After a long hiatus in 2007 the St. Mary’s County Commission for Women resumed is Woman of the Year Banquet to honor the role women have played and continue to play in our lives today. The banquet is held in March each year in honor of Women’s History Month. It is a time to remind young women everywhere that they can be whatever they want to be; that gender is not a restriction on their goals.
This year the theme is Women Taking the Lead to Save our Planet. The guest speaker planned for the March 18 event is Margaret Palmer, Director of the Chesapeake Bay Lab in Solomons. John Pomerville, husband of last year’s community service winner, will entertain during the event which begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center.
Pomerville is a purveyor of fine Celtic, Scottish, Irish, World and Folk Music in Southern Maryland.
This year’s nominees for Woman of the Year are Catherine Clay, Kimberly Howe, Marie Kurtz, Amy Smith, and Linda Vallandingham.
In 2007 Julia Bohle, Agnes Anne Crofton, Viola Cutchember, Mary Lou Cullison, Alice Quade and Mary Eleanor Whalen were nominees. Crofton was selected Community Service Woman of the Year and Quade was selected Entrepreneur Woman of the Year. Each nominee was recognized by Senator Mikulski’s office, Congressman Hoyer’s office and the County Commissioners.
In 2008 Regina Bowman-Goldring, Morriah Cell, Mary Ann Chasen, Francine Dove-Hawkins, Viola Gardner, Florence B. Lanham, Marguerite Morris, Yvonne Lynn Patton, Maureen Pomerville and Stephanie Taylor were nominees. Pomerville was selected Community Service Woman of the Year and Patton was selected Woman of the Year for the Arts.
Our theme was Women’s Art-Women’s Vision. All of the nominees were recognized by Senator Mikulski’s office, Congressman Hoyer’s office and the County Commissioners. Our featured speaker was Dr. Merideth Taylor, Professor of Dance and Theatre at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Entertainment was provided by Mary and David Flood; Adrianne M. Mathis performed a solo.