April 24, 2010
WWIG Announces Women of Distinction Awards to 6 Leaders in Promoting Women’s Health Issues
Wisconsin Women in Government (WWIG) announced today its “Women of Distinction” Awards to six leaders who have played a vital role in promoting women’s health issues in Wisconsin.
This year’s recipients, who will be honored at WWIG’s annual spring banquet in Madison, are: Gale Johnson, Wisconsin Department of Health Services; Dr. Sheri Johnson, Medical College of Wisconsin; Representative Kitty Rhoades, Wisconsin State Assembly; Senator Judy Robson, Wisconsin State Senate; Sue Ann Thompson, Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation; and Secretary Karen Timberlake, Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
“Each year, WWIG honors women who have been trailblazers in government,” said Grace Cudney, WWIG Board President. “This year, we are proud to honor women who have had expansive accomplishments and far reaching effects on women’s health issues across Wisconsin.”
Join us in celebrating the accomplishments of these extraordinary “Women of Distinction” at this year’s 23rd Annual Banquet on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison.
Individual banquet tickets are still available, and can be purchased online at www.WiscWomenInGovernment.org. Sponsorships are also still available, and information on sponsorship levels and how to reserve your table can also be found at www.WiscWomenInGovernment.org. Those interested in attending may call (608) 848-2321 for more information.
Ambassador Karen Hughes, a former White House Counselor under President George W. Bush, will keynote this year’s banquet. The event will begin with a networking reception at 5:15 p.m. The dinner will begin at 7:00 p.m., with the keynote address and awards program immediately following.
WWIG’s annual dinner is the premier bipartisan political event in Wisconsin, attended by nearly 1,000 state and local elected officials, business leaders, public servants, and political enthusiasts. Since 1987, WWIG has raised money to support and encourage women to choose a career in government service. Each year, the organization awards scholarships to women pursuing undergraduate study in public service, administration and government affairs and honors “Women of Distinction” at its annual banquet.
NOTE: Media interested in attending should contact Jessica Erickson at 608-215-0468 or via email at jessicaerickson20@hotmail.com for media credentials.
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Full bios of this year’s “Women of Distinction” follow:
Gale Johnson has served the Department of Health Services for over 25 years. She has served as director for the Wisconsin WellWoman Program since it began 15 years ago. This program provides free and low cost screening for breast and cervical cancer to women who are uninsured or underinsured. Johnson worked tirelessly to ensure that treatments for these diseases would also be covered. Under her leadership, the WellWoman program has been expanded to include additional cardiovascular and diabetic preventative health screening.
Dr. Sheri Johnson serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advancement of Underserved Children, at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Dr. Johnson addresses the public health needs of underserved children across the state, focusing on fighting the racial and ethnic disparities in birth outcomes. Previously, she served as an Administrator of the Division of Public Health and the State Health Officer at the Department of Health and Family Services.
Representative Kitty Rhoades was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1998 and is currently serving her sixth and final term for the 30th Assembly District. Rhoades served on the Joint Finance Committee from 2003-2008 and served as the committee’s first Republican Assembly woman co-chair. Rhoades has received numerous awards for her work in the Legislature to ensure Wisconsinites have access to quality and affordablehealth care services.
Senator Judy Robson was the first Democratic woman to serve as Minority Leader and Majority Leader in the Wisconsin State Senate. She fought for legislation to ensure that birth control is covered by insurance, funding for smoking prevention and cessation, smoke-free workplace laws, required insurance coverage for mammograms, autism spectrum disorders, mental health services, and pay equity legislation. She is retiring this year after serving 23 years in the Wisconsin State Legislature.
Sue Ann Thompson has focused much of her attention on women’s health issues, education, and volunteerism. Out of love and compassion for her daughters and all the women of Wisconsin, Sue Ann established the Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation (WWHF) in 1997 during her tenure as First Lady, and after 34 years as a teacher, she retired to assume a full-time role as the Foundation’s president. WWHF’s mission is to help women become advocates for their own health by providing them with the information, resources and tools they need to be healthy.
Secretary Karen Timberlake has spent the last 15 years serving the people of Wisconsin, including her current position as Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Under her leadership, 98 percent of Wisconsin residents have access to basic health care and Wisconsin is the nation’s health care leader, ranking first in health care quality and second in health insurance coverage. Timberlake strongly supported the workplace smoking ban, and has worked on several legislative issues to ensure the reproductive health of Wisconsin residents. Timberlake has also positioned Wisconsin to lead in the implementation of national health care reform and she will continue to take on new challenges as co-leader of the Office of National Health Care Reform.
