In the Company of Women Awards

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Every March, in celebration of Women’s History Month, Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department, in partnership with the Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade and the Miami-Dade Commission for Women, present the In the Company of Women Awards ceremony to recognize Miami-Dade County women leaders and their contributions to this community. 

Created in 1989 during a tumultuous time in Miami where racial and ethnic tensions caused divisions in our community, the award was meant to help heal those wounds and bring the community together. Women like Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Yvonne Santa Maria, Athalie Range, Elizabeth Virrick and Alice Wainwright were the first set of trailblazers to be recognized for the role they played in paving new paths for women. For more than three decades, hundreds of women have joined this elite group of recipients. 

The In the Company of Women Awards Ceremony also highlights the work and contributions of The Women’s Park – a Miami-Dade County Park – which opened in 1992 to recognize and celebrate women’s impact and influences in society.  It is the first park in the nation of its kind, spearheaded by pioneer feminist Roxcy O’Neal Bolton, a coalition of women leaders, former Miami-Dade Mayor, the late Stephen P. Clark, and with the support of the Board of County Commissioners, it stands as a symbol of the trials and triumphs women have faced throughout the years.

The Women’s Park is home to the Girls Empowerment and Mentoring (G.E.M.) Summer Arts Camp, funded by The Children’s Trust, for girls ages 6-14, providing visual and performing arts and self-enrichment experiences, through classes and workshops in dance, musical theatre, music/chorus, painting, journalism, photography/videography, women’s history, community service, and leadership development.

Proceeds from In the Company of Women support the Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade and Miami-Dade County Parks’ programs, such as The Women’s Park’s Girls Empowerment and Mentoring (G.E.M.) Summer Arts Camp.  

2022 Winners

• Mayor’s Pioneer Award – Penny S. Shaffer, PhD, Market President, South Florida, Florida Blue
• Arts and Entertainment Award – Marjorie Hahn, Musical & Executive Director, South Florida Youth Symphony
• Business and Economics Award – My “Maggie” Vo, CFA, Managing General Partner and Chief Investment Officer, Fuel Venture Capital
• Communications and Literature Award – Nancy Ancrum, Editorial Page Editor, Miami Herald
• Education and Research Award – Caroline A. Lewis, Founder & Senior Climate Advisor, The Cleo Institute
• Government and Law Award – Elected – Honorable Eileen Higgins, Miami-Dade County Commissioner, District 5
• Government and Law Award – Non-elected – Darlene M. Fernandez, P.E., Assistant Director of Traffic Services, Traffic Signals and Signs Division,
• Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works
• Health and Human Services Award – Loreen Chant, President and Chief Executive Officer, Health Foundation of South Florida
• Science and Technology Award – Margaret A. Pericak-Vance, PhD, Director, John P. Hussman for Human Genomics and Executive Vice Chair, Dr. John
• T. Macdonald Foundation, Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami
• Sports and Athletics Award – Caroline O’Connor, Chief Operating Officer, Miami Marlins
• Young Professional Award – Loren Parra, Director of Public Affairs, The Miami Foundation
• Community Spirit Award – Kerry-Ann Royes, CEO, YWCA South Florida
  

2020 Winners 

• Mayor's Pioneer Award - Darlene Boytell-Pérez, ARNP, Co-Founder, Pérez Art Museum Miami
• Arts and Entertainment Award - Maria Banda-Rodaz, Executive Director, Area Stage Company
• Business and Economics Award - Nancy Batchelor, Sr. Vice President, EWM Realty International
• Communications and Literature Award - Griselle Marino, Communications and Media Director, Office of Community Advocacy, Board of County Commissioners
• Education and Research Award - Suzanna M. Rose, Ph.D., Founding Associate Provost, Office to Advance Women, Equity & Diversity (AWED), Florida International University
• Government and Law - Elected Official Award - Honorable Jeanette M. Nuñez, Lieutenant Governor, State of Florida
• Government and Law - Non-Elected Award - Christina White, Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections
• Health and Human Services Award - Ana ''Teri''Busse-Arvesu, Elderly and Disability Services, Miami-Dade County Community Action and Human Services Department
• Science and Technology Award - Yuk-Ching Tse-Dinh, Ph.D., Professor and founding director of the Biomolecular Sciences Institute and the Translational Molecular Discoveries program, Florida International University
• Sports and Athletics Award - Kerry Gruson, Co-founder and co-chair, ThumbsUp International
• Young Professional Award - Claudia Prado, National Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Empowerment, Univision Communications Inc.
• Community Spirit Award - Honorable Marie P. Woodson, Florida Representative, District 101, Miami-Dade County Administrator (retired), and former Chair of the Miami-Dade Commission for Women

2019 Winners

• Mayor’s Pioneer – Barbara Falsey, Ph.D, Retired Miami-Dade County Division Chief and Planner; author, editor, and architecture critic
• Mayor's Community Spirit – Ana VeigaMilton, Esq., President, Jose Milton Foundation
• Arts and Entertainment – Colleen Stovall, Founder and Producing Artistic Director, Florida Shakespeare Theater
• Business and Economics – Janet Kyle Altman, Marketing Principal, Kaufman Rossin
• Communications and Literature – Lissette Gonzalez, Meteorologist, CBS4
• Rising Star Community Spirit – Sabrina Cohen, Founder-President, Sabrina Cohen Foundation
• Education and Research – Ora L. Strickland, Ph.D., MSN, RN, FAAN, Dean, FIU College of Nursing & Health and Sciences
• Government and Law (Elected Official) – Honorable Ana Maria Rodriguez, Representative, Florida House of Representatives, District 105
• Government and Law (Non-Elected) –
  • Delma K. Noel-Pratt, Chief, City of Miami Gardens Police Department
  • Susan R. Windmiller, Government Affairs Analyst, Miami-Dade Police Department
• Health and Human Services – Rochelle A. Baer, M.S.W., L.C.S.W., Director of Leadership Training Initiatives, Mailman Center for Child Development, UM Miller School of Medicine
• Science and Technology –
  • Ranu Jung, Ph. D., Wallace H. Coulter Eminent Scholar Chair in Biomedical Engineering, Florida International University College of Engineering and Computing
  • Tatjana Rundek, M.D. Ph.D., Scientific Director of the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute and Evelyn F. McKnight Chair for Learning and Memory in Aging at the UM Miller School of Medicine
• Sports and Athletics – Isabella Rojas, Founder of Doña Pan (women’s cycling group) and Purchasing Manager, No Boundaries Sport, Coral Gables
• Young Professional – Maxeme Tuchman, CEO & Co-Founder, Caribu Inc.

2018

• Mayor's Pioneer – Honorable Enid Weisman, Mayor, City of Aventura
• Arts & Entertainment – Silvia Cubiñá, Director and Chief Curator, The Bass Museum of Art
• Business & Economics – Lakitsia Gaines, President, Lakitsia Gaines Insurance Agency, Inc.
• Communications & Literature – Sandra Peebles, Anchor & Broadcast Journalist, Univision 23
• Education and Research – Joanna Lombard, Architect/Professor, University of Miami School of Architecture; University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Department of Public Health Sciences
• Government and Law (Elected Official) – Honorable Shelley Kravitz (Aug. 9, 1953 - Jan. 2, 2018), Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court Judge, County Civil Division
• Government and Law (Non-Elected) – Aliette DelPozo Rodz, Litigation Attorney/Partner, Shutts & Bowen LLP
• Health and Human Services – two winners: Catherimarty (Cathy) Burgos, LCSW Division Director of Operations, Miami-Dade County Juvenile Services Department; and Dr. Giselle Guerra, Medical Director of Transplant Services and Living Donor Kidney Program, Miami Transplant Institute; Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
• Science & Technology – Veronique Koch, Producer/Filmmaker, Vero Productions/South Florida PBS/Frost Science Museum
• Sports & Athletics – Caron B. Schiffman, Physical Education Instructor/Coach, Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School
• Young Professional (New) – Honorable Patricia D. Fairclough, Vice Mayor, City of Homestead
• Community Spirit – Marile Lopez, Philanthropist, Miami Children's Hospital Foundation, American Cancer Society, American Red Cross and others

2017

• Mayor's Pioneer - Carol Kruse, director, Zoo Miami
• Arts & Entertainment - Nannette Zapata, COO and art curator, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
• Business & Economics Patricia Nelson, regional head of strategic accounts, AvMed
• Education and Research - Dr. Lenore Rodicio, executive vice president and provost, Miami-Dade College
• Government and Law (Elected Official) Honorable Nushin Sayfie, Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court judge, Criminal Division; and Honorable Angelica Zayas, Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court judge, Juvenile Division
• Government and Law (Non-Elected) - Dr. Emma Lew, director and Medical Examiner, Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner Department
• Health and Human Services - Annie Neasman, MS, RN, president and CEO, Jessie Trice Community Health Center, Inc.
• Science & Technology - Dr. Yesim Darici, director, FIU Center for Women's and Gender Studies
• Sports & Athletics - Leslie Nixon, J.D., Ed.D., director, Government and Community Affairs, Miami Dolphins LTD/Miami Dolphins Foundation.
• Posthumous - Julie Kay, journalist, Daily Business Review
• Community Spirit - Maria M. Blet, chair of the Women's Leadership Council, United Way Worldwide / United Way of Miami-Dade

List of all past winners