Andrea Herz Payne has done some gutsy things. She and her husband, Hunter Payne, once ran after Jay Leno in a parking lot to plead with him to highlight problems in Darfur on “The Tonight Show” (which Leno did), and they asked former President Clinton to play saxophone on a charity album they were producing. (He didn’t, but he did give them a letter of support, helping them convince stars to contribute to the album.) And talk about gutsy: Herz Payne, an actress, performed nude in a play about 10 years ago.

But now, she’s facing one of her greatest fears: public speaking. She must make a speech in Pasadena on March 12 to about 200 or so. That’s the biggest audience ever for her to give a speech to. As she put it: “Eeeek!”

Herz Payne of Santa Monica is one of three local women to win the Women of the World Awards, which are presented by the Pasadena/Foothill Chapter of the United Nations Association and by 50/50 Leadership, a Glendale organization guided by the belief that women should represent half of all leaders. The other two awardees are Mireya Asturias Jones, chief executive of Jones Coffee Roasters in Pasadena, and Tracy McCubbin, co-founder of OneKid OneWorld in Los Angeles.

To overcome her jitters, Herz Payne said she is focusing on the fact that her speech will heighten awareness of her and her husband’s organization, Aid Still Required, which strives to help people stricken by big disasters after the camera crews have gone on to the next story.

“I remind myself that I am speaking for people who don’t have a voice or are not able to be here, and I get to share their story,” she said.

And beyond that? Well, “sometimes I just remind myself, ‘Hey! You performed naked. How hard can this presentation be?’ ”

Matchmaker, Matchmaker …

Amber Kelleher-Andrews dreamed of being an actress, not playing matchmaker to them.

But after working for her matchmaker mother for extra money about 10 years ago, Kelleher-Andrews decided to switch careers and join the family business – which means finding love matches for such celebrities as Jennifer Aniston, Denise Richards and National Football League star Terrell Owens.

Kelleher-Andrews, who has since become chief executive, took Kelleher International global in January with the opening of a London office.

She already sees the difference in making love connections among Europeans.

“People aren’t so stuck in where they are,” Kelleher-Andrews said. “The Europeans can be in Brussels one day, London the next and then fly to Paris. Whereas you go to Manhattan, and they won’t go over the bridge.”

Kelleher-Andrews, 40, perfected her matchmaking skills as a child watching her mother connect people.

So did she ask for her mom’s services in finding her husband? (They live in Santa Monica with their three children.)

“We met at work and I was able to match myself,” she explained.

Staff reporter Alexa Hyland contributed to this column. Page 3 is compiled by Editor Charles Crumpley. He can be reached at [email protected].