National Council of Jewish Women 41st Women in Power Event

December 14, 2022 – Sarasota

On January 18, 2023, at 11:30, at Michael’s on East, the National Council of Jewish Women, Sarasota-Manatee Section will be honoring five remarkable women at our 41^st annual Women in Power Luncheon.  We recognize that it is a cornerstone in our mission to improve the lives of women, children, and families.

As President John F. Kennedy said: “Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future.” In recognition that this is The Year of the Child, those honored have created and partnered with programs that have changed the lives of those impoverished, or facing substance abuse, mental and physical health issues, and sub-par academic performance.  Hurricane Ian has added a new urgency to our mission.

The following are doing the good works we want to applaud and support.

• AMANDA HORNE is the co-founder of Dive into Reading, a national award-winning summer reading program that is a collaboration among the Anna Maria Oyster Bars, School District of Manatee County, Suncoast Campaign for Grade Level Reading and Manatee County Libraries. She and her husband, John, piloted Dive into Reading to help improve our children’s reading levels and combat the “summer slide.” She served for many years on the Board of Directors for Pace Center for Girls.

• BETH DUDA has seen outside learning experiences as key contributors to a child’s overall education.  Suncoast Remake Learning Days is a 10-day, free, learning festival held each year in Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties. With support from the Patterson Foundation, more than 140 events at locations throughout our region give hands-on and innovative experience to youth of all ages as well as their families, caregivers, and educators.

• JANET KAHN, CEO of the Early Learning Coalition of Sarasota County, has handled critical funding issues, improved opportunities for childcare teachers, updated training programs, and provided special recognition when centers reopened following the pandemic. For the past 15 years, her Look for the Stars* childcare quality rating program for all ELC centers in the county has provided needed recognizable indicators of quality with support for improvement.

• DR. WENDY KATZ, a lifelong educator, has touched the lives of thousands of children through her passion for education and her shared knowledge of best practices. She has inspired generations of school administrators, teachers, and children to meet their goals.   Dr. Katz developed the Leadership Academy for the Sarasota County Public Schools for aspiring     

administrators. After retiring, she became an educational consultant working with the    Florida Council of Independent Schools, consulting on Jewish Day Schools.

• JONE WILLIAMS, Educational Outreach Director for the Safe Children Coalition (SCC), is responsible for the HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters) Program for Sarasota County and oversight of the direction of the SCC Achievers Program. Her parental workshops share how to protect their youngsters from potential roadblocks to succeeding including substance abuse and human trafficking approaches.

During this Year of the Child, we look to you to make our community a safer and more positive environment for our children, while honoring those who already do.

We hope you will join us on January 18, 2023. For more information, to purchase tickets and/or to become a sponsor, please contact Joan Bour at 407-413-0058 or joanbour5@yahoo.com, or go to ncjwsarasota-manatee.org.