| The 2008 YWCA-Madison Women of Distinction |
Marcia Anderson Clerk of the Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Wisconsin. In 2007, Anderson was confirmed for promotion to Brigadier General. She is only the second African American woman and the first woman from Wisconsin to earn the rank of Brigadier General (She will be commissioned on 3/15/08). She serves in the Army Reserves anf works with the Center for Veterans Issues assisting Vietnam and Gulf War-era veterans. Anderson is a member of Women in Focus, a local organization that encourages minority youth to succeed in education. She volunteers in planning the “I Have A Dream” Scholarship Ball, and in a literacy project by reading to children at the Harambee Clinic. She received her B.A. in 1979, her law degree in 1984, and went back to school and received a Masters of Science in 2003. In a newspaper article, when asked about rising to the ranks of leadership, she stated: “I didn’t have any concept of reaching this level ... . I didn’t see myself. I didn’t see women who look like me, number one, at the level. It’s not that I saw roadblocks and barriers. I just didn’t see it as a path.” Mary Burke From 1990 through 2004, she was the Director and one of the main managers at Trek Bicycle Corp. From 2005 to 2006, she was the Secretary of the Department of Commerce for the State of Wisconsin. She is being honored for her work with the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County. Burke began with the club as a mentor in 1999, helping two boys, ages 7 and 9, with their homework. She became the president of the board of the Boys and Girls Club in 2002. She retired from her corporate position at Trek and dedicated herself full time to the Capitol campaign for the creation of the new Boys and Girls Club in the Allied Drive neighborhood. Burke worked tirelessly and chaired and campaigned to raise the $6.25 million in roughly one year for the creation of the Boys and Girls Club. She also started the Bike for Boys and Girls Club annual fund-raiser. She was a board member for United Way of Dane County, Foundation for Madison Public Schools, University of Wisconsin Business School Dean’s Advisory Council, Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Wisconsin Technology Council, Milwaukee Seven Regional Development Group, Forward Wisconsin, and the Wisconsin Council for Workforce Investment. Theola Carter Section Chief for the Worker’s Compensation Division for the State of Wisconsin. After she herself was a child recipient of the Wisconsin Public Assistance Programs, Carter became an economic support specialist with Dane County Human Services and managed a case load of approximately 150 to 170 cases. She became the supervisor for the enforcement unit for the Wisconsin Child Support Program, served on the Community Service Commission for the City of Madison, and the study circle on race relations for the City of Madison. Carter volunteers with the Madison Aid Support Network, the Overture Center, and is involved with the Children’s Theater of Madison. She is a member of the Zeta Phi Beta sorority, a past board member of the Kingdom Legal Services, a member of the Northside Christian Assembly, and a member of the Madison Network of Black Professionals. Carter is one of the founders and spearheads of Stork’s Nest Project which encourages young women to seek prenatal care. Volunteered with Black Women in the Workplace, a forum for young college and high school girls. She is an adjunct professor for Concordia University where she teaches inner cultural communications. She has been the president for the past 10 years of the Zeta Phi Beta sorority, which is responsible for toy drives for the UW Pediatric Hospital, the Atwood Community Annual Pantry-A-Thon, the Mason’s Children Holiday Toy Give Away, volunteers services with Meriter Retirement Center, and volunteers at the Madison Rhythm and Booms event, and much more. |
Vera Riley Retired assistant principal for East High School for 13 years. Riley volunteers on the MATC District Board. In her retirement, she is a substitute teacher. She regularly tutors an adult Korean learner in English. She volunteers with Northwest Dane Senior Services, and is currently the Chair of the Board of Directors. She participates on the Nutrition Committee of the Dane County Area Agency on Aging. Riley was elected in 2003 as a Town Board Supervisor in the Town of Cross Plains, and was the first woman elected to that position. She also serves on the Fire District Board, an EMS Board, Town Park Committee and the Planning Commission. In connection with her church, Riley has been actively involved in: the Allied Drive Food Pantry, summer lunches for Allied Drive children, contributions for the Domestic Abuse Intervention Services, “Linus blankets” and “Recycle the Warmth” bedding for needy families, collecting and delivering food to homeless shelters, Project Hope for teen moms, and the “Mitten Tree” for the Salvation Army. She is the court-appointed legal guardian of a severely disabled adult male. She also works on the finance committee of the Madison Area Rehabilitation Center; organizes events for the Domestic Abuse Intervention Services; and personally funds scholarships for worthy East High School students. Through UW, she works to provide female students relevant information about personal safety, relationships, date rape, responsible use of alcohol, privacy issues and safe, secure housing. Cheryl Rosen Weston UW Law School professor, attorney for the firm Cullen, Weston, Pines & Bach. CEO of Douglas Stewart Company. Longtime board member and former president of the Jewish Social Services of Madison. The Douglas Stewart Company is the largest women-owned business in Wisconsin with sales of more than $275 million (Douglas Stewart markets and distributes software and computer products). Weston grew up in Chicago and began working at age 14. She was actively involved in the 1960’s and 1970’s civil rights and anti-war movements. At 15, she suffered a bizarre illness as a result of a cat scratch; her treatment led to ulcers, baldness, significant weight gain, and eye problems that continue to this day. In 1974, Weston spent three months in the hospital after a car accident. In 2000, she was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Weston initiated a corporate partnership with Douglas Stewart and the Interfaith Hospitality Network to encourage employees to contribute hands on services, as well as financial support. Her partnership between the Douglas Stewart Company and the Interfaith Hospitality Network occurred while she was undergoing intensive chemotherapy. She was president of a Fund for Women, which provides grants to women and girls in our community to enhance education and employment. She donates her legal services to the ACLU. She provides financial support for minority students and to the Loan Repayment Assistance Program for students who work in public service. She volunteers with the Madison Public Library Foundation and serves on their board; volunteers with landscaping and painting projects for the Interfaith Hospitality Network; adopted two dogs from a local German Shepherd Rescue. She served as a court commissioner and a referee in attorney discipline cases; a significant supporter of the Foundation for Madison Public Schools; Board member to the Madison Jewish Community Council and the Beth Israel Center; and member of the Jewish Women International and the Jewish Womens Organization, Hadassah. Weston is a single parent. |
