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14 women to be honored for improving others' lives

Providence Journal

LINCOLN — Fourteen local women will be honored at an awards ceremony on Wednesday for their efforts to improve the lives of women, girls and people of color. The YWCA Northern Rhode Island is hosting the 5th annual Tools of the Trade Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Kirkbrae Country Club and will present Women of Achievement Awards to educators, coaches, legislators, business leaders, grassroots organizers, lawyers and advocates for their efforts to promote women’s rights, economic well-being and safety.
The 14 honorees are:
•Clarice L. Thompson, music educator and composer; artist-in-residence at the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School.
•Shanna Wells, director of the Rhode Island Commission on Women.
•Margaret “Digit” Murphy, Brown University women’s hockey head coach
•State Rep. Donna M. Walsh, D-Charlestown.
•Lisa Bergeron, motivational speaker and president of Leading Women SENE.
•Yvonne Freeman, medical management team leader, Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island.
•Paige Clausius-Parks, advisor and teacher at the Met Center.
•Kathleen A. Taylor, co-chairwoman for Healthy Families Initiative at the Rhode Island Council for Muslim Advancement.
•Nancy Rafi, executive director of the Rhode Island Crisis Assistance Center.
•Ana Giron, director of victim services for the Department of Attorney General.
•Tracy C. Baran, counselor-at-law at Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP; board member for the R.I. Women’s Bar Association.
•Mary-Kim Arnold, executive director of the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities.
•Valerie Tutson, executive director of the Rhode Island Black Storytellers.
•Karen Feldman, co-director of Young Voices; contributes to YWCA Northern Rhode Island’s Parenting in Progress program.

The awards luncheon costs $50. For more details or to purchase tickets, visit www.womenofachievementri.org, or call Lisa Piscatelli at (401) 769-7450.