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Recipients for 2012 Women of Distinction Awards (LtoR): Carole Philipson, Professional; Sylvia Blackmon-Roberts, Business; Vicki White, Humanitarian; Dr. Eileen Holden, Education; Jean Bunch, Humanitarian; Christina Allen, Education. Photo by: Otto Dippold
POLK COUNTY WOMEN OF DISTINCTION HONORED AT ANNUAL NAWBO BANQUET A WRITTEN BY: VIVIAN DIPPOLD
room filled with women and men gathered to honor and recognize this year’s recipients of the Polk County Women of Distinction Awards on April 5, 2012 at the Lakeland Yacht and County Club.
Each year the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) hosts an awards banquet for this purpose. “The Women of Distinction Awards is our main event of the year,” says Cathy Esses, NAWBO Lakeland Metro President. “The [20 nominated] women we are honoring tonight are inspirations to us all and we are proud to be able to recognize them for their contributions to our community.” Twenty women who “exemplify the values of achievement, integrity, professionalism, community service and personal growth” were nominated within the four categories of Business, Education, Humanitarian/ Community Service, and Professional. Each category would recognize one of the women for a Distinctive Award. When asked what would set the chosen recipient apart from the other nominees, Gretchen Johnson, Women of Distinction Awards 2012 Chair Johnson stated, “They are all winners. It was a very difficult task to set specific individuals apart but through a process, the judges have made their selections. But, this year due to that difficulty, there were six women chosen instead of four.”
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Before the 2012 presentations were announced, Lakeland Chief of Police, Lisa Womack introduced each of the twenty nominees. The awards for the chosen Women of Distinction were then announced by Tamara Rowland – Business, Susan Musser – Education, Cindy Ross – Humanitarian, and Sheriff Grady Judd announced the recipient for Professional Distinction Award. The Women of Distinction Awards for 2012 were presented to: Business – Sylvia Blackmon Roberts, President and CEO of Blackman Roberts Group, Inc. a national public planning and management consultant firm. Roberts has lived a life of service instilled by her mother. She was told, “Service is the rent you pay for your space on earth.” Roberts is a trailblazing leader and is a role-model for girls and women of all ages. Education – Dr. Eileen Holden, President of Polk State College. Holden has guided the college through unprecedented growth, as well as putting two degree programs and an expanded class offerings in place. She is a volunteer for a variety of community organizations. Education – Christina Allen, Education Director of Parker Street Ministries. Allen’s motto: “Help Parents without Replacing Them” has grown a successful year round academic enrichment program for over 80 children and parents. She is an advocate for those held within the net of poverty and has
made a tremendous positive impact with at-risk families.
Humanitarian – Jean H. Bunch, founding president of Historic Lakeland, a preservation advocacy group thriving on preservation and maintenance of Lakeland. Bunch is passionate about her community and is an ambassador for philanthropic efforts within Polk County.
Humanitarian – Vicki White, owner of Premiere Commercial Furniture & Design. White believes in giving back to the community. Her desire to help and give back is evident in her support of PACE Center for Girls, a local non-profit organization helping girls and young women find hope and a safe, nurturing place in the midst of difficult life situations. Professional – Carole Philipson, past Vice President of Operations for Lakeland Regional Medical Center. Philipson has paved the way for other females in this field and has supervised the design and construction of many of the LRMC projects. Presently, she is
working with Florida Hospital Carrollwood. With this event emphasizing successful women, it was only natural that a portion of the evening’s proceeds be offered to benefit PACE Center for Girls. This center provides education, counseling, and training for a better future for girls. Several of the girls assisted in greeting attendees and assisting in the recognition of the recipients at the event. Additional information about NAWBO can be found at http://www. nawbolakelandmetro.com.
The evening event supports PACE, a center providing education and training for a better future for girls. Several of the PACE girls assisted in the recognition of the recipients at the event. Photo by: Otto Dippold