Tribute to Women

47th Annual Tribute to Women Celebration
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
Live Broadcast on EmBe’s Facebook Page
7 pm – 8 pm

Fifty women and men have been nominated for EmBe’s 47^th Tribute to Women awards. Tribute to Women is the longest-standing award honoring the achievements of women in the region. The following people have been recognized by their peers for their outstanding achievements (nominees listed with their employer):

Banking and Finance
Mandy Cooper, Central Payments
Dawn Duerksen, Citibank
April Meyerink, Black Hills Federal Credit Union

Business Achievement
Kim Erickson, Continuity Business Services
Agatha Johnson, Prosperity Wealth Management
Jessica Kerher Ligtenberg, Serendipitous Events, The Dutch Inn
Tori Marco, Continuity Business Services
Paige Pearson Meyer, MIDCO
Tracy Saathoff, Lawrence & Schiller
Valerie Sampson, The Sampson House
Rebecca Wimmer, Boys and Girls Club of the Sioux Empire

Community Service
Linda Beck, Cherub’s Closet
Tatiana Chance, Help 4 Huhas
Holly Hintz, Joyful Journeys
Jennifer Kirby, Levitt at the Falls, Community Volunteer
Micki Lundin, Avera
Kristin Hoefert-Redlinger, Northwestern Mutual
Nancee Sturdevant, Community Advocate
Christine Tesch, University of South Dakota Nursing
Lou Vogt, Family Connection

EmBeliever (open to women, men and organizations)
Ashley Briggs, MD, Sanford Health, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Catherine Dekkenga, JLG Architects
Brooke Fossell, Sanford Health, Brooke Fossell Yoga
Aaron Gamewell, SBS CyberSecurity
Wendy Jensen, Sanford Health Children’s Hospital
Brenda Kibbe, Citibank
Thomas Otten, Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center
Chris Schenkel, Northwestern Mutual

Government and Law
Jill Franken, City of Sioux Falls
Deb Soholt, SD State Senator
Jill Winninger, Sioux Falls Police Department

Healthcare and STEM
Jyoti Angal, Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center
Bonnie Bunch, MD, PhD, Sanford Health Children’s Hospital
Deanne Donaway, Modern Day Health Care
Laurie Landeen, MD, Sanford Health Women’s Obstetrics and Gynecology
Mary Nettleman, MD, University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine

Humanities and Education
Nancy Halverson, Levitt at the Falls
Laura Smith-Hill, Lutheran Social Services
Wendy Otheim, Brookings School District
Margaret Pennock, Association of General Contractors
Andrea Siebenborn, Sioux Falls School District – Whittier Middle School

Sylvia Henkin Mentoring Award
Shelly Johnson, Montgomery’s
Nedra Larson, Omnitech
Mary Sand, Avera
Lynn Thomas, Sanford Health

Young Woman of Achievement
Amberly Austad, Lemonly
Del’Inkka Beaudion, Swamp Daddy’s Cajun Kitchen
Irina Kleinsasser, WIT Trucking and Fresh Farms Fruit Truck
Rebecca Ponnezhan, Avera
Katie Krantz, VanDeWalle Architects

EmBe will not be continuing with a silent auction this year due to the format change to a virtual event, please contact Chief Development Officer, Jennifer Hoesing, at 605.681.8367 or jhoesing@embe.org with any questions.

For more information or questions about volunteering or sitting on the EmBe Empowerment Committee, please contact Chief Development Officer, Jennifer Hoesing, at 605.681.8367 or jhoesing@embe.org.

Nominations for the 2020 Tribute to Women event have closed.

Tribute to Women has lifted up the people and organizations that empower women in Sioux Falls for decades. EmBe is honored to hold true to this spirit while growing this legacy of honoring achievement. The nomination process is straightforward and transparent. Our frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) help clarify the details, but EmBe utilizes volunteers throughout the nomination and judging process to ensure impartiality and consistency, reflecting the quality of the thousands of nominees and winners from the past decades.

The best nominations showcase the personal and professional side of the nominee, enhanced by accomplishments in every aspect of their lives. With community impact at the heart of every category, this can be reflected by dedication to others in volunteer work, mentoring, workplace and community support of all kinds.

Tribute to Women Nomination FAQ’s

• Who can submit a Tribute nomination?
  • Any individual, corporation, agency, civic organization, school, place of worship should lift up a deserving woman. In addition, the Embeliever award is is open to ANY individual or organization that fits Tribute criteria. EmBe staff and their families may not submit a nomination.

• Can multiple people nominate someone?
  • Yes. We suggest you work together to submit a single nomination form rather than submit multiple nomination forms. If EmBe receives multiple nominations for the same individual, we will reach out and facilitate consolidation.

• Can I nominate someone outside of Sioux Falls?
  • Tribute to Women is intended to highlight contributions to the Sioux Falls area. Most winners reside in Minnehaha, Lincoln, Turner and McCook counties.

• How long does it take to complete a nomination?
  • Nominating is simple, and the online form can be completed in as little as 20-30 minutes. Preparing the best nomination may take more time. We suggest you review the nomination form and ask others for input, including the nominee if that is appropriate. You may find it helpful to create and edit your nomination is a word processing program, then cut and paste into the online form.

• Can I nominate someone who has been nominated in the past?
  • Yes, though no individual is eligible to win in the same category more than once.

• Who is ineligible for nomination?
  • You cannot nominate a relative, EmBe staff member or their families, or a current EmBe board member. Previous winners may not be re-nominated in the same category.

• Do nominees pay for their ticket to Tribute?
  • All nominees receive a complimentary ticket to the event.

• Where can I find a list of past winners?
  • Visit https://www.embe.org/program/tribute-to-women/ and scroll to the bottom of the page for an alphabetical listing of winners since Tribute’s inception in 1974

• When do you announce winners?
  • Winners are announced live at the Tribute to Women event, and are shared on social media and with local media outlets throughout the evening.

• When do you announce nominees?
  • Nominees are announced mid-March, following the conclusion of the judging process.

• How are nominations judged, what’s the criteria?
  • First, nominations are anonymized by removing names and identifying references. Each category is judged by a group of volunteer judges using a 40-point scoring rubric with four categories: leadership, growth, achievement and contribution to community. Each category has a maximum value of 10 points. Judges resolve tied scores before submitting their scores to EmBe. Then, scores are averaged to determine the category winner and scoring is audited.
    • Leadership. Is the individual an effective leader at work and in the community? What unique skills do they demonstrate?
    • Growth. How has the individual demonstrated continued learning? Acquiring new skills?
    • Achievement. What personal and professional milestones has this individual garnered?
    • Contribution to Community. How has the individual made a difference in the community, whether in business, volunteer efforts, or in other ways?

• How do you select judges?
  • EmBe staff and volunteers nominate community leaders to serve as judges and the roster is affirmed by the Tribute committee. Judges are then assigned categories with an eye to matching their expertise without assigning a category that would make impartiality difficult. For example, someone working in finance would review Healthcare & STEM nominations.