YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee hosted its 29th annual Academy for Women of Achievement celebration with a pinning ceremony and virtual celebration on October 21. To ensure the health and safety of our community, six of the eight individual honorees gathered at the YWCA main office to be inducted into the AWA. The Nashville community had the opportunity to view the pre-recorded program on the YWCA website and social media channels.
The 2020 AWA honorees include: Jacky Akbari, founding and managing principal of Worthington Advisory; Lisa Campbell, community volunteer; Janet Miller, CEO and marketing leader/partner of Colliers International; Sabina Mohyuddin, executive director of American Muslim Advisory Council; Dr. Jennifer Pietenpol, director of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, VUMC; Gini Pupo-Walker, state director of the Education Trust; LoLita Toney, CEO/founder of Ivy Business Solutions; and Christie Wilson, CEO of the Wilson Group Real Estate Services. Cummins, Inc. is this year’s corporate honoree.
“We were thrilled to honor and induct these incredible women and outstanding organization into the Academy,” said YWCA President/CEO Sharon K. Roberson. “Each has contributed greatly to Nashville and our honorees serve as role models for community involvement.”
This year’s event theme is ‘She Persisted,’ which honors the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment and 55th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act. Our new and former inductees into the AWA have shown up in their communities and proved that their persistence is critical in fighting for racial, gender, and religious equality.
“During these uncertain times, we’re grateful that the Nashville community has come together virtually to celebrate and honor these women. The community has played an important role in giving us the ability to continue this annual celebration,” said AWA co-chairs Patricia Pierce, Yvonne Wood, and Kendra Deas in a joint statement.
The Academy for Women of Achievement is thankful for all of the program sponsors, including longtime AWA supporters Dollar General, Mary Wester Foundation, DVL Seigenthaler Finn Partners, Hatcher & Fell Photography, MP&F Strategic Communications, and The Tennessean. Proceeds from the AWA program help fund the programs of the YWCA, including the Weaver Domestic Violence Center, the largest emergency domestic violence shelter in Tennessee.
YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. The Academy for Women of Achievement was launched locally in 1992 by YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee. This year’s recipients join 171 other women and 31 organizations that hold this distinctive honor.
