‘Women of Inspiration’

By MARILYN MCMAHON NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Jane Benefield, chair of the Carpinteria Planning Commission, and Jena Jenkins, programs specialist at the Carpinteria Library, will be honored at the Girls Inc. of Carpinteria “Women of Inspiration” event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 3 at the nonprofit’s campus, 5315 Foothill Road in Carpinteria.

The keynote speaker will be Katie Goodman, an award-winning musical comic, actress, director,

Girls Inc. of Carpinteria to honor Jane Benefield and Jena Jenkins

writer, author and speaker. She has been seen on Showtime’s “The Green Room,” on Current TV as a pundit and on TruTV in one of the most watched “Impractical Jokers” ever.

She is signed with Comedy Dynamics, North America’s largest independent record label, and her album, “Halfway Closer to Dead,” is available on Itunes. Her comedy music videos have amassed more than 2 million hits on Youtube and several more million on Facebook. Ms. Goodman is also a featured blogger for the Huffington Post, has contributed to O, the Oprah Magazine, and is

FYI the author of “Improvisation for the Spirit” and the funny children’s book, “The Night Our Parents Went Out.” She is a nationally touring keynote speaker on the topic of using the tools of improv comedy in everyday life. As the creator and headliner of “Broad Comedy,” an internationally touring satirical musical show that she and her husband Soren Kisiel write and direct, she has raised more than $2 million for Planned Parenthood and the ACLU.

For more information or to purchase tickets for “Women of Inspiration,” call 805-684-6364 or visit girlsinc-carp.org.

Her solo show, “The MidLife Crisis Tour,” has played off Broadway in New York City, where she received a Time Out New York Critics Pick for Best Cabaret. She and her husband were nominated for the EPIC Award from the White House Project and were also nominated for the MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant for their extensive work in theater.

Ms. Benefield has served on the

Carpinteria Planning Commission for almost two decades. Before moving to Carpinteria, she worked for the city of Los Angeles and its planning department. Ms. Benefield now lends Carpinteria her wealth of planning knowledge and inspires the community through her bold voice and insightful perspective. A communications specialist whose heart lies in storytelling, Ms. Jenkins has a knack for bringing groups together and building understanding. In addition to her role at the Carpinteria Library,

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