Last Wednesday night, the capital city shined a spotlight on the achievements of women as Mayor Muriel Bowser honored nine leaders at the Washington Women of Excellence Awards, marking the culmination of Women's History Month, according to dc.gov. Recognizing a diverse group of women for their contributions and influence in various sectors, from healthcare to small business, each awardee took to the stage amidst applause and admiration from peers.
The lineup of honorees chosen by Mayor Bowser and other senior officials from nominations put forth by the DC Commission for Women and the Mayor’s Office on Women’s Policy and Initiatives included Melanie Adams, the interim director of Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum, Beverly J. Anderson, Ph.D., who leads the Metropolitan Police Employee Assistance Program, and Barbara Lee Bass, MD, the top official at George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Mayor Bowser during the ceremony stressed the importance of the awardees' roles not just in their respective fields but also in the larger narrative of DC’s revitalization effort, "Together, we are honoring nine women who are not only moving big ideas forward, but are also empowering and uplifting other women with their work," Bowser stated.
The ceremony also honored Lena Bradley, who owns Capitol Coiffure, Madia Brown, the entrepreneur behind Brandire, and Delia Gonçalves, a familiar face on WUSA9 as a reporter and weekend anchor. Each of these women has made an indelible mark on their niches, and as the Mayor highlighted, they serve as pillars and inspiration for both the current and coming generations of women and girls in the DC area.
Other awardees included Anita L.A. Jenkins helming Howard University Hospital, Tonya Kinlow who heads community engagement at Children's National, and economist Jade Womack who founded Clockout DC, with Natasha Dupee, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Women’s Policy and Initiatives saying, “The District has a rich history of women taking necessary steps to improve the status of our shared realities,” heralding the month-long event as a call to recognize and encourage female leadership and participation across the spectrum. Women’s History Month serves as an opportunity for revival such that all DC women may be reminded of opportunities for them to stand for something, may it be in the arts small business or community advocacy, women are actively supporting DC’s Comeback.
