LEADER LUNCHEON 2020: Celebrating 37 years!
The Leader Luncheon is a signature event of the YWCA Elgin, held annually to honor deserving women for their outstanding accomplishments as well as raising funds to support the work of the organization. After careful consideration, the Leader Luncheon Committee and the YWCA Board of Directors have decided to cancel Leader Luncheon 2020. This difficult decision was made anticipating we will still be in Phase Four of the COVID-19 guidance, allowing only 50 guests at group functions. Instead, we will look forward to gathering for our 2021 YWCA Elgin Leader Luncheon, now scheduled for Thursday, May 13, 2021, from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm at the Seville in Streamwood, IL. All reservations and sponsorship purchased for Leader Luncheon 2020 will be honored at next year’s event.
We are excited to announce that the 2020 Leader Luncheon nominees will now become the 2021 nominees. This will allow us to properly celebrated them for their incredible accomplishments. Also, Sharon Bush the Executive Director of the Grand Victoria Casino has agreed to stay on and be the 2021 Leader Luncheon Speaker.
We happily anticipate sharing a special day of celebration with you in the Spring of an exciting new year! Thank you for your generosity, patience, and support of the YWCA Elgin. If you have any questions, please contact Alana Freedman, Director of Marketing & Fundraising, at afreedman@ywcaelgin.org.
Registration
Registration to attend Leader Luncheon is open, and seats/tables are selling quickly. Reserve your seat today!
Leader Luncheon 2021 Speaker
Sharon has over 20 years of nonprofit and business experience. She is the executive director of the Grand Victoria Foundation. She is only the second person to lead the Foundation in its 20-year history.
Sharon is a recognized leader in the field who strongly values the economic and social contributions of the nonprofit sector. Throughout her career, she has worked to ensure that the sector is strong, equitable, sustainable and highly capable of serving individuals and families throughout the Chicago region. She has launched, led and participated in innovative collaborations that have resulted in thousands of people securing employment and millions of dollars to support the regional workforce system.
Sharon is on the board of directors of Mikva Challenge Illinois and African American Legacy. She is an advisor to Willie’s Warriors, a leadership development initiative of Chicago Foundation for Women and to Greater Good Studio, a human-centered design firm that builds the capacity of communities to solve old problems in new ways. Sharon was an Association of Black Foundation Executives Connecting Leaders Fellow. She also is a former co-chair of Chicago African Americans in Philanthropy and the 2017 recipient of its Champion of Diversity Award. She has been a featured Op-Ed columnist in Crain’s Chicago Business on diversity and leadership.
Sharon was born and raised in Chicago. She has a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Public Administration from Roosevelt University.
Sponsorship
Leader Luncheon is YWCA Elgin’s primary fundraising event. Funds from the event are used to develop and expand programming and advocacies for women and families’ economic self-sufficiency with a clear commitment to the elimination of racism and the empowerment of women.
Click here for more information about sponsorship levels.
| Title Sponsor - $3,000 | Leader Circle Table Sponsor - $1,250 | Gold Star Sponsor - $500 | Silver Star Sponsors - $250 | Circle of Friends Sponsors - $100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EFS Foundation | Carol Elias | Betty Brown | KCT Credit Union | |
| Karen Fox | Murna Hansemann | |||
| Prairie Community Bank | Lois Myers-Bauer | |||
| Thomas & Madalena Lawrence | ||||
| W.R. Meadows Inc. | ||||