By WJBC Staff
NORMAL – YWCA McLean County honored eight Women of Distinction at its annual awards dinner Tuesday at the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center.
A record 48 women were nominated this year.
Business – Meta Mickens-Baker
In 1985, Meta Mickens-Baker earned a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University then earned a Certificate in Secondary Education. Over her 28-year career at State Farm, Meta has relocated to offices in Bloomington, IL and Ballston Spa, NY to fill positions in Life/Health, Human Resources, and Diversity and Inclusion. Her positions have included 19 years in management, and currently, she is an Enterprise Recruiter. Meta held regional and national positions in the field of Diversity and Inclusion, which were inaugural roles in developing and implementing State Farm’s diversity and inclusion initiatives. She represented State Farm on a panel at The Conference Board’s National Conference on Diversity in 2004. Disappointed with the lack of national and local financial and other resources for public education, when Meta moved to the private sector, she made a personal commitment to help teachers have the resources she wished for.
Creative Arts & Entertainment – Ann Bastian White
Ann Bastian White obtained a bachelor’s and master’s degree in education from Illinois State University. Her first four years of teaching were in Chicago Heights elementary schools. She has taught several different classes from multiple age groups. Since 2003, Ann has been a member of the Heartland Theatre board where she presented the unique idea of an acting troupe for seniors. She has taken groups to assisted living centers to perform as well as general public performances. An accomplished actress in her own right, Ann has appeared on two community stages: Heartland and Community Players. Professional directors cast her in a wide variety of roles again and again. She also has portrayed historic characters as a member of two acting groups, and in numerous plays and pageants at churches.
Education – Stacey Hardin
Stacey Hardin is an assistant professor of special education at Illinois State University (ISU). She grew up in a low-income urban neighborhood in North Carolina and was not exposed to a great deal of opportunities in her teens. She fought through adversity in order to reach her dreams and set an example for her young daughter. After successfully completing her doctorate, Stacey accepted her current position at Illinois State University. Stacey serves on the larger university-wide diversity task force which reports directly to the president and the provost. This task force has made recommendations that would continue to make ISU a welcoming space for students, faculty, and staff. She serves as a role model for students of color in the classroom, through activism and service.
Professions – Cathy Woods
Cathy “Cat” Woods received her bachelor degree in accounting from the University of Illinois. She became a stay at home mom and started a service out of her home, providing CPA level services to companies who normally wouldn’t be able to afford CPA services. She was part of an outreach ministry for mothers at home to help them establish non-profit status and assist in the development of database software. She then accepted a position with Chestnut Health Systems, where she was able to serve as a mentor for women around the world. Currently, Cat works at Community Cancer Center as the director of finance and business operations. In this role, she works with international college interns, giving them real-world business experience. When the Community Cancer Center decided to expand the building, Cat dedicated her time to serve on the expansion project team. She serves in Rotary International, WGLT, Chamber of Commerce, Boys & Girls Club, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, and much more! She is dedicated to empowering others and growing the community intellectually.
Social Services – Faye Freeman-Smith
Faye Freeman-Smith is the CEO of the Counseling Resource Center and has dedicated her life to bringing awareness about issues, such as mental health, in the community. She graduated from Norfolk University with a degree in Psychology and received her master’s degree from Northern Illinois in community mental health. Faye is also the director of student counseling services at Heartland Community College. She offers services with face-to-face or online counseling, mental health training and clinical supervision. She is also the national advisor to t to the Higher Education Mental Health Alliance. She has worked with judges, lawyers and law students to provide counseling assistance as well. She serves on the National Board for Certified Counselors and focuses on how she can produce excellent performance and data-driven, innovative program outcomes.
Harriett F. Rust Volunteer Service – Shelleigh Birlingmair
Shelleigh Birlingmair graduated from Eastern State University with a degree in Business Education. For nearly three decades Shelleigh had a very successful career in the banking industry. Her hard work and determination led her to many advancements in the male-dominated business. She has volunteered for and holds leadership positions with various social service and non-profit agencies and events throughout McLean County. Her commitment to service and bettering other’s lives influenced Shelleigh to leave her employment with Commerce Trust and Bank in 2016 to become the Executive Director of the Town of Normal Children’s Discovery Museum. She is also currently serving as the board president for the Boys and Girls Club of Bloomington-Normal and is a member of the Advocate BroMenn Philanthropy Council.
Caribel Washington Young Professional – Alicia Whitworth
Alicia Whitworth is currently the Director of Development at Boys and Girls Club of Bloomington-Normal. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in public communication from Truman State University and then a master’s degree in public relations from Ball State University, Alicia has made it her mission to serve others in the community. She started at YMCA of Bloomington- Normal, increasing membership and receiving a YMCA award in the process. To help serve the youth more directly, she accepted her current position at the Boys and Girls Club. She serves on the Bloomington Library Board, Illinois Special Olympics, Bloomington Jaycees, and continues to help fundraise for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the March of Dimes, as well as being an advocate and speaker for the Gift of Hope organ and tissue donor network.
STEM Ashley Pettit
Ashley Pettit is the vice president of systems at State Farm Insurance Companies. Her journey in the STEM field started when she was an undergraduate at Southern Illinois University, where she studied Finance and Computer Information Systems. Ashley joined State Farm in 1991 and has held a variety of positions within the systems department. Those areas included software development, security analyst, business analyst and also the manager and director of the systems department. In 2011, she was promoted to assistant vice president of systems with oversight for State Farm’s internet and mobile solutions. In 2013, she was named Leadership Enterprise Development Associate in Corporate Executive. She furthered her education by completing her masters in management and receiving her Certified Life Underwriter designation at the American College.
2017 is the inaugural year for the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) category. This category was added to better recognize women in this field.
The keynote speaker for the evening was Lorie Burck. Her keynote address, ‘Equality Through Responsibility: Creating a Better Legacy,’ spoke of diversity and inclusion and how a community can come together using their talents and strengths to be better stewards for their children and future generations siting YWCA as a resource in the community with a strong mission statement that connects to the work they do. They YWCA mission statement is to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.
