Women of Achievement, Inc. was founded in 1984 by a group of women dedicated to honoring the extraordinary women who have made Memphis and Shelby County better through their lives and accomplishments. The coalition of diverse civic and professional groups and support agencies organizes events to recognize and celebrate these women.

Our officers:
Three active Memphis women were elected to lead Women Of Achievement for the current year.

From left to right, Patti Smith, secretary, Regina Walker, treasurer, Susan Mackenzie, president.


Dates to save:

Sunday, Jan. 10, 2010– Selections meeting. Selection committee meeting. Seven committees each recommend three finalists for consideration. Time and place to be announced. (Snow date: Sunday, Jan. 17)


Sunday, Jan. 24, 2010 – Final selections meeting. Final selection meeting. Officers, past presidents and selection committee chairs meet to select award recipients. Time and place o be announced. (Snow date: Sunday, Jan. 31)

Sunday, Feb. 28, 2010 – Women of Achievement Change-Makers Forum
Time and place to be announced.

Sunday, March 14, 2010 – Awards event


2009's Women of Achievement are:

Courage – Africa Gonzalez, director of Immigrant Women’s Services for the Memphis YWCA and co-chair of the Shelby County Domestic Violence Council.

Determination – Nancy Williams, executive director of the Memphis Child Advocacy Center which houses a multi-disciplinary team to aid child victims of sexual and extreme physical abuse and which is incubating the Family Safety Center.

Vision – Sonja White, managing partner of the Domestic Violence Unit, Memphis Area Legal Services; president of the Memphis Area Women’s Council and chair of the Shelby County Domestic Violence Council.

Heroism – Caroline Turns, third-grader and St. Jude patient who tells her unique story of enduring a five-organ transplant as a confident representative of all patients of catastrophic childhood diseases.

Initiative – Jodie Vance, founder and publisher of the Downtowner magazine and an early advocate of downtown Memphis’ rebirth.

Steadfastness – Gloria Kahn, community activist, whose leadership in the Jewish community and in issues from human rights to political engagement, is legendary.

Heritage – Alma C. Hansen, a Congregational Church missionary who devoted her life to development of LeMoyne College from 1922 to 1962 and was its only female acting president.





2009 panel discussion delves into the legacies of activism

Three Women of Achievement honorees from years past and their children spoke about community activism and making a difference in the 2009 Change Makers Panel at the Hooks Central Library in Memphis.


The annual event occurs during National Women’s History Month and is part of the coalition’s year-long celebration of women and their achievements. About 40 people were in the audience this year for the topic “Change-Makers: A Legacy of Achievers.” Panel participants included: Happy Jones, 1992 Determination awardee, and her daughter Dottie Jones; Kathy Kastan, 2005 Heroism winner, and her son Ben Kastan, and Modeane Thompson, 2007 honoree for Courage and her daughter Andrea Thompson Adam.

The six talked about their work and advocacy and how that has translated across generations. All three of the children, who have found their own way to work for change, credited their mothers and others for a sense of responsibility to work beyond their own circles to make the community better.

A reception before the event was sponsored by the United Way of the Mid-South. Welcome was by WA co-founder Deborah Clubb and current president Susan Mackenzie. Regina Walker, of the United Way, gave closing remarks.