Honoring achievers for 25 years

By TRACEY D'ASTOLFO
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Madonna Chism-Pinkard got involved with the YWCA in her teen years. The experience helped shape her life.
While in high school, she joined the Y-Teens, a YWCA-sponsored club that focuses on community service and developing leadership qualities. It was then that she got started in volunteerism.
In 1983, while a freshmen at YSU, Chism-Pinkard was nominated for the Women of the Year award.
"I felt that being nominated was more than sufficient and was shocked when I found out that I won. I didn't feel I had accomplished nearly as much as the other nominees and didn't feel that I could begin to compare," she said.
The YWCA of Youngstown will hold its 25th annual Women of the Year Awards banquet at Mr. Anthony's in Boardman on Nov. 6. Seventeen area women will be honored for their achievements in categories such as community and social service, education, women of valor, leadership, business and health service.
Chism-Pinkard earned a master's degree at Geneva College and now works at Trumbull Metropolitan Housing Authority, handling all marketing, press, landlord and PR efforts.
Among several accomplishments, she has worked as a talk show host and reporter on WKBN TV-27 and sang the national anthem at a Cleveland Indians baseball game at Jacobs Field.
Growing up poor and graduating from an inner-city school, Chism-Pinkard credits her success in life to the YWCA.
"It all started at the YWCA," she said. "I was a young African-American female and the people there were always telling me I could do anything I wanted to do. Having a leadership position at a young age helped me to become a more rounded person."
History
The Women of the Year Awards began in 1978 when YWCA board members felt it was time to recognize women's contributions to the community.
Local women's organizations were asked to submit nominees. A ballot was published in The Vindicator listing the nominees, and the public was invited to vote. Five women were chosen that year.
With the 10 being honored this year, the number of women receiving the award will reach 348.
Chris Gabrick, chairwoman of the event, explained the importance of the award.
"The mission of this organization [YWCA] is to enhance the lives of women, and this event especially brings recognition to very important women in our community who wouldn't get it otherwise," she said.
"They have the organizations that they're affiliated with but from a communitywide perspective there really wasn't a good avenue for recognition in a formal way."
As women's roles in the community have evolved over the past 25 years, so have certain aspects of the event. The selection process is one of the most notable changes.
Local organizations and businesses still nominate the women, but a panel of independent judges now chooses the recipients. The judges make their choices based on criteria such as career achievements, community activities and involvement and leadership qualities.
"Basically what they're looking for is a woman who has excelled in her career and-or made some benchmark, or given some community service," said Constance Shaffer, executive director of the YWCA of Youngstown.
Shaffer said local businesses sponsor the event, and YWCA volunteers do all the planning and organizing. This year's event is sponsored by Humility of Mary Health Partners, Bank One, Home Savings & amp; Loan and Schroedel, Scullin & amp; Bestic.
Gabrick said some past honorees will participate in the awards program this year. Among them, Maureen Collins, a 1997 honoree, will sing at the event; and Tricia Perry, a 2000 honoree, will present the awards.
Keynote speaker
Mary B. Smith, a 1988 award recipient and past YWCA president and board member, will be the keynote speaker. Smith, 91, has remained active in community service and activities. She believes the role of women in Youngstown and attitudes toward women have steadily changed.
"I think we have been breaking the glass ceiling over the years. These women are supported and known by these groups that nominate them. Years ago women were known because of their husbands. Now they're known for their own accomplishments."
Virginia Shorten, a 1990 award recipient, agrees that women had trouble getting credit for their contributions until recently.
"They did not recognize the problem. It was elitist and chauvinistic. It was very frustrating," she said. "I'd make a suggestion and the guy across the table would say the same thing later and get the credit."
Shorten served as interim YWCA director from 1981 to 1982 and is currently on the advisory board. She is very active in fundraising for the community and was an outspoken advocate for women's rights in the '70s.
Shaffer points out that the Women of the Year event is only a small part of what the YWCA offers to women. The organization has supportive housing, a child care center, a teen program, health education and after-school programs for children.
"We are always looking to bring women to their highest potential. We're not just here, we're everywhere in the community. We try to be a resource to women, to educate them, to help them, to give them support."
XThe awards event is open to the public. Tickets are $30 per person. Call (330) 746-6361 to make reservations.