 The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce has announced the five Women Excel Bloomington (WEB) 2023 award winners. These local women were chosen based on their outstanding leadership, business acumen, entrepreneurship, and community involvement. The 13th Annual WEB Awards cocktail reception and celebration will be held on Thursday, June 1, from 5:30 – 8:00 pm at Indiana University’s Henke Hall of Champions inside the Indiana Memorial Stadium.
Those to be honored at the 2023 Women Excel Bloomington award winners are:
“Our community is so fortunate to benefit from the leadership and involvement of these five award-winning women,” said Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Eric Spoonmore. “It is an honor to recognize the dedication and hard work of local women who have gone above and beyond to lead and serve in the greater Bloomington community.” This event is possible because of support from sponsors, including: Cassady Electric, Cook Group, Old National Bank, Ruoff Mortgage, Indiana University, WBWB/WHCC, First Financial Bank, Develefy Consulting, ForthPhaze Technology, Inc., Nature’s Way, CFC Properties, Choice Realty, German American Bank, ISU/The May Agency, Ivy Tech Community College-Bloomington, Smithville, The Herald-Times, and The Monroe County YMCA. To learn more about the 2023 WEB Awards, please visit The Chamber’s website at www.ChamberBloomington.org or call the Chamber at (812) 336-6381.
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 The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce it is now accepting nominations for the 12th Annual Women Excel Bloomington (WEB) Awards. Each year, seven women are recognized for their outstanding leadership in influencing the growth of others in the community and/or in their professional organization. These prestigious business leadership awards will be presented at the WEB Awards reception scheduled for late May.
WEB nominees serve as an inspiration, helping others to excel as they lead by example. They may be employed in either the business sector or a non-profit organization. Other criteria include:
 Kendra Gjerdingen has been a Partner at Mallor Grodner Attorneys for over 20 years, where her practice areas include family and appellate law. “Kendra has excelled in her profession as an attorney, in her service to those within the legal profession, and to the underserved population in her community of Monroe County and surrounding areas,” said nominator, Bonnie J. Costin.
She received her J.D., cum laude, from William Mitchell College of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, and an M.B.A., from Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. She was admitted to the Indiana Bar, in 1993. Kendra is a Certified Family Law Specialist, as certified by the Family Law Certification Board of the Indiana State Bar Association. Kendra is also a Registered Family Law Mediator. She has been named an Indiana Super Lawyer®, by Law & Politics magazine, annually since 2009, and has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America® in Family Law and Family Law Mediation, since 2017.  Beth Theile, Marketing Director & Co-Owner of T.I.S. Group, "has proved to be an indefatigable, committed, creative, and selfless advocate for improving the lives of people who call Monroe County home," said nominator, Tina Peterson.
Beth has a long history with the Community Foundation, starting with the philanthropic legacy of her parents, Ray and Marcie Tichenor. Beth has advised on more than $150,000 in grants that were made from the family's T.l.S., lnc. Fund, benefitting a long list of essential Monroe County nonprofits. Additionally, Beth and her husband, Kevin, have continued their own family philanthropy through their Theile Family Fund at the Foundation, which allows them to make grants each year to local nonprofits.  "Amber Skoby has become a shining star in the world of affordable housing and providing housing for those who might not have it otherwise," said nominator, Kevin Cade.
As the Director of the Bloomington Housing Authority, she has become familiar to those in her field, on a Local, State, and National level. She not only manages public housing and a rental voucher program that serves 1500+ families in the City of Bloomington, but she represents BHA on the Mayor’s task force for Affordable Housing, coordinates other non-profits who meet monthly to share ideas, strategies, and resources, and serves and meets regularly on the NAHRO (National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials) Board. She carries the banner of affordable housing clear to the national level.  As Executive Director for three years, Debra has led Middle Way House to almost double the number of people utilizing its New Wings Emergency Shelter. The number of calls handled by Middle Way’s help and crisis line increased from 2,500 in 2017 to 3,700 in 2019; and the number of children served by the Building Healthy Relationships violence prevention program grew from 1,500 in 2017 to 2,250 in 2019.
"Rising through hard work to take the helm of this 70-employee, five-location organization would be hard enough without having the added pressure of being Toby Strout’s successor. But Debra’s expertise and legitimacy from over 15 years of experience at Middle Way House, her two degrees in criminal justice, and her approachable warmth earn her staff’s respect, affection, and loyalty," said her nominator, Erin Hollinden.  "If you live in Bloomington and hear about an initiative, program or event that lifts up, supports or enriches others, there is a good chance Beverly Calender-Anderson is involved in, and very possibly leading, the effort," said Mary Catherine Carmichael.
Beverly Calender-Anderson, the Director of Community and Family Resources with the City of Bloomington, is a longtime leader in the community, through her roles with the City of Bloomington, and countless other community-based role on boards and commissions. She serves as an inspiration to women in local government and the social services. She leads humbly but firmly, she encourages creative solutions to new problems, she mentors and supports others, and she is willing to go above and beyond her job description to serve our community.  Esther Fuentes, Banking Center Manager and Assistant Vice President at Old National Bank (ONB), is well known and admired for her leadership, professionalism, and compassion in both her banking career and community volunteer work. As a native of Nicaragua, Esther came to the United States in 1992 and has been with ONB since she moved to Bloomington in 2010.
Esther is passionate about giving back to the community through volunteerism, especially through her work with El Centro Comunal Latino, where she serves as board president. El Centro is a local non-profit organization with a focus on Spanish-speaking community members and helping them find information and access to resources. Her work with El Centro shows her compassion and dedication to serving others.  Emily Pike, the Executive Director of New Hope for Family Shelter, excels as an accomplished community leader, an inspirational mentor to others, and a supportive colleague to all whom have had the opportunity to serve besides her for the betterment of the larger Bloomington community, as stated by her nominator, Christopher Cockerham. "Every day, Emily displays her overarching service and commitment to others above self," said Cockerham.
Emily is a native of Southern Indiana. She graduated from Mitchell High School and was awarded the Lilly Scholarship. She earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and received a Master of Public Affairs with a concentration in Nonprofit Management from Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs in December 2013. A veteran of the Peace Corps and a variety of socially motivated organizations, Emily has more than a decade of experience working in nonprofits. Emily’s other passion is the welfare of children. Having worked for many years in several childcare provision roles, she understands the importance of intentional programming for children beginning early in life. She first joined the New Hope team in April of 2012 and was excited to transition to the role of Executive Director of Children’s Programming in April 2013. In February of 2018, Emily assumed the role of Executive Director at New Hope responsible for operations of both The Roof and The Nest.  The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce has announced the seven Women Excel Bloomington (WEB) 2021 honorees. These local women were chosen based on their outstanding leadership, business acumen, entrepreneurship and community involvement. The 11th Annual WEB Awards cocktail reception and celebration will be held on Wednesday, May 26, from 5:30 – 7:30 pm via Zoom.
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