(Charleston, W. Va.) – Anita Casey. Kim Knopf. Callen McJunkin. Lois Smith. Four outstanding women with different backgrounds and varying experiences. Each with a unique story to tell, and each determined to achieve her life goals – no matter what obstacles stand in her way.
On Thursday, February 19 from noon until 1:30 pm at the Embassy Suites Hotel, this year’s honorees will present their inspirational stories at the 13th Annual YWCA Women of Achievement Awards Luncheon. Tickets are $75 (65% tax deductible) and can be purchased online at ywcacharleston.org or by calling (304) 414-3113.
Honorees are nominated each year and chosen by the YWCA Board of Directors based on their personal and professional achievements, as well as their contributions to community. This award often honors women who have achieved great success in traditionally male-dominated fields.
“We are thrilled to be honoring Anita, Kim, Callen and Lois this year,” stated YWCA Board President Elizabeth Pellegrin. “These women are truly outstanding role models to young women in our community and are an inspiration to all.”
In the week following the event, the honorees will participate in the YWCA’s “Breakfast with Champions” – a yearly event that brings together 20 fifth-grade girls (many of whom may be categorized as “at-risk” and all of whom have been identified as potential leaders) to enjoy breakfast with the honorees and YWCA representatives. The honorees will discuss the challenges and difficulties that could have – but did not – prevent them from achieving their goals.
Honoree bios:
Anita Casey is the first female Executive Director of the West Virginia State Bar, following a successful 25-year law career. Her dynamic personality and unprecedented expertise has landed her countless speaking engagements and awards. Casey was selected as a “Super Lawyer” in the West Virginia Super Lawyers magazine and was recognized four consecutive years (2005-2008) as one of the “Best Lawyers in America.” Her view of volunteerism as a natural extension of a lawyer’s responsibilities has prompted her to encourage more public service from the State Bar’s 6,300 members.
Kim Knopf is the owner and founder of Innovative Mattress Solutions – a company she grew from one small store to a regional powerhouse of nearly 80 stores in West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio. For more than two decades, she has combined her innovative ideas and strong marketing presence with her dedication to customer service and community involvement. Knopf has always believed in serving her community and holds leadership roles in several local organizations. Her success has landed her profiles in business publications such as Nation’s Business, and she was recently chosen as a recipient of the 2008 Who’s Who in West Virginia Business and is a finalist in the 2008 Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce Women in Business Entrepreneur of the Year.
Callen McJunkin’s love for art love for art manifested itself in the business of representing artists and making fine art and craft available to area businesses and individuals. She owns and operates the Callen McJunkin Gallery in downtown Charleston and has curated numerous exhibitions from exciting new regional artists to nationally recognized professionals. McJunkin helped establish the Downtown Charleston ArtWalk and is a founding member and past president of the Clay Center Collector’s Club. She has lent her artistic expertise to the community furthermore by serving on numerous committees and advisory boards in the realm of art and culture.
Lois Smith is the 2009 BrickStreet Insurance Empowerment Award Winner – a former YWCA program participant who, through great perseverance and with the empowerment of YWCA programs, overcame great obstacles and transformed her life. Smith withstood 29 years of abuse from her former spouse but found help through the YWCA Resolve Family Abuse Program’s domestic violence support group. While living at the YWCA Alicia McCormick Homes for Battered and Homeless Women and Children she began to reclaim her life in this peaceful, safe and supportive environment. YWCA staff helped Smith find the strength to rebuild her self-esteem, learn how to manage her money, significantly reduce her debt, and secure a full-time job with the state tax department. Today, she has joined the YWCA Shanklin Center staff as a Residential Assistant, where she considers her time with the residents “the highpoint of my life.”
Tickets available at ywcacharleston.org or by calling (304) 414-3113.
• For more information, contact YWCA Development Director Rachelle Beckner at (304) 414-3113. • To contact the honorees or obtain headshots, call YWCA Marketing Director Laura Jordan at (304) 340-3557 or email ljordan@ywcacharleston.org.