Women of Distinction
This page is no longer active but remains available for historical reference. Please visit Pillars of Service for the most up-to-date information.
Celebrating a Legacy of Excellence
For 37 years, Santa Fe College (SF) has honored more than 190 exceptional women in Alachua and Bradford Counties through the Women of Distinction (WOD) awards. Established by the Women's History Committee in 1987, this prestigious award has brought together hundreds of community members annually to celebrate the remarkable achievements of women.
Building on this legacy, SF is proud to introduce the Pillars of Service Awards. This new initiative expands our recognition to include individuals, organizations, and students who have made significant contributions to our community through Santa Fe College. The Pillars of Service Awards reflect our commitment to inclusivity and acknowledge the diverse efforts that support Santa Fe College and its surrounding areas.
Below is the history of WOD and a list of the honorees who will always be recognized as Women of Distinction (WOD).
A Little History
In 1987, Dr. Ann Bromley, coordinator of women's programs and special projects at
Santa Fe College, sought to develop a program that would provide recognition and visibility
to women for their contributions of time and talent. A committee was formed and the
"Women of Distinction" honor began. Since its inception, Santa Fe College has bestowed
the Woman of Distinction honor to over 192 remarkable women. In 2000, the committee
created a special "Millennium Woman of Distinction" award and chose two previous recipients
for the honor. Rosa B. Williams (Alachua County) and Joyce D. Riherd (Bradford County)
were chosen for their tireless efforts on improving life for indigent people in their
communities.
In 2006, the "Woman of Promise" category was added to honor outstanding up-and-coming young women for leadership in their community and civic involvement. As of this date, 20 young ladies have received this honor.
In 2014, the Women of Distinction honorees began raising funds to establish the first Woman of Distinction Scholarship fund. The first award was given for the 2015-16 academic year. With your support, through the SF Women of Distinction Scholarship, we have raised over $220,000 to endow four scholarships designed to enable women to achieve their academic goals without the financial burden which might inhibit the pursuit of their dreams for independence.
The 2022 goal was to complete a fifth scholarship totaling an endowment of $250,000 to support and mentor women in perpetuity. At the 2023 luncheon, Dr. Broadie announced that the scholarship fund-raising goal has been exceeded. He added that over $267,000 has been raised to create scholarships for women in our communities.
A new $250,000 initiative was launched to enhance programs, provide educational equipment and scholarships to the women in our local communities. We hope to raise additional funding to name the second-floor terrace in Blount Hall at the Blount Center (Gainesville) in honor of the Santa Fe College Women of Distinction and Promise and to provide a permanent sign listing individual names of all honorees.
Past Honorees
- 1987
- Helen Ellerbe
- Clara Gehan
- Wilhelmina Johnson
- Barbara Kirkpatrick
- Grace Knight
- Lucille Maloney
- Daphne Williams
- 1988
- Thelma Boltin
- Vivian Filer
- Cornelia Hanna
- Elizabeth Jones
- Camilla Weems
- Vermelle “Vam” York
- 1989
- Renea Gray Clements
- Mary Myers Elliot
- Lois Emmel
- A. Esther Morgan
- Audrey L. Schiebler
- Carole Eastman Zegel
- 1990
- Avis Butler
- Marjorie Carr
- Polly French Doughty
- Laurel “Laurie” Freeman
- Carolyn Tucker
- 1991
- Ruth Alexander
- Doris Bardon
- Mary “Bebe” Fearnside
- Pauline Lawrence
- Sarah Matheson
- Phyllis Meek
- 1992
- Carole Bonds
- Judy Brashear
- Mildred Hill-Lubin
- Eloise Rogers
- Irene Zimmerman
- 1993
- Ann Bromley-Eastwood
- Marion S. Gilliland
- Ruby Puckett
- Della Rosenberg
- Lillian Stump
- Marilyn Tubb
- 1994
- Glenna F. Brashear
- Sheila A. Buros
- Mona A. Canova
- Jean Chalmers
- Sadie J. Darnell
- Hertercene T. Dee
- Lila R. Yawn
- 1995
- Judy E. Boles
- Mable Strong Dorsey
- Linda S. Gray
- Evelyn Stump Griffin
- Cynthia Moore Chestnut
- 1996
- Leveda Brown
- Myrtle Dudley
- Laura Knudson
- Olivia Scott
- Janet Silverstein
- Rosa B. Williams
- 1997
- Laura T. Carmichael
- Virginia Fugate Darby
- Kathleen “Kit” Hartwell
- Loretta Lewis-Golden
- Helen Mamarchev
- Laurie T. Mullins
- Justine Vaughen
- 1998
- Nancy Hardt
- Roslyn Levy
- Cathryn Lombardi
- Ida Sue Schmitt
- Portia Taylor
- Ester Tibbs
- 1999
- Elayne Cassisi
- Karen Cole-Smith
- Delphine Jackson
- Lynda Knight
- Phyllis Kotey
- Joyce D. Riherd
- Melanie Shore
- 2000
- Patricia Hilliard-Nunn
- Harriet Ludwig
- Peggy Stanwix-Hay
- Geraldine Ward
- Millennium Honorees
- Evelyn Stump Griffin
- Rosa B. Williams
- 2001
- Lynda Dekold
- Barbara Oberlander
- LaVern Porter-Mitchell
- Jeanne Singer
- Evelyn Womack
- 2002
- Jeannie Baker
- Emily Browne
- Charlotte Campbell
- Elizabeth McCulloch
- Carole Velasques
- Lucia Yu
- 2003
- LaKay Anita Banks
- Mary Ann Green
- Nancy Ann Griffin
- Glory Jackson
- Jaquelyn Resnick
- Sylvia Tatum
- 2004
- Judy Becker
- Patsy Frenchman, honorary
- Patricia Grunder
- Gladys McRae
- Marilyn Mesh
- Leila Pratt
- Ilene Silverman-Budd
- 2005
- Alison Gerencser
- Virginia “Ginny” Maurer
- Margaret Rosenberger
- Linda Tatum
- Vicki Teal
- Ora White
- 2006
- Kay Ayers
- Nina Cameron
- Fran Holm
- Donna Johnson
- Janie S. Williams
- 2007
- Cheryl Canova
- Roberta Lopez
- Leanetta McNealy
- Nancy Roberts
- Cynthia Stacey
- JoAnn Wilkes
- 2008
- Paige Beck
- Margaret Boonstra
- Louise Courtelis
- Teila Pearson
- Susan Spain
- Angela Terrell
- 2009
- Carolyne Freeman
- Pegeen Hanrahan
- Veita Jackson-Carter
- Linda Whitehead Johns
- Kathleen “Kathie” Southwick
- 2010
- Evelyn Foxx
- Cynthia Mingo
- Nancy V. Perry
- Lila Sellars
- DeeDee Cain Smith
- 2011
- Theresa Harrison Beachy
- Garrett Bell
- Teresa Drake
- Marilyn Nye-Islam
- Kim Tuttle
- 2012
- Bennye Alligood
- DeeJay Hellrung
- Alena King Lawson
- Linda McGurn
- Sylvia Reddish
- Mary Wise
- 2013
- Dianne Farb
- Anna Voyles
- 2014
- Patti Fabiani
- Margaret Maples Gilliland
- Shelley Fraser Mickle
- Dimple Overstreet
- Yvonne C. Rawls
- 2015
- Bessie G. Jackson
- Phoebe Cade Miles
- Phyllis Miller Rosier
- 2016
- Bonnie Cameron
- Susan Faulkner-O’Neal
- Gloria W. Fletcher (posthumously)
- Grace L. Horvath
- 2017
- Barbara Boyette “Bobbie” Hall
- Marie Herring
- Kathy C. Hobbs
- Esther B. Kelly
- 2018
- Patricia M. Blount
- Beverly B. Hardy
- Carol “Brandi” Noegel
- Stacy Scott
- 2019
- Carol Bosshardt
- Nilanjana Sengupta Caballero
- Gussie M. Lee
- Linda Lee
- Fran Maris
- Layne M. Sasser, honorary
- 2020
- Natalya Bannister
- Florida Bridgewater-Alford
- Christine Janks
- Vicki Santello
- Lisa Tatum
- 2023
- Bea Awoniyi
- Annette C. Bauer (posthumously)
- S. Yvette Carter
- Lisa Prevatt
- 2024
- Naima Brown
- Jeannine Hogue
- Teri McClellan
- Chrissy Thompson
- 2006
- Brittany Cooper
- Amanda McKenzie
- 2007
- Katherine “Katie” Linkous
- 2008
- Amanda Browder
- 2009
- Hope Olexa
- 2010
- Stephanie Covey
- 2011
- Muna Oli
- Katelyn Sims
- 2012
- Jenna Stafford
- 2013
- Stephanie Dioguardi
- 2014
- Hayley Johnson
- 2015
- Deja McPhee
- 2016
- Victoria G. Denmark
- 2017
- Nicole L. Klacko
- 2018
- Grace E. Johns
- Victoria Maggard
- 2019
- Emily Acevedo
- 2020
- Joudi Ayroud
- 2023
- Emma Katie-Grace Hutto
- 2024
- Honesty Huston