Women of Distinction is a community-wide annual celebration of purpose-driven female leaders across a 42-parish service area benefitting Girl Scouts of Louisiana – Pines to the Gulf. Women of Distinction is a unique event that highlights and honors the outstanding accomplishments local women have achieved through the four pillars of Girl Scouting: STEM, Life Skills, Outdoors, and Entrepreneurship. Each year, our council calls upon the public to identify women who exemplify excellence in service, leadership, community visibility, and professionalism. These women, like Girl Scouts, are dedicated to service and leadership and exemplify positive values. These role models inspire local Girl Scouts to achieve their own goals and dreams. Proceeds of this charitable event fund the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, which helps Girl Scouts grow into the female leaders of tomorrow.
There are two Women of Distinction Luncheons being held in 2024, one in Lafayette, LA and one in Shreveport, LA. The women that will be recognized at each of the luncheons are as follows:
Lafayette Women of Distinction | Tuesday, September 17th, 2024
Heather Blanchard: President and CEO of United Way of Acadiana
Dr. Gwendolyn Hollinger: LPSS Social Worker and Owner of SupaNova STAR Services
Charity Lewis: President and Founder of Magnolia Kids Club
Ayesha Martin: Lead Trauma Registrar of Trauma Services at Lafayette General and President of Lafayette Junior League
Stacey Knight Mejia: Owner of Acadiana Karate and Stacey’s Optimal Health
Karli Sherman: Owner of Karli Sherman Productions
Roslyn White: Mayor of Abbeville
Shreveport Women of Distinction | Thursday, September 19th, 2024
Gisele Proby-Bryant: Former Director of Special Education and Federal Programs within BPSS
Dr. Heather Carpenter: Executive Director of the Institute for Nonprofit Administration and Research at Louisiana State University - Shreveport
Dr. Tiffany George: Nurse Practitioner at Willis Knighton and owner of Care Partners of Shreveport-Bossier
Alex Person: Director of Community Engagement at Volunteers for Youth Justice
Kristen Powers: Executive Director at The Arc Caddo-Bossier
LaToria Thomas: President and CEO of United Way of Northwest Louisiana
Dr. Regina Webb: Caddo Parish Tax Assessor
Felecia Williams: Owner and Director of My Spa My Way and Spa Blu by My Spa My Way
While this event was established to recognize local women, Girl Scouts of Louisiana – Pines to the Gulf did not want to overlook the value that men in our community bring to Girl Scouting. Therefore, at each of our events, we honor one ‘Man Enough to be a Girl Scout’. This man is elected through the same rigorous nomination process and is chosen based on how closely his community impact reflects the Girl Scout mission. This year’s ‘Man Enough to be a Girl Scout’ Lafayette award will go to Hilton Waits, 4-H Agent at LSU AgCenter. The Shreveport ‘Man Enough to be a Girl Scout’ award will go to Victor Thomas, the Caddo Commissioner for District 3.
The Lafayette Women of Distinction event will take place on Tuesday, September 17th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the ULL Student Union Ballroom. You can purchase tickets for this event here: https://womenofdistinctionsouth24.rsvpify.com/?securityToken=eFcAvFExvf2f0LC51gYlGlMqx39HQYTe
The Shreveport Women of Distinction event will take place on Thursday, September 19th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the LSUS Student Union Ballroom. You can purchase tickets for this event here: https://womenofdistinctionnorth24.rsvpify.com/?securityToken=1cu3XqOtoIl9o0aGus891rS0zIngHTXF
For more information on the Women of Distinction luncheons including honoree information, sponsorship details, and more, visit the GSLPG Women of Distinction website here: https://www.gslpg.org/en/support-us/Women_of_Distinction.html
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About Girl Scouts of Louisiana Pines to the Gulf
We are a chartered council with Girl Scouts of the USA, supporting nearly 6,000 girls in partnership with close to 2,000 volunteers. We service 42 parishes in Louisiana, west of the Mississippi River, through council-sponsored girl program and activities, local resources and support, and adult learning opportunities. The headquarters is in Lafayette as well as a location in Shreveport.
