Girls Inc. of Westchester celebrates empowerment and leadership at gala

Girls Inc. of Westchester County will celebrate and honor empowerment, advocacy and community leadership by honoring three outstanding Westchester women at their Strong Smart & Bold Gala 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 20, at the Glen Island Harbour Club in New Rochelle. The theme for this year’s gala “Girls Take the Lead: Stronger, Smarter, Bolder’’ acknowledges the impact made by empowered women and how female role models & advocates enable young women to find their voice and advocate for themselves and others. This year’s gala will recognize Katrina Adams, former President/CEO of the USTA and Tracy Brown, President & Hudson Riverkeeper as this year’s honorees and will award Katrine Beck, Fullerton Beck, LLC with the annual Altman Advocacy Award.

“Emerging from the pandemic, there is a call to action. We need to care for ourselves, our environment and each other to improve our communities and provide a platform for our young women to succeed today and tomorrow. Our honorees embody our mission by using their voices to break barriers and empower change in their communities. The role these women have played as strong, smart, and bold leaders underlines the significance of this year’s theme “Girls Take the Lead”.

I am looking forward to celebrating both this year’s honorees as well as all the girls in our program who will one day become our future leaders,” said Sharlise Smith-Rodriguez, Executive Director.

Katrina Adams is the first African American to lead the USTA, the first two term Chairman and President (2015-2018) and the first former player to hold that honor. Under her tutelage the USTA achieved several major milestones, including the opening of the USTA National Campus, the transformation of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, and an outreach effort into underserved communities to share the sport of tennis. Adams sits on several non-profit boards and committees, including serving as VP of the prestigious International Tennis Federation, Chairman of the Billie Jean King Cup Committee, Chairman of the Gender Equality in Tennis Committee, Executive Board Member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the Executive Director/President of the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program. She’s also branched onto boards in the private sector, including Pivotal Acquisition Corp III, GSE Worldwide and Athletes Unlimited. Her maiden novel “Own the Arena ‘’ was published by HarperCollins Publishers, Amistad Books, February 23, 2021.

A committed community advocate, Tracy Brown became President and Hudson Riverkeeper in 2021. A recognized leader in clean water advocacy, she brings a multidisciplinary approach to Riverkeeper, prioritizing data-driven, community-oriented strategies to realize their mission. She previously served as Regional Director of Water Protection at Save the Sound, establishing their New York office which delivers science-based projects that protect Long Island Sound and increase community resilience. Prior to Save the Sound, Tracy worked at Riverkeeper for seven years. She was instrumental in developing Riverkeeper’s water quality monitoring programs and was an architect of New York’s Sewage Pollution Right to Know Law. A resident of Sleepy Hollow, she is a founder of the Peabody Preserve Outdoor Classroom, a nature preserve for hands-on, outdoor education for the students of Tarrytown-Sleepy Hollow Public Schools.

“The Altman Advocacy Award was created to acknowledge the impact that commitment and passion for change can have on an individual, a community, and an organization. The recipient for this year’s Award is Katrine Beck. As co-founder of Fullerton Beck, LLC, a female led law firm, Katrine uses her voice to create an organization that truly empowers women, diversity and change.. She has been instrumental in cultivating and nurturing a collegial firm culture founded in diversity, equity and inclusion, collaboration and mentoring. The firm supports nonprofits such as Feeding Westchester, the American Cancer Society, the Alzheimer’s Association, Family Reach Foundation, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, First Steps to Heal, Four Block, and Toys for Tots, among others. Katrine’s professional and personal accomplishments and altruistic personality have not gone unnoticed. She has been named to New York Metro Super Lawyers. She also has been named to the prestigious Crain’s New York Business “Notable Women in Law”twice,” was selected as a 2020 Westchester County Business Journal (WCBJ) C-Suite Awards honoree, and was named to the Business Council of Westchester “40 under 40” Rising Stars. In 2021, she was awarded the coveted Ruth Bader Ginsburg Vanguard Award by the New York State Bar Association

“A longtime supporter of Girls Inc. of Westchester, Katrine is a former Board member and Board Chair.

We are thrilled to acknowledge the commitment that Katrine has made in Westchester and, most importantly, recognize the impact she has had on our Girls Inc. Family” said Fiona Bruder and Kim Logan, Gala Co-Chairs.

Gala attendees will enjoy a cocktail reception with spectacular views of the LI Sound, dinner, and a special presentation showcasing the personal stories of the young girls in our program. Adding to the evening activities will be a silent auction, a live auction and fund a need, led by award-winning auctioneer Erin Ward of Star Benefit Auctions.

This year’s Gala is generously sponsored by StormTech, Colgate Bright Smiles Bright Futures, Fullerton Beck LLP, Halo, TD Bank, 914 Cares, ELMC Risk Solutions, Rivertown Pediatrics, and KeyBank. Tickets ($350 per person) can be purchased online at https://girlswch. ejoinme.org/GALA2023.

For more information about the event and sponsorship opportunities available, contact Monica Spears at (914) 4190764, mspears@girlsincwestchester.org.