WOMEN FOR DIVERSITY AWARDS RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED

On Thursday, November 1, 2007 three area women were honored for their work toward bridging the cultural gap within their communities during the Women for Diversity Awards Luncheon.  The event took place at the Rock Garden Banquet & Conference Center.  This year’s award recipients include Jeanne Agneesens, Leadership Green Bay Program Manager, Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, Gema García, Coordinator of the Multi Cultural Center , Northeast Wisconsin Technical College , and Anna Steinfest, Vice President – Private Client Group, US Bank.  

Jeanne Agneesens, Program Manager of Leadership Green Bay has been an employee of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce for the past thirteen years.  In this role Jeanne has the opportunity to work with, educate and teach the leaders of Green Bay to take pride in their community through education.  This 9 month intense program not only incorporates a diversity component but also prepares emerging leaders for community involvement.   Jeanne truly leads by example and is very involved in the community.  She has been a 28-year member of the Izaak Walton Conservation League of America.  She was involved in the establishment of the Coalition to Promote Respect in 2000 and has been instrumental in bringing Diversity Circles to the Green Bay area by serving on the planning committee.  She has served on the United Way Impact Council for the past four years and in 2005 was nominated and chosen as one of the 50 People You Should Know in Brown County. 

Gema García is an enthusiastic and energetic role model for people of all races.  Through her work at the Multi Cultural Center of Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Gema García has made a huge impact in the programming and support opportunities offered to persons of diverse backgrounds.  In her position with NWTC, Gema promotes life long education and helps minority students to achieve their educational goals.  Gema earned her Masters Degree in Management of Organizational Behavior from Silver Lake College this past May.  Her energy and enthusiasm for learning and giving has touched hundreds of NWTC students and staff.  Gema is also a volunteer at St. Willebrord Church, where she began 14 years ago by helping the parish in the early years of welcoming Spanish-speaking parishioners.   Gema is also the primary coordinator of the Hispanic Independence Day Parade and Festival where one of the primary goals of the parade is to bring together not only people of the many different Spanish-speaking countries who celebrate their Independence days in September but also to welcome people of all cultures from throughout Northeast Wisconsin.

 Anna Steinfest came to the United States from Bulgaria in 1996.  She is fluent in Bulgarian, English, and Russian and has a working knowledge of Serbian/Macedonian and French.  Anna is a Vice President with US Bank in the Private Client Group.  She addresses the needs of private banking clients, especially business that are minority owned, women owned or disable owned.  In this capacity, she helps small business owners understand the banking industry and develop good business skills. Anna is a volunteer facilitator and advisor for the Brown County Diversity Circles.  She serves on both the Diversity Committee of the New North and the Diversity Committee of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce.    Anna is also the chair of the committee that created the New North’s People, Possibilities and Progress Award and Self-evaluation Tool, which recognizes and supports the New North businesses and organizations that embrace and celebrate diversity.  .

The Fifth Annual Women for Diversity Awards Luncheon will took place on Thursday, November 1, 2007 at the Rock Garden Banquet & Conference Center. The featured speaker of the afternoon was Carolina Bacelis, a local English as a second language teacher for the Green Bay Public Schools.  For more information on the award recipients, or the Women for Diversity Awards Luncheon, please contact Beth Hrubesky with the Girl Scouts of Lac Baie Council, at 920-469-4860 x13 or 800-236-4475 x13.