2009 Woman of Excellence Award

Phoenix Woman magazine is proud to sponsor the 2009 Woman of Excellence Award, where a special Valley woman will be honored Nov. 13 at the Woman of Excellence Luncheon.

The winner of this award will be one who has demonstrated a commitment to improving the lives of women or girls in our community. This "Woman of Excellence" will also demonstrate the type of personal and professional growth that makes her an exemplary "Phoenix Woman."

These are the nominees for the 2009 Woman of Excellence Award:

Donna Bartos
Donna Bartos is the founder of the Purple Ribbon Council to Cut Out Domestic Abuse. She is the creator of Girls Night Out to Cut Out Domestic Abuse, Purple Ribbon Brunch, It’s Okay to Talk About It Community Circles, Rock the Purple, Pedal for Purple and the Pretty in Purple Party.

Elaine Birks-Mitchell
Elaine Birks-Mitchell is CEO of Bosom Buddy Bra Recycling, a green group devoted to recycling new and used bras to various organizations across Arizona and other states.

Margaret Dunn
Margaret Dunn serves Scottsdale as a Board Member of the Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce, and is president of a 45-employee, 21-trolley, $2.5 million-a-year trolley business.

Kristen Sandquist
Kristen Sandquist founded her first non-profit in 1996 called Circle of Friends. In 2003, she founded Visions of Hope. She is president of both organizations, and continues to support several local charities.

Lindsay Rattay
Lindsay Rattay founded Blankets for Babies, an organization that sends quality chenille Boh Boh Blankets to babies and children in need.

Pam Gaber
Pam Gaber is the founder and CEO of Gabriel’s Angels, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of abused, neglected and at-risk children through the application of pet therapy.

Peggy Bilsten
Peggy Bilsten served on the Phoenix City Council for 14 years and was the chair for Governor Napolitano’s Commission to Prevent Domestic Violence against Women, and continues to advocate on behalf of human rights issues facing women.

Sherry Lund
Sherry Lund is the founder and president of several nonprofit organizations including the Victoria Lund Foundaton, named for her stepdaughter who passed away in 2002 from liver failure. She also contributes to several communities programs with the hope of easing the burdens many women face.

Tara Hitchcock
Tara Hitchcock is the anchor/host of the highly rated "Good Morning Arizona" news program that airs each weekday morning on 3TV. She volunteers for several charities, including Best Buddies, Childhelp and the Foundation for Blind Children.

Mary Peterson
Mary Peterson co-founded Maggie’s Place, a community that provides hospitality for pregnant women who wish to change their lives for the better and achieve a variety of goals.

The winner will be announced Nov. 13 at the “Woman of Excellence” luncheon at the Silverleaf Country Club in Scottsdale. Visit the Black Tie Arizona Website for more information and to RSVP for this event.

For more information on the nominees, check out our upcoming Nov./Dec. issue of Phoenix Woman.