INTRO

photos by Chris Brehmer

Meet this year’s Women to Watch.

Congratulations to the 2021 WILMA’s Women to Watch Awards finalists. They represent leaders in their fields and community.

Read more about the thirty-six women on the following pages to learn more about why the judges selected them out of hundreds of nominations and applications that came in this year.

In this issue, we introduce this year’s finalists in arts, business, education, health, nonprofit/volunteer, public service, and rising star. The rising star category is the only one with an age description and is open to those under thirty.

The women will be honored at this year’s awards event October 23 where the winners also will be announced.

For more on the finalists, go to our website at WILMAmag.com.

The Judging Process

Each year, WILMA opens up the nominations process for the Women to Watch Awards during the summer.

Our judging panel – made up of leaders who sit on the Women to Watch Leadership Initiative’s advisory board as well as outside guests – met to pick the finalists and winners in each of the seven categories.

WILMA would like to thank the judges for volunteering their time and expertise on the awards.

The Judges

Wanda Coley Donna Esteves Chrissy Hoskins Kristy Hubard

Alexis Hunter Kendall Hurt Ruth Ravitz Smith Justine Reel Deloris Rhodes Kelly Schaudt Sheri Shaw Karen Weaver

(Judges who were nominated for the awards did not sit in on deliberations for the categories in which they were nominated.)