A Riverbank City Council member who has a long record of work with local non-profit organizations has been nominated as an Outstanding Woman of 2018 to the Stanislaus County Commission for Women. The awards will be announced at a dinner on March 10.

Darlene Barber-Martinez is currently a city council member in Riverbank, but she is also well known as an active volunteer in the community, according to nomination papers. She is said to be a volunteer that surpasses many volunteers.

Recent recognition for that volunteerism was her selection as a Citizen of the Year in 2012. The COY organization has recognized local people for their volunteer efforts in Riverbank to help with time, energy, organization and even funding of community members. The Citizen of the Year has been recognized in Riverbank for 55 years.

The Stanislaus County Commission for Women, SCCW, was established in 1979.

The 39th Annual Outstanding Women of Stanislaus County Awards Dinner will be held on Saturday, March 10 at the Assyrian Cultural Center of Bet-Nahrain, 3119 Central Ave., in Ceres.

No-host cocktails start at 6 p.m., with dinner served at 6:30 p.m. The Awards Program will begin at about 7 p.m.

According to the nomination, Barber-Martinez is well known as an active volunteer in the community.

“She is a volunteer that surpasses many volunteers. She is a partner at TSW Financial Tax Service in Riverbank and has 25 years of tax preparation, bookkeeping and Notary Service experience,” noted the nomination.

Barber-Martinez is a Registered Tax Return Preparer and helps seniors prepare their taxes.

She is also a founding partner and CEO of Central Valley Community Resources (CVCR), a “non-profit organization the mission of which is to make available resources, knowledge, and expertise to coordinate services and programs to individuals, families, and seniors with the ultimate goals to help our diverse community to become self-sufficient.”

Her other volunteer activities include Senior Meals on Wheels, Beyond Earth Day, Love Riverbank, Relay For Life, and the former Sam Jackson Clean Up Days in Riverbank.

Her nomination also included information that she “plays the Cat in the Hat at a local party for Read Across America at the local library branch” and is involved “in library ‘makeovers’ and book donations.”

Barber-Martinez helps with local efforts such as the National ‘Lights On’ after school program, National Night Out for local Neighborhood Watch groups and Bark for Life.

The nominator reports that Barber-Martinez has a Master of Business Administration degree in Leadership and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management. She also earned a certificate in Human Resources from the California State University, Stanislaus.

She is married and has two children, six grandchildren, and four great grandchildren, and is described as a “pillar of strength for her family” and on who encourages others to get involved with their community.

She is also the Assistant Church Clerk at the Second Baptist Church and past Children’s Church Sunday School Advisor.

One of her latest projects is finding housing for residents from foster care when they turn 18 years old and can no longer be housed there.

Barber-Martinez joins eight other local women receiving the recognition this year, along with a Woman of History, a Woman Living Pioneer and five Young Women awards.