What are the Outstanding Achievement Awards?

Outstanding Achievement Awards are presented at YWCA Utah’s LeaderLuncheon to remarkable women who have demonstrated their commitment to advancing the well-being of Utah women and girls, and whose work and achievements exemplify the YWCA’s mission of eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. Nominate a woman leading the way in our community for our 2023 awards using the form below:

2022 Outstanding Achievement Award Winners

Katie Kern has been a youth activist for the past four years and counting. She’s worked with March For Our Lives, a student-led organization that arose from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting in 2018 that works to enforce gun reform throughout the United States. This past year, she was appointed State Director for March For Our Lives Utah (along with her Co-State Director, Tory Peters). 

Along with her team members, she co-hosts public radio shows, conducts rallies, appears in newspapers, and creates spaces so the community can familiarize themselves with gun reform and make the community safer. Additionally, she’s testified for bills at the Utah State Capitol, and worked vigorously during the Utah Legislative Session hoping to pass sensible gun reform and reduce gun violence. 

Katie also advocates for intersectional policy reform and works to ensure March For Our Lives Utah’s leadership is diverse and represents the community. In school, Katie was a Mental Health Educator to increase mental health awareness within her high school, a Navajo Project Member, volunteered with the 4-H Refugee After School Program by teaching refugee students dance, interned for Alliance for a Better Utah, and participated in the Roots and Shoots Environmental Club at her school. 

Candyce Fly Lee is Vice President-General Manager of Rockies Gathering & Processing with Williams’ West Operating Area. In this role, she has direct responsibility for all commercial activities and the safe, reliable operations of the area’s assets in Colorado’s Piceance Basin and Wyoming’s Greater Green River Basin. 

Previously, Candyce served Williams as Director of Northeast Engineering Services Project Development, where she oversaw development teams for operations in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio and New York. She also served as Director of Pipeline Projects in the Northeast, responsible for the execution of natural gas pipeline projects. 

Since joining Williams in 2002, Candyce has served in various roles including project management, engineering, construction, and operations. She earned a Mechanical Engineering bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky. 

Candyce currently serves on the Utah Women’s Energy Network board as the Executive Director at Large.  She serves on several community boards including the Parkside Elementary Community Council, the Utah 211 Steering Council, and as Financial Secretary for the Salt Lake City Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.  In addition, she served on the United Way of Pittsburgh Women’s Leadership Council Executive Team and was an active leader in Williams’ annual United Way fundraising campaigns.

Sarah McClellan was born and raised in Hartford, Alabama and lived in Jacksonville, FL.  She attended Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1965 from Edward Waters College.  Her teaching career began in Jacksonville, instructing both Biology and Geology to High School Students.  She came to Utah in 1966 starting as an Educator at the Intermountain Intertribal Indian School in Brigham City. After 17 years the school closed in 1984.  She then began her career with the Internal Revenue Service as an Employment Development Specialist and was promoted to several positions with her final advancement to the Equal Employment Opportunity Diversity Manager until her retirement after 29 years. 

More than 25 years ago, she founded the Northern Utah Coalition, Inc. HIV/AIDS Project in Ogden, Utah and continue to serve as the Project Director.  She has served in the Ogden area for 40 years advocating for the homeless, seniors, women, children, health, and wellness for her community.  Her greatest desire is to continue to mentor and empowering others to do their best in any endeavor they pursue, and in life generally. 

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her daughter and grandson. She also enjoys fishing.

Lynne Nilson MPH, MCHES has been the Director of the Bureau of Maternal Child Health since March 2015, providing a wonderful opportunity to expand her public health experience and make a contribution to improving the health of women, infants and children in Utah. 

 Lynne’s public health experience has provided her the opportunity to be a leader and decision-maker in public health both at a national and local level. She currently serves as a member of the Maternal Mental Health Policy Committee headed up by YWCA, and the Early Childhood Utah Advisory Council. Lynne is a past President of the Utah Public Health Association, National Chronic Disease Directors Cancer Council, the National Association for Worksite Health Promotion and the Health Education Association of Utah, in addition to many other leadership roles in each of these organizations.   

While Lynne’s career and passion for public health has been going strong for over 30 years, her favorite “job” and most important accomplishment is being a mother to her two daughters Hanna, a PICU travel nurse currently living in Austin, TX and Hailey, a Communications/Spanish grad from UVU who along with her boyfriend is the owner of the “Fresh and Clean” cleaning company.

Marian D. Howe-Taylor, native of Boston, Massachusetts moved to Utah in 1998. Howe-Taylor employed by Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) since 1999. Currently, Marian is Manager of Special Projects, School of Arts, Communication and Media.  

Marian is an enthusiastic supporter of education, culture, and the arts. She was a member of the Madeline Arts & Humanities Festival from 1999 to 2015. She chaired the BYU/CVC, Channel Eleven & Classical 89 committee several seasons. She chaired the SLCC MLK committee 2000 to 2017. Memorable events: MLK 2011, awarding the Mormon Tabernacle Choir with the SLCC Humanitarian Award; featured vocalist Lyric Baritone Robert Sims. MLK 2017, Women in the Freedom Movement: Angela Davis, Margaret Burnham, Kathleen Cleaver and Michelle Goodwin.  Marian sees room for diversity to grow and flourish in Utah. “I have focused my creative energies on nurturing existing programs while creating new productions that have enhanced understanding and appreciation of African-American art and culture. Marian worked with Black Storytellers of Utah, local Black educators, and Amy MacDonald to create the short documentary film: The Beloved Community Project. The film is a partnership between Brolly Arts & SLCC. Go to: www.brollyarts.org to view the film and read about the project. 

Margarita Nancy Satini was born to Lufusi and Ma’ata Satini in March 1970 in Palo Alto, California.  She served as a pianist for many years beginning at the age 7 for her church community building her confidence in front of crowds.  As a West High School alumnus, her passion ignited in Fairpark, Utah and later met the father to her children, James Sundin attending Snow College.  She pursued her IT career but with the desire to impact, she ran for political office in Cottonwood Heights jumping ship becoming the Founder of the Utah Pacific Islander Civic Engagement Coalition (UPICEC) and worked for the Utah Chapter of the Sierra Club.  Margarita stood in solidarity with Black and Brown bodies and was a fierce advocate for the Movement for Black Lives. As a community powerhouse, trailblazer, and a pillar to the Pacific Islander (PI) Community she passionately educated and provided aid for marginalized communities.  Her dedication organizing against injustice was a force for the underrepresented, and underserviced PI community across Utah.  

An advocate she was to vote, to get counted with the 2020 census, to attend city council meetings, to have access to energy efficiency and clean energy, and to be involved.  Empowering her fellow PI Community and ALL communities of color tirelessly, her love for civic engagement and community work carry through her colleagues.  Margarita, a fierce warrior, ensured PI community knew how to receive COVID 19 resources and abruptly passed due to Covid 19 complications.  She gave herself to the community and her legacy carries on.  

Survivors to the deceased:  Children-Ricky Sundin, Keilani Sundin, Semisi Sundin, and Alexander Sundin.  Grandchildren-Feaomoeata Fahina, Keitana Fahina, Wayne Toiaivao, and Kitione Sundin. 

Past Outstanding Achievement Award Winners

2021 OAA Winners

Marian Dora Howe-Taylor, Candyce Fly Lee, Sarah McClellan, Lynne Nilson, Katie Kern, & Margarita Satini (YWCA Heart & Soul Award)

2020 Extraordinary Woman Winners

Sandra Hollins, Neylan McBaine, & Dr. Angela Dunn

2019 OAA Winners

Deanna Kepka, Mara Rabin, Amy Rees Anderson, Rosie Rivera, & Kendra Tomsic

2018 OAA Winners

Sheryl Allen, Mary Beckerle, Patricia Christensen, Cristina Flores, Yasmen Simonian, & Paula Green Johnson (YWCA Heart & Soul Award)

2017 OAA Winners

Lisa Gentile, Carol Osborn, Lorena Riffo-Jenson, & Joan Smith

2016 OAA Winners

Jackie Biskupski, Sherrie Hayashi, Nedra Hotchkins, Susan Madsen, & Gail Miller

2015 OAA Winners

Rosemarie Hunter, Linda Leckman, Carolyn Goodwin Schubach, Peggy Tomsic, & Olene Walker (Mary Schubach McCarthey Lifetime Achievement Award)

2014 OAA Winners

Martha Bradley, Christina Gallop, Jacqueline Gomez-Arias, Peggy Fletcher Stack, Betty Sawyer, & Yda Smith

2013 OAA Winners

Betsy Burton, Rebecca Chavez-Houck, Harriet Hopf, Kathy Christine Howa, Pam Perlich, Deb Sawyer, & Mary Schubach McCarthey (YWCA Heart and Soul Award)

2012 OAA Winners

Brenda Burrell, Norma Carr, Natalie Gochnour, Libby Hunter, Leigh Neumayer, & Boyer Jarvis (Honorary Outstanding Achievement Award)

2011 OAA Winners

Dolores Delgado Bernal, Emma E. Houston, Anita Kinney, Vivianne Elizabeth Mbaku, JoAnn Seghini, & Geralyn White Dreyfous (Mary Schubach McCarthey Lifetime Achievement Award)

2010 OAA Winners

Deborah Bayle, Cynthia A. Bioteau, Marian Ingham, & Lynne Ward

2009 OAA Winners

Judy Kasten Bell, Marjorie A. Chan, Sanchaita Datta, Ann Millner, & Elaine M. Pace

2008 OAA Winners

Jeannette Misaka, Kaye Richards, Babs DeLay, Michele Johnson, & Maria Garciaz

2007 OAA Winners

Karen Crompton, Shauna Graves-Robertson, Patti Harrington, Colette Herrick, Wilma Johnson, Kathleen Mason, & Margo Provost

2006 OAA Winners

Christina Kim, JoAnn Slama Lighty, Silvia Peña, Lucille Stoddard, Maggie Wilde, & Jeanetta Williams

2005 OAA Winners

Elaine Cohen, Cecelia H. Foxley, Paula Julander, Lucinda Kindred, Aida Mattingley, & Kathleen McElligott

2004 OAA Winners

Frances P. Battle, Bishop Carolyn Tanner Irish, Tibby Milne, Nancy Mitchell, Ruth Novak, & Susan J. Quaal

2003 OAA Winners

Rev. Gwyneth MacKenzie Murphy, Gail Russell, Marilyn Tang, Graciela Italiano-Thomas, & Jan Tyler

2002 OAA Winners

Emma Gross, Lacey Heward, Sue E. Huether, Margaret Jackson, Heather Stringfellow, & JoAnn Jacobsen-Wells

2001 OAA Winners

Khando Chazotsang, Debra Daniels, Roberta Harris, Corrine Hill, Jill Jones, & Helen Papanikolas

2000 OAA Winners

Kathryn Brooks, Val Davis, Joy Hashimoto, Peggy Norton, Chieko Okazaki, Josie Valdez, & Elaine Weiss

1999 OAA Winners

Kay Brown, Preddy Oseguera, Dee Rowland, Janet Harnsberger, Diana Jergensen, & Patty Reagan

1998 OAA Winners

Colleen Casto, Maria Farrington, Leslie Lewis, Agnes Plenk, Sally Smith, & Lynn Trenbeath

1997 OAA Winners

Barb Barnhart, Laura Boardman, Anne Erickson, Brandy Farmer, Elizabeth Hammond, & Eileen Stone

1996 OAA Winners

Maggie Snyder, Luci Malin, Tomiye Ishimatsu, Karen Shepherd, Marie Augustine, & Carol Ann Dunlap

1995 OAA Winners

Jan Graham, Joyce Gray, Reba Keele, Diane McCall Lennon, Abby Maestes, & Donna Land Maldonado

1994 OAA Winners

Frances Hoopes, Alice Kasai, Theresa Martinez, Lucy Osborn, Kathryn Bond Stockton, & Lee Anne Walker

1993 OAA Winners

Pamela Atkinson, Annette Cumming, Barbara Hamilton-Holway, Margaret Peterson, Kathleen Spencer-Christy, & Dorothy Stowe

1992 OAA Winners

Pema Chagzoetsang, Christine Meaders Durham, Karrie Galloway, Florence Lawrence, Lorraine Miller, & Linda Smith

1991 OAA Winners

Ruth Draper, Irene Fisher, Betty Gaines-Jones, Aden Ross, & Emma Lou Thayne

1990 OAA Winners

Frances Farley, Rita Inoway, Marjorie Janove, Jacqueline Nicholes, Kristen Ries, & Phyllis White

1989 OAA Winners

Carol Fay, Lou Jean Flint, Ila Marie Goodey, Helen Ure, & Alberta Henry