Six women have been named honorees of Girl Scouts of West Central Florida’s (GSWCF) Annual Women of Distinction and will be celebrated at a luncheon on International Women’s Day on March 8, at Armature Works.
The event is in its 32nd year and is the longest running Women’s History month celebration, attracting more than 600 business and community leaders from across Tampa Bay, according to a news release.
The 2024 Women of Distinction are:
- Marilyn Alvarez, master deputy of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
- Alison Barlow, executive director, St. Petersburg Innovation District
- Ann E. Dunwoody, Gen. (Retired) and first female Four-Star General in the United States Army
- Bemetra Simmons, president and CEO of Tampa Bay Partnership, and co-founder of Corporate Homie
In addition, GSWCF named Diana Walker as the 2024 Woman of Promise, an award given to exceptional women under age 40. Walker is the special projects coordinator at Hillsborough County Economic Development Minority & Small Business.
The organization also will induct Renee Vaughn into the Women of Distinction Hall of Fame. Vaughn is the president of the Williams Consulting Group, a public relations and marketing firm in Tampa. She was first honored as a Woman of Distinction in 2015.
“For 30-plus years, Women of Distinction has been one of Tampa Bay’s premier luncheons to celebrate Women’s History Month,” said Cami Gibertini, president of the board of directors of GSWCF, in the release.
“As the only fundraising event hosted annually by our local Girl Scouts, this is also the best opportunity for our community and business leaders to invest in future women leaders by showing they support Girl Scouts,” said Gibertini.
To learn more about Women of Distinction, visit GSWCF.org/WOD.
For information about sponsorship opportunities, email Clara Moll, chief development officer, at .
