2024 Women of Distinction Awards Luncheon

Join us Thursday May 16, 2024 for the Women of Distinction Awards Luncheon, celebrating women, Girl Scouts, and organizations whose leadership in the community makes the world a better place.

Thursday, May 16, 2024

InterContinental Hotel Cleveland

9801 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio, 44106

Luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m. 

2024 Emcee: Betsy Kling, 3News Chief Meteorologist, 5PM Anchor, WKYC Studios

2024 Women of Distinction Honorees

Congratulations to our 2024 Honorees!

Women of Distinction Honorees- Ten women who are selected for their remarkable achievements as business, community, and civic leaders dedicated to supporting opportunities for women and girls.

Maribeth Burns - Wayne Economic Development Council

Shelly Cayette-Weston - Cleveland Cavaliers

Toi D. Comer - United Way of Greater Cleveland

Helen Forbes Fields - YWCA Greater Cleveland

Nicole Hagy - Akron Municipal Court

L. Danielle Koch - NASA Glenn Research Center

Marcela Rodriguez-Gonzalez - Cleveland Play House

State Senator Kristina Roegner - Ohio State Senator for Ohio Senate District 27

Congresswoman Emilia Sykes - U.S. House of Representatives

Judge Nicole Walker - Akron Municipal Court

Advancing Women Award Honoree -  Outstanding organization or company who receive the Advancing Women Award for showing a strong commitment to advancing women in the workplace.

Rock Entertainment Group | Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Monsters, Cleveland Charge, Cavs Legion GC

Leaders of Tomorrow - Three Girl Scouts are awarded the Leaders of Tomorrow scholarship for exemplifying the core values and mission of Girl Scouts.

Jessica Castle - Strongsville High School

Sydney Harbor - GlenOak High School

Irenne Scherer - Bio-Med Science Academy

2024 Women of Distinction Awards Luncheon 

Date:

Thursday May 16, 2024

Time: 

Luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m. 

Location:

InterContinental Hotel Cleveland, at 9801 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio, 44106

Complimentary Parking:

Valet parking (first come, first serve), or self parking at the Cleveland Clinic parking garage, located on the corner of Carnegie and 100th street, are complimentary for this event. Skyway connects parking garage to hotel. Parking validation tickets will be available at check in.

Menu:

Chicken Entree (Gluten-Free): Herb Roasted Chicken Breast with Chardonnay Cream, Boursin Whipped Potatoes, Asparagus and Baby Carrot

Vegetarian/Vegan Entree (Gluten-Free): Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Bell Pepper Coulis and Crispy Onions

Registration is open until May 9, 2024

Dress is business. 

Event end time is 1:30 p.m. 

All funds raised by the Women of Distinction Awards Luncheon benefit the Girl Scout Leadership Experience for 18,000 girls throughout the 18-county footprint of Girl Scouts of North East Ohio (GSNEO) council. 

Fun, friendship and new adventures are what Girl Scouts is all about. Girls make new friends, challenge themselves, write their own stories, and take action to change the world for the better.

How? Through the Girl Scout Leadership Experience:

Girl-led:

Girl Scouts follow their own lead, no matter their age. From selecting the badges they'll pursue to how they'll organize an activity, Girl Scouts have the chance to follow their dreams and grow their skills-and the confidence that comes with that.

Learning by Doing:

Hands-on activities are fun for Girl Scouts of any age, but they also help them feel empowered to shape their own experience. Girl Scouts unlock their "I got this" attitude as they discover they can always dust themselves off and try again when things don't go according to plan.

Cooperative Learning: 

There's power in having a tight-knit group of friends who will learn with you, grow with you, and always cheer you on. Girl Scouts see firsthand that teamwork, respect, and collaboration can fuel them through any challenge that comes their way.

Activities in the Girl Scout Leadership Experience focus on four key areas:

- Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)
- Outdoors
- Life Skills
- Entrepreneurship 

Your generosity makes a world of difference to the girls, supporting camperships, travel scholarships, programming, and more. 

History of the Women of Distinction Awards Luncheon

The annual Girl Scouts of North East Ohio (GSNEO) Women of Distinction Awards Luncheon was established in 2012 to celebrate and recognize women in Northeast Ohio who go above and beyond to make our communities better places to live and work. GSNEO's Women of Distinction embody the core values of Girl Scouts and provide girls with positive role models.

In 2014, the Advancing Women Award was added to honor organizations demonstrating a strong commitment to advancing women in the workplace. In 2015, three annual Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarships were added to recognize GSNEO Girl Scouts who display exceptional promise to become tomorrow's leaders.