GREENWICH — The YWCA Greenwich has introduced its slate of honorees for the 2021 Ladies Who Encourage Award given annually to feminine members of the group who’ve made a distinction by way of their work, philanthropy and volunteerism.
The honorees for this yr are Wendy Block, Anna Cerra, Dr. Andrea F. Douglas, Deirdre Shay Kamlani, Clarena L. McBeth, Elaine Ubiña, Yonni Wattenmaker, Allison J. Wolowitz and Jacqueline D. Woods.
The Ladies Who Encourage Award was established to acknowledge and have a good time girls who’ve enriched the lives of these locally. The awards will probably be offered Nov. 11 with a digital occasion hosted by CNN anchor and creator, Alisyn Camerota of Westport.
The Subsequent Era Ladies Who Encourage Award can even be given out on the occasion to honorees Lauren Harteveldt, a pupil at Greenwich Academy, and Ella Moore, a pupil at Greenwich Excessive Faculty.
“All of our honorees have made a considerable affect on our group, and we’re thrilled to have a good time and carry up their accomplishments,” mentioned Mary Lee Kiernan, YWCA Greenwich president and CEO.
Fairfield County’s Neighborhood Basis will obtain the Ladies Who Encourage Company Award for its management in growing a robust tradition and practices that help gender fairness and girls’s empowerment. A local people basis, FCCF has partnered with YWCA Greenwich, by way of its Fund for Ladies and Women to fund applications all through the area.
Extra on the winners
The 2021 Ladies Who Encourage have stuffed many roles locally through the years.
In 2015, Wendy Block, of Greenwich, co-founded Influence Fairfield County, a collective giving circle for girls that gives massive transformational grants to native nonprofits. As of June 2021, Influence FFC has supplied over $1.3 million in grant funding and has a membership of 250 girls.
Anna Cerra, of Greenwich, a registered nurse in addition to a physician of nursing apply, is senior vp and chief nursing officer of affected person care providers for Greenwich Hospital, which is a part of Yale New Haven Well being.
Dr. Andrea F. Douglas, a Greenwich resident, is chief of neurosurgery and co-director of neurosciences at Stamford Well being, the place she makes a speciality of minimally invasive and sophisticated backbone surgical procedure. She can also be a practitioner of transcendental meditation and within the COVID-19 pandemic, Douglas partnered with Stamford Well being and the David Lynch Basis within the Heal the Healers Now program to supply TM to clinicians without cost.
Deirdre Shay Kamlani, of Greenwich, serves as civics chair of the League of Ladies Voters of Greenwich and as a director of the Case Technique Institute for Training and Democracy in Cambridge, Mass. In 2017, Kamlani initiated a collaboration between the Greenwich league and the Case Technique Venture to pilot a program at Greenwich Excessive Faculty to convey HBS case methodology instructing to civics, authorities and U.S. historical past school rooms in excessive faculties across the nation.
A Greenwich resident with a personal apply on the town since 2010, Clarena L. McBeth is a licensed psychological well being counselor, licensed skilled counselor, licensed alcohol and substance abuse counselor, scientific useful household therapist, and licensed scientific telehealth supplier. She served as president of the Junior League of Greenwich from 2020-21 and served on the First Selectman’s Variety Advisory Committee.
Elaine Ubina is thought for at all times carrying a digital camera round Greenwich. She and her husband, ChiChi, began their enterprise in 1991, with ChiChi specializing in company and architectural pictures and Elaine in occasions and public relations. They launched their on-line journal, Fairfield County LOOK in 2008.
Yonni Wattenmaker has been serving as govt director of the Breast Most cancers Alliance since June 2011. It was a neighborhood charity when she arrived and now it is likely one of the most distinguished breast most cancers charities in the US.
Allison J. Wolowitz, a lifelong Greenwich resident, labored on the Washington Star newspaper as a author, Harcourt, Brace Publishing Co. as an editor and at House Field Workplace as a author and editor on their program information. She grew to become a member of the Greenwich United Approach household, the place she joined the board of administrators and co-chaired the United Approach Management Marketing campaign. Wolowitz is a founding member of the UW Sole Sisters and chaired the 2007 Sole Sister’s annual fundraising luncheon.
Jacqueline D. Woods is the chief advertising and marketing officer at NielsenIQ, the place she is main the hassle to speed up the info analytics agency’s tech transformation and transfer towards changing into an impartial enterprise. As the worldwide advertising and marketing lead and member of the corporate’s Government Committee, she manages the agency’s positioning, branding and go-to-market technique. She is the secretary for the Larger Fairfield County Basis Inc., a nonprofit serving to under-served communities in southern Connecticut.
Historical past of YWCA
YWCA Greenwich has an extended historical past of honoring girls locally. Its BRAVA Awards have been established in 1977 and acknowledged skilled girls; the Spirit of Greenwich Awards, which started in 1994 and honored volunteers; and the Ladies Who Encourage Awards which was established in 2019 to acknowledge all girls and the fluidity in at this time’s work/life stability.
Thus far, greater than 500 girls have been honored by YWCA Greenwich for his or her achievements and dedication to philanthropic causes which have benefited the group.
The 2021 Ladies Who Encourage Awards co-chairs are Robbie Kestnbaum, Liz Longmore, Madhu Mathur and Jane Snowdon. For extra details about the occasion and to buy tickets, go to www.ywcagrn.org/encourage.
Based in 1919, YWCA Greenwich is devoted to eliminating racism, empowering girls and selling peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. YWCA Greenwich supplies applications for individuals of all ages and genders, with preschool and after college applications, aquatics applications, youth athletics, well being and health applications and seminars.
Moreover, YWCA Greenwich is the one supplier of home abuse providers in Greenwich, with workers who’re licensed to supply disaster intervention, counseling, shelter, and sufferer advocacy. These providers are free and confidential. For extra details about YWCA Greenwich’s Home Abuse Providers, go to www.ywcagreenwich.org. In the event you, or somebody you understand, is unsafe of their relationship, name the 24/7 hotline at 203-622-0003.
