GSLE sets Women of Distinction Awards Luncheon

NEW ORLEANS — Girl Scouts Louisiana East will host its 11th annual Women of Distinction Awards Luncheon on Sept. 22 at the Baton Rouge Marriott.
Barbara Auten, Christy Oliver Reeves and Sandy Summers will be recognized as Women of Distinction while Yolanda Dixon and Sharon Lavigne will be recognized with the Four Pillars award. WAFB Anchor Tisha Powell will emcee the event with Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser delivering a keynote address.
“Each of these women are strong role models for our girls and the young women of our region;” said Rebecca Pennington, CEO of Girl Scouts Louisiana East. “At Girl Scouts, we believe girls need women with a strength of character as they work to pursue their goals and dreams as the next generation of leaders. Our honorees represent exactly the kind of role models we want for our girls.”
Barbara Auten currently serves as the executive director of Alzheimer’s Services of the Capital Area, which she joined in 2006 in the fund development department, assuming the leadership role in 2008. The organization has received many awards for being a leader in Alzheimer’s care and developed the first social model respite center in Louisiana, Charlie’s Place, which was named the National Adult Day Service Center of 2008. She was a Girl Scout leader for 24 years, having as many as three troops at once. She served as service unit director and as an area cookie director for several years. She maintains contact with many of her former Girl Scouts.
Christy Oliver Reeves is a five-time CEO who brings 25 years of successful leadership experience in helping grow nonprofits and corporations. She currently serves as the vice president of regional community affairs and government relations for Ochsner Health System. In past roles, she has served as the past executive director of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation. From June 2005 to February 2007, she served as the CEO of the Girl Scouts Audubon Council in Greater Baton Rouge, during which time she supported the New Orleans area council following Hurricane Katrina as well supporting Girl Scouting through the merger of both councils.
Sandy Summers currently serves as the technology recruiting manager for the Workforce Talent Initiative within the College of Science and Technology at Southeastern Louisiana University. This role allows her to work with students to develop work readiness skills while simultaneously building relationships with local companies to assist with workforce needs. Her time is also spent as a Girl Scout Troop leader coordinating public relations and volunteer opportunities for the multi-level troop in Hammond.
Yolanda Dixon is the secretary of the Senate for the Louisiana State Senate. She was elected to the position by the members of the Senate in January 2020. She previously served as the first assistant secretary of the Senate, director of the Legislative Bureau, Senate senior counsel, director of the Judiciary and Government Division for the Louisiana State Senate. She previously served as an attorney for the Governmental Affairs, Judiciary “A” and Local and Municipal Affairs committees in the Senate as well as an attorney for the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office. She is involved in several civic activities and has served in leadership roles for civic and professional organizations.
Sharon Lavigne is a native of St. James Parish, where she lived off the land growing up. She served as a special education teacher for 38 years in the St. James Parish school system. In 2019, she founded RISE St. James, a faith-based, grassroots nonprofit organization fighting for clean air and water as well as the eradication and expansion of petrochemical industries. In 2022, she retired to dedicate herself full-time to the fight for environmental justice. Her mantra is “to love a community is to find ways to heal the community.”
Tickets for the Women of Distinction Awards Luncheon can be purchased https://one.bidpal.net/gsle22wod/ticketing. Attendees and the public can also participate in the Silent Auction. All funds from tickets and the Silent Auction will go toward ensuring all girls in GSLE’s 23 parish region, which includes St. Mary, have access to Girl Scouting regardless of their financial position to ensure they have this experience to treasure for years to come.
To volunteer, reconnect, donate or join, visit www.gsle.org.