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Ten women and their achievements will be honored at the 22nd annual YWCA "Tribute to Women" luncheon in June.
Nominees are evaluated on their achievements in an award category, their community service, their demonstrated commitment to the elimination of discrimination and their support of efforts that benefit women and girls.
The honorees, by category:
Arts/Humanities — Rachel Jacobson, founder and director, Film Streams. Omaha's first nonprofit theater is dedicated to showing first-run independent, documentary and foreign films.
Business/Entrepreneur — Dana Markel, director, Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau. She has created a revenue-generating sales and marketing division and developed a private-public partnership that benefits the community.
Communications — Andrea "Andy" Hoig, CEO and publisher, ALH Publications. Publishes metroMAGAZINE, which focuses on charitable fundraising events and the projects of nonprofit organizations in the city.
Education Pre K-12 — Elizabeth Kish, principal, Marian High School. The long-time leader of the all-girls school promotes the goal of teaching young women to be "leaders and life-long learners."
Post-Secondary Education — Sara Woods, assistant dean, Community Outreach and Program Development at the University of Nebraska at Omaha's College of Public Affairs and Community Service. She engages students, faculty, staff and the community in discussion of critical issues facing contemporary society.
Human Services/Community Advocate — Valda Boyd Ford, CEO and president, Center for Human Diversity. She provides cultural competency education to health and human services professionals throughout Omaha and across Nebraska.
Medical Professions — Jackie Thielen, clinical nurse specialist for quality for the SANE/SART program, Nebraska Methodist Hospital. She developed the Heidi Wilke Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners/Sexual Assault Response Team, which assists victims and educates the community about issues of violence against women.
Professions (other than medical) — Lynda Shafer, manager, Leadership and Workforce Development, Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. She educates business and nonprofit professionals through programs such as Leadership Omaha and the Omaha Executive Institute.
Professional Volunteer — Cheryl Wild. She has held a number of leadership positions in support of nonprofit causes and organizations, with a special dedication to serving marginalized populations.
Young Leader — Jessica Warren, honor student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is president of Delta Sigma Theta and leads the sorority's citywide Omaha chapter, Gamma Xi. As an officer with the Afrikan People's Union at UNL, she has organized volunteer activities to mentor girls in Lincoln.
The June 9 salute will be held at the Holiday Inn, 72nd and Grover Streets, beginning at noon. For ticket information, contact Jane Rips at jrips@ aol.com or 556-9338, or visit the YWCA website, www.ywcaomaha.org.
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