San Diego restaurateur Lesley Cohn, co-founder of Cohn Restaurant Group, was honored as one of Girl Scouts San Diego’s Cool Women 2015 during a recent luncheon and ceremony.
Cool Woman 2010 Diane Powers – owner/operator of San Diego’s Bazaar del Mundo shops and restaurants – introduced Cohn during the program.
Cohn co-founded the family-run Cohn Restaurant Group in 1982 with her husband, David. The premier hospitality collective now features 24 award-winning restaurants in San Diego and Hawaii. Renowned for their generosity, the Cohns support hundreds of charitable causes, including Big Brothers and Sisters, The Old Globe and Surfrider Foundation. Lesley Cohn also serves the community by mentoring staff members and training youth to build careers in the food and restaurant industry. She spearheads the Garfield High School Foundation and Culinary Arts Program, which garnered an award from the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.
The other Cool Women 2015 honorees were: Karen Archipley, co-founder of Archi’s Acres, a hydro-organic farm where veterans learn agribusiness skills; Rabbi Cantor Arlene Bernstein of Beth Israel; Dr. Karen S. Haynes, president, California State University San Marcos; Reena Horowitz, businesswoman, philanthropist and jewelry designer; Awetash Keflezighi, an immigrant from Eritrea whose 10 accomplished children include legendary marathoner Meb Keflezighi; Carol Lazier, president of the San Diego Opera board of directors; Susan Salka, president and CEO of AMN Healthcare; Sue Swenson, wireless pioneer and chair of FirstNet, a federal agency developing the nation’s first high-speed public safety network; Rose Schindler, Holocaust survivor and educator; and Carmen Vann, a Turner Construction project executive whose projects include the new Central Library.
‘We are proud to honor these exemplary women for their extraordinary leadership and community service, said Jo Dee C. Jacob, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts San Diego. ‘Our Cool Women’s personal and professional lives make them consummate role models for girls.
This year’s Cool Girl was Girl Scout Ambassador Elena Crespo. The high school junior recently developed a computer lab for a school in Panama. Elena, who was a delegate to Girl Scouts’ national convention, is completing her Gold Award project.
Proceeds from Girl Scouts’ Cool Women event support Girl Scout program outreach for girls in homeless shelters, the Girls Rehabilitation Facility and schools in underserved neighborhoods.
Girl Scouting is America’s premier leadership development experience for girls. Headquartered in Balboa Park, Girl Scouts San Diego provides activities for nearly 40,000 girls and adult members. For more information, visit www.sdgirlscouts.org.
posted by Andrea Gonzalez 6/4/15
