YWCA Elgin Leader Luncheon names award nominees

Posted March 09, 2021 10:00 pm

Submitted by Pat Szpekowski

The YWCA Elgin's 37th annual Leader Luncheon Awards will be held virtually this year on Thursday, May 13, at 6 p.m.

The event is free to all individual registrants. To receive all communications leading up to the event, participants must sign up at LeaderLuncheon.givesmart.com.

The Leader Luncheon, which is attended by hundreds of community leaders, business and community representatives and volunteers, was canceled in 2020 due to concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to the new virtual platform, there are exciting changes to the event reservations and sponsorship levels, including an online raffle.

The Leader Luncheon is a signature event of the YWCA Elgin, held annually to honor deserving women for their outstanding accomplishments as well as raising funds to support the work of the organization. The funds raised by Leader Luncheon are used to develop and expand programming and advocacies for women and families with a clear commitment to the elimination of racism and the empowerment of women.

The following community leaders nominated last year by their colleagues and peers, will be this year's Leader Luncheon nominees:

• 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, and Susan A. Timm, Ed.D.

• 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 Thompson.

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

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

For information, contact the YWCA Elgin at (847) 742-7930 or visit www.ywcaelgin.org.

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