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May 16, 2008
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE First Lady Honors Winners, Nominees of First Lady AwardsJEFFERSON CITY - First Lady Melanie Blunt today honored the nominees and winners of the inaugural First Lady Awards at a ceremony at the Missouri Governor’s Mansion. "Thousands of Missouri women make a difference every day in our communities, our state, and our nation," Mrs. Blunt said. "Today I am honored to recognize the five winners and the hundreds of outstanding nominees for the First Lady Awards. All of these remarkable women are making history and setting a tremendous example for woman leaders of tomorrow." "The First Lady Awards were created to honor a few of the inspirational women whose lives and contributions are making a significant and lasting impact on our state," Mrs. Blunt said. "Today, we honor contemporary women in five areas: Business & Innovation, Culture & Humanities, Education, Health & Wellness, and Volunteerism. These Missouri women follow in the footsteps of previous generations who succeeded in these areas." The following women are the recipients of the 2008 inaugural First Lady Awards: Business and Innovation: Judy L. Burns – St. Charles Ms. Judy L. Burns is President of Patriot Machine, Inc., in St. Charles, MO, and is responsible for Patriot’s business, financial, and administrative management. Patriot Machine is a defense contractor that Judy and her husband began in 1991 as a small Numerical Control Programming firm in their home. Today, Patriot employs 116 employees, and 2007 sales figures topped $16 million. Patriot’s customers are leaders in the aerospace industry, including its largest customer, The Boeing Company. Patriot Machine is classified as a Woman-Owned Small Business, which is 51 percent owned and actively managed by a woman. Judy’s passion and sense of patriotism have led to the success of Patriot, which competes on national and international levels. Judy takes satisfaction in knowing that many of Patriot’s contracts involve our country’s national defense, contributing to America’s strength and prosperity. Culture and Humanities: Naoma Powell – Columbia Ms. Naoma Powell has dedicated her career, personal savings, and entire life to the goal of serving all persons through the arts, no matter their ability, disability, or economic status. Naoma founded Access Arts – School of Service in Columbia, MO, in 1982 to encourage creativity and provide opportunities for all people to experience and participate in art. Part of Access Arts’ mission statement is “to elevate all people, of whatever circumstance, to a higher level of creativity in which art becomes a threshold to life.” Naoma directed Access Arts and helped it grow from 28 students in its first year to more than 2,000 students in 2005 when she retired. She devoted an average of 60-80 hours every week for more than 20 years. In her years of service to and teaching at Access Arts, Naoma took no monetary compensation and in fact donated her personal savings and deeded her inheritance to the school. Education: Jahnae H. Barnett, Ph.D. – Fulton Dr. Jahnae Barnett is President of William Woods University in Fulton. She became the first female President of the university in 1990 and has been part of the William Woods community since 1973. During Dr. Barnett’s tenure, William Woods has changed from a small, single-campus, rural women’s college with an approximate 300 student enrollment into a statewide, co-educational university that serves more than 3,000 students with three permanent campuses and an additional 100 Graduate and Adult Studies programs across Missouri. Dr. Barnett’s career at William Woods has focused on healthy growth, and she has secured a large number of new and renovated buildings on the main campus, increases in alumni giving, an increased endowment, and numerous other program expansions and improvements in areas like graduate programs, study abroad opportunities, cooperative study programs, and satellite facilities. Health and Wellness: Cynthia B. Teas, RN, BSN – Purdy Ms. Cynthia (Cyndy) Teas is the Co-Founder and Director of Development and Health Services for Camp Barnabas in Purdy, MO. Driven by their compassion for people with cancer, Cyndy and her husband, Paul, established Camp Barnabas in 1995, a summer program that allows more than 1,200 campers with all types of special needs – including physical and developmental disabilities, autism, chronic or life-threatening illnesses, loss of sight or hearing, and traumatic burns – to enjoy all the typical camp experiences in a setting conducive to their special medical needs. Cyndy has served in multiple roles at Camp Barnabas, including nursing, staff/volunteer recruitment, management, cooking, communications, and fundraising. Cyndy spends each day as an advocate for people with disabilities, successfully pursuing legislation to benefit nonprofit organizations and working for increased employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Volunteerism: Rosemary Wick – Clayton Ms. Rosemary Wick founded the St. Andrew’s Resources for Seniors (STARS) Friends organization in 2002 in Clayton, MO, to help meet the basic needs of at-risk seniors and improve the overall quality of their lives through fundraising for St. Andrew’s. The STARS Friends organization has grown to more than 200 members, helping to raise more than $600,000 to date. In addition to raising financial resources for St. Andrew’s, Rosemary has been instrumental in enriching the quality of life for low-income seniors living in St. Andrew’s subsidized communities through charitable gifts. Recently, Rosemary established a new charitable fund called Geneva’s Friends, named after her late housekeeper who lost her life in a house fire started by a space heater. Geneva’s Friends helps provide services for local seniors such as home assessments designed to decrease the risk of accidents; assistance with housework, personal care, and transportation; and nursing care and clinical oversight. Mrs. Blunt created the First Lady Awards to celebrate Missouri women who are making history in the five categories of Business and Innovation, Culture and Humanities, Education, Health and Wellness, and Volunteerism as part of Women’s History Month in March. A committee appointed by the Missouri Women’s Council evaluated the more than 300 nominations. The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry is proud to support the inaugural First Lady Awards. ###
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