Public Invited to Celebrate Women of the Year
The Junior League of Stark County will celebrate the contributions of two remarkable women on Thursday, April 20, 2023, beginning at 10 am at Brookside Country Club, located at 1800 Canton Avenue N.W., Canton, Ohio 44708. The public is welcome to attend. Tickets are available online https://the-junior-league-of-stark-county-ohio-inc.square.site/product/2023-women-of-the-year-luncheon/40 .
Recipient of the Community Award, a womanwho has made significant, unique, and lasting volunteer contributions in many parts of the greater Stark County, is Linda R. Ganser. Recipient of the President’s Award, a womanwho has made significant, unique, and lasting volunteer contributions in one area of the greater Stark County community, is Renee Powell.
Linda R. Ganser was nominated by the Women’s Committee of Walsh University and Mercy Service League. For over forty years, Linda Ganser has given her time, talent and treasure to the greater Stark County community to benefit others. Under her leadership, according to her nominator, Cindy Samolcyzk of the Women’s Committee of Walsh University, “Linda has transformed the Women’s Committee and Mercy Service League into the organizations that they are today.” She chaired Mercy Service League’s major fundraiser committee in 2019 and led the Silent Auction Committee for Wine, Women and Shoes, a service project that raises funds to assist underserved women in our community who face cancer, assuring that these women obtain the care and assistance they need.
Renee Powell was nominated by Women’s Impact, Inc. Her professional accomplishments as a former LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) golfer are truly known across the world; however, her work to improve her community may be lesser understood. According to her nominator, Shelley Schweitzer, Executive Director, Women’s Impact, Inc., “Renee has been a pioneer in many areas where she was the first female, or the first African American, or both, to break barriers and open doors for other women and people of color.” Her Clearview H.O.P.E. Program is highly valued by women veterans in the greater Stark County area who repeatedly articulate the benefits they have realized by being together on the golf course, including ways in which the program has helped them address issues of isolation and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
Community judges included Amy Mast, past Woman of the Year; Laurie Moline, past Woman of the Year; Gregory Miller, Ph.D, President of Malone University; Tonja Marshall, Visit Canton; Vicky Sterling, Owner and President, Pinnacle Press; Ron Ponder, PonderSystems Media & Marketing and Stephanie Werren, Director, Leadership Stark County.
The day will include elected public servants modeling Julz by Alan Rodriguez. Guest speaker, Margaret DeLillo-Storey, PsyD, PCC-S, CDTLF, trained under Dr. Brene Brown in Whole-Hearted Leadership, will speak on “The Strength of Being a Woman.”
Contact the Junior League of Stark County, Ohio, Inc. office via email at [email protected] with questions or to make reservations. Please note: Reservations are due on or before Thursday, April 6, 2023.
The Junior League of Stark County, Ohio, Inc. is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.
