Nominations for the 25th annual Tribute to Exceptional Women, sponsored by YWCA Tri-County Area, are open through Friday, February 14.
In the 25 years since the first Tribute to Exceptional Women, YWCA Tri-County Area has honored more than 200 women for their achievements in their careers or for their service to their communities. This tradition of honoring exceptional women will be celebrated Tuesday, March 24, at Valley Forge Casino Resort in King of Prussia.
Tribute to Exceptional Women recognizes women for their ability to lead by example, embrace community responsibility, and demonstrate exceptional leadership in the several awards categories. YWCA Tri-County Area is proud to provide this opportunity for the community to recognize and celebrate the exceptional contributions made by women.
Nomination forms are available online at www.ywcatricountyarea.org/2020tribute. The 2020 Tribute to Exceptional Women will honor women in the following categories:
- Arts and Culture: This award recognizes an outstanding woman who fosters arts or culture in significant ways as an artist, volunteer, leader, educator, or patron. She has exhibited long term support for arts and culture, has had a significant impact on the region’s arts/cultural landscape through personal expression, innovation, preservation, or education, and/or demonstrated a successful collaboration between arts and cultural organizations and business.
- Community Enhancement: This award recognizes an outstanding woman who inspires, mentors advocates and acts on behalf of others through community programs or organizations, government, military or first responders or philanthropic endeavors. She has shown her dedication by creating, participating in or adapting programs to meet community needs in the areas of social services, community improvement, and human rights.
- Education: This award recognizes an outstanding woman who is a public or private educator, trainer, or administrator who inspires a passion for excellence and innovation for personal growth, development, and lifelong learning through the education system, employee training and development, community education or alternative programs.
- Rising Star: This award recognizes an outstanding young woman who is making an impact early in her adult life. The award is focused on women 18-35 who have shown dedication by creating, participating or adapting programs to meet community needs, and who embodies the YWCA mission.
- Coretta Scott King Award: This award recognizes an outstanding woman who is an Agent of Change, with a record of exemplary leadership and service in the areas of eliminating racism and promoting diversity through community service, racial reconciliation and/or social justice outreach within the community, workplace, institutions or agencies. She demonstrates efforts to provide service to underrepresented persons or communities, bridge the gaps that often exist between different groups, and/or ensure the fair treatment of oppressed, abused, or underprivileged groups or individuals. The nominee seeks opportunities to attain a common vision for peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all people.
- Sally Lee Lifetime Achievement Award: This award recognizes a woman who has devoted many years to making a significant difference for women in the community. This woman selflessly gives her time and energy to making our community a better place for generations to come. Possessing qualities of leadership and excellence in both her personal and professional endeavors, this woman embodies YWCA’s mission. This award is named after long-time YW executive director, the late Sally Lee.
Tickets for the event will go on sale in January. The luncheon program includes a keynote speaker to be announced, a popular silent auction, the luncheon, and presentation of awards.
Proceeds from Tribute to Exceptional Women support YWCA Tri-County Area’s mission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. YWCA Tri-County Area is a leader in advocacy for women and girls, and educates children, youth, families, and communities through programming that empowers individuals to learn and grow, providing the foundation for a healthy and thriving community.
