YWCA 35th Annual Women of Achievement Awards Program

35TH

ANNUAL

Women of Achievement Awards MARCH 11, 2021 Celebrate the accomplishments of women and young leaders in our community!

PRESENTED BY

Women of Achievement Awards Since 1985 YWCA has honored more than 400 Women of Achievement The Women of Achievement Awards is the YWCA Lower Cape Fear's signature fundraiser to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of women and young leaders in our community.

The Women of Achievement Awards serve as a building block for the YWCA to help raise funds necessary to support our mission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all people, to strengthen programs, increase visibility, and expand outreach. Your support through sponsorships and donations all goes towards the sustainability of the organization.

Board of Directors Evelyn Bryant President

Vanessa A. Gonzalez Vice President

Ashley Lomboy Secretary

Tammika Brown Treasurer

Wanda Coley Suprena Hickman Lynne Jones Poonam Kahlon Joan McKillop Rachel Nadeau Pamelia Price Sheri Shaw Jennifer Turnage Velva Jenkins Chief Executive Officer

35th Annual

Women of achievement Committee Rachel Nadeau Event Chair

Eileen McConville Amy Mangus Velva Jenkins

Evelyn Bryant Grace D'Angelis Vanessa Gonzalez Suprena Hickman Lynne Jones

Lauren McConville Joan McKillop Adrienne Moore Lois Steele Gretchen VanKuren

YWCA History The YWCA Lower Cape Fear is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.

YWCA is proud to be the oldest and largest women's movement, providing services for women and their families in our community. Our local programs and services have furthered the YWCA vision and mission. Over the last 106 years, programs have evolved and have included educational and employment classes for women, teen clubs, community dialogue groups to discuss race relations, child care centers, a youth resource center, and aquatics programming.

YWCA Lower Cape Fear works to bring out the individual strengths of women and youth to foster resiliency and self-sufficiency. Our philosophy, in keeping with the mission of the YWCA to empower women and families, centers on providing the skills and confidence needed to succeed.

YWCA Lower Cape Fear is located in the southeast region of North Carolina and serves community

members

in

Brunswick,

Columbus,

New

Hanover,

and

programs and services have furthered the YWCA's mission of

Pender

Counties.

Our

eliminating racism and

empowering women.

How you can help In 2020 we were forced to change our lifestyle and habits, including how we work, how we learn, and even how we interact and engage with one another. Through it all, YWCA Lower Cape Fear stood with the community and remained dedicated to the women, girls, families, and populations we serve every day. Much of the work was made possible thanks to our generous sponsors and supporters who donated over the course of the year. Your support has enabled us to continue to provide the programs and services for the communities we serve.

Your continued support will propel us forward in our mission. With the strength of people and power of community our impact is exponential. On the next page, see what your taxdeductible gift will provide the YWCA's community.

For more information on our programs and services we invite you to visit our website, www.ywca-lowercapefear.org, or contact us at (910) 799-6820. Your support truly makes a difference in the lives of the thousands of families we serve every year.

A Gift Of Learn how your donation supports YWCA's mission-driven programs and services that positively impact the Lower Cape Fear community.

A gift of $250 provides resources for two YWCA "What's Wrong With Different?" presentations to local students

$250

$1000

A gift of $1,000 supports tuition and textbook assistance for one woman enrolled in an associate degree or professional skills training course in YWCA's New Choices Economic Empowerment program.

$100 A gift of $100 provides access to prenatal community resources for young women (ages 12-19), who are currently pregnant or have one child in YWCA's Early Parenthood Program

$500

A gift of $500 provides groceries and essential supplies for ten families in YWCA's Grandparent Support Network for one month

A gift of $2,000 supports child care scholarships for families of essential workers in the YWCA's Early Learning Academy and Youth Enrichment Program

$2000

Lifetime Achievement Recipient

Sheila Boles Sheila Boles was chosen for the Lifetime Achievement Award based on her years of service and commitment to eliminating racism and empowering women, mirroring the mission of the YWCA. Boles is a trailblazer and 1989 recipient of YWCA’s Women of Achievement Sports & Recreation Award. Born to Chuck and Vena Boles, Sheila E. Boles was raised in Fayetteville. Her interest in sports began early. She quickly became a stand out on the basketball team and was named All Conference for 4 years. Sheila attended the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 1973 and played for UNCW’s first collegiate Women’s Basketball Team. The following year she was awarded UNCW’s first female athletic scholarship and was named Team MVP. Sheila was named at the first Women’s All-State Basketball Team and Volleyball Team.

In 1977, she began her teaching and coaching career at Pender Lee Junior High School. From there she moved to Lake Forest Junior High and then to Trask Junior High School. While at Trask, Sheila first coached the boy’s basketball team. Her success earned her the position head of coach of Laney High School’s Women’s basketball team. In 1986 she led the Laney bus to the State semi-finals and was selected as the mid-eastern AAAA Coach of the Year. In 1989, Hugh McManus, the principal of Hoggard High School, made an unprecedented move and hired Sheila Boles to coach the Men’s Varsity Basketball Team. This was the first time in North Carolina a woman was hired as a men’s high school basketball coach. Boles led Hoggard’s program to multiple Conference Championships and was twice selected mid-eastern AAAA Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year. She helped many of her players receive scholarships to play at the college level and was a model to all of the young people who’s lives she touched.

Sheila Boles, Lifetime Achievement Recipient In June 1998, Sheila began the greatest fight of her life. A battle against breast cancer. As she underwent treatment she continued teaching and coaching her boys. The season was her toughest ever but her strength and determination paid off. She defeated her cancer and won both New Hanover County and Southeastern North Carolina’s award for Teacher of the Year. She was selected mid-eastern AAAA Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year and was given the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Award for Courage.

In 1999, Boles was appointed athletic director at Hoggard High School, and became the first female AD in New Hanover County. During her term, she earned many honors and distinctions. She served in the North Carolina’s Athletic Directors Association Board for 5 years, and she was named Athletic Director of the year in 2008 by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association and the North Carolina Athletic Directors Association.

Throughout her career, Sheila has been an integral force in her community. Volunteering at the Martin Luther King Center, assisting with the Special Olympics, serving the board of directors, the Landfall Tradition Golf Tournament and for the Greater Wilmington Sports Hall of Fame. In her retirement she continues to give back to the Wilmington community which is so dear to her heart.

Sheila Boles joins 68 women as nominees who have demonstrated excellence and commitment to their careers, schools, and communities. Residing in Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, and Pender counties, nominees are distributed throughout the award categories including Advocacy & Social Justice, Arts & Culture, Business, Education, Health & Wellness, Public Service, Rachel Freeman Unsung Hero, Trailblazer, and Young Leadership Scholarship award.

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ANNUAL

Advocacy & Social Justice Nominees

Women of Achievement Awards Adrienne Hayes-Singleton Noah's Ark Children's Center

Adrienne Hayes-Singleton is a lead teacher at Noah’s Ark Children’s Center. She has been leading

efforts

to

help

fight

hunger

in

the

community

through

Thanksgiving

dinners

for

the

homeless. Adrienne’s life mission is to work within the community to help women build a stronger foundation for themselves and their families. She runs Christian Closet, which gives out clothes and supplies to families in need. She advocates for healthcare and Medicaid; sitting at several roundtables with the Governor to bring awareness to community healthcare needs. Adrienne works hand-in-hand with the community to ensure essential needs are met. All the work she has accomplished in such a short time has been nothing short of amazing. She sets an example of how to be a mother, wife, lead teacher, advocate, and an all-around great addition to the community. She does not just talk about what she wants to see happen or what can be done. She is the type of person to get in there and works hand-in- hand with someone to get it done.

Kathleen Krafte Holland University of North Carolina Wilmington, NC Research Consultation LLC Dr. Kathleen Krafte Holland is owner and operator of NC Research Consultation LLC, and a lecturer in the Department of Environmental Sciences at UNCW. She serves as a positive agent for change in the field of environmental management, fighting for greater representation of diverse

populations

inclusion

and

in

diversity

natural

environments.

awareness.

Her

Kathleen’s

intentional

work

efforts

pushes

beyond

the

challenge

society

to

surface enact

of

both

pragmatic and constructivist behaviors and values, and has been published in a wide range of disciplines. Kathleen does this by extending an invitation across vast disciplines, socio-economic communities, and political boundaries; serving as a mentor and influencer for students of all experience levels and degrees of privilege. Kathleen volunteers her time and expertise at UNCW mentoring

graduate

and

undergraduate

students

interested

in

developing

a

greater

understanding of the complex systems of protected area management. She also serves the local Wilmington community as a program designer and facilitator in collaboration with the Wilmington Parks and Recreation Division.

Jennifer Kostyal Transformed By The Word & House of Hope Jennifer Kostyal is the founder of Transformed by the Word, a national prison ministry for female inmates, as well as The House of Hope, a Christian-led transitional home for women who have been rescued from sex trafficking, drugs, and alcohol. Jennifer is the national best-selling author of Finally Free, her life story of healing from sexual and religious abuse. She has also written three other books: Taking off the Robes, Finally Free Women’s Bible Study, and Courageous Prayers for Women, all of which help women learn to walk in victory in every area of their lives. Jennifer serves as a chaplain to female inmates in Pender County Jail and was the pastor to death row inmates in North Carolina for two years. Her passion is to minister to those who are imprisoned behind either physical or spiritual walls. Jennifer and her team have led thousands of female inmates to Jesus Christ and have witnessed the resulting joy experienced by these women behind prison walls.

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Advocacy & Social Justice Nominees

Women of Achievement Awards Caroline Morin-Gage TRU Colors

Caroline Morin-Gage is the director of DistruptU. The middle child of a Navy Judge Advocate and a clinical social worker, Caroline lived on three continents before her 13th birthday. With a strong desire for peace and stability, she enrolled in the Conflict Analysis and Resolution program at George Mason University. Through this program she developed a wealth of tools and skills to build peace, equity and justice without a gun or tank, while equipping her with a comprehensive range of mediation and dispute resolution techniques. Caroline enrolled in law school where she met mentors who helped her pursue work in the areas of immigration, housing, justice, and criminal legal reform advocacy. She continued her advocacy work after moving to the Wilmington area with her wife, Sarah. Caroline now offers personal and professional development opportunities for active and non-active gang members looking to gain the necessary tools to build stronger economic and social grounding while also improving their communities. She is adamant that every person in the Cape Fear Region has a right to safe and equitable living conditions, and has dedicated

her

time

to

working

with

some

of

our

community’s

most

vulnerable

populations.

Caroline counters the challenges of racism and sexism with a trauma-informed and resiliencyinformed approach. She is a role model and leader because she looks beyond a person's worst moment or deficit to find their best quality and strengths.

Rebecca Trammel Community Conversations & Champions of Compassion Rebecca

Trammel

founded

Community

Conversations

after

witnessing

an

injustice

that

her

friend’s daughter suffered in public school around a racist incident. She brought together the school

board

and

community

members

to

have

a

conversation

around

racial

justice,

and

advocated for better training and education around diversity and issues of race in the school system. Community Conversations is an advocacy group that brings awareness and collective action to issues of invisibility, implicit bias and cultural competency in the public school system.

Rebecca values cultivating cross-cultural relationships, developing positive partnerships in the community and a strong working relationship with leaders in the community to bring equity and excellence, particularly in education.

Corey Yingling New Hanover Regional Medical Center Corey Yingling is the Lean Project Lead at NHRMC. For 25 years, Corey has dedicated herself to the healthcare profession and has proudly served in a variety of leadership roles. In 2010, she was recruited to help lead NHRMC’s transformational journey to create an organization of 7,000 problem

solvers

focused

on

improving

the

quality

and

delivery

of

patient

care.

To

date,

improvements in quality and cost savings have exceeded $150 million at NHRMC. Corey is active in creating community partnerships between NHRMC and local agencies to improve the overall health of residents in the community. During this time she began developing internal strategies to identify

patients

struggling

with

food

insecurities

and

created

the

NHRMC

Food

Pharmacy

program to ensure patients were connected with food resources upon leaving the medical center.

Corey

has

become

most

recognized

for

her

various

efforts

to

build

collaborative

relationships between NHRMC and community-based nonprofits to assist food insecure patients.

An estimated 1 in 5 children in New Hanover County do not have adequate food, and in most cases, it’s the women in those children’s lives who are trying to overcome this. Corey’s work helps those women do just that.

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Advocacy & Social Justice Nominees

Women of Achievement Awards Maegan Zielinski Cape Fear Council of Governments

Maegan Zielinski is the Director of Homeless Continuum of Care and has been working for nearly a decade with individuals who have mental health diagnosis, substance abuse disorders, those experiencing homelessness and more. Maegan works with more than 50 community providers to implement best practices, increase collaboration, transparency, and communication within the community.

She

implemented

a

brand

new

homeless

response

system

for

the

community,

Coordinated Entry, that has helped over 400+ individuals and families in the last 7 months.

Maegan brings community partners together to match homeless individuals to programs, to utilize every dollar in the community and foster conversations around community needs. Maegan has spent the last ten years advocating for vulnerable populations. She is the sole facilitator of the “Point In Time” count, which records all the sheltered and unsheltered people in the Cape Fear region. Maegan manages the homeless response system for Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender counties. She coordinates and links housing services quickly and efficiently so that homelessness is a rare, brief and one-time experience.

Ricki Nelson

Arts & Culture Nominees

TW Cast & Recruit Ricki Nelson double majored in Film Studies and Creative Writing with a Certificate in Publishing from UNCW. Growing up, her parents ran a theatre company that focused on offering children from underserved communities the opportunity to engage in the performing arts. In college, Ricki pursued her passion of writing and visual storytelling. She founded the Creative Arts Club (CAC) to foster the growth and development of multi-medium artists. CAC has been intentional in trying to bridge the gap between the campus and community by connecting with local artists for workshops and guest lectures. As a writer, Ricki believes in the power of words and storytelling; her mission is to inform, inspire, and empower those who are often overlooked and oppressed. She expresses herself through spoken word. In 2019, Ricki spoke at YWCA’s Stand Against Racism event and felt the extent at which her words were capable of touching others. At UNCW, Ricki used her voice and art to shed light on the obstacles and struggles that accompany many students of color, as well as help facilitate conversations on change and how to create a better student life for minority students.

Andi Steele New Hanover Regional Medical Center Andi Steele is an Associate Professor of Studio Art at UNCW. Since 2007, Andi has led the way in her approach to applied learning, community building, and mentoring. Her expertise has led her to leading the Tri-State Sculptors Guild and to being a founding member of the regional chapter of the Women’s Caucus for the Arts. Andi’s strength lies in her work with the community and issues of equity. She recently organized an exhibition of women artists for the Cultural Arts Buidling Art Gallery at UNCW and participated in a mentoring program for female professors. Andi is actively involved in the Women’s Resource Center (now Gender Studies Research Center) at UNCW and has led a Habitat for Humanity Women Build group from UNCW. She serves as a role model every day; students see her working and being engaged in her field, they see her leading organizations and

bringing

new

ideas

into

the

discipline,

they

see

her

taking

a

leadership

role

in

the

department and University, and they see her modeling all aspects of what it means to be an engaged Award,

citizen.

the

Andi

was

Chancellor’s

recently

Teaching

awarded

Excellence

the

Board

Award

of

and

Governor’s the

Board

Teaching of

Excellence

Trustees

Teaching

Excellence Award. She has also been awarded the prestigious Discere Aude Award, given in recognition of excellence in advising.

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arts & Culture Nominees

Women of Achievement Awards Victoria Velazco VIDA Familiar Latina Magazine

Victoria “Vicky” Velazco is the founder of VIDA Familiar Latina Magazine, a Spanish-language online periodical that serves southeastern NC. She is an immigrant from El Salvador, having arrived in the U.S. as a teen. Vicky has her undergraduate degree in Social Work from UNCW and is in her final semester of the MSW program at UNCW. She is a certified CRM Teacher at the Trauma Resource Institute and often leads resiliency training and sessions in the community. Vicky has worked hard to eliminate racism by empowering the Latinx community through education and information.

In

VIDA

Familiar

Latina

Magazine,

she

regularly

shares

information

with

the

community as well as celebrates Latinx cultures. Her work has had an indescribable impact on the Spanish-speaking community, especially during the pandemic, where often the Latinx community receives crucial information days or weeks after the rest of the community. Vicky’s publication serves to create a bridge for the Latinx community to crucial information -- very important for keeping this community safe and healthy. She is filling an important void in local media. Vicky empowers women as a Latina role model and by uplighting other women in the Latinx community.

Stefanie Archer

business Nominees

SPOT Real Estate Stefanie “Stef” Archer is the President and Broker-in-Charge of SPOT Real Estate LLC. She has created multiple successful businesses, her first being Sticky IT, a web development company that she launched as a student at Elon University. Upon graduation Stef sold the profitable business and went on to obtain her Real Estate License. Using the sale of Sticky IT she founded SPOT Real Estate in 2016. Since then, she has added 37 agents, and SPOT is one of the top real estate agencies in Wilmington. Stef created SPOT Real Estate with the idea that Wilmington is made up of

many

different

people

from

all

sorts

of

backgrounds

(the

blending

of

the

population

is

represented in the rainbow of colors within the SPOT logo itself). Her agency employs 37 agents, the majority of whom are women. Stef is responsible for the hiring and development of new agents, as well as maintaining a company culture of inclusion and empowerment.

Natalie English Wilmington Chamber of Commerce Natalie English is the President and CEO of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce. She works with businesses, government, and elected leaders to make the Wilmington community attractive for business growth and investment. Natalie has served as a chamber of commerce executive for more

than

20

years

and

is

constantly

striving

for

professional

growth

through

speaking

opportunities, leadership positions, and development of community relationships. In 2018, Natalie helped form the chamber’s African American Business Council (AABC) to connect and grow the African

American

business

community,

with

a

mission

to

empower

African

American-owned

businesses and professionals, and to help stimulate economic development. The vision of the AABC is to strategically position black businesses for inclusion and success through opportunity, education,

exposure,

entrepreneurship,

economic

development,

and

public

policy

advocacy.

Natalie and the council are committed to leading, educating, and advocating to grow African American-owned businesses and to create and grow a thriving African American middle class in Wilmington. In April of 2020, the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce launched the Latin American Business Council and Veterans Council, both co-chaired by women. Natalie serves on the United Way Board, TDA Board and participates in a local Rotary club.

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business Nominees

Women of Achievement Awards Carolyn Fisher New Hanover Regional Medical Center

Carolyn Fisher is the Director of Marketing and Public Relations for NHRMC, where she began as Media Relations Coordinator. In 2017, she became the Director of Marketing and Public Relations.

During this time, NHRMC embraced a new mission “Leading Our Community to Outstanding Health.” As the director, Carolyn ensures that the community understands the mission of NHRMC is to improve the health of everyone in the community. Through periods of rapid expansion and partnerships,

Carolyn

guided

the

organization

through

roadblocks

and

kept

the

community

informed of how the partnership with a nonprofit healthcare system would improve healthcare in the

community.

Under

Carolyn’s

leadership

NHRMC

is

producing

more

Spanish-language

publications and signage, and engaging in more volunteerism and philanthropy. Carolyn is an advocate and Board Member for Communities in Schools - Cape Fear, and works with public schools to identify and connect students with community resources they need to stay engaged.

She chaired the 2018 Employee Campaign, a way for NHRMC employees to raise money for the NHRMC

Foundation,

which

helps

employees

and

their

families

in

times

of

crisis.

Carolyn’s

leadership helped the 2018 campaign break the previous record of most funds raised. Carolyn was chosen as NHRMC’s Leader of Excellence in May 2018 for her unfaltering loyalty to our community, the NHRMC system and its employees.

Rachel Lewis Hilburn WHQR Public Media Rachel Lewis Hilburn is a senior producer at WHQR Public Media and the host of Coastline. Since arriving at WHQR, Rachel has served as both News Director and host of the Coastline, which has changed the way citizens of the community understand the stories that impact their daily lives.

She has worked diligently to make sense out of complex historical and current events and to explain these in a way that the listener both learns and grows. Rachel’s Coastline program provides engaging content, thoughtful conversation and balanced coverage for the Wilmington area market. Her topics have ranged from thoughtful debates on gun control, to one-on-one interviews with musicians and writers, to reflecting on zoning issues and the reasoning behind the proposed sale of the local hospital. In all cases, her focus is on civil discourse and making sure that the message is balanced with several sides presented. Through Coastline, Rachel provides on-going programs that highlight the reality of Wilmington’s racially divisive history and shows us the impact of this history on our life today. Rachel’s insistence on making sure that all sides of the story are known is the very key to her success.

Fran Kertesz Fran's Sewing Circle Fran Kertesz founded Fran’s Sewing Circle in 1996. Fran was a first-time small business owner who started from modest beginnings selling sewing machines. In 1999, she moved her business to Phillips Plaza and has expanded to accommodate a wider variety of machines, fabrics, classes, and workshops. Fran’s Sewing Circle has won the Best Sewing Store in Wilmington three times and

attracts

customers

from

the

five-county

region.

Fran’s

community

contributions

include

organizing days to make coats for children in need, knit caps for women in cancer treatment, and donating multiple quilts and sewing machines for raffles to raise money for various charities like NHRMC Pink Ribbon campaign, Domestic Violence Shelter and Services, and the Festival of Trees Fundraiser. Fran is a role model entrepreneur and female business owner. She supports women and youth through ongoing classes and camps for youth. Fran mentors youth from the camps into their first paying jobs with Fran’s Sewing Circle. Fran graduated cum laude from Michigan State University in Home Economics and continued at Michigan State to receive her Masters degree in Child Development.

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business Nominees

Women of Achievement Awards Helen Skelton Lewis Independence Mall

Helen Skelton Lewis is the General Manager of Independence Mall. She has guided the Mall through major renovations to bring new retail and restaurant business to the community. Helen has worked to transition the Mall through four ownership changes. She is very active in the North Carolina Azalea Festival and was the first woman to become President of the Festival. Helen strives to promote the impacts and importance of the Festival to the community. Through Helen’s effort the Mall has been a major factor in driving the economic growth of southeastern North Carolina. The Mall offers a variety of retail and employment opportunities, as well as civic, social, and

cultural

activities

to

support

the

community.

Helen

has

earned

a

reputation

as

a

very

proficient manager and is often called upon to mentor others.

Education Nominees Paula Baisden University of North Carolina Wilmington Paula Baisden is a lecturer for the College of Health and Human Services and UNCW. She is also an

ANCC

emergency,

board-certified trauma

and

psychiatric-mental

psychiatric

health

health

care

nurse

settings.

with

Paula

extensive completed

experience

in

her

of

Doctor

Education degree from Aspen University and is currently a DNP candidate at Rush University.

Paula

leads

independent

studies

for

student

research,

directly

mentoring

students

to

foster

interest in mental health careers across disciplines. She mentored four undergraduate students in the past two years who will have their research published, and has mentored 5 students in the past two years who will present nationally, and six who have already presented internationally.

Paula has many research interests, but is currently focused on simplifying the process of building professional multidisciplinary connections and increasing and improving the educational entry level

of

new

nurses

entering

jobs

who

care

for

patients

with

mental

illness.

In

addition

to

teaching, she works as an RN on weekends. She strongly believes in recovery and rehabilitation and advocating for others, and volunteers at an organization for reintegrating those who were recently incarcerated back into society to provide therapeutic arts group activities.

Carolyn Jenkins Blue DC Virgo Preparatory Academy Carolyn Jenkins Blue is a teacher at DC Virgo and is the founder of Embrace It Now, Inc. and The Balanced Room in southeastern North Carolina with more than 25 years of teaching experience in Brunswick and New Hanover County Public Schools. Carolyn has been touching the lives of children and families both inside and outside the classroom. She works to engage the whole family to support the education and achievement of her students. She brings that engagement to her ministry work, where Carolyn helps women transform their lives and instills confidence and empowerment. Carolyn is the educator that is a part of the community, cares not only about the children she teaches but the parents too. She knows that to create a great foundation of education you must incorporate the whole family. She has spent her life in community service, volunteering her time in nursing homes, tutoring students, and mentorship programs. Carolyn and her sisters founded a nonprofit scholarship in honor of their mother, Mary S. Jenkins Memorial Scholarship, to help children obtain the financial support they need to further their education.

Carolyn is a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the North Carolina Association for Educators, and the National Education Association.

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education Nominees

Women of Achievement Awards Christa faison Snipes Academy of Arts & Design

Christa Faison is a music teacher at Snipes Academy of Arts & Design. She graduated from UNCW with a B.M. in Music Education. In 2017, Christa earned an M.M.Ed. from South Carolina School of the Arts. Christa established the “Strings” STAR-chestra, a violin program offered at Snipes Academy, and the only violin program offered to elementary students in New Hanover County Schools. Combining mentorship with a musical engagement program, Christa teaches girls how to tackle challenges while learning a new skill and in turn help them live a more productive life since they become equipped with a new skill set. By instilling the right values in young girls through mentorship at a young age, they are more likely to grow up into a strong woman. Christa has grown the program from 8 students to 25 in just three years, and has been featured in performances for the NC Azalea Festival, NHCS Magnet Fair, and Magnet School Realtors’ Tour. Through daily interactions with students, Christa has been able to help her students learn new musical skills, which lays the foundation for many girls to be involved in the arts.

Jessica Gaffney Cape Fear Community College Jessica Gaffney is the Program Chair for the Arts & Humanities at Cape Fear Community College.

She earned her Master of Fine Arts in costume and scenery design at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. She has numerous off-Broadway costume design credits that include Our Dad is in Atlantis, The Secret Agenda of Trees, McKenna and Nilaja Sun’s No Child. Jessica is currently the Resident Costume Designer for the Alchemical Theatre of Wilmington. She also produces the fall production of CFCC’s play, a number of which have been nominated for local awards. In doing so, Jessica mentors CFCC students on many of the components of play production, from costume design to setting and lights. She is also an adjunct faculty member at UNCW and has helped in the costume design of numerous plays with Chris Marino. Jessica has been nominated for numerous Wilmington Theater Awards. In addition to her work in theatre, Jessica is a cofaculty advisor to the UNCW Aikido Club, where she teaches weekly self defense classes for the community and a number of female-based organizations.

Onya Gardner Brunswick Community College Onya Gardner is the Dean of Continuing Education and Workforce Development at Brunswick Community College. Onya is a Brunswick County native and has spent her adult life assisting students with education, tutoring, workforce development, and certification. Her biggest impact is tied to her role as Dean, however, her leadership extends well beyond a position or title. Onya views her work through the lens of breaking generational poverty through education, credentials, and real world skills. She demonstrates a commitment to her students through numerous efforts and engagements to educate and assist with financial issues, workforce development, and civic engagement.

Onya

raises

awareness

among

colleagues

about

disparities

in

disciplinary

measures. She advocates and raises awareness in order to break the cycle. Onya works to secure funds so women can enroll and complete valuable workforce training to become self-sufficient and confident. Onya serves on the Board of Directors of the Town Creek Vision Committee, and assisted the Town with bringing a masonry class to the community center. She also brought construction skills, OSHA credentials, and project management to the residents at Brunswick Christian Recovery Center, at no cost. Onya continues to fight for fairness and equity everyday by making sure the community is provided with opportunities to succeed.

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education Nominees

Women of Achievement Awards sabrina hill-black DC Virgo Preparatory Academy/UNCW

Sabrina Hill-Black is the principal of D.C. Virgo Preparatory Academy that serves more than 200 students

in

downtown

Wilmington.

Before

her

current

role

Sabrina

served

as

a

teacher,

instructional coach, assistant principal, and principal in New Hanover County Schools for 24 years. She was selected as New Hanover County Schools Teacher of the Year in 2012-2013 and earned the Education Award at the New Hanover County NAACP Freedom Fund Awards in 2018.

Sabrina is an advocate for students and families. As an educator in our community for decades she is a trusted resource both professionally and personally. Under her leadership, D.C. Virgo continues to work towards trauma-informed, restorative practices school-wide while empowering teachers to innovate and reach students in new ways. She supports social justice initiatives and has worked to instill restorative and trauma-informed practices throughout the school. Under her leadership,

school

staff

collaborate

in

book

studies

to

understand

and

confront

issues

of

educational equity and work with university colleagues and students to understand and apply critical race theory. Sabrina was selected as a Wilma Women to Watch winner for Education in 2020.

Amelia huelskamp University of North Carolina Wilmington Dr. Amelia “Kit” Huelskamp is an Assistant Professor in the School of Health and Applied Human Sciences at UNCW. Amelia teaches Principles of Teaching Physical Education and Health, School Health Methods, Health Behavior Theory, Childhood Obesity, and Curriculum Development in Health and PE. Her research focuses on youth health issues, including food insecurity, obesogenic behaviors, and access to comprehensive sex education. Amelia connects UNCW students with community partners through her Applied Learning Project: MedFest. This is an annual event that Amelia plans in conjunction with Special Olympics athletes where students provide medical screenings for the athletes, as well as implement interactive health education on topics like nutrition, disease, and injury prevention. Amelia also runs the Portable Nutrition Lab, and takes it to multiple Boys and Girls clubs in the area, where she focuses on specific nutritional risks that impact different populations, including nutritional concepts specific to teenage girls. Amelia created a monthly program in partnership with local news stations called “Health Hacks,” and teaches community members essential skills on how to read food labels, choose healthier foods, and preparation methods.

sue kezios University of North Carolina Wilmington Dr. Sue Kezios is the Director of Youth Programs at UNCW Youth Programs. Sue grew up in rural Maryland surrounded by history, music and the Chesapeake Bay. She earned her Ph.D. in biology from Princeton University. After spending the first half of her career conducting research on cell differentiation, Sue became concerned about the state of science education in America. This led to collaboration with the National Institutes of Health to create KinderScience, a hands-on science education program for young children. In 1999 Sue obtained her North Carolina teaching certification and began working at UNCW. In 2006 she was named Director of Youth Programs.

Through

her

work

she

has

served

thousands

of

children

and

teens.

Under

her

direction,

programming has expanded from an 8-week marine biology summer camp to a year round academic forensics,

enrichment geology,

scholarships

to

program

history,

make

sure

encompassing

literacy, that

marine

art,

business,

science,

underrepresented

and

chemistry,

theater.

populations

design,

Sue

can

works

engage

engineering, to

bring

with

in

STEM

opportunities. She also works to receive grant projects that support the community and our coastal environment.

35TH

ANNUAL

education Nominees

Women of Achievement Awards Jacquelyn Lee University of North Carolina Wilmington

Dr. Jacquelyn Lee is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work in the College of Health and Human Services at UNCW. A graduate of the University of Georgia, Jacquelyn joined the CHHS School of Social Work faculty in August 2012. The majority of her practice experience involves mental and behavioral-health-related services for young children in the context of the school

setting.

She

has

developed

a

course

entitled

Mindfulness:

Implications

for

Personal

Wellbeing and Professional Practice. This course ties to Dr. Lee’s scholarship and has been identified as an area that is expanding in the field.

She is also committed to eliminating racism and infusing antiracist education within the social work curriculum. She has been an active member of the school's Antiracism Taskforce and a leader in drafting the school's antiracism statement. She has experience in the non-profit sector, intensive

outpatient

addiction

treatment

and

community-based

aging

services.

Dr.

Lee

is

a

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and holds graduate certificates in addiction, gerontology and university teaching.

Deloris Rhodes Educator/Advocate Deloris Rhodes is a passionate educator and advocate who has spent more than 35 years working in educational leadership and supervision in North Carolina, Virginia, Massachusetts, California, Illinois, as well as the University of Maryland and Department of Defense schools overseas. Her passion lies in finding the resources students need for success. She reaches beyond the school systems to form relationships that provide support to the students who need it the most. As an outreach Liaison for the Watson College of Education at UNCW, Rhodes brought more than 100 non-profit agencies throughout Southeastern North Carolina to Watson. These encounters helped create relationships between the agencies, students and faculty, encouraging Watson students to find their passion for helping others and becoming volunteers for life. In communities where "at-risk" is too often the norm, Rhodes has redoubled her efforts to change the odds for these students. As one of the founding members of the NC dropout Prevention Coalition, she is committed to finding students and their families the resources they need to propel themselves beyond these challenges. Deloris has raised the bar of expectations in her community.

She

was

one

of

the

founding

members

of

the

Girl’s

Leadership

Academy

in

Wilmington and continues to be an ardent supporter.

Kayce Smith Myrtle Grove Middle School Kayce Smith is the MTSS Coordinator for Integrating Academic & Behavioral Systems at Myrtle Grove Middle School, New Hanover County Schools. There, she coordinates support in academics and social emotional areas for individual students and among groups within tiered instructional formats.

Kayce

serves

on

the

NHCS

Equity,

Diversity,

and

Inclusion

committee,

where

she

represents LGBTQIA students and staff, and is a voice for the Latinx community. She works to ensure these groups receive equitable and inclusive education. Kaycee has been a leader in organizing events in Spanish for Latinx families with limited English. This has allowed many Spanish-speaking parents to engage in their children’s education. She ensures that the school’s information is bilingual so that Latinx parents can understand the information coming from the school -- this has been proved crucial during the pandemic. Kaycee organizes several student clubs that are focused on equity and inclusion, including one for Latina students to meet with mentors for lunch and another for students who are questioning their sexuality or have family members that are LGBTQ. She provides a safe space for students to engage with others who have a similar background.

35TH

ANNUAL

education Nominees

Women of Achievement Awards Lois Smith Brunswick Community College

Lois Smith is the Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer for Brunswick Community College (BCC). In her role, she continues to have a positive impact on the college and community at Brunswick Community College. Lois has led a college core team dedicated to implementing student success initiatives -- special needs advising, transfer advising and tutoring by both peers and professionals. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Lois led an initiative to ensure that all students have equal opportunity to learn and successfully complete coursework using the virtual model. She helped the instructional team to locate and monitor students in need and to work with faculty to accommodate all students to the best of their ability. The Brunswick Guarantee ensures that Brunswick county youth - despite gender, race or economic status - have access to a post secondary education. Her Career Coach grants located throughout Brunswick County high schools work to achieve those same results by individually reaching out and monitoring the educational goals of young women and of individuals often disenfranchised by the educational system. Lois embodies the spirit of BCC’s core values -- integrity, community, opportunity, respect, and excellence, and exhibits them through a lifestyle of service to students.

Health & Wellness Nominees

Mebane Boyd

Cape Fear Communities in School, NHC Resiliency Task Force Mebane Boyd has been part of our nonprofit community since 1993, as Director of Domestic Violence Shelter & Services and Wilmington Children's Museum, and Deputy Director of Cameron Art Museum. In 2009 with a Masters of Social Work degree from UNCW and licensed as a clinical social worker, Mebane joined Smart Start of New Hanover County as Family and Health Services Manager. In 2018, she was named Director of the New Hanover County Resiliency Task Force, a countywide effort to address Adverse Childhood Experiences that lead to toxic stress in our children and continue to plague adults. This Task Force has trained more than 4,000 residents in the Community Resilience Model or Reconnect 4 Resilience curriculum, giving these adults the tools to recognize triggers and cope with them. More than 3,000 residents have watched the movie Resilience or similar movies, bringing them awareness of the 10 primary Adverse Childhood Experiences. The number one issue, as decided by Resiliency Task Force members, that our community faces is racism, both at a historic level and as a current status. Mebane has led the task force through identifying racist policies, practices and procedures where we live, and has facilitated

discussion

on

how

to

stop

it.

She

developed

the

belief

statement

that

many

organizations in the community signed that rejects racism.

Kristina Taylor-Clemmons Coastal Horizons Kristina Taylor-Clemmons grew up in Brunswick County NC and began working with Coastal Horizons during an internship in 2010. Kristina served on the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council and helped bring a program into Brunswick County Schools called Aggression Replacement Training.

Kristina

was

later

promoted

to

School

Services

Coordinator

for

Coastal

Horizons,

overseeing all school related counseling and acting as a liaison between the Brunswick County Schools

EC

department

and

the

agency.

Because

Kristina

has

certification

to

do

clinical

supervision for both associate level mental health counselors and associate level substance use counselors, she impacts all areas of treatment in the Brunswick office through training of our newer counselors and Interns. Her continued efforts to make Brunswick County a better place to live through dedicating her life to Mental Health Counseling and Substance Use Recovery have been impactful on their own. In just 10 years, She has already built and developed programs to assist kids, families, and adults in her community to overcome their challenges. Kristina previously served on the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council for Brunswick County, her local PTA, and has worked with various community organizations in her current role including the Brunswick County Chamber of Commerce.

35TH

ANNUAL

Health & Wellness Nominees

Women of Achievement Awards Karin Kassab Clarity Counseling Center

Karin Kassab is a therapist and founder of Clarity Counseling Center in Wilmington, NC. She earned her BA in Psychology and MA in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in substance abuse treatment from UNCW. In 2011, Karin opened her private practice, and in 2015, she founded Clarity Counseling Center, a group of highly specialized therapists who treat a variety of client issues. In just 5 years, she has expanded her team to 17 employees, including 12 therapists, who have treated upwards of 10,000 members of the Wilmington community. Karin’s vision for Clarity Counseling Center was revolutionary in the field of psychology. She wanted to make it easy for the psychotherapy consumer to find the best fit for their specific issues. Karin set out to create a new culture, where therapists specialized, becoming experts in a few areas. Clarity now offers specialty

therapies

substance

abuse,

for

moms,

trauma,

professionals,

depression,

and

college

anxiety.

students,

Karin

and

millennials, her

eating

therapists

have

disorders, extensive

experience and training working with the LGBTQ+ community as well as adolescent and teen girls.

Jaimee Marsicano Well Care Health Jaimee Marsicano, RN, is the Vice President of Home Health Operations at Well Care Health. She started her healthcare career in hospital patient care within a surgical and trauma unit, where she also served as a Nurse Manager. In 2010, she joined Well Care Health and began her career in the home health industry. She has been with Well Care Health for over ten years and has served as the Education Manager, Director of Performance Improvement, and Director of Home Health Operations. In addition to being a skilled and experienced nurse, Jaimee is known for her compassion, patient-focus, and outstanding leadership qualities. During emergencies such as Hurricane Florence, Jaimee is tremendously supportive of her clinical teams and always goes above and beyond to ensure that they are safe and that accommodations are made to ensure that they can reach patients and provide them with quality care. She is a strong visible leader, and she makes herself available as a mentor across the organization. Regardless of the issue, she is quick to connect with employees during crises and uncertainty to provide guidance, assistance, or a shoulder to lean on. Jaimee believes in the importance of diversity and inclusion and strives to maintain a diverse and inclusive clinical team that reflects the communities they serve.

Laura Pica MedNorth Health Center Laura Pica is a Behavioral Health Clinical Care Manager at MedNorth Health Center in downtown Wilmington. She is from Uruguay and is bilingual in Spanish and English. She has her MSW from UNCW and a BA in Spanish with a minor in Psychology, also from UNCW. She completed her MSW internship at the REACH After-school program at GLOW Academy, and also volunteered at the Carousel Center. She is the only Spanish-speaking therapist at MedNorth, allowing her to make tremendous gains in the Latinx community as far as mental health is concerned. As a federallyfunded

medical

center,

MedNorth

serves

the

uninsured

and

underinsured

community,

and

providing affordable or free mental health services has been very impactful for the community.

Laura, as a Latina, is helping to eliminate racism by advocating for the Latinx community's mental health needs. She is also bi-cultural, allowing her to connect with immigrant parents and US-born children. As a Latina in a leadership position, she is empowering others to strive for growth and leadership in their own careers, and she is showing other Latinas all that is possible through education and perseverance.

35TH

ANNUAL

Health & Wellness Nominees

Women of Achievement Awards Doris Robinson Community Care of Lower Cape Fear Doris

Robinson’s

experience

in

maternal-child

health

expands

into

collaboratively

promoting

evidence-based, high quality antepartum, intrapartum, postpartum and 4th trimester care for families and professionals during the childbearing years and beyond. Doris has worked with CCLCF

as

a

Pregnancy

Home

Nurse

Coordinator

since

2011,

working

in

collaboration

with

Community Care of North Carolina, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Health Benefits and Department of Public Health, to provide leadership, support and oversight for the pregnancy medical home and pregnancy care management programs. As part of the First Year Cape Fear task force, Doris is one of the local health advocates and physicians banding together to address concerning racial gaps in the Cape Fear’s infant mortality rates.

After a 2018 report highlighting the racial disparities in infant mortality rates, New Hanover Regional Medical Center identified eliminating those gaps as a top priority. The effort grew into First Year Cape Fear. Her incredible work ethic and passion to advocate and educate those around her is infectious. Doris is a trusted source to our community partners, area hospitals, and health departments.

Tammy Scott Wilmington Health Tammy Scott has served with Wilmington Health for over a decade. Currently, Tammy serves at Wilmington

Health

as

a

Managed

Care

Coordinator,

where

she

specifically

focuses

on

authorizations for infusions for our patients. This is such a critical position, as it ensures these patients get the care they so desperately need. Tammy is personally challenged daily with Lupus, and even though she is...she volunteers! She volunteers at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Hospital, as well as is a very sought after voice for Lupus in our community. She leads a Lupus Support Group at Wilmington Health, as well as provides education and insight to the media when needed. Tammy serves in a department that is majority women, and through her leadership, compassion, and strength, she empowers these women to persevere, to learn more, to challenge themselves. She showcases how important it is to be a voice, to educate the community, to showcase leadership.

LeShonda Wallace New Hanover Regional Medial Center Dr. LeShonda Wallace is an Advanced Practice Nurse with a Ph.D. in Public Health who has practiced in an array of population focused specialties throughout her distinguished career.

Currently, she is an HIV Care Provider at New Hanover Regional Medical Center. In addition to her clinical

practice,

Dr.

Wallace

is

the

Founder

and

Executive

Director

for

SEEDS

of

Healing,

Incorporated (SOH, Inc.). SOH, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that provides HIV prevention services and promotes retention in care for women living with HIV in southeast North Carolina by means of collaborative projects with community and faith-based organizations. In 2013, prior to relocating to Wilmington Dr. Wallace founded the Sandhills NC Black Nurses Association, a chapter of the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA). NBNA is a non-profit organization whose mission is "to represent and provide a forum for Black nurses to advocate for and implement strategies to ensure access to the highest quality of healthcare for persons of color." After her relocation, she remotely continues her leadership in the chapter and upholds the very essence of the

organization’s

goal.

She

demonstrates

engagement

at

all

levels

of

her

profession

by

mentoring, supporting scholarship, academic development and modeling compassionate care.

Her mentees, interns and patients have all expressed gratitude for their interactions with her.

35TH

ANNUAL

Health & Wellness Nominees

Women of Achievement Awards nina williams

University of North Carolina Wilmington/New Hanover Regional Medical Center Dr. Nina Williams is a registered nurse with 30 years of nursing practice in the fields of labor & delivery, pediatrics, neonatal intensive care, mother/baby postpartum, women’s health, medicalsurgical, and travel nursing. In addition to being a part-time staff RN in the Labor & Delivery Unit at NHRMC she is a full-time faculty member at the UNC-Wilmington School of Nursing and the clinical coordinator for the undergraduate nursing program. Her DNP project, Development of an Obstetric Rapid Response Team in a Rural Hospital, addressed the growing women's morbidity and mortality rates. Dr. Williams aimed to provide discrete emergency care by establishing, manning, equipping, and training personnel of an Obstetric Rapid Response Team (OB-RRT). She has

disseminated

her

findings

globally,

nationally,

and

locally

as

an

effective

approach

to

improving health and wellness outcomes for women using the OB-RRT. Dr. Williams, who is passionate about decreasing mortality and maternal morbidity rates, realized that her team needed better structure to meet the needs of birth-related emergencies. “One maternal death is too many,” Williams stated simply. Adequate care in the early moments of birth ensures a healthy start. Combining her experience and ingenuity, Williams created a mobile code team and a supply kit in an easily transportable backpack. The backpack is an EMS/Firefighter bag outfitted with blankets, caps, IVs and medications. “This project is going to lead mothers and infants to a safer place.”

Public Service Nominees Karen Gaskill Coastal Preparatory Academy: A Challenge Foundation Academy Karen Gaskill is the co-owner of Christian Hart Custom Homes. She also sits on the Board of Directors of the Coastal Preparatory Academy: A Challenge Foundation Academy. Karen is a mother of four children and grew up on the coast of North Carolina. Her love for the Lower Cape Fear knows no bounds. While her work at Christian Hart Custom Homes enables her to help people make their homes beautiful, it is her volunteer work on the Board of Directors at Coastal Prep that enables children to learn and grow. Karen provides her expertise in grant writing, marketing, and enrollment to help the school grow academically; reaching out and giving all students and families a chance to experience its rich culture. She is an advocate for all children, and wants to make sure that every child has access to quality education.

Brenda Hayes Apostolic Outreach Center Brenda Hayes has spent most of her adult life volunteering and working in the school system. Her work with schools highlight her desire to help and support children and their families in the community. Brenda is the first lady of Apostolic Outreach Center, where she has implemented several outreach programs. For over 30 years she has opened her home and given shelter to family, friends, and strangers. Through Christian Closet she organizes food and clothing drives for people who are experiencing homelessness. Brenda has made it her life’s work to strengthen and empower women around her by the life she lives and the example she sets. She shows the youth how to plant a garden, feeds the homeless, visits the sick. I have personally seen her drive to a different state to deliver clothes. She lives the life she speaks about.

35TH

ANNUAL

Public Service Nominees

Women of Achievement Awards Margaret Haynes City of Wilmington

Margaret Haynes is the Mayor Pro-tem of the City of Wilmington and the only woman on City Council. She has been instrumental in supporting and promoting equality and positive change for our community. As a public servant, Margaret has worked to educate citizens on the role of local government stressing that municipal leadership is not only necessary, but honorable. She works to provide a positive quality of life for Wilmington residents and projects the needs of future generations, whether technology, transportation or parks and green space. Margaret brought forth the resolution to reinstate the New Hanover County Commission for Women; she continues to be a voice for women and supports initiatives that provide for equality and recognition of those who work to make Wilmington a place for equal opportunity for all.

Alexis Hunter Wilmington Health Alexis Hunter currently serves as the Community Liaison at Wilmington Health. She is dedicated to our community. Prior to this position, Alexis was the Director of Professional Relations at the Chrysalis Center, where their vision is to restore hope and empower change by providing expert level, evidence based mental health counseling and multidisciplinary eating disorder treatment in a

compassionate

and

comfortable

environment.

At

Wilmington

Health,

she

has

developed

relationships with local organizations and healthcare groups that have ensured our community has excellent access to care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Alexis served as a COVID safety advocate for her child, which has supported safeguarding our community and slowing the spread.

In addition to her work at Wilmington Health and at her church, Alexis serves as a mentor through WILMA’s Women to Watch program, and consistently makes herself available to local women, showcasing leadership and compassion, and dedicating herself to empowering women to better themselves.

Carolyn James New Hanover County Foster Grandparent Program Carolyn

James

currently

serves

as

a

foster

grandparent

in

the

New

Hanover

County

Foster

Grandparent Program. This program serves children ages 0-18 in the public school system and community with academic and socio-economic needs. Carolyn has been a dedicated volunteer, providing tutoring and mentoring to at risk youth. Since the pandemic, Carolyn has not been able to provide in-person tutoring; she pivoted and used her seamstress skillset to make masks and face coverings for the community at no cost. Her masks have been distributed all over the county, to low-income families as well as essential workers. To date, Carolyn has made hundreds of face coverings and delivered them to vulnerable communities at no charge. Carolyn works to support the mission of the YWCA by making sure that everyone, no matter their race, gender, creed, or ability, has access to protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

35TH

ANNUAL

Public service Nominees

Women of Achievement Awards Brooke Lambert

University of North Carolina, LGBTQIA Resource Office Since 2016, Brooke Lambert has led the Mohin-Scholz LGBTQIA Resource Office at UNCW. Prior to that she served as the Program Coordinator for the Access and Diversity Center at Utah State University as a Physical Education and Health teacher. In each role, Brooke has worked with students who represent historically disenfranchised populations. She cultivates a safe space while simultaneously nurturing her students with the courage to dismantle the discriminatory structures that limit their possibilities. Since arriving at UNCW, Brooke has developed a series of professional development workshops, inclusive of Safe Zone Training, that have engaged the campus in extensive dialogue to undo the heteronormative structures that frame our university and regional institutions. Her office has partnered with several community organizations such as New Hanover County Schools, The Friends School of Wilmington, Coastal Horizons, and the Frank Harr

Foundation;

Brooke

has

worked

to

build

those

partnerships

that

can

change

the

life

trajectories of students who suffer from ridicule and harassment in school.

Dawn McClammy St. Stephen AME Church Dawn McClammy leads the youth spiritual education at St. Stephen AME Church. There she teaches positive values, character and kindness. Despite a grueling work schedule, Dawn pushes forward to mentor and support youth in the community and engages in community outreach programs.

At

her

day

job,

Dawn

works

as

an

Income

Maintenance

Caseworker,

where

she

provides one-on-one assistance through crisis intervention and problem solving. She serves as a resource for the community for housing, mental health, education, medical health, and financial literacy.

Dawn

works

to

ensure

that

every

person,

regardless

of

age,

race,

gender,

sexual

orientation has access to the available community resources.

Barbara Mullins Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) For ten years, Barbara Mullins has led and managed the implementation of the Retired Senior Volunteer

Program

comfortably

at

expectation

was

(RSVP).

home that

The

through Barbara

initial

focus

volunteer would

was

support

develop

to

help

from

and

Pender

other

manage

seniors

community

continue

seniors.

programming

for

to

live

The

initial

three

RSVP

initiatives. Today, Barbara has significantly expanded RSVP programming to seven programs serving the county. She is currently working with only a modest increase in funding. Barbara’s most significant areas of impact are a direct result of her development and on-going growth of her strong team of RSVP volunteers over the past 10 years, along with her development of significant incremental and focused programming for area seniors as she has addressed many of their unmet and growing needs. The list of current RSVP programs is extensive and includes Meals on Wheels delivery, in-home respite care, companion care, reassurance to homebound seniors via Call Care, providing rides for local cancer patients to/from their appointments, working with K-12 Reading Buddy and Tutoring Programs, and so many more. Barbara, her leadership, dedication, service, and work, are a genuine gift to the Pender County community. Her impact is significant.

35TH

ANNUAL

public service Nominees

Women of Achievement Awards Quanesha Mullins Port City Period

Quanesha Mullins hated living in Creekwood when she first moved there. She’d only come home to sleep. When she was in Creekwood, she had nothing good to say about the place and its people. But, her attitude changed when a longtime resident asked her if she didn’t like it, what was she doing to change it. Quanesha teamed up with her mother, Glendora, to start doing outreach and events at the community center. This grew into Port City Period, a nonprofit she founded to sponsor programming that enhanced the quality of life for the community. Since its inception in 2019, it has become the leader in outreach and programming in the Creekwood South neighborhood. Quanesha has led or organized thirteen events with little or no budget, ranging from a Christmas party for the kids in the community to self-empowerment lunches for women. Most of the events are self-financed or through small donations. Quanesha -- on a shoestring budget -- organizes each event, raises the money, and hosts all while maintaining her own household as a single mother. Her leadership has galvanized the Creekwood community, strengthening local relationships and building bridges to outside groups seeking to help her community. Quanesha has become an ambassador for Creekwood, serving in advisory roles with other groups in the community and is sought after for advice on programming not only at Creekwood but in other Wilmington Housing Authority communities.

Hannah Patrick WWAY Morris Media Hannah Patrick has been a member of the WWAY news team for more than five years. She has served as a reporter, morning anchor, and more recently, evening news anchor. Hannah has tirelessly given her time to cover news impacting the Cape Fear Region, winning numerous awards

for

her

reporting.

She

produces

a

regular

segment

called

“Unsolved”

in

which

law

enforcement and victims’ families discuss murders or crimes that have occurred in the Cape Fear and remain unsolved. Some of her stories have generated tips to aid law enforcement and to help victims’ families receive justice. In her personal time, Hannah participates in a number of community events to help with charitable causes; always willing to give her time to others. She always exhibits professionalism, grace, and kindness to her coworkers, viewers, and community.

Hannah sets a superb example for the station’s younger reporters and youth who aspire to a career in journalism.

Elizabeth Peterson N.C. Cooperative Extension, Pender County Elizabeth (Liz) Peterson has provided exemplary service to Pender County since June 2017, when she moved 1,500 miles away from the only home she has ever known in Nebraska, and began her role

as

the

Extension

Extension

in

Pender

Agent

County.

specializing As

the

in

4-H

4-H

Agent,

Youth Liz

Development

manages

the

for

4-H

N.C.

Cooperative

program,

including

implementing hands-on, educational programs for all youth ages 5-18, as well as recruiting, training,

and

managing

adult

volunteers,

creating

partnerships

with

other

youth-serving

organizations, and offering research-based expertise to all in Pender County. Liz has a master’s degree in Youth Development and has a passion for lifelong learning. Most recently, Liz cofounded and is the chair of the Pender County Resiliency Task Force, which aims to educate Pender County citizens on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), resiliency-building skills, and toxic stress so individuals can begin to heal from traumas of their past and become resilient humans, even when faced with extreme adversity.

35TH

ANNUAL

public service Nominees

Women of Achievement Awards lynda stanley Dosher Memorial Hospital

Lynda was Chief Operating Officer of Dosher Hospital from 1986 until 2014, when she became President of the hospital's newly formed Foundation. She graduated from UNC Greensboro with a BS in Medical Technology and has a master's degree in Health Administration from Central Michigan University. Lynda is a familiar figure at the hospital and in Brunswick County. She is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. She has been a key figure in the success of the Dosher Hospital Foundation and the formation of the Brunswick Wellness Coalition.

Lynda has numerous accomplishments through her career, one that stands out is her tenure at Brunswick

Community

College.

At

the

time,

the

college

was

undergoing

rapid

growth

and

demographic changes; this caused a surge in enrollment and the construction of new buildings and expansions throughout the campus. Lynda’s leadership role as chair and the board’s vision then, and today, has sustained BCC’s ranking in the top 10 best community colleges in North Carolina.

Kyria Henry Whisenhunt paws4people, inc.

Kyria Henry Whisenhunt is the Founder and Executive Director of paws4people. When Kyria was 12 years old she watched a dog save her father’s life. In the decades since, dogs have helped numerous veterans and children living with the scars of trauma. What began as a childhood hobby of taking her dogs on therapy visits, led to a passion for transforming lives through canine bonds. She and her father trained a service dog named Addie, who pulled her father from the depths of service-connected PTSD and resultant prescription drug addiction. Together, they founded a nonprofit to keep saving just one more person at a time. Twenty-one years later paws4people has placed over 1,200 life-changing assistance dogs. In 2010, Kyria moved to Wilmington so that she could begin teaching the UNCW/paws4people Assistance Dog Training Program, now offering a minor in assistance dogs -- this program is the only one of its kind in the country. In 2018, paws4people became accredited by Assistance Dogs International (ADI), a worldwide coalition of nonprofit programs that train and place Assistance Dogs and is the leading authority in the Assistance Dog industry. Kyria is also involved in raising awareness about Sexual Trauma/Military Sexual Trauma survivors and how Assistance Dogs can be life-saving.

Rachel Freeman Unsung Hero Nominees Sonya Muldrow Community Volunteer Sonya Muldrow is a community volunteer who helps others at times of their greatest need. A woman in the community was battling cancer, and Ms. Muldrow saw that she desperately needed support. She moved into the woman’s home, cared for her, spoke life into her, and treated her like no one else would. She nursed this neighbor back to health. The only requirement that she asked of her patient was for her to remain positive and hopeful. She gave this woman her faith back, and she is truly an angel. Without a doubt, Sonya Muldrow’s servant leadership in this community is unmatched. She loves hard and she wants everyone to be happy, healthy and prosperous. She has never met an enemy or a stranger. She has touched the souls of the people that she works with, and throughout the community. One of her favorite pastimes is working as a “Master Gardener.” Sonya has an outstanding work ethic and drive. She has been at the forefront of selfsufficiency efforts working with the Housing Authority Resident organizations. She loves her family and her community, and they love her back. Sonya stands apart in our community for her commitment and leadership.

35TH

ANNUAL

Rachel Freeman Unsung Hero Nominees

Women of Achievement Awards Crystal Pellom Coastal Horizons Center, Inc.

Crystal Pellom is a licensed clinical professional mental health counselor and the Director of Diversity

at

Coastal

Winston-Salem

State

Horizons

Center,

University,

Inc.

where

Crystal

she

completed

realized

her

her

desire

undergraduate to

support

degree

individuals

at

and

community members around equity, access, and goal achievement. She went on to practice recreational therapy at a state psychiatric hospital for children before returning to Wilmington where she served as a teacher working with children with special needs at Rachel Freeman School of Engineering. Crystal’s experience at Rachel Freeman School helped her recognize the many issues that plague small children such as trauma and threats to their sense of safety which can impede healthy growth and development. In 2013, Crystal returned to school at Wake Forest University to pursue a Masters of the Arts in Clinical Mental Health. Upon graduating from Wake Forest, Crystal joined Coastal Horizons Center as a practicing mental health clinician working with children, ages birth to 6 years old, who experience symptoms related to trauma, toxic stress, and developmental delays. In 2018, Crystal became the Clinical Program Supervisor in the Child First program at Coastal Horizons Center. Under her leadership, the program serves more than 200 families and helped generate positive outcomes for children with significant mental health symptoms, attachment difficulties, and developmental delays.

Kandra Romeo Excite Credit Union Kandra Romeo is the Director of Community Relations at Excite Credit Union. Her passion lies in financial literacy for all of the Cape Fear Region. Through Kandra’s influence, Excite Credit Union has been able to be part of many levels of community outreach. Her influence has created regional partnerships between Excite Credit Union (formally Alliance Credit Union) and various events such as the Azalea Festival, Coffee Crawl, Step Up For Soldiers, Wilmington Biz Expo, Wilma Dash, and the Wilmington Sharks Baseball. As a Grand Slam Partner of the Wilmington Sharks, Kandra is deeply involved with their Read Around the Bases program. In the 2019 season 12 schools were involved, to now a whopping 40 schools in the region. Her passion for people is evident. Kandra uses her financial platform to assist StepUp Wilmington for their participants to grow both economically and emotionally. Kandra has overcome obstacles in her own life and uses her platform to empower and inspire others. Kandra has served on the board of the Carousel Center and serves on a number of committees in the community.

Cathy Wright New Hanover Regional Medical Center Cathy Wright is the Rehab Services Coordinator at New Hanover Regional Medical Center. She and her team worked with the Electronic Medical Records team to build a scheduling system for the Rehab Hospital. This saved the organization more than $100,000 annually. With the hours saved scheduling, the therapists were able to spend more time with their patients. Additionally, they have created new order sets for ordering Durable Medical Equipment for our patients discharging to home. This saved an average of 40 hours a week for the team completing these orders

and

minimized

the

amount

of

medical

documentation

going

out.

This

is

now

being

expanded to other departments and includes more than equipment for functional mobility. Cathy is on the Board of ACCESS Wilmington, and worked on this year's Miracles in Motion 5K. As a burn survivor, she is very aware of feeling and looking different than others. Cathy never treated anyone or looked at anyone differently, because she knows the pain that can come from that.

She believes we are all different and beautiful, and we all need to be afforded the same opportunities.

35TH

ANNUAL

Trailblazer Nominees

Women of Achievement Awards Arley Diaz Helen Tarokic Law PLLC

If si se puede (yes we can) were a person, it would be Arely Diaz. Arely's parents grew up in rural Oaxaca, Mexico with few resources and many dreams. They immigrated to the US to secure a better life for her and her siblings. Seeing the sacrifices that her parents made, Arely committed herself to her studies, advocacy work, and philanthropic values. She attended University of North Carolina Wilmington, where she received a BA in Political Science. Currently, Arely is working at Helen Tarokic Law PLLC, an immigration law firm that assists a diversity of foreign nationals with employment

based,

naturalization,

and

removal

defense

immigration

cases.

Female

Latinx

representation is so crucial in every sector, but especially the immigration sector. She has helped to foster positive relationships with local Wilmington Law Officers through her position on the Latino Alliance Committee. Her bilingual abilities and cultural competency give her the skills needed to provide excellent care to Spanish-speaking and Latinx families who seek immigration services at her law firm. Arely's main focus is to eliminate discrimination and inequitable living conditions for immigrants and people of color. She herself comes from Brown immigrants who risked

everything

to

provide

opportunities

for

their

daughters.

Her

presence

matters

and

is

needed for young women who one day hope to receive a college degree and go on to work in law or politics.

Katie Greene Rountree Losee, LLP/Forrest Firm, P.C.

Katie Greene is an attorney. She worked with Rountree Losee, LLP before heading to Forrest Firm, P.C. She graduated from UNC-CH with a B.A. with distinction in 2011, and from Campbell Law School magna cum laude in 2014, where she served on the Law Review as Membership Editor, was inducted into the Order of the Barristers for excellence in advocacy, and received the Robert A. Jenkins Award for best representing the law school to the community, the profession and the public. In 2020, she was elected to the Board of Directors of the Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute. She serves as Communications Chair for Coastal Women Attorneys and is on the Board of the Junior League of Wilmington, where her efforts substantially raised awareness of human trafficking in this Region, which is indispensable to helping the victims of this loathsome crime against

humanity.

She

also

successfully

increased

awareness

of

the

needs

of

underserved

children in our public schools. She is involved in the League's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force. Katie's work brings the plight of sex trafficking victims to light and starts them on the road to empowerment. Katie's work on the League's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force is directly focused on eliminating sexism

Mariko Polk University of North Carolina Wilmington Mariko Polk is a graduate student in the Biology Department, pursuing her Ph.D. Her scientific research focuses on coastal resilience, watershed management, and disaster preparedness and frequently includes examinations of the socioeconomic consequences and implications of these environmental challenges. Traditionally and currently, environmental and marine sciences have been dominated by white men,but Mariko is deeply committed to opening doors for women and minoritized populations. Mariko is one of only two students on our recently formed Biology Dept Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee (called SAND) and she volunteered for this role. Her ideas are always forward thinking and yet she also has a remarkable talent for rooting all ideas and efforts in tangible, measurable, and implementable ideas to ensure that our actions are effective

and

impactful

for

marginalized

voices

in

our

community.

Mariko's

knowledge

and

contributions to the UNCW community's efforts to combat racism and enhance equity were recently recognized when she was appointed as a student representative for the UNCW College of Arts and Sciences’ Access, Equity, and Diversity Committee and to serve as a panelist on the Virtual Town Hall of the UNC System Racial Equity Task Force. It is clear that Mariko is working across numerous sectors and groups to combat racism and empower women.

35TH

ANNUAL

Trailblazer Nominees

Women of Achievement Awards Jorey Stanley Cape Fear Museum

Jorey Stanley began working with Cape Fear Museum as an Outreach Educator in 2018. She developed and presented weekly Pop-up Preschool Science programs at various community centers and events. When the pandemic hit, and the Museum was closed, Jorey led the charge in taking all Museum programming virtual. Jorey also took the initiative to deliver bilingual programs, accomplishing a goal of the staff to reach a more diverse audience. Jorey has become the Museum’s social influencer and moral compass during these unprecedented times, helping the Museum reach a new and diverse audience. She created a weekly virtual program called Jorey’s Stories, and counseled other educators and Museum staff in creating a variety of virtual programs. She has partnered with a number of community members and offered bilingual virtual programming, assisting in making programs accessible and viewed by more than 236,000

–

and

counting!

The

impact

has

been

sweeping

changes

to

program

delivery

by

bolstering digital strategies faster than anyone could have ever imagined, as we prepare for the reality that digital experiences, content, and channels will become even more vital for museums and educational institutions.

Peyton Thomas University of North Carolina Wilmington Peyton Thomas is currently pursuing a PhD in Biology at UNCW. Her work focuses on the impacts of

extreme

attended

environmental

Baylor

conditions

University,

studying

on

marine

plastic

fish

physiology.

pollution

in

Prior

marine

to

joining

environments.

UNCW,

she

She

the

is

Wilmington Hub coordinator for the youth-led Sunrise Movement, a national grassroots effort to promote climate action. Her own website is a self-curated hub of information for climate action, BIPOC representation in science, and environmental protection. Peyton volunteered as one of two students for the newly formed Biology Dept diversity, equity, and inclusion committee (SAND). As the only African American on this committee and one of few Black members of the Biology Department, she is frequently asked by our (mostly white) faculty members to share her opinion and suggestions. Peyton is a leader who is speaking up for marginalized voices and connecting the dots of environmental health, climate change, scientific research, and BIPOC representation in science. Her interest in these fields has also been shaped by another aspect of her life running. Peyton was a competitor in the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials. When she qualified for the Olympic Trials, it was the first time she had completed a marathon and she was the only American born African American at the event. She has helped to educate locals about climate change, social and environmental justice, how climate change is disproportionately impacting minority populations, and the importance of voting and public engagement.

Young Leader Scholarship Nominees

Zena Bills New Hanover High School

Zena Bills is an incredibly intelligent student, balancing a difficult course load of honors classes and community college classes. She has been on Honor Roll each year. Zena noticed a student who spoke English as a second language and, new to the U.S., sitting alone. Zena always made her feel welcomed by including her as a partner, getting to know her, and helping her understand assignments. In 2019 Zena volunteered with the Children's Museum of Wilmington. Even with the impact of COVID-19, nothing can stop Zena from helping others! She volunteered each week on Zoom, helping students, particularly those with language and learning barriers, with their math assignments. She also helped organize several awareness campaigns, including one for domestic violence

in

October,

mental

health

supports

in

November,

international

human

rights

in

December, and ways to stay motivated starting a new semester in January. Her efforts for educating others about domestic violence and taking action to help with this cause show her passion for empowering women. Zena participated in a #metoo march as well as five Black Lives Matter marches last spring and summer.

35TH

ANNUAL

Young Leader Scholarship Nominees

Women of Achievement Awards Madison Bryant Heidi Trask High School

Madison Bryant has ranked in the top of her class at HTHS for the last 4 years. Currently she is 3rd out of 175 students. She has been a member of the National Honor Society at HTHS and was recognized as a Junior Marshal. She has been a member of the HTHS Marching and Symphonic Band for four years. She is on the HTHS Women's Soccer team for four years, serving as Captain this year. Additionally, she serves as a role model in band for her commitment as well as her willingness to help others. In the community, Madison volunteers at Surge Youth Summer Camp and helps alleviate some of the stress on the other counselors by taking on daily tasks (setting up and cleaning up meals, general cleaning, snacks, supervision, etc.) In the classroom, she tries to be helpful when others are struggling to understand material by taking time to explain concepts in a way they might better comprehend. Madison volunteered at Rocky Point Volunteer Fire Department, Surge Youth Summer Camp and at Coastal Therapeutic Riding Program. She also volunteered to keep the score-books for the HTHS Basketball team.

Hannah Garner South Brunswick High School Hannah Garner has displayed leadership and achievement at South Brunswick High School. She is the Historian for Student Government, an honorary member of National Honor Society, a member of DECA, and then elected to VP of Membership. Hannah is also active in the Progressive Thinkers Club and an honorary member of the Spanish Club. She is fifth in her class of around twohundred and forty students, and has completed sixty hours of community service. She volunteers in her community and serves as a page for the North Carolina State Senate and as a Governor's page. Hannah is a role model for her worth ethic and community engagement. She displays the positive outcomes of hard work and interactions with extracurriculars. Hannah demonstrates to her peers how to make the most of their high school careers and is a role model for good behavior and effort within the school community.

Caitlin Lewis South Brunswick High School Caitlin Lewis is a strong academic, taking a commendable Advanced Placement (AP) course load her junior and senior years of high school, and experiencing growth and success in each of her classes. peers. In addition, she is an accomplished athlete, playing at the highest level of the Hammerhead Soccer girls travel team in Wilmington, NC, as well as serving as captain of the SBHS Women's Varsity Soccer Team.Caitlin holds multiple leadership positions at SBHS including Historian

of

the

International

Studies

Club

and

Treasurer

of

the

National

Honor

Society.

In

addition, she was chosen to serve as Head Senior Representative this year at SBHS.She is a leader

in

the

classroom,

on

the

soccer

field,

in

the

community,

and

in

the

extra-curricular

activities on which she serves. Caitlin is a member of the National Honor Society at SBHS, serving in numerous projects to better our school. The NHS often is responsible for cleaning up after athletic events. Recently, Caitlin and her fellow NHS members spent their Saturday making our school grounds more presentable by cleaning, painting and repairing.

35TH

ANNUAL

Young Leader Scholarship Nominees

Women of Achievement Awards Noelia Lopez Alvarado Ashley High School

Noelia Lopez Alvarado is a hard working, dedicated senior at Ashley High School. She is the daughter of immigrants from Mexico and is the oldest of her siblings. She is a leader within her home and also her community and plans to attend UNCW in Fall 2021. As a native speaker of Spanish, Noelia volunteers her time as an interpreter in the Christ Community Church El Cuerpo health clinic, ensuring that Spanish-speaking residents of our region can access free healthcare to get their healthcare needs met in a culturally and linguistically appropriate way. She also volunteers with the Latino Alliance, delivering produce, helping with free yard sale events, and serving as a liaison to the Latinx community. This work as a bridge between English and Spanish speaking residents is helping to eliminate racism by ensuring that all residents have equitable and inclusive

access

to

healthcare,

food,

and

other

resources,

regardless

of

their

language

or

ethnicity. By being an active volunteer and advocate for her community, other Latinx teens will also start to take a lead within the community and at school.

Emma Martin Topsail High School Emma Martin serves on the Student Council at Topsail High School. She was elected by peers to serve

as

the

Junior

Class

Vice

President

and

a

Co-Head

of

the

Dance

Committee.

She

contributed to planning, advertising, and organizing a dance at school which hadn't been done in many

years.

organizing

She

was

members

involved

into

in

every

aspect

sub-committees

and

of

this

hosting

event,

from

meetings.

The

ordering day

of

decorations the

dance

to

she

organized the set up, assisted with activities during the event, and was the last to leave after all was cleaned. In addition, she was elected to serve as the Executive Communications Officer and the Executive Head of the Spirit Committee. Outside of school, Emma has volunteered with the Tim Tebow Foundation, A Night to Shine program for people with special needs for two years.

She

has

increased

school

spirit,

participation

in

events

and

has

provided

opportunities

for

students to connect. She volunteers through Key Club, her church and on her own working with kids with disabilities. After Florence she spent a lot of her time helping neighbors and community members.

Hannah Savage South Brunswick High School Hannah Savidge has been the drum major and senior leader of the South Brunswick High School Band program this year. She has been a phenomenal presence for all her classmates and won numerous

awards

during

the

fall

competition

season

as

the

bands

Drum

Major.

Hannah

represents South Brunswick HS with pride, class, and dignity. She carries herself to the highest of expectations while maintaining a job outside of school, taking all honors or AP classes and just committing to ECU as her top choice for college next fall. Hannah has taken a freshman under her guidance this year and with constant praise and encouragement helped that student feel comfortable

and

confident

with

her

musicianship.

Hannah's

care

and

dedication

to

her

classmates and this one student in particular, directly impacted everyone enjoying the band program this year as it grows under new leadership and direction. Hannah has been a member of Girl Scouts for the last 12 years completing various community service projects throughout her participation in the group. Hannah has also helped instruct younger students on flute in her free time.

Women of Achievement Alumnae A Adair, Celine, Social Justice 2017 Adams, Susan, Business 1990 Agee, Mallory, Teen Leader 2005 Aguilar, Jessica, Student Impact Grant 2019 Allen, Joy, Communications 2008 Allen-Correa, Bernadette B., Professions 1999 Almiral, Katie, Teen Leader, 2003 Alsup, Samantha Edwards, Group - Founders of the Carousel Center 2003

Andrews, Amanda, Teen Leader, 2001 Anthony, Annie, Volunteer 2010 Antonelli, Nadine Marie, Education 2007 Avery, Dianne, Education 1994 Aycock Rivenbark, Nancy, Arts 1993

B

Bailey, Nephitearya, Teen Leader 2001 Baker, Iris M, Health and Wellness 2004 Ballato, Sue, Health and Wellness 2006 Bankston, Kimberly, Business 2018 Barnard, Alyson, Community Service, 2001 Barnes, Ashley, Arts 2016 Barnhill, Jenny, Business 2012 Batish, Sonali, Public Service 2018 Bauerlein Jackson, Valerie, Teen Leader 1989 Bellamy, Rhonda, Arts 2007 Benson, Taylor (Tess), Young Leader 2012 Berkley, Kathleen, Education 2015 Berry, Shirley Hart, Group - Founding Mothers of Domestic Violence Shelter and Services 2004

Berry, Devoria M., Business and Entrepreneurship 2008 Bertha Boykin Todd & the 1898 Foundation, Lifetime Achiever 1999

Bibby, Christina, Teen Leader 1999 Bisset, Barbara, Human Service 1997 Black, Danielle, Teen Leader 2008 Bland, Elizabeth, Entrepreneur 1987 Blanks, Deidra, Health and Wellness Block, Wendy, Arts 1989 Bloomfield, Barbara C., Professions 1985 Boles, Sheila, Sports and Recreation 1989 Bonczek, Mary Ellen, Health and Wellness 2007 Bost, Donna, Public Service 2013 Bowen, Deborah E., Business 1991 Bowman, Barbara F., Arts 1991 Boyle, Karen, Professions 1996 Bradt, Inez, Volunteer, 2005 Brennan, Ann, Arts 1991 Brodemerkel, Anna, Young Leader, 2013 Broome, Sherry, Education 1990 Brown, Eloise, Volunteer 2005 Bryant, Marissa, Trailblazer 2019 Budd, Judy, Communications 2009 Bullard-Dutton, Rhonda, Social Justice & Community Engagement 2018

Burnett, DVM, Cynthia D., Entrepreneur 1999 Burney, Betty, Group - Founding Mothers of Domestic Violence Shelter and Services 2004

Burton, Grace, Education 1993 Bystrom, Laurie, Health and Wellness 2012

C Callari, Stuart, Arts 2003 Cameron, Betty H., Lifetime Achiever 1994 Carlton, Stephanie, Teen Leader 2010 Carver, Shea, Communications 2012 Casey, Jennifer, Business and Industry 2001 Cavender, Kim, Community Service 1997 Chadwick, Dr. Shelby, Volunteer 2011 Chapple, Karen V., Public Service 2006 Chestnut, Caronell, Lifetime Achiever 2001 Church, Debra, Group - Founders of the Carousel Center 2003

Clancy, Michele Moran, Health and Wellness 1997 Clark, Sarah, Young Leader 2011 Clark, Rebecca, Volunteer 2018 Cobb, Beverly Mae, Arts 1987 Coggins, Louise, Lifetime Achievement, 2019 Coleman, Janet R., Public Service 2005 Collins, Edna Neal, Education 2006 Collins Hege, Leslie, Teen Leader 1997 Colvin, Tori, Young Leader 2011 Combs, Ph.D., Sue, Sports and Recreation 1991 Conlon, Tracy P., Entrepreneur 1993 Cook Steele, Lois, Lifetime Achiever 2009 Cooper, Kristin, Business 2013 Copley, Wanda, Professions 1997 Covil, Libby, Volunteer 2016 Credle, Jean, Community Service 1987 Creech, Melanie Gail, Business 1989 Crumpton, Annette, Sports and Recreation 1992 Culbreth, Judith, Industry 1991 Cunliffe, Brianna, Young Leader 2018 Cunningham, Mimi, Community Service 1995

D Daley, Lori, Business and Entrepreneurship 2009 Daly, Donna, Business and Industry 1995 Daniel, Elma B., Entrepreneur 1995 Daniels, Wilma, Lifetime A 2015 Davis, Carrie, Business 1992 Davis, Julia, Education 1997 Davis, Amanda, Teen Leader 1998 Davis, Johnsie, Health and Wellness, 2003 Davis, Heather, Health & Wellness 2018 Day, Eleanor W., Professions 1989 DeCoursey, Francine, Arts 2001 DePaolo, Dr. Rosemary, Education 2011 DeShields, Dorothy, Education 1988

Dixon, Cori, Public Service 2019 Dombroski, Richelle, Education 2009 Dookeran, Nyla, Business and Industry, 1997 Downing, Barbara, Education 1987 Drain, Allene, Community Service 1992 Duggins, Marian B., Government 1985

E Elkins, Logan, Young Leader 2016 Evans, Sheila M., Volunteer 2004

F Farriss, Sophie, Young Leader Scholarship 2019 Faulk, Dori Lane, Teen Leader 2008 Feath, Amy, Public Service, 2011 Feezor, Lori, Business 2016 Ferretti, Christi, Business 2019 Fields, Johnnie, Human Service 1990 Flora, Deborah, Human Service 1985 Fowler, Mikayala, Young Leader 2015 Fox, Kare, Business and Industry 1988 Freeman, Mae Rachel, Government 1987 Freeman, Janeen Latrese, Teen Leader 2006 Frost, Edna Lee, Group - Founding Mothers of Domestic Violence Shelter and Services 2004

Fullwood, Destiny, Teen Leader 2007 Funderburg, Bessie W., Lifetime Achiever 1997

G Gage, Hannah, Entrepreneur 1997 Gibbs, Ashanti, Rachel Freeman Unsung Hero 2018 Glendenning, Tracey M., Health and Wellness 2005 Gore, Judy, Business and Entrepreneurship 2005 Gore, Ginger, Business and Entrepreneurship 2007 Gorham, Louise, Group - Founding Mothers of Domestic Violence Shelter and Services 2004

Gottovi, Karen E., Government 1986 Granger, Billie, Human Service 2000 Grear, Joyce, Arts 1985 Greene, Amanda, Communications 2013 Greenwood, Elizabeth, Education 1991 Gresham, Kathy, Volunteer 2007

H Haas, Georgeann, Arts 2006 Hall, Sylvia, Education 1985 Hamilton, Lauren Nicole, Teen Leader 2010 Hardison, Monet, Teen Leader 2009 Harris, Jeanne, Group - Founding Mothers of Domestic Violence Shelter and Services 2004

Harrison, Dru, Environmental 2017 Hart, Lois, Community Service 1996 Hasse, Megan, Young Leader 2017 Hayes, Dr. Hathia, Education 2002 Hearne Miller, Ashley, Volunteer 2012 Henderson, Mary Beth, Arts 1996 Henderson, Lauren, Trailblazer 2018 Hernandez, Hildalissa, Education 1998

Hewett, Angela, Teen Leader 2001 Higgins, Peggy, Education 1989 Hill, Connie, Health and Wellness, 2013 Hilton, Helen, Education 1993 Holland, Amanda, Teen Leader 2009 Holliday, Jerry, Rachel Freeman Unsung Hero 2015 Holt, Shelly, Professions 2000 Hood, Sadie, Business and Industry 1996 Howard, Donna C., Industry 1990 Howard-Vital, Michelle, Business and Industry 2000 Hrebin, Saphyr, Teen Leader 2008 Hughes, Natalie Renee’, Public Service 1999 Hunt, Bessie Fay, Lifetime Achiever 2002 Hurt, Caroline, Young Leader 2015

I Isenhour, Lisa Payne, Entrepreneur 1998

J Jackson, Jacqueline, Teen Leader 2006 Jackson, Adrienne, Lifetime Achiever 2008 Jackson, Emma, Education 2010 James, Autumn, Young Leader 2017 Jenkins, Velva, Education 2017 Johnson, Cordelia L., Public Service 1997 Johnson, Melba, Education 2000 Jones, Virginia D., Professions 1992 Jones, Sarah, Arts, 1998 Jones, Ashley, Teen Leader 2000 Jones, Erika, Public Service 2016 Justice, Susan, Recreation 1988 Justice, Carolyn, Community Service 1994

K Kahai, Dr. Jugta, Professions 2001 Keith, Jada, Teen Leader 2002 Kelly, Charlotte, Volunteer 2017 Kennedy, Betsy Rivenbark, Group - Founders of the Carousel Center 2003

Kindberg, B. Lee, Industry 1992 King, Ann, Government 1993 King, Susan, Arts 1997 Kirschke, Amy Helene, Arts 2009 Kittleson, Kathy, Public Service 2003 Knight, Katrina, Advocacy & Social Justice 2019 Koehler, Mary Beth, Health and Wellness 2008 Koff, Jean, Teen Leader 2002 Koff, Julia, Young Leader 2016 Kohut, Paula, Rachel Freeman Unsung Hero 2017 Koonce, Mary Grayson, Young Leader 2018 Kot, Sophie, Young Leader 2013 Kraner, Jennifer, Arts 2018 2004 Kusek, Patricia O., Business and Entrepreneurship 2006

L Laham, Kelly, Health and Wellness 2010 Lama, Mary Ann, Human Service 1998 Landin, Kerri, Industry 1986

Laney, Pat, Group - Founders of the Carousel Center 2003 Lawson, Arlene R., Volunteer 2006 Lea, Catherine B., Arts 1990 Lee, Estell, Community Service 1985 Levin, Sarah, Arts 2008 Lewis, Charmaine, Health and Wellness 2017 Lewis Parker, Katherine, Social Justice 2016 Lineberger, Bobbie Jo, Lifetime Achiever 1998 Lineberger, Bobbie Jo, Group - Founding Mothers of Domestic Violence Shelter and Services 2004

Lloyd, Gloria, Education 1996 Lofgren, Cheryl, Community Service 1991 Lowery, Abigail, Teen Leader 1995 Lyle, Carolyn R., Human Service 1995

M Majure-Rhett, Connie, Business and Industry 1998 Margolis, Roselle, Group - Founding Mothers of Domestic Violence Shelter and Services 2004

Margolis, Roselle, Public Service 2009 Maroulis, Christina, Business and Entrepreneurship 2011 Mathews, Beth, Health and Wellness 2000 Maxwell, Deborah Dicks, Public Service 2015 McCachern Swart, JoAnn, Volunteer 2009 McColl, Louise, Public Service 2001 McConville, Eileen, Public Service 2000 McCoy, Emily, Group - Founding Mothers of Domestic Violence Shelter and Services 2004

McDuffie, Mary D., Education, 1999 McGirt, Gail, Group - Founders of the Carousel Center 2003 McGirt, Jaimie, Teen Leader 2009 McKenzie, Barbara, Group - Wilmington Chamber Music Society, 2002

McLean, Magnolia, Entrepreneur, 1994 McMillan, Kayla, Teen Leader 2008 Meares, Marilyn, Environmental2008 Mebane, Teresa, Communications 2011 Megivern, Marjorie, Arts 1986 Melvin, Patricia, Professions 1991 Miller, Roberta, Community Service 1989 Milligan, Leigh E., Teen Leader 1998 Millis, LeAnne, Teen Leader 2006 Mistovich, Colleen, Health and Wellness 2015 Monteleone, Bonnie, Environmental 2018 Moody, Cheryl, Environmental 2013 Moody-Sibley, Diane, Human Service 1999 Moore, Katherine B., Business 1985 Morine, Pamela, Professions 1994 Morris-Goodson, Jacqueline, Professions 1987 Mosley, Mary Sidberry, Public Service 2004 Moughamian, Christine, Entrepreneur 2000 Mullin, Tiffany Marie, Teen Leader 2007

N Nance, Beverlee, Education 2001 Nasser, Arianna, Young Leader 2012 Natoli, Alexandria, Young Leader 2013 Nelson, Tannis, Education 2003 Nesbitt, Dorothy, Arts 1994

Newsome, Mercedes, Community Service 1991 Newton, Ida, Entrepreneur 1996 Noe, Dorothy, Business 1986 Noel, Dr. Nora, Education 2013 Nunnally, Maryann, Education 1992

O O'Neal, Judith F., Public Service 1998 O’Brien, Susan, Human Service 1986 Olive, Jacqueline, Arts & Culture 2019 Overman, Pierce, Human Service 1992 Overman, Pierce, Group - Founders of the Carousel Center 2003

P Pagan, Yvonne, Health and Wellness 1999 Palanza, Pam, Business and Entrepreneurship 2009 Pancoe, Beth, Entrepreneur 1992 Parker, Margie, Government 1990 Parker, Connie, Health and Wellness 1995 Paul, Kimberly, Communications 2015 Pearce, Linda, Human Service 1989 Perry, Lorraine, Arts 2000 Peterman, Catherine S., Professions 1998 Pezzuto, Elena, Health and Wellness 2011 Pham, Sandy, Teen Leader 2003 Pierce, Bonnie, Art 1992 Plummer- Hernandez, Kay Lynn, Environmental 2015 Potter, Brenda, Human Service 1988 Pritchett, Nancy, Public Service 1996 Pyler, Pamela, Teen Leader 1988

Q Quattlebaum, Valita, Communications 2010 Quattrucci, LeeAnne, Business 2015 Quinn, Beth, Volunteer 2013

R Rawley Thompson, Linda, Public Service 2017 Ray, Jaclyn, Young Leader 2012 Redenbaugh, Elizabeth, Public Service 2012 Riley, Elissa, Environmental 2016 Rivenbark, Allison J., Teen Leader 1998 Robbins, Monica Nicole, Teen Leader 2006 Roberts, Carla, Community Service 1989 Robertson, Adeline, Business and Entrepreneurship 2010 Robertson, Valerie, Environmental 2010 Robinson, Anne E., Entrepreneur 1989 Robinson, Judge Robin, Lifetime Achievement 2018 Robinson, Wallace, Young Leader 2018 Robison, Margaret, Education 2012 Rocks, Elise, Environmental 2012 Rogers, Margaret, Rachel Freeman Unsung Hero 2010 Rohler, Gwenyfar, Arts 2012 1995 Rosenkoetter, Ph.D., Marlene, Professions 1988 Royal, Margit, Health and Wellness 1996 Ruffin, Judith A., Volunteer 2008 Rumley, Pansey R., Education 2008 Russ, Frances, Government 1988

S Salwen, Maya, Teen Leader 2005 Sanders, Amy Hamme, Human Service 2001 Scearce, Denise, Group - Founders of the Carousel Center

Turner, Charlon, Arts 2015 Turner Stell, Fredrica, Arts 1995 Tustin, Gayle, Arts 2004 Tyndall, Connie, Industry, 1989

2003

Schomp, Bea, Group - Founders of the Carousel Center 2003

Scott-Pollock, Julie Ann, Education 2018 Seapker, Janet, Government 1994 Sebian, Kathryn, Community Service 1990 Seehorn, Sarah, Teen Leader 1998 Segovia, Edelmira, Rachel Freeman Unsung Hero 2013 Seiple, Jo Ann Massie, Education 2004 Shannon Glancy, Kathleen, Business and Entrepreneurship 2004

Shaw, Holly, Communications 2016 Shaw, Sheri, Education 2019 Shelton, Margaret, Environmental 2011 Shiver, Reta, Public Service 2007 Siegel Robertson, Janna, Arts 2017 Sigler, Marlene, Health and Wellness 2009 Simmons, Julie Rose, Teen Leader 1996 Simmons, Gina, Teen Leader 2007 Simms, Janice, Education 1995 Simpson, Johnnie, Education 2005 Sisson, Alice M., Community Service 1986 Smith, Jacqueline B., Community Service 1999 Smith, Brittney Rae, Teen Leader 2004 Smith, Emily Louise, Arts 2011 Smithdeal, Lynn, Human Service 1997 Snyder, Trish, Health and Wellness 1998 Spaulding Hughes, Sandra, Lifetime Achiever 2012 Speller, Islah, Rachel Freeman Unsung Hero 2011 Spivey, Christy, Health & Wellness 2019 St. Ledger, Maggie, Sports & Recreation 1994 Stallings, Cindy G., Human Service 1993 Stefureac, Kristen, Teen Leader 2007 Stein, Flo, Human Service 1987 Steinberg, Erin, Teen Leader 2003 Stetler, Dixon, Arts 2010 Stone, Rhesa, Arts 1988 Stone, Doretha, Professions 1993 Strickland-Smith, Paige, Teen Leader 2000 Summey, Elizabeth (Betsy), Professions 1995 Sutton, Mariah Grace, Young Leader 2015 Swain McInnis, Meredith, Teen Leader 2000 Swicegood, Joyce M., Government 1992

T Taylor, Pickett Henderson, Lifetime Achiever 2000 Temoney, Kate, Teen Leader 1993 Thomas, Eloise, Human Service 1994 Thompson Morris, Cammie, Teen Leader 2000 Thornton, Heather, Rachel Freeman 2016 Till, Heather, Business and Entrepreneurship 2002 Tinsley, Betty T., Lifetime Achiever 2003 Titrington Craft, Elizabeth, Teen Leader 1999 Toler, Crista, Entrepreneur 2001 Triche, Jessica L., Teen Leader 1997

V Van Velsor, Gayle, Industry 1987 Vann, Susan Rogers, Business and Industry 1999 Varga, Tracey, Arts 2013 Vasquez, Lucy, Volunteer 2002 Villalobos, Karina, Young Leader 2011

W Ward, Kristen, Teen Leader 2002 Warneck, Petrea, Group - Wilmington Chamber Music Society 2002

Warren, Maria Collins, Public Service 2002 Waters, Julia, Government 1989 Weller, Frances, Professions 1986 Weller, Katherine, Rachel Freeman Unsung Hero 2012 Weller-Stargell, Margaret, Public Service 2003 Westbrooks, Rebecca, Environmental 2009 Whalen, Elizabeth, Teen Leader 2005 White, Anita, Human Service 1996 White, LaToya, Teen Leader 1999 Whitehurst Jenkins, Ann, Education 2016 Wilkes, Tracy, Arts 2002 Willetts, Helen M., Community Service 1993 Williams, LouElla, Entrepreneur 1988 Williams, Dolores M., Community Service 1998 Williams, Velma, Community Service 2000 Williams, Ellen, Group - Founding Mothers of Domestic Violence Shelter and Services 2004

Wong, Siew-Jyu, Professions 1990 Woods, Melissa J., Government 1991 Worley, Harriet C., Teen Leader, 2005 Wright, Lindsay, Teen Leader, 2010 Wright, Amy, Business 2017 Wright, Sabra, Rachel Freeman Unsung Hero 2019 Wright Frierson, Virginia, Arts 2005

Y Yakubu, Mina, Young Leader 2017 Yates, Rebecca, Entrepreneur 1990 Young, Fran C., Entreprenuer 1991 Young, Jasmine, Young Leader 2016 Young, Janae, Young Leader Scholarship 2019

Z Zukowski, Aida, Group - Founding Mothers of Domestic Violence Shelter and Services 2004

Zwan, Kay, Public Service 2010

Thank You to our sponsors!

Presenting Sponsor

Award Sponsors

Table Sponsor

Office of the Chancellor

Friend Sponsors wilma daniels Louise & STeve Coggins

pender County Trailblazers Wanda Coley

In Kind Sponsors

YWCA IS ON A MISSION HOW YOU CAN HELP The YWCA's successes are built by hundreds of people who donate their time, resources, and imagination to create programs and initiatives devoted to women and their families.

The YWCA Lower Cape Fear, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, is supported largely through generous taxdeductible contributions from individuals and organizations.

eliminating racism empowering women

YWCA Lower Cape Fear

Make a donation through a tribute or memorial gift, planned giving, and matching gifts.

Donate to the Dolores T. Kirk Scholarship Fund, created to help with childcare tuition assistance.

Scholarships are available to qualifying families and children in our Early Learning Academy, After School, and Summer Camp programs.

Volunteer your time, and participating in worthwhile, challenging work. Enjoy the benefits of being engaged in a community where a diverse group of people are welcomed.

Become a member of the YWCA Lower Cape Fear. Membership allows for enrollment in quality, affordable childcare, fitness, and support services offered by the YWCA. Educate others by making an effort to get to know people different than you and being a proactive member of our community.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS & SERVICES, VISIT US AT:

2815 South College Road Wilmington, NC 28412

www.ywca-lowercapefear.org

@YWCALCF

Phone: 910-799-6820 Fax: 910-799-5681

@YWCA_LowerCapeFear