It was a true honor to see our CEO Kip Hollister named one of the unstoppable Academy of Women Achievers—alongside Jeannette Mills, Vanessa Calderón-Rosado, Wanda McClain, and Nai Collymore-Henry—at YW Boston’s 23rd annual Academy of Women Achievers luncheon last week.
YW Boston’s mission is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. The five women awarded at the AWA luncheon are not only recognized for their personal and professional success, but also as champions for diversity, inclusion, and women’s empowerment. This year’s award luncheon was especially significant as the proceedings were devoted to honoring the memory and legacy of the recently passed former YW Boston President & CEO Sylvia Ferrell-Jones.
“Sylvia was my guru,” said Kip, addressing the 450-person audience sitting before her. “I got to know Sylvia when she attended one of Hollister Institute’s programs that teaches self-awareness, mindfulness, and personal excellence. Amidst her busy life, she took two days and came to this event. And I witnessed firsthand Sylvia’s humility, her ability to be vulnerable among so many people she didn’t even know, and her dedication to life-long learning.”
Kip added, “There’s one word—and Sylvia said it at Excellence Unbound, the two-day retreat—and I want to share it with you because it’s so appropriate. The word is ubuntu, which means, 'I am because of you.’”
Kip Hollister, AWA Award Winner
This year, a new award was created in Sylvia’s name to honor an individual who singularly exemplifies the values Sylvia bolstered in her career-pursuit of gender and racial equality. This year’s recipient of the inaugural Sylvia Ferrell-Jones Award was Nai Collymore-Henry, for her work as a powerful advocate for progressive change as Vice President of Partnerships at the Alliance for Business Leadership and former Communications Director of the Equal Pay Coalition.
“I am black, a woman, and queer… I use this to empower myself,” Nai said in her speech. “Breaking down barriers takes time and the ability to be vulnerable. Putting in the work is crucial for change.”
Anita Hill, Attorney and Brandeis University Professor presenting the First Annual Sylvia Ferrell-Jones Award
Also honored, Wanda McClain talked about succeeding in the face of naysayers, passing her CPA test in one try, on the way to becoming Vice President of Community Health and Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Her lesson to the audience: “We need to diversify our staff first, and if we find ourselves saying there is no diverse pipeline, then build one.
Vanessa Calderón-Rosado, Ph.D., spoke about her work as CEO of Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción, which is now celebrating 50 years of helping Boston’s Latino residents improve their lives by providing affordable housing, along with education and arts programs. Her lesson to Boston companies was that we must work to fight the “isms”—i.e. racism, sexism, classism, ageism, etc.—which she said can be accomplished through having diverse boards and teams, and by being “unstoppable through strength, courage, and wisdom.
Finally, Jeannette Mills, Senior Vice President of Safety Health and Environmental at National Grid, spoke about the importance of family (acknowledging both her mother and her daughter), education, and openness (to new opportunities, friendships, and judging character instead of race).
Jeannette said, “We all have superpowers, and each person embraces characteristics which are the difference between victory and defeat.”
Video from: YW Boston Blog
