Thank you to everyone who came out in support of the 24 amazing Heroines of Washington Finalists and also to help raise critical funds to support the March of Dimes Mission. We are proud to announce that it was a record breaking fundraising year, raising $280,000 to ensure that the March of Dimes can continue to provide the programs and services that support all babies and families.
Congratulations to the 2017 Heroines of Washington Winners:
*click on the links below to see the video.
Real Estate Heroine Award: Christine Espenshade, JLL
Rising Heroine award sponsored by EY : Rebecca Geller, Geller Law Group & Holly Seibold, M2 Academy
Professional Services Heroine award sponsored by TSI: Molly Bauch, Accenture
Technology Heroine award sponsored by Vencore: Terita Norton, The Aerospace Corp.
Public Sector Heroine award sponsored by Dixon Hughes: Adrienne Somerville, Naval Air Systems
Healthcare Heroine award: Catherine Anderson, United Healthcare
Lifetime Heroine award: Lisa Friedlander, Activity Rocket
Congratulations to all of the 2017 Finalists!
Check out the 2017 Heroines of Washington Gala photos on our event
Facebook Page and view the Finalist videos below.
Healthcare
Professional Services
Public Sector
Real Estate
105 Rising v6:
Technology
EVENT DETAILS
Heroines of Washington is one of Washington’s most unique events, recognizing and honoring women in the DC Metro Area for their dedication to community service. Formerly Heroines in Technology, in response to the growing demand from our community, the March of Dimes has expanded this gala to honor women for their community service in various industries. Since 2001 the March of Dimes has honored 101 “heroines” and raised more than $2.5 million to make sure one day all babies are born full term and healthy. Guests include directors, CEOs and other high-level individuals from local corporations and government agencies.
Cocktail Reception and Silent Auction: 6:00
Dinner and Awards Presentation: 7:30 – 9:00
Black Tie Optional
Awards presented for the following categories:
Healthcare Heroine Award
Professional Services Heroine Award sponsored by TSI
Public Sector Heroine Award sponsored Dixon Hughes Goodman
Real Estate Heroine Award
Technology Heroine Award sponsored by Vencore
Rising Heroine Award sponsored by EY
Lifetime Achievement Heroine Award
Complete List of past Heroines
To view photos of last year's event please visit our Facebook page. For more information on the event, please contact Kate Leib at (571) 257-2309 or [email protected].
Co-Chair Jennifer Felix, Senior VP and Chief Financial Officer, Vencore, Inc.
Jennifer is heavily involved in the Washington Metro community from both a corporate and personal standpoint. She has led Vencore to record breaking fundraising activities for the American Heart Association and the IAVA veterans organization by creating internal financial mechanisms to make those contributions happen. In support of area students, Felix served as the key parent-sponsor to oversee the development, fundraising, operationalization and launch of a state-of-the-art program for the Herndon Middle School theatre program.
Co-Chair Dondi Saunders, Client Development Executive, Merito Group
Dondi is a mission driven executive known as a creative entrepreneur who thrives on building strong long term relationships based on trust, collaboration and mutual respect – the three main core values of the Merito Group.
A frequent volunteer to many organizations, Dondi is a natural connector whose personal passion for giving back to the community where she lives and works enables her to excel in her client service capacity using her innate talents.
Congratulations to the 2017 Heroines of Washington Finalists
Catherine Anderson, UnitedHealthcare Community and State
Molly Bauch, Accenture
Erica Brouillette, CSRA
Maureen Bryant, Korth Companies
Wynne Busman, Infant Toddler Family Day Care of Northern Virginia
Yvette Butler, Capital One
Jennifer Carr, Fairfax County Public Schools
Christine Espenshade, JLL
Lisa Friedlander, Activity Rocket
Rebecca Geller, The Geller Law Group
Shannon Hagy, Bart & Associates, Inc.
Kimberley Hayes, The Ambit Group
Rosemary Lauer, The Tetra Partnerships
Barbara McDuffie, Baker Tilly
Gillian Michaelson, The Advisory Board
Terita Norton, The Aerospace Corporation
Diane Pearson, Micro Focus Government Solutions
Staci Redmon, Strategy and Management Services, Inc.
Holly Seibold, M2 Academy
Emma Sharma, Valiant Integrated Services
Adrienne Somerville, Naval Air Systems Command Headquarters
Thu Stubbs, Technology Science Corporation
Jeanne Sullivan, KPMG
Tamara Vineyard, Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP
Technology Heroine Award: Gail Schnell, Schnell-Tech Solutions
Lifetime Achievement Heroine Award:
Amy Caro, Northrop Grumman
Healthcare Heroine Award:
Beverly Allen, MedStar Washington Hospital
Professional Services Heroine Award:
Marnell Small, Bellamy Management Services
SUPPORT THE MISSION
Every year, 15 million babies are born prematurely worldwide, and 1 million will die before their first birthday. Your gift helps the March of Dimes fund research, education, advocacy and programs that help more moms have full-term pregnancies and healthy babies.
BECOME A SPONSOR
Through partnerships with companies, organizations and individuals, the March of Dimes is able to create unique moments for your clients, vendors and leadership teams. They participate in an exclusive dining event while supporting a critical cause. Sponsorship opportunities are available at a variety of levels for our events, providing you with brand recognition, civic engagement and an exclusive client entertainment opportunity within the event. We look forward to working with you to discuss your partnership with the March of Dimes. Please contact Kate Leib at 572-257-2309 or [email protected].
Former Heroine Testimonials
“Being recognized as a Heroine of Washington by the March of Dimes was a gift and an inspiration. I became profoundly appreciative of the mission of the March of Dimes to commit to the research that supports us when we are bringing our babies into the world. At the other end of the spectrum, being named a Heroine was a monumental encouragement to me to continue dedicating all my volunteer time to building systems to help our parents and grandparents age happily in the community.” -- Pat Williams, GraceFul Care
“Being a March of Dimes heroine is a tremendous honor. This recognition signifies my lifelong commitment to support my local community and make a positive difference in the lives of others. It’s also a terrific professional networking opportunity. I’ve been very fortunate to meet other local leaders who have a similar passion for voluntarism. While we come from various backgrounds and perspectives, we share similar core values to help change lives in a meaningful way. I consider myself very lucky to receive this award and to stand in the company of these amazing women!” -- Mimi Yeh, Accenture
“The March of Dimes’ mission to give “a fighting chance for every baby” is something near and dear to my heart, as I have personal experience with this. In fact, my own company’s corporate philanthropy mission is to support organizations that help children with illnesses. To be named a “Heroines of Washington” in acknowledgement of my community service is truly humbling, and I am proud to be in the company of other like-minded women executives and entrepreneurs who also have won the award.”
-- Kristina Bouweiri, Reston Limousine
“The impact of the March of Dimes has had for so many is inspiring of what is possible whem we are driven by a deep sense of purpose. The heriones award recognition provided me with the ability to share ideas and encourage others to also be driven by purpose both personally and professionally. I remain deeply in awe of those honored and proud to be part of an amazing group of leaders.”
-- Christina Frederick, Sapient
“I was introduced to Heroines as a nominee in 2011, and becoming a part of the Heroines of Washington community has been wonderful for me both personally and professionally. Through Heroines, I’ve made connections including teaming partners and service providers who support the growth and success of my company. Also, I’ve made new friends who are kindred spirits in their devotion to social responsibility, community outreach and charitable giving. Seeing the March of Dimes helping so many families and recognizing women for their community service is truly inspiring. I’m honored and grateful to support the March of Dimes and Heroines of Washington.”
-- Marta Wilson, Transformation Systems
“Being selected as a finalist and then winning as a heroine was truly an honor. The process was handled with such thoughtfulness and professionalism. I was made to feel very special for inclusion in this event, initially as a finalist and ultimately as a heroine. The community of women I came to know at the March of Dimes, fellow finalists and honorees as well as volunteers and past winners was an amazing group. I was continuingly inspired by the transformative work each one did and was truly humbled to be a part of it. Now that I’m a past winner, it is my privilege to help with the process. I’ve enjoyed being on the committee encouraging nominees and reviewing applications. I will be most excited to attend this year’s event and share in the great work we are doing to promote amazing women and support for a critical need in our world –helping raise awareness and funds for premature infants and their families.” -- Wendy Feldman Block, Savills Studley
View our updated event acknowledgements and waivers here.