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She opened a museum devoted to women's history in her Golden Hill home, and later, the Women's Museum of California at Liberty Station. Its hallmark event was the annual San Diego County Women's Hall of Fame, founded by Dr. Sue Gonda and Olivia Puentes-Reynolds, which has honored the lifetime achievements of hundreds of trailblazing women. Maas also credits visionary men who helped make the women's center a reality including Bob Watkins, chair of the San Diego History Center's Board of Trustees, and Bill Lawrence, the center's president and CEO. "Both staffs worked hard together, and with the help of the Prebys Foundation we made it happen," says Watkins. "It is a great addition to the family and San Diego wins!" "With the launch of the Center for Women's History we are really looking to the future as much as the past," notes Lawrence, who outlined plans for a "new, world-class visitor experience that will transform our museum." Founded as the San Diego Historical Society, the SDHC will mark its centennial in 2028-2029. e SDHC is working with Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA), one of the world's largest museum exhibition design firms, and San Diego's Greg Mueller and team at Tucker Sadler Architects, known for designing the award-winning Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. SDHC Board Chair Emeritus Tom Fetter is co-chairing the capital campaign with Julie Gildred Connolly to raise funds for the "Reimagine Project" that will showcase the region's history. Connolly presented a slide show to give attendees a sneak peek at the plans. e 22-foot Jessop's Clock, a beloved San Diego landmark that is considered a "mechanical wonder," is being reassembled and will welcome visitors at the center's entrance. Dating to 1907, the clock symbolized San Diego's early ambition to become a great city. e museum's core exhibit, using advanced video technology, will feature an immense interactive timeline wall where visitors can hear oral histories and "relive" historical events. Another gallery will showcase how local innovators have changed the world. e museum will also include a gallery featuring the work of local artists, expanded classroom space, a café called Taste of San Diego serving regional fare, and a new theater. e Center for Women's History will have its own permanent gallery for rotating exhibitions amplifying the stories, achievements, and experiences of women throughout the San Diego region. Current exhibitions honor women in STEM with San Diego STEM Women: Creativity and Curiosity, and legal work in Women in Law & Society. "We celebrate a merger that reflects our commitment to telling a richer narrative, one that honors women who shaped our communities, our nation, our history and our world," said Laura MacKinnon Chapman, president of the Women's Museum of California, at the recent event. "As the mother of five — three beautiful daughters and two little boys — I am filled with so much joy to see us standing together to preserve history and inspire learning and create a space where history isn't just remembered, but imagined," added Chapman. "ank you for being a part of this extraordinary journey." 619.232.6203, sandiegohistory.org Focus philanthropy SDHC Trustee Andrea da Rosa, Women's Hall of Fame inductee Deborah Szekely, and Sheila Thomas, SDHC staff Bill Gore with Diane Stocker, president of The Peggy and Robert Matthews Foundation << ranchandcoast.com 38 DECEMBER 2025 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE PHOTOGRAPHY BY TIM HARDY