2020 YWCA Elgin Leader Luncheon nominees announced

The YWCA Elgin recently announced the nominees for its 37th annual Leader Luncheon Awards to be held at The Seville in Streamwood at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 14.

The Leader Luncheon is attended by hundreds of community leaders, business and community representatives and volunteers.

"Our YWCA Leader Luncheon continues to be a highly recognized and time-honored community event and tradition," said Mary Rees Freeman, this year's Leader Luncheon chair. "We look forward to acknowledging women from Elgin and the surrounding communities."

All nominations are reviewed and judged by community members. One woman from each category will be selected and announced at the Leader Luncheon. The following women community leaders have been nominated by their colleagues and peers:

• Margaret Hillis Award for the Arts: Cristina Colunga, Courtney Garcia, and Fran Mitchell.

• Beatrice Dorsey Award for Business & Professions: Polly Davenport, Oletha Johnson, Elisabeth McCoy, Linda Siete, and Joy Symonds.

• Marguerite Henry Award for Communications & Technology: Susan Anderson-Khleif.

• Harriet Gifford & Hattie Griffin Award for Education: Claudia Martinez-Carter and Yvonne Irving,

• Carolyn Kirk-Likou, Elizabeth Brown Marston, Dr. Esther Mongan, Sandy Revak, and Susan A. Timm, EdD.

• Myrtle Spiegler Gerberding Award for Public Service: Elizabeth Flood, Mary Jo Imperato, Katie Johnston, Billie Moffett, Farrah Qazi, and Susan Van Weelden.

• Betty Brown Award for Racial Justice: Reina Franco, Christina Gonzales, and Katie Shaw Thomspon.

• Marie Grolich Award for Social Services: Janeth Barba and Judith Dawnson.

• Marjorie Leonard Award for Volunteer & Community Service: Angie DeLeon, Pamela K. Eggum, Nancy Gerner, Chatia Johnson, April Nieves, Maggie Torres, and Gabby Vargas.

"In addition to acknowledging our Leader Luncheon recipients," adds Freeman, "we are very pleased to announce that this year's keynote speaker is Sharon Bush, executive director of the Grand Victoria Foundation. Bush is the second person to lead the foundation in over 20 years."

Bush is a recognized leader in the field who strongly values the contributions of social sector.

Throughout her career she has worked to ensure that the sector is strong, equitable, sustainable and highly capable of serving individuals and families throughout Illinois. She was born and raised in Chicago. She has a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Public Administration from Roosevelt University.

Call the YWCA Elgin at (847) 742-7930 or visit ywcaelgin.ywca.org/LL to purchase tickets to the event, or to become a sponsor.