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Tribute to Rosemary Straley

We are saddened to share the passing of Rosemary Straley, a visionary leader, advisor and inspiration to many, and dear supporter of Women’s Empowerment International. Rosemary’s life was defined by service, a passion for education and politics, and a deep commitment to lift up women into leadership roles, especially elected offices.

Rosemary’s accomplishments and purpose-driven life can hardly be summarized in a few paragraphs. This just begins to skim the surface of her incredible work and contributions.

Rosemary proudly earned degrees from Stanford and Harvard, served as a Peace Corps Volunteer, and became one of the first women to be a Peace Corps Country Director in Cameroon. Her career in international development and education planning took her to over 150 countries and included projects with UNESCO, World Bank, UNDP, UNICEF, USAID, and the U.S. Trade & Development Program.

Throughout her education and career, Rosemary often found herself as one of the first women to enter a program or hold a leadership role, and she became committed to lifting up women and opening opportunities for them to lead. She has led and supported well over 20 organizations in San Diego and nationwide, including co-founding a local organization, Run Women Run, that played a role in electing over 120 women to public office at every level of government. She led a local working group for the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) to pass a countywide ordinance. She also served as a volunteer National Coordinator of the Hillary Rodham Clinton Support Network.

Rosemary was honored with WE’s first Woman of Empowerment award in 2018 for her dedication to achieving equity for girls and women and advancing women’s leadership.

Rosemary attributed her commitment to philanthropy and service to her parents, who also taught the power each person holds to inspire others to give. She also held a quote from President John F. Kennedy, who founded the Peace Corps, close to her heart: “One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.” She had this quote on a magnet on her refrigerator and was quoted as saying, “That’s what guides me every day.”

Rosemary, you will be deeply missed, but we carry on your legacy.

If you would like to share thoughts or stories of Rosemary, please email Sarah Adams, WE Executive Director, at SarahAdams@womenempowerment.org.

Woman of Empowerment 2025

Meet our 2025 Woman of Empowerment Honoree, Rosette Garcia — a leader whose journey reflects courage, purpose, and the power of lifting others. During our Empowered WE Rise celebration, Rosette delivered a heartfelt speech that moved the room and reminded us why women like her are at the core of our mission.

Her message centered on the idea that meaningful change happens when we come together –– that it’s the small, collective actions of many that create the biggest impact.

Below are passages of Rosette’s inspiring remarks, a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when we unite for a shared purpose.

“I want to thank someone who isn’t here—my dad who kept coming to mind as I was planning my remarks. And particularly something that he always used to say to me—and my siblings–when we were kids. We’d have done something we shouldn’t have—say missed a curfew, and in explaining the misdeed I might say, Dad, I couldn’t help it. Sorry. And my father –who was a gentle but real figure of authority–would gently rebuke me, saying,  you can help it. Don’t tell me you can’t help it. You can always help it.

That phrase, you can always help it, and his refusal to accept that excuse taught me a lot. I learned that claiming futility or powerlessness was not an excuse. I still hear that voice—often– telling me that I can help it—that I can do something. His words come to me not just when I’m running late, even as I offer an excuse. I know that I could have helped it; I just should have left earlier, planned better! But I also hear them when I’m confronted with things in the world that just aren’t okay—that aren’t fair. What if I –if we– can help it?” 

I don’t think he meant that I could help alleviate poverty, as WE set out to do. Or ensure women’s right to bodily autonomy. Or guarantee justice and equality. But I have always found it difficult to do nothing when I see something that is unfair, unjust. It’s so obvious when injustices occur and equally obvious what fairness would look like. And it seems to me that we should demand it—no excuses, no I can’t help it. So, my dad’s gentle admonishment, you can help it, reminds me that futility is not the answer and it subtly nudges me to do something.

I met many women and visited several communities where our funds have improved lives, but beyond that WE funds have given these young women a reason to hope and dream and have ambitions. I think of Carla, the 25 year-old young woman who was able to start a small grocery store in her living room with a $200 loan funded by WE, who told us of her dreams to own a real supermarket one day. It could happen!

The power of this organization lies not just in its mission, but in their belief that women are the drivers behind change—when you help a woman, you help not only her, but her family and her community, improving many lives in the process. I’m a long-time believer in the power of women and I’ve poured a lot of my energies into ensuring women and girls enjoy fairness and freedom.  

Certainly, when we think about the many, profound problems we are facing, so many that seem to be going in the wrong direction, it is easy to feel powerless and wonder if our efforts are futile. I’d like to quote Dorothy Day, the amazing early 20^th century social justice activist, who pondered this same question. She said, “What can one person do? What is the sense of our small effort?” Her response says it all:  “They cannot see that we can only lay one brick at a time, take one step at a time.” 

She (DD) reminds us that change doesn’t happen in one fell swoop, but slowly, excruciatingly slowly. I look out and I see a room of people, all who are making one “small effort” that is leading to lasting change. Who are taking that one step, laying that one brick. Who are undaunted by the magnitude of the challenges and continue to show up.”

Sharon Schwartz is the founder of Live Oak Health and Wellness. As a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC), she is dedicated to helping women aged 50+ build and sustain healthy habits for life. 

Prior to founding her own company, Sharon was a strategic talent executive specializing in leadership development, organizational transformation, and talent management. She has built and led talent strategies that drive growth at Fortune 500 global technology companies such as Equinix, Seagate Technology, and Applied Materials. 

As Senior Director of Leadership & Learning at Equinix, she transformed leadership development, revitalized high-potential programs, and scaled digital learning to support the company’s global expansion. In her most recent role as Senior Organization Effectiveness Consultant at UC San Diego Health, she worked directly with senior leaders to enhance leadership capabilities and team performance.

Earlier in her career, Sharon worked as a financial trader for Cargill’s Capital Markets Division and co-founded a women-owned and -managed hedge fund. She later transitioned into microfinance, spending three years in Bolivia with Acción International, where she managed a USAID-funded project to build organizational capabilities at Latin American microfinance institutions.

Passionate about food systems transformation and regenerative agriculture, she volunteers locally at Coastal Roots Farm, Olivewood Gardens & Learning Center, and ProduceGood. She is a member of the North County Philanthropy Council and is now serving as volunteer Treasurer at Women’s Empowerment International.

Sharon lives in Encinitas, California, with her husband, Paul. They have one adult son, Ethan, who recently graduated from UC Davis. She holds a Master of Pacific International Affairs from UC San Diego and a Master of Education in Instructional Technology from San Jose State University. She is proficient in Spanish. In her free time, Sharon enjoys gardening, cooking nutritious plant-based, whole foods, and hiking.