
Each fall the YWCA inducts their newest class of Career Women of Achievement Honorees into the Academy of Career Women of Achievement.
With this newest class of inductees, the Academy is now 290 women strong.
It was established as a means of fostering interaction among Career Women of Achievement award recipients. Academy members provide leadership and diverse skills, and promote the personal and professional growth of women in Greater Cincinnati.
This annual intimate dinner is held at the Queen City Club and is attended by YWCA Academy members, board members and the newest class of YWCA Rising Stars, young professional women chosen for their outstanding performance and their ability to attain marked achievement in their careers.
This year’s keynote speaker was the YWCA USA CEO, Dr. Dara Heron-Richardson.
The 2015 inductees are: Andrea Ayers, President & CEO, Convergys; Kelley J. Downing, President & CEO, Bartlett & Co.; Sally C. Gutierrez, Director, Environmental Technology Innovation Clusters Program, Office of Research & Development, US Environmental Protection Agency; Michele Hawkins, Managing Partner & Chief Compliance Officer, Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc.; Candace S. McGraw, CEO, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport; Liza D. Smitherman, CEO/Owner, Brewster Pumping, LLC. and Vice President of Professional Development, Jostin Construction, Inc.; Lori J. Stark, PhD, Director, Division of Behavioral Medicine & Clinical Psychology, CCHMC and Professor of Pediatrics, UC College of Medicine; and Carolyn Tastad, Group President-North America, P&G.