Andee wins the Women of Achievement Award in Art

The following story was taken from the Bowling Green Daily News article:
A glittering crowd of about 200 warmly applauded winners Thursday night at the Bowling Green Human Rights Commission 15th annual Women of Achievement Awards, held this year at the Sloan Convention Center.

Winners reacted with delight and gratitude for the awards honoring their personal victories and generous contributions to the community.

“Oh, this is awesome! This is the best place anyone could ever be, here with all these women!” said Rose Davis Thomas, who took home the Women Reaching Higher trophy.

Afterward, as the honorees posed for group portraits, she chatted excitedly with local artist Andee Rudloff, who won the Arts award. Thomas eagerly anticipated the formal dinner as a chance to make new friends and contacts, she said.

Those sentiments were shared by winners, including Romanza Johnson, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

“It's a pleasure to see the many people gathered together to honor volunteers in our community,” said Johnson, a civic volunteer for decades.

“I feel very honored and humbled to have been nominated, and to win this,” she said. “People in this community are very good to let me do what I do.”

Mistress of ceremonies and WKYU-TV host Barbara Deeb, Warren County Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon and Bowling Green Mayor Elaine Walker declared their gratitude for having so many local women whose service in varied fields improves the lives of all area residents.

“It was a great honor to be nominated. I'm just speechless - I don't know what to say,” said Woman of the Year Judy Towe.

Linda Strite Murnane, executive director of the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights, said she was delayed on her way to the banquet, but determined to come.

“This is the premier Women's History Month event in the Commonwealth of Kentucky,” Murnane said.

Warren County Clerk Dorothy “Dot” Owens, named 2006's Woman of Distinction, said she was honored to be chosen from among numerous excellent nominees.

“It's fantastic. I didn't anticipate to win,” she said. “There were a lot of worthy ladies.”

After a presentation on women's rights from Girls Inc. and a performance by the Kaleidoscope Dance Troupe, the awards were handed out.

The Arts Award went to Rudloff, whose murals are sprinkled around downtown. She is an arts instructor at the Capitol Arts Center and curator of art displays at Nashville International Airport.

The Business Award was given to Donita Wimpee, who owns restaurants in Bowling Green and Smiths Grove, and helps with many local charitable organizations.

The Community Service Award this year went to Regina Gomez, who graduated from Western Kentucky University within four years of her arrival from Columbia. She now works for DTM Distributors and does much volunteer work with the Latino community.

The Elementary Education Award went home with Crystal Hardeman, a Western graduate working at the Housing Authority of Bowling Green.

The Middle Grades Education prize went to Tracy Williams, director of Project: AIMS, which helps about 60 minority students prepare for high school.

There were no nominees for this year's High School Education honor, Deeb said.

The College Education Award was given to Jacqueline Pope-Tarrence, an associate professor of psychology at Western, director of the Kentucky School Board Association and member of the Kentucky Commissioner of Education's Advisory Council.

The Entrepreneurship prize went to Maureen Mahaney, public information coordinator for LifeSkills and owner of a business supplying print materials for local nonprofits.

The Posthumous Achievement Award went to Lillian South, the first state bacteriologist, first person in Kentucky to get a master's degree in public health, founder of St. Joseph's Hospital in Bowling Green and author of a pioneering study of hookworm.

Cora Jane Spiller, who both presented and accepted South's award, announced the Warren County Medical Society is asking for a state historical marker for South.

The Science and Health Award was given to Vicki Weaver, manager for employee health services at Commonwealth Health Corp., where she oversees the health of 2,800 employees at four hospitals.

The Woman of Distinction, Owens, has worked in the Warren County Clerk's office since 1978 and was elected clerk in 2003. She's overseen several upgrades to the office.

The Women's First prize went to Leisha Carr, the first African-American woman to be communications center supervisor at the Bowling Green Police Department.

Women Reaching Higher winner Thomas is a graduate of the Reach Higher program. She became the first full-time woman in the Bowling Green Municipal Utilities Water-Sewer Operations Department, where she's done everything from unstopping sewers to updating databases.

The Woman of the Year prize went to Towe, who's been Barren River Area Safe Space Domestic Violence Shelter crisis counselor since 1990.

The Youth Achievement Award - which came with a $1,000 scholarship - went to Gambia Flemister, a tutor and Learning Center supervisor at the Housing Authority of Bowling Green, who finished a college degree while raising a daughter.

Lifetime Achievement Award winner Johnson was the first woman elected to the Farm Service Agency, first president of the Houchens Center for Women, and helped establish many local community-service organizations.

After the awards were announced, Bowling Green Human Rights Commission Executive Director Linda McCray called for recognition of all the women who, through various local organizations, gave aid to victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Murnane seconded that commendation on behalf of her two daughters who, as residents of western Louisiana, endured both storms.

McCray finished with a toast to “all of those women who came before us,” exceeding societal expectations and limitations.