The Valley Industry Association governing board was proud to see its longtime President and CEO Kathy Norris nominated for the 2015 Women in Business Awards, presented Tuesday at the Sheraton Universal Hotel in Universal City and drawing a crowd of several hundred.

The awards ceremony is hosted by the San Fernando Valley Business Journal. The nominees for this year’s event, the 14th annual, included more than 100 women in leadership positions from companies and industries throughout the Greater Los Angeles region.

As the leader of VIA for nearly 20 years, Norris has been a constant champion for the local business community, and has continued to make strides in ensuring VIA helps businesses connect with one another and help each other grow. Through regular events as well as educational programs and community-focused committees, VIA provides businesses and individuals with resources and opportunities for growth.

“Kathy has worked tirelessly for over 20 years in serving the Santa Clarita community with the many programs offered by VIA that benefit our industrial community, our businesses, organizations and the community in general,” said Anna Frutos-Sanchez, 2015 chair of the VIA board. “She is to be commended for her hard work and strong leadership and dedication in contributing to the betterment of our community.”

Norris has spearheaded the organization’s yearly B2B industry event, featuring all-day networking and keynote speakers such as Earvin “Magic” Johnson. She was a key partner in the creation of SCVOneWater, a nonprofit coalition focused on creating sustainable water resource management for the Santa Clarita Valley. Other coalition members include the SCV Chamber of Commerce, the city of Santa Clarita and the SCV Economic Development Corp.

“It may sound cliché, but it’s true: It’s an honor just to be nominated and find myself in the company of so many talented women,” Norris said. “I continue to be so dedicated to VIA because it represents and supports one of the best things about our community: A vibrant and passionate business community.”

Norris has also led VIA’s vision to equip the next generation of the workforce, with the development and leadership of the annual Connecting to Success program, which provides thousands of high school students with workforce-readiness training and inspiration over the course of three sessions.

She lives in Castaic with her husband, Tim.  They have two daughters and a son.

About the Valley Industry Association

The Valley Industry Association of Santa Clarita represents business interests throughout the Santa Clarita Valley, providing members the opportunity to network and collaborate on a broad range of business issues. More information about VIA is available at www.via.org