21 Nov Lee Williams Named the 2023 Woman Volunteer of the Year
Lee Williams of 211 Palm Beach and Treasure Coast was named the 2023 Woman Volunteer of the Year at the 36th annual luncheon and fashion show hosted by the Junior League of Boca Raton (JLBR). The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Betsy Owen of the Rotary Club of Delray Beach.
Nonprofits from across South Florida nominated one of their top volunteers to be considered for Woman Volunteer of the Year. The nominees were honored and the recipients were named at the luncheon on November 10 at The Boca Raton.
Lee Williams has been committed to making a difference in Palm Beach County for years. Since volunteering from a young age, Lee has been deeply immersed in the local community. Over the years, Lee decided that she wanted to do more than volunteering by taking on roles that allowed her to make a difference. Lee has been instrumental in the growth of 211 Palm Beach and Treasure Coast where she serves as board Chair. She has coordinated food drives, mentored children, provided hurricane relief, lent professional guidance to nonprofits, and has been a critical leader in the capital campaign for 211’s new building. Lee’s colleagues describe her as one who’s leadership style favors impact over visibility. She is a force multiplier, connecting local and state resources to build a better community.
Betsy Owens has taken on each officer position in the Rotary Club of Delray Beach before becoming Governor of District 6930 where she is responsible for 52 clubs from Titusville to Boca Raton. She has been recognized for the impact she has made by the Rotary Club with ‘Rotarian of the Year’ in 2000, 2005 and 2022. Betsy is a dedicated leader in the community and has made a significant difference in the lives of many around the globe as she is also involved with several international nonprofits. Betsy’s motto since childhood is “When man goes about the business of helping his fellow man, he is both alive and well.”
The nominees for Woman Volunteer of the Year were:
Elaine Abrams, Jewish Association for Residential Care (JARC); Amy Adaniel, Alzheimer’s Association Southeast Florida Chapter; Amy Aronowitz, The Soup Kitchen of Boynton Beach; Judi Asselta, National Society of Arts & Letters – Florida East Coast Chapter; Ashley Bacon, Alzheimer’s Brain Bowl; Mara Benjamin, Israel Cancer Association USA; Katie Miller Busch, Habilitation Center for the Handicapped, Inc; Nancy Chanin, EJS Project; Kim Champion, Rotary Club Downtown Boca Raton; ; Pamela Coffey, Lynn University Friends of the Conservatory of Music Board; Susan Diener, Spirit of Giving Network; Mary Donnell, Place of Hope at the Leighan and David Rinker Campus; Nicole Flier, Boca Raton Police Foundation; Marianne Forrest, CROS Ministries; ; Dre Garcia, The Diaper Bank Covering South Florida; Donna Glenn, United Way of Palm Beach County; Ellen Gorringe, Dress for Success Palm Beaches; JoAnne Greiser, Impact 100 Palm Beach County; Wendy Hasselman, Boca Ballet Theatre; Sharon Hill, Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County;; Bonnie Kaye, College of Arts and Letters at FAU; Janet Kranich, Holy Ground PBC; Zoe Lanham, Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum; Ellen Leibovitch, Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County; Kathryn Leonard, Wayside House, Inc; Cristina Lewis, Sweet Dream Makers, Inc; Rebecca Lourido, Junior League of the Palm Beaches; Fernanda Macedo, Women’s Executive Club of South Palm Beach County; Victoria Matthews, Junior League of Boca Raton; Tarra Pressey Moten, HomeSafe; Claudia Mineyi Nichols, Hispanic Entrepreneur Initiative; Lynne Ogren, Boca Helping Hands; Betsy Owen, Rotary Club of Delray Beach; Isabel Parrado, American Association of Caregiving Youth, Inc; Julie Peyton, Women of Tomorrow. Pamela Polani, Florence Fuller Child Development Center; Vicki Pugh, Philanthropy Tank; Ana Maria Restrepo, Debbie Rand Memorial Service League, Inc; Jackie Reeves, YMCA of South Palm Beach County; Claudia Rodney, Eat Better Live Better; Kristen Ross-Majhess, In The Pines, Inc; Danielle Rosse, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Palm Beach County; Bonnie Schweiger, Adolph & Rose Levis Jewish Community Center; ; Lynn Travis Stender, Best Foot Forward Foundation; Missy Tschappat, Edna W. Runner Tutorial Center; Christine Turner, Junior Achievement of South Florida; Andrea Virgin, George Snow Scholarship Fund; Lee Williams, 211 Palm Beach and Treasure Coast; and Aubrey McCutchen Zeigler, Unicorn Children’s Foundation.
Margaret L. Blume served as the honorary chair and Nancy Dockerty was the event chair.
“Lee Williams and Betsy Owens are an inspiration to our community. We were thrilled to honor these truly deserving women,” said Meghan Shea, President of the Junior League. “We are so grateful to the support of our community in recognizing women volunteers.”
The JLBR partnered with the Boca Raton Regional Hospital Foundation and Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health & Wellness Institute as the Award Sponsor. The Boca Raton produced a state-of-the-art runway show that entertained and inspired guests during the luncheon. The Boca Raton Regional Hospital Foundation and Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health & Wellness Institute hosted this year’s kickoff event. The event program sponsor was 4EverYoung Delray. The media sponsor was Boca Raton Magazine.
Additional sponsors included Amy and Mike Kazma, Margaret L. Blume, Boca By Design, Feinstein Dermatology and Plastic Surgery, the GEO Group, James and Marta Batmasian Family Foundation, Joni and Al Goldberg, Harbor Financial Group at Morgan Stanley, Paradise Bank, Peggy Van Dorp, Sharon DiPietro, Pence Financial Group, Kathy and Paul Adkins, Robin Deyo, Ronnie’s Strikes Cigar Lounge, Rubin Obstgarten Family Foundation, Adolph & Rose Levis Jewish Community Center, SAKS Fifth Avenue, and Wanda Harrold.
The Woman Volunteer of the year Committee members included Elizabeth Applewhite, Marisa Beck, Francesca Giraldo, Clarissa Gleichenhaus, Pattie Goldenberg, Anne Grigsby, Gina Gubana, Kelly Humke, Cheryl Marcus, Victoria Matthews, Marina McCleneghen, Kristen McElwee, Lise Orr, Tara Patton, Barbara Sageman, Caroline Smith, Nicole Snyder, Shanna St. John, Tracie Swanson, Haley Winstead, Daphney Hoover, Cristy Stewart- Harfman, Kim Sapashe, Jocelyn Mijares, Khris Kellerman, Hanna Bradley, Lois Ronan, Nancy Walsh, Robin Deyo, Cindy Krebsbach, and Lisa Mulhall.
The Woman Volunteer of the Year Luncheon celebrates outstanding women in the community nominated by nonprofit organizations throughout Palm Beach County and Northern Broward County for their dedication and expertise as volunteers, as well as the work they do to further the missions of the organizations they serve.
For more information, email wvoy@jlbr.org or visit jlbr.org or call 561-620-2553.
About the Junior League of Boca Raton
The Junior League’s focus areas are Child Welfare and Community Support.
Throughout the year, JLBR members will contribute more than 35,000 volunteer hours and donate more than $250,000 to support our mission of training volunteers, developing the potential of women and improving the South Florida community. To learn more about the JLBR, please contact the JLBR office at 561-620-2553 or visit www.JLBR.org. Connect with us on facebook.com/
