YWCA Women Leadership Award Winners Announced

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                  

CONTACT:    
Laura Harwin
YWCA Greater Pittsburgh
412-255-1279

YWCA Greater Pittsburgh Announces the 2013 Tribute to Women Leadership Awards
Awards Luncheon scheduled for Thursday, May 30

PITTSBURGH, PA (May 28, 2013):  The YWCA Greater Pittsburgh will recognize seven extraordinary women for their demonstrated excellence and leadership in the workplace and in the community as part of the 31st annual Tribute to Women Leadership Awards Luncheon to be held on Thursday, May 30, from noon to 1:30 p.m., at the Westin Hotel, 1000 Penn Avenue.

Awardees for 2013 include:
•         Allerton Lifetime Achievement Award: Peggy B. Harris, President & CEO, Three Rivers Youth
•         Business & Professional Services: Justice Debra Todd, Justice, Pennsylvania Supreme Court
•         Civic & Community Service: Cathy Raphael, Chair, Board of Directors, Ms. Foundation for Women
•         Communications: Betsy Benson, Publisher & Vice President, Pittsburgh Magazine
•         Education: Linda S. Lane, Ed.D., Superintendent, Pittsburgh Public Schools
•         Health & Human Services: Candi Castleberry-Singleton, Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer, UPMC Center for Inclusion
•         Young Leader: Alka A. Patel, Esq., Managing Director & Senior Counsel, BNY Mellon

“I am truly impressed and inspired by the contributions these seven women have made to their professions and to the Pittsburgh community,” said Magdeline E. Jensen, CEO, YWCA Greater Pittsburgh.  “We are fortunate to have such remarkable women as role models for other women and girls. The honorees are all deserving of the YWCA’s Tribute to Women Leadership Award and exemplify what the award truly represents.”

The YWCA Greater Pittsburgh launched the Tribute to Women Leadership Awards in 1983 to affirm its mission to empower women and girls to reach their personal and professional goals. Since then, the YWCA has honored the accomplishments of more than 200 exceptional women, saluting them for helping to shape the direction of our region and improve the lives of others.

The Allerton Award, named after the first president of the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh, Mrs. O.H. Allerton, was created to honor a woman for lifetime achievement.  Mrs. Allerton served as president of the YWCA’s board on three separate terms; from 1878 to 1881, 1895 to 1896, and 1915 to 1916.  This special award is given, at the discretion of the Selection Committee and with approval of the YWCA Board of Directors, to a woman who epitomizes the philosophies and concepts of the YWCA.  This year’s Allerton Award recipient, Peggy B. Harris, is only the 12th such recipient of this honor since the inception of Tribute to Women.

Jennifer Abney, News Anchor, WPXI – Channel 11, is serving as Mistress of Ceremonies during the luncheon.  Proceeds from the event benefit the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh’s programs and services.  For more information about Tribute to Women, call 412-255-1261 or email ttw@ywcapgh.org.

The YWCA Greater Pittsburgh strengthens our community by creating and advancing opportunities for all women to seek equality and self-sufficiency.  For more information about the YWCA’s programs and services, visit

www.ywcapgh.org or call 412-391-5100.

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Laura Harwin
Director of Development and Marketing
YWCA Greater Pittsburgh
305 Wood Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
412-255-1279 (phone)
412-391-5109 (fax)

lharwin@ywcapgh.org
www.ywcapgh.org

…for every woman

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

Dr. Maya Angelou Receives Dignity and Respect Champion Award

Dr. Maya Angelou Receives Inaugural Dignity and Respect Champion Award

Recognized for Her Lifelong Commitment to Making the World a Better Place for All to Live

Dr. Maya Angelou -- celebrated poet, memoirist, novelist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist -- is the 2011 Dignity & Respect Champion. The honor was awarded by Candi Castleberry-Singleton, founder and chair of the Dignity & Respect Campaign, a not-for-profit initiative that promotes inclusion by treating people with dignity and respect.

"Maya Angelou has demonstrated unshakable faith and a commitment to the values of family, community, and culture throughout her life. Whether as a cable car conductor, a waitress and cook, a dancer with the Alvin Ailey company, an editor of an English Language paper in Egypt, a coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a Pulitzer Prize nominee, or a Presidential Medal of Arts winner, Dr. Angelou values all members of the human family," said Ms. Castleberry-Singleton. "She exemplifies the characteristics of a Dignity & Respect Champion."

Ms. Castleberry-Singleton presented the Dignity & Respect Champion award to Dr. Angelou at her home in North Carolina. During their time together, Dr. Angelou reflected on four themes:

•The meaning of dignity and respect -- "When we have dignity and respect we join the communities of human beings and they join us. We are one. Human beings are more alike than we are unalike."

•Living with dignity and respect -- "If you're not respected you can't relax. So if you can't relax, you can't learn. And if you can't learn you don't know anything. You not only don't know who anyone else is, you can't know who you are."

•The human condition -- "You must speak up! Speak up for your soul's sake. For your spirit's sake."

•Courage -- "Courage is the most important of all virtues because without courage you can't practice any other virtue consistently. You can be anything erratically. You can be kind, fair, true, generous, just, merciful, all of those things every now and again. But to be that thing consistently, you have to have courage."

Videos of Dr. Angelou's comments to Ms. Castleberry-Singleton are available at http://www.dignityandrespect.org.

The Dignity & Respect Champion designation is a program of the Dignity & Respect Campaign, a national, grassroots initiative created in 2009 to encourage and promote the message of inclusion, beginning with the core belief that everyone deserves dignity and respect. This awareness and advocacy effort promotes positive behavioral change in individuals, communities, schools, and organizations. The Campaign extended from an internal effort at UPMC, a Pittsburgh-based organization, to a community-wide initiative in 2009; it broadened beyond the greater Pittsburgh area in Fall 2011 with the celebration of October as Dignity & Respect Month.

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh