Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum receives the 2012 Woman of Achievement Award at the 29th Annual YWCA Salute to Women of Achievement Luncheon

Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum receives the 2012 Woman of Achievement Award

at the 29^th Annual YWCA Salute to Women of Achievement Luncheon

ATLANTA –On May 9, 2012, the YWCA of Greater Atlanta honored Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, president of Spelman College as its 2012 Woman of Achievement along with ten esteemed Atlanta women at its signature event.   The 29^th Annual Salute to Women of Achievement luncheon raised over $320,000 to continue in its efforts to enhance the YWCA of Greater Atlanta programs and the visibility of the organization’s mission in Atlanta.     Sponsors included Georgia Power, The Atlanta Journal - Constitution, The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, Newell Rubbermaid, Verizon Wireless and UPS among other prominent Atlanta companies.

The following women joined Tatum in the Academy of Women Achievers:  Kim Anderson, Chief Executive Officer, Families First; Amy G. Brady, Chief Information Officer, Key Bank, Kelly Dolan, Executive Director, Susan G. Komen for the Cure Greater Atlanta; Terri Badour Duckett, Chief Executive Officer, American Red Cross of Georgia and the Metropolitan Chapter; Donna W. Hyland, President and Chief  Executive Officer, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta; Glenda Blum Minkin, Development Consultant; Brenda Muhammad, Executive Director, Victim Assistance Program; Leslie Sibert, Vice President of Distribution, Georgia Power Company; Noni Ellison Southall, Senior Counsel, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.; and Lottie Watkins, Community Activist. 

The theme of this year’s Salute event “When you Educate a Woman, you Educate a Family”, exemplified the work of this great organization that has been a staple in the Atlanta community for many years.  Founded on the campus of Spelman College 110 years ago, the YWCA of Greater Atlanta continues to create visions beyond the restricted traditional paths of past generations of women and pay tribute to women making strides in Atlanta and beyond.  YWCA of Greater Atlanta CEO, Justine Boyd says, “we all have a collective responsibility to provide a foundation of support and education so much more - to the women and girls who don’t have access to mentors, stable parents, safe environments, quality education, and healthcare”. Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, president of Spelman College, was the ideal choice for the 2012 Woman of Achievement due to her commendable work in education and race relations.  Boyd described Tatum as “Awesome, Awesome, Awesome”.

Over 800 friends and supporters attended the event and were greeted with pomp and circumstance from the Westlake High School drum line, YWCA Board of Directors and past Academy honorees and members.  Guests were also entertained by the Spelman College Glee Club singing “A Choice to Change the World” led by Latrice Pace and a performance by a collaborative team of steppers from Spelman College and Westlake High School. 

The crowd was brought to tears by the testimony of a single mother of four in the YWCA Women in Transition program who came from homelessness to obtaining a position as a teacher in the Atlanta Public School system.  She gives credit to the YWCA’s Women in Transition program for equipping her with the tools and resources to get back on her feet and provide for her family.  She says, “The Women in Transition program has helped me stabilize my family’s finances and I am paying off some bills and building my credit. I am in conversation with a mortgage banker and expect to be a home owner by the end of 2012.”

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed extended his appreciation for the outstanding contributions of the YWCA of Greater Atlanta and its continued aim to carry out its mission of eliminating racism and empowering women.  Reed said, “We have all been influenced by some woman in our lifetime that has shaped us into who we are today.”  Reed has been instrumental during his term to hire several women and place them in key leadership roles in his cabinet.

  

About YWCA of Greater Atlanta:

YWCA of Greater Atlanta is a not-for-profit organization that provides social services, advocacy, education and leadership development. It is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Established on the Spelman College campus in 1902, the YWCA of Greater Atlanta has six key programs: Women in Transition, Teen Girls in Technology, Early Learning Academy, After School Learning Academy, EncorePlus and Racial Justice. It is a member of World YWCA, which is comprised of YWCA’s in 106 countries around the globe. Visit www.ywcaatlanta.org.