Local Heroes

Local Heroes

In our ongoing commitment to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve, KCET and Union Bank honor local heroes for their dedication and commitment to enrich the lives of others.

We are currently accepting nominations for the following Local Heroes:
Nominate a Local Hero for Black History Month Nominate a Local Hero for Women's History Month Nominate a Local Hero for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Nominate a Local Hero for Jewish American Heritage Month Nominate a Local Hero for LGBT Pride Month Nominate a Local Hero for Hispanic Heritage Month
About Local Heroes

2012 Heroes
Local Hero: Annette Shapiro
Jewish American Heritage Month

Local Hero: Annette Shapiro

Annette Shapiro is founder and president of the board of Beit T'Shuvah, a Los Angeles-based treatment center and full-service congregation.
Local Hero: Bill Yoshiyuki Watanabe
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

Local Hero: Bill Yoshiyuki Watanabe

Bill Watanabe has served as executive director of Little Tokyo Service Center, a Community Development Corporation (LTSC CDC), since 1979.
Local Hero: Stewart Kwoh
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

Local Hero: Stewart Kwoh

Stewart Kwoh has been co-founder, president and executive director of the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) since its inception in 1983.
Local Heroes: Abner D. and Roslyn Goldstine
Jewish American Heritage Month

Local Heroes: Abner D. and Roslyn Goldstine

In 2007, the Goldstine's established the Abner D. and Roslyn Goldstine Fund for Holocaust Survivors through the nonprofit organization, Jewish Family Services of Los Angeles (JFS).
Local Hero: Bea Cohen
Women's History Month

Local Hero: Bea Cohen

Bea Cohen is one of the few people alive who witnessed the beginning of World War I in 1914, when, at age four, she and her brother, sister and mother watched while low- flying airplanes dropped bombs on the factories next to her backyard in Buhusi, Romania.
Local Hero: Billie P. Weiss
Women's History Month

Local Hero: Billie P. Weiss

After raising five children, earning her bachelor's and master's degrees later in life and losing her husband to Alzheimer's Disease, Billie P. Weiss has applied her perseverance and immeasurable strength to building safer communities as founder, acting director and a steering committee member of the Violence Prevention Coalition of Greater Los Angeles (VPC).
Local Hero: Dr. Samella Lewis
Black History Month

Local Hero: Dr. Samella Lewis

Dr. Samella Lewis has touched the lives of artists, scholars, educators, students and countless others through her dedication and perseverance of African American art.
Local Hero: Shirlee Smith
Black History Month

Local Hero: Shirlee Smith

From mother's helper to talk show host, Shirlee Smith, the founder and president of Talk About Parenting with Shirlee Smith, Inc., has taken her knowledge and experiences of parenting to new heights.
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