The Women’s Forum of New York will present the 8th Annual Elly Awards Luncheon benefiting The Education Fund of the Women’s Forum on Monday, June 18th at The Plaza Hotel in New York City.
The awards, named for the Women’s Forum founder Elinor Guggenheimer, will honor outstanding women leaders. This year marks the 31th anniversary of the Education Fund of the Women’s Forum, which has helped over 220 women age 35 and over, whose lives have been disrupted by extreme adversity, complete their college degrees.
The 2018 Elly Award Recipients will be:
· Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, Former First Lady, U.S. Senator, U.S. Secretary of State, and presidential candidate.
· Sheila C. Johnson, Founder and CEO of Salamander Hotels & Resorts.
· Deirdre Quinn, CEO and Co-Founder of Lafayette 148 New York.
Paula Zahn, nine-time Emmy Award winning host and executive producer of “On the Case with Paula Zahn,” will moderate a conversation on leadership with honorees Sheila C. Johnson and Deirdre Quinn following the presentation of the awards.
“The Women’s Forum of New York is comprised of the most accomplished and successful women in the city from every professional sector. We know from our own success how critical education is, so our Education Fund is one way we ‘give back’ – helping women age 35 and over whose lives have been disrupted by extreme adversity complete their education and get their lives back on track. We hope we inspire them, because their dreams, drive, and determination certainly inspire us.” – Linda A. Willett, President of the Women’s Forum of New York.
“Thirty-one years ago, the Education Fund embarked on a mission to help women who had overcome devastating hardships in their lives realize their dream of a college education. Since then, we are proud to have given over $1.43 million in financial awards to over 220 women to help them return to school, earn their degree, and take their place in the professional work world. Our financial awards have transformed their lives, influenced their families, and improved communities.” – Ilene Wachs, President, The Education Fund of the Women’s Forum.
Marcy Syms, Former Chairman and CEO of Syms Corporation, is Chair of the 2018 Elly Awards.
Donna Shalala, former Secretary of Health and Human Services, will present the Elly Award to Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton. Kay Unger, President of Kay Unger Design, & CEO of the Kay Unger Family Foundation will present the Elly Award to Sheila C. Johnson. Joyce Brown, President of the Fashion Institute of Technology, will present the Elly Award to Deirdre Quinn.
About The 2018 Elly Honorees:
Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, has spent four decades in public service as an advocate, attorney, First Lady, U.S. Senator, U.S. Secretary of State, and presidential candidate.
Hillary Clinton was born in Chicago, Illinois on October 26, 1947. After graduating from Wellesley College and Yale Law School, she began her life-long work on behalf of children and families by joining the Children’s Defense Fund. In 1974, she moved to Arkansas, where she married Bill Clinton and became a successful attorney while also raising their daughter, Chelsea.
As First Lady of the United States, from 1993 to 2001, Hillary Clinton championed health care for all Americans and led successful bipartisan efforts to improve the adoption and foster care systems, reduce teen pregnancy, and create the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
In 2000, Clinton made history as the first First Lady elected to the United States Senate, and the first woman elected to statewide office in New York. As Senator, she worked across party lines to expand economic opportunity and access to quality, affordable health care. After September 11, 2001, she helped to rebuild New York and provide health care for first responders.
In 2007, she began her historic campaign for president, winning 18 million votes and becoming the first woman to ever win a presidential primary or caucus state.
In her four years as America’s chief diplomat and the President’s principal foreign policy adviser, Clinton led the effort to restore America’s leadership in the world. She negotiated a cease-fire in Gaza that defended Israel’s security and headed off another war in the Middle East, mobilized an international coalition to impose crippling sanctions against Iran, and championed human rights around the world, as she has her entire career.
In 2016, Clinton made history again by becoming the first woman nominated for president by a major U.S. political party. As the Democratic candidate for president, she campaigned on a vision of America that is “stronger together” and an agenda to make our economy work for everyone, not just those at the top, earning the support of nearly 66 million Americans.
Hillary Rodham Clinton is the author of seven best-selling books. What Happened – released in September of 2017 – spent 16 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List.
She and President Clinton reside in New York, have one daughter, Chelsea, and are the proud grandparents of Charlotte and Aidan.
Sheila C. Johnson, Founder and CEO of Salamander Hotels & Resorts, a growing collection of luxury properties including the equestrian-inspired Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg, Virginia, and three of Florida’s top golf resorts—Hammock Beach in Palm Coast, Reunion in Orlando and Innisbrook in Tampa Bay, as well as the new Henderson Beach Resort in Destin.
As Vice Chairman of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, Ms. Johnson is the only African-American woman to have ownership in three professional sports teams: the NBA’s Washington Wizards, the NHL’s Washington Capitals, and the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, for which she serves as President and Managing Partner. She also served five years on the Executive Committee of the United States Golf Association.
Ms. Johnson has long been a powerful influence in the entertainment industry, starting with her work as founding partner of Black Entertainment Television and serving as executive producer of four documentary films. In 2016, she co-founded WE Capital, a venture capital consortium to support female-led enterprises that can advance transformational social change. She also serves on the board of the Greater Washington Partnership, which seeks to strengthen the region’s global position as a center for commerce and innovation.
Ms. Johnson is a member of the Leadership Council at Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership, and founder of the Sheila C. Johnson Leadership Fellowship, which supports emerging leaders who share a commitment to reducing disparities in African-American communities. A lifelong supporter of the arts, she also founded and chairs the Middleburg Film Festival, an annual celebration of independent film that opened to sell-out crowds in 2013.
Deirdre Quinn is the CEO and Co-Founder of Lafayette 148 New York, a New York-based women’s fashion brand named after the address in Soho where it was founded. Created in 1996, Lafayette 148 is known for sophisticated, minimalist designs that fuse luxurious fabrics, outstanding craftsmanship, and a modern sensibility inspired by the dynamism of New York City. With its own workshop and production facility in Shantou China, Lafayette 148 New York is one of the rare vertically-integrated fashion brands.
Deirdre’s early love of craft led her to a degree in fashion design. Before founding Lafayette 148, her passion for fashion production and merchandizing led her to executive positions with Donna Karan, Escada, and Liz Claiborne, where her work took her to over seventy countries.
Deirdre is a strong believer in giving back and enriching the world through education. Among her many charitable endeavors, she serves on the board of the School of Dreams, an elementary school funded by Lafayette 148 New York that provides a completely free private education to the children of Shantou.
Appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Fashion Institute of Technology in 2010, Deirdre also serves as an Associate Partner with the Partnership for NYC and is a member of C200. She has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, which recognized her leadership of Lafayette 148, mentorship and contributions to the global community and is a proud member of the Women’s Forum of New York.
About The Women’s Forum of New York:
The Women’s Forum of New York is the city’s premier organization of women leaders. The invitation only membership of more than 500 women represents the highest levels of achievement across all professional sectors from finance to fine arts. Started in 1974, the Women’s Forum of New York is the founding flagship of the International Women’s Forum, a global organization of 6,500 dynamic women leaders in 33 countries and 74 Forums around the world.
The Women’s Forum of New York is dedicated to the advancement of women’s leadership through programs which enrich members lives personally and professionally, through the Education Fund which enables talented women whose potential has been derailed by extreme adversity to resume their education, and through the Corporate Board Initiative which extends and expands the contribution of women leaders through board participation.
About The Education Fund:
The Education Fund is the educational and charitable arm of The Women’s Forum of New York, established under a separate corporate governance as a 501c3 tax deductible organization. Since 1987, the Fund has provided financial awards to women 35 and over who have demonstrated high potential and faced extreme adversity which has disrupted their education and derailed their futures. These women fall outside the scope of most traditional scholarship programs and these awards help them complete their education and get their careers and lives back on track. Funding is provided by member donation and an annual fundraising event, The Elly Awards Luncheon, which honors outstanding women leaders. Over the past 31 years, awards totaling over $1.43 million have helped over 220 women overcome adversity and lift themselves and their children up the economic ladder.
To purchase tickets to the 8th Annual Elly Awards, click here.
