Nine outstanding women leaders from across the State have been named the “E” Award recipients for 2006. The Economic Excellence and Equity Awards (“E” Awards) recognizes individuals from across Tennessee who have distinguished themselves in a specific field or life commitment that has contributed to improving the lives of girls and women. The awards will be presented by First Lady Andrea Conte during the Third Annual Economic Summit for Women to be held on October 23, 2006 at the Nashville Airport Marriott.
The 2007 “E” Award recipients are:
Rosalyn Carpenter, as President and CEO of the Urban League of Middle Tennessee, works to enable African Americans to secure economic self-reliance, parity, power and civil rights. She is accomplishing these goals through the reestablishment of the Urban League Guild and the establishment of Urban League Young Professionals, the annual “Doing the Right Thing” Award Ceremony and fundraisers like the Equal Opportunity Day Luncheons. Her civic and social service includes being appointed by the Governor to the Tennessee Board of Economic Development. Additionally, she is an alumna of Leadership Middle Tennessee and Leadership Nashville. She is a member of the Nashville Chapter of National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Boy Scouts Scoutreach Advisory Committee, Tennessee Fair Housing Council, and the Bordeaux Long Term Care Facility Advisory Board.
Agenia Clark is the President and CEO of the Girl Scout Council of Cumberland Valley, an organization that serves more than 17,000 girls and 8,500 volunteers in 39 counties throughout Middle Tennessee. Before becoming the CEO and President for the Council, she was the Vice President of Human Resources for the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation; the Senior Director of Human Resources at Vanderbilt University; and worked in government relations, marketing, business ethics and human resources at Nortel Networks, an international telecommunications corporation. Prior to stepping into the role of the Council’s CEO, Clark held numerous volunteer positions within the organization, including two terms as the chair of its board of directors. She was also a recipient of the Thanks II badge, the highest recognition a Girl Scout volunteer can receive. She is an alumna of Leadership Nashville (Class of 1998) and a 2001 nominee for the Athena Award, which recognizes women in leadership roles in their community.
Senator Thelma Harper, well known for her stylish hats, represents Nashville’s Senatorial District 19. She was the first African-American woman elected to the Tennessee Senate and the first to be appointed chair of a senate committee. She chairs the Senate Government Operations Committee and is a member of the State and Local Government Committee, the Correction Oversight Committee and the Select Joint Committee on Children and Youth. Of all of her accomplishments, Harper is most proud of some of her legislation dealing with uniforms in public schools, school supplies for students from low income homes, breast reconstruction legislation and laws making animal cruelty a felony. Prior to serving in the Legislature, she was the Councilwoman for the 2nd District in Nashville. Harper serves as a member of Women In Government and serves on the Board of Directors of Leadership Nashville. She is the recipient of countless awards including Nashville Citizen of the Year, June Anderson’s Chair of Excellence at Middle Tennessee State University, The Presidential Citation of Merit and Achievement-National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, Legislator of the Year and The A. Philip Randolph Institute for Women Making a Difference Award.
Dr. Mary Hodge Jinks, Associate Vice President, University of Tennessee, directs the UT Institute for Public Service (IPS). Under her leadership, IPS is addressing needs of companies and governments throughout the State. Through the Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS), the Center for Industrial Services (CIS), the County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS)and the Law Enforcement Innovation Center (LEIC). Jinks oversees the IPS staff professionals who provide on-site technical assistance, and training, as well as regional conferences and programs on a variety of issues. The institute is able to do this by operating offices across the state in Chattanooga, Cookeville, Knoxville, Martin, Memphis, Johnson City, and Jackson. She is also a Board Member of the East Tennessee Economic Council and the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence. She serves on the Southern Growth Policies Board’s Council on the Southern Community, the Endowment Chair for the Southeastern Conference for Public Administration and serves as Treasurer of the East Tennessee Chapter of the American Society of Public Administration.
Representative Sherry Jones has been a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives from the 99th through 105th General Assemblies. She serves as Vice-Chair of the Children and Family Affairs Committee and Chair the Domestic Relations Committee. She is a Member of the Family Justice Committee, the Health and Human Services Committee, the Public Health Committee, the Professional Occupations Committee, the Consumer and Employee Affairs Committee and is the Vice-Chair of the Select Committee on Children and Youth. In 2007, she was appointed to serve on the Economic Council on Women. Jones takes great pride in being considered one of the strongest voices for women and children in the Legislature. She is especially proud to be the House Member that other Members come to regarding children’s issues and that advocates come to with their difficult issues so that they can work together to do what is best for children in Tennessee. The Nashville Coalition Against Domestic Violence has named the "Outstanding Government Official Leadership Award" in her honor.
Deborah Reed is currently employed at Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis as Assistant Director for Minority Business Development in the Continuing Education Department. The Minority Business Development office provides an array of business services to support the start-up and growth of women and minority-owned businesses, including the Women Business Owners Opportunities Conference (WBOOC). This West Tennessee regional conference provides workshops and panel expertise to enhance economic empowerment through business ownership. Through her work in Continuing Education, Reed consistently seeks to offer programs that help women prepare to enter the workforce and expand their career opportunities. She is an alumnus of WestStar, a regional program which develops and challenges leaders to accept assertive and dynamic roles to help communities solve problems and make West Tennessee a better place. She is the regional director for the Tennessee Alliance for Continuing Higher Education. Reed is currently a Maxine Smith Fellow, a program for employees of the Tennessee Board of Regents that provides Fellows experience regarding administrative roles in system and upper level administrative policy-making. Recently, she was elected to serve on the Board of the Women’s Economic Council Foundation.
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The E Award recipients for Summit 2006 were selected by members of the Tennessee Economic Council on Women who represent the 9 development districts on the Tennessee Economic Council on Women. The Council District Representative will select one recipient from her district and introduce her at the Economic Summit for women luncheon. The E Award will be presented to the recipient by First Lady Andrea Conte. Criteria for selection include: The recipient shall have distinguished herself in a specific field or life commitment that has contributed to improving the lives of girls and women in Tennessee. She shall have achieved success and acknowledgement in her profession, in volunteerism, and/or community involvement.
Congratulations to all past winnners of the Women's Economic Foundation's E-Awards.
Kathy Waugh
Phyllis Clingner
Shannon Alvey
Senator Anna Belle OBrien
Patricia Pierce
Teresa Williamson
Ann Banks
Cheri Childress
Beth Dixon
Leea Allen
Mary Elizabeth Bates
Margaret Behm
Stephanie L. Bellar
Sherre Bishop
Louise Brown
Mary Lindley Carswell
Cathy Hix Cunningham
Lee Fairbend
Brenda Gilmore
Barbara N. Haynes
Phyllis Jones
Kamilia Kozlowski
Deborah Levine
Mary Frances Lyle
Pat Matranga
Lisa Houston Montgomery
Tommie Morton-Young
Adrienne Outlaw
Shelley Reisman Paine
Gayle S. Rose
Damita Eyre Shaw
Courtney Alexandra Shelton
Sylvia Stamper
Dixie Taylor-Huff
Linda Williams
Teen Leader E Awards
Kara Michelle Russell
Sara Jean Norby
Outstanding Advisory Council E Award
Southeast Tennessee Advisory Council, Chattanooga |
