Mothers, daughters, sisters, friends and neighbors are some of the thousands of women in local communities who serve as leaders in their families, schools, workplaces and neighborhoods. The YWomen Leadership Awards support, promote and celebrate women’s leadership and the impact women have in the Evanston/North Shore community.
The 2015 YWomen Leadership Awards reception to be held on Oct. 15 at the Hilton Orrington will honor Sunny Fischer, Delores Holmes and Blair Brettschneider with the YWomen Education Award.
Ms. Fischer recently retired as the executive director of The Richard Driehaus Foundation and was the founding executive director of The Sophia Fund, one of the first private women’s foundations. In 1985, she co-founded The Chicago Foundation for Women, seeking to increase the resources and opportunities for women and girls in the greater Chicago area. Throughout her career, Ms. Fischer worked to advocate for women and families across the country and end violence against women.
Delores Holmes, alderman of Evanston’s Fifth Ward, has served the community for more than 26 years. She retired in 2002 as director of Family Focus, an agency dedicated to social welfare issues involving children and youth. She earned recognition from the National Head Start Parent Association, the NAACP, and Parents Magazine. As an elected official, Ald. Holmes has addressed education, economic and housing disparities.
Woman of Promise: Blair Brettschneider is founder and executive director of GirlForward, a Chicago-based organization that provides young female refugees with individual mentorship, educational programs and leadership opportunities. Under her leadership, GirlForward has served more than 100 girls ages 12-21, assisting them in the transition to a new culture, supporting their academic success, and encouraging them to set goals for themselves and their families.