninsula College to hone her skills. After years of refining her craft, the artist began to sell her work at local shops before eventually going global and retailing her pieces in Japan.
“The outdoors definitely inspire me,” Rider says. “I just look around and the organic aesthetic inspires me. I’ll just look at a batch of stones I have and they kind of speak to me on how I want to make them and what shape I want to make.”
Rider’s work focuses on delicacy and natural beauty, with metals and jewels entwined harmoniously to form jewelry anyone can love. For the jeweler, thoughtfulness is a key element of her business. All of her gems are ethically sourced and her recyclable packaging is handmade locally.
Even as her business has grown, the jewelry maker insists on crafting each piece by hand.
“The most important quality of a piece of jewelry is the intention that goes into it that comes from the artist,” explains Rider. That’s super, super important and makes it a little extra special.”
When she’s not pounding out metal to create the perfect pair of earrings, Rider enjoys going on runs in Carmel Valley and horseback riding.
