YWCA Names 2016 Women of Achievement Award Honorees
The 2016 Award Winners will be recognized at the annual Women of Achievement Luncheon on Oct. 7
The YWCA Spokane would like to announce the winners of the 2016 Women of Achievement Awards. These amazing women will be honored at the 2016 Women of Achievement Impact Luncheon, held at the Davenport Grand Hotel on Friday, Oct. 7, 2016, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
“Each year, I am awed by the accomplishments and dedication to community of our Women of Achievement award winners, and this year is no different,” says Regina Malveaux, Chief Executive Officer of the YWCA Spokane. “Our 2016 winners will inspire others to reach for more and to contribute to the health of Spokane.”
For 34 years at the annual Women of Achievement luncheon, YWCA Spokane has celebrated successful women in the community for their achievements combined with their commitment to give back. This year, the event will feature actress, humanitarian, and advocate for women and children worldwide, Ashley Judd. Established with the goal of increasing community awareness and appreciation for the diverse contributions of women leaders in Spokane, this luncheon has honored more than 200 women in the region.
YWCA WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNERS
Winners of a YWCA Woman of Achievement award embody the agency’s mission of eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all by giving generously of themselves to make Spokane a better place for all citizens to live. They must also demonstrate leadership through their professional work or service to the community.
Awards are given out in six categories, and this year, the YWCA Spokane is proud to include a special award, the Lifetime Achievement Award, which is bestowed on rare occasions to acknowledge an outstanding lifetime of volunteerism, advocacy, and community support.
The winners of the YWCA Woman of Achievement awards in the following areas:
- Mari Clack, a tireless advocate in Spokane and throughout Washington state for women and children in need and education – Lifetime Achievement Award
- Jan Wigen, a longtime patron and supporter of the arts – Arts & Culture
- Joyce M. Cameron, Chief Development Officer for Providence Health Care Foundation – Business & Industry
- Dr. Roberta Wilburn, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies in Education, Whitworth University – Carl Maxey Racial & Social Justice Award
- Dr. Robbie Paul, Director of Native American Health Sciences Programs, WSU Spokane – Community Enhancement
- Dr. Chrissy Davis Jones, Dean of Student Support Services, Spokane Falls Community College – Education
- Dr. Lisa Shaffer, Founder & CEO, Paw Print Genetics – Science, Technology & Environment
To learn more about our winners, check out our 2016 YWCA Women of Achievement Award Winner bios.
RAISING AWARENESS
“This luncheon is a gift to our community, but also an opportunity to raise awareness about critical issues,” says Catherine Kashork, YWCA Spokane Women of Achievement Luncheon Chair and YWCA Spokane board member. “We want to demonstrate to women at the luncheon and around the community that Spokane and the YWCA is here to support them.”
The Oct. 7 event will feature keynote speaker, Ashley Judd. While she may be known more for her work in movies and as the daughter and sister, respectively, to country signers Naomi and Wynonna Judd, Ashley Judd has spent decades working as a humanitarian and activist. She has spoken out on a variety of issues from the impacts of human trafficking to youth with AIDS to alleviating poverty and supporting social justice. Recently, she has focused on raising awareness on the need for educating girls worldwide.
In her memoir All That is Bitter and Sweet, Judd details her struggles with dealing with her own emotional pain from childhood abandonment and how she was led to focus on humanitarian work and making a difference.
One of the main goals of the luncheon is to raise awareness of domestic abuse in the community. In 2015, 54 people died in Washington State as a result of domestic violence, and one in three women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime.
THE LUNCHEON
The Women of Achievement luncheon has evolved into YWCA Spokane’s largest fundraising event, sponsored by over 25 companies and organizations each year, and is one of the area’s most prestigious award recognition events for women.
YWCA Spokane’s 2016 Women of Achievement Award Luncheon will be held at the Davenport Grand Hotel, 333 W. Spokane Falls Blvd., on Friday, Oct. 7. Visit the YWCA’s web site to buy tickets to this year’s event.
“All proceeds raised by this important event directly benefit the YWCA’s services for domestic violence victims and their children, including emergency shelter, counseling, legal services, job readiness, child care, and Pre-K programs for low income children,” says Malveaux.
MORE ABOUT WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT
By: Erica Schreiber
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