We’re so honored to announce that Ada County Prosecutor Jan M. Bennetts is the 2020 recipient of the Women’s and Children’s Alliance Joyce Stein Memorial Award. This award is given in memory of Boisean Joyce Stein, a long-time supporter of the WCA. Each year a person in the community who has made a positive impact on the growth and advancement of women is honored.
“Jan’s receiving this Joyce Stein honor and recognition from her peers on the (WCA) board because of her dedication and work in her role as Ada County Prosecutor, which benefits the WCA’s mission, and growth and advancement of women beyond measure,” said Stephanie Westermeier, WCA Board of Directors President, during Tuesday’s virtual Tribute to Women in Industry (TWIN) ceremony hosted by the WCA.
“As Ada County Prosecutor, there are simply not enough hours in the day for Jan, who is one of the hardest working prosecutors a community could ever hope to have,” Westermeier said. “She unfortunately deals with some of the most unthinkable issues, including those associated with domestic violence and abuse, and daily and continually Jan endeavors to raise awareness of and personally address the vicious cycle of abuse.”
“Jan’s grit, strength and tenacity, fueled by her continuous desire to make this community better for women and for all its residents, is nothing short of inspiring to me and to all who know her,” she said.
“I cannot begin to express how much this very prestigious award means to me. I have always held a special place in my heart for the WCA since I began my career as a deputy prosecutor over 25 years ago,” said Jan M. Bennetts, Ada County Prosecutor.
Years before Jan became a WCA board member, she spent time in the WCA’s club room listening to domestic violence victims and their experiences so she could become a more effective prosecutor and knowledgeable about what she could do to help victims.
“Those victims welcomed me into their RAP sessions where they shared experiences with each other and with me. They trusted me with what they had experienced at the hands of their abusers, how it had impacted them, and how they dealt with those impacts,” she said. “The courage they demonstrated in sharing their experiences with me so that I could better help victims in my work was not lost on me and I have never forgotten it. I have always been humbled by the courage of crime victims who have gone through so much trauma but who work so hard to come out on the other side stronger.”
“It is such a privilege and such an honor to have served in my role as a prosecutor and now also as a WCA board member. The WCA has always been a resource for domestic violence victims, but I have been so fortunate that it has also been a source of personal and professional growth for me. Those experiences have shaped me as a prosecutor and as a fierce and passionate advocate for crime victims,” Bennetts said.