ANNOUNCING THE 2020
WOMEN OF DISTINCTION HONOREES Attend the luncheon on Friday, April 3 at 11:15 a.m. F $60 per person F Make reservations online or call 314-539-4470. Since 2011, the Missouri Athletic Club has annually honored local women who have been revolutionary in business, civic engagement, philanthropic programs and mentorship. The honorees have made a significant impact in many ways, but mostly through demonstrating excellence, growth, grit and empathy. In 2020, the MAC will continue the tradition of honoring six women as well as one Rising Star, a woman 35 or younger who is leading the next generation of professional women to new heights. This event is open to the public. CHRISTINE CANDIO, FACHE President and CEO of St. Luke’s Hospital Christine Candio was appointed president and chief executive officer of St. Luke’s Hospital in January 2015. Prior to joining St. Luke’s, she served more than six years as CEO of Inova Alexandria Hospital in northern Virginia and as senior vice president of Inova Health System. She began her career as a nurse and rose through the ranks, gaining extensive healthcare operations and leadership experience in acute and outpatient settings. She is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, a past chairman of the American College of Healthcare Executives and received the 2019 ACHE Gold Medal Award in addition to numerous other honors. THERESA CARRINGTON CEO of Ten by Three, International Speaker, Author and Mentor In her business, Theresa Carrington pioneered a method, 10x3, to empower those who live in extreme poverty to help improve their living situation. This method consists of purchasing 10 products a month from artisans living in poverty at Prosperity Wages® for three years and requiring those artisans to invest in three businesses. This method has helped more than 8,000 people in seven countries to exit poverty. Part of her model is patent-pending, and her work was recognized by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. In June of 2018, she was tapped by the United States Department of State to council various 10 F Cherry Diamond F MAR 2020
departments within the Government of Nepal, including the Ministry of Industry and Department of Cottage and Small Industries. KATE EWING Director of Strategic Business Development and Marketing at Sandberg Phoenix Kate Ewing serves as the Director of Strategic Business Development and Marketing for the St. Louis-based law firm, Sandberg Phoenix, where her primary focus is to drive business results through developing and implementing marketing, communications and business development strategies for the firm. As a certified yoga instructor, Kate strives to take her practice from the mat to the office daily. Outside of work, Kate serves on several local charitable boards and committees, with an emphasis on cancer research funding, arts and education, and re-entry services. She also mentors female entrepreneurs in several areas including securing funding, creating business plans and implementing marketing strategies. MARY ELIZABETH GRIMES Marian Middle School President Mary Elizabeth Grimes, the president of Marian Middle School, has developed a top-flight team at the school for girls coming from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds. She was elected president of the school in 2013 and since, she has changed the life trajectory of more than 220 women in the St. Louis area, resulting in a 97 percent graduation rate from high school. Before coming to Marian Middle School, she served as the State Director at the Greater Missouri Chapter of the March of Dimes, the President of Forward Vision, the Director of Marketing for BJC Healthcare and Management and more. GENNY JESSEE Executive Director of the June Jessee Memorial Foundation After experiencing the death of her 3-year-old daughter due to multiple complex neurological conditions, Genny Jessee and her husband felt a call to help others that were caring for kids with
the same abnormalities. They created the June Jessee Memorial Foundation in honor of their daughter to help parents in need of medicine, equipment or even a night out. In 2018, Jessee joined the St. Louis Children's Hospital Friends Board and has led efforts in membership, volunteerism and service as well as in fundraising. KATY VU Senior VP, CFO of Bunzl Katy Vu is the Chief Financial Officer of Bunzl North America, covering the USA, Canada and Mexico. Previously she was the General Manager for Bunzl Central and Eastern Europe, based in Budapest and oversaw six companies in five countries. Prior to this, Katy was the Head of Internal Audit for Bunzl plc, delivering more than 60 audits annually across 31 countries. Katy qualified as a chartered accountant with KPMG London where she worked for six years with large multi-national clients in aerospace, mining and retail. She also holds a First-Class Honours (summa cum laude) in Economics and International Development from Bath University. KATIE SHIELDS, RISING STAR Head Women’s Soccer Coach at Saint Louis University In her seven years as head coach, Katie Shields has guided the Saint Louis University women’s soccer program to the top of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The 2019 Billikens captured A-10 regular-season and tournament titles and advanced to the NCAA Championship for a second consecutive season, earning Shields a second A-10 Coach of the Year award in as many years. SLU won 17 games in 2019 to lift its four-year (2016-19) total to 64 victories, the most of any A-10 team during that period. Her teams also have excelled in the classroom; three Billikens earned Academic All-Conference honors in 2019, matching a program record. Shields acts as a mentor for the young women on her team and in the community. She volunteers with several organizations such as Special Needs Soccer Association of St. Louis and Girls on the Run.
