Faye Washington,  CEO of the YWCA of Greater Los Angeles, Winner of the NAWBO-LA Legacy Award for 2007. Photo Credit: Leroy Hamilton. Copyright: Lauren Hamilton. “I am nervous, humbled, and honored," Faye Washington said.  "The Legacy Award almost sounds like it means I’m supposed to be done…over.  But you haven’t seen anything yet.” “I accept this award in memory of my mother and my YWCA family and on behalf of each and every one of you here today because I am you.”

Faye Washington, who worked in the public sector and became the highest-ranking African American woman to work for the City of Los Angeles, gave credit to the two Mayors of Los Angeles who each played a large role in her development as a leader.   “Tom Bradley taught me to dream big dreams,” she said. “Dick Riordan taught me that I have to watch the bottom line.”    After thirty-two years of service, Faye retired from city government, only to be called out of retirement to lead the YWCA. Under her leadership, “the YWCA is currently building a new seven-story, 154,000 square-foot state-of-the-art Job Corps Urban Campus in Downtown Los Angeles.”    “I didn’t know how to build a building,” she admitted. “They didn’t know how to build a building, but it had to be done.”    “I love my job because I am working to benefit our collective future, to promote the empowerment of women and the elimination of racism wherever it exists by any means necessary.”   “Are the children okay? If you can say ‘yes,’ to that, then the community is okay.”   “If I can help somebody with a word or a song, if I can help somebody from doing wrong, then I will not have lived in vain.”