These five women are 'shining a bright light' in Manatee County

Five local women honored for their professional accomplishments had similar tips for the young girls who want to be successful themselves some day.

The American Associations of University Women held its 12th annual Women of Achievement Recognition Luncheon Saturday at the Palm Aire Country Club.

School District of Manatee County Superintendent Diana Greene, executive director of ArtCenter Manatee Carla Nierman, local author Jane Plitt and former music teacher Carolyn Reynolds were honored at the event. The Bradenton Herald’s executive editor, Joan Krauter, also earned recognition at the luncheon.

"These Women of Achievement honorees are dedicated to improving the lives of women and children in our community," said Linda Gulifoyle, president of the Bradenton AAUW branch. "This is really what AAUW is all about. Each of our honorees shines a bright light, providing direction and support for others."

Each of the honorees received a commemorative candle holder that symbolizes the light they have shined upon the community. As they addressed the crowd of about 150 people, the esteemed women answered questions about what motivated them throughout their respective career paths and what sort of advice they would give women looking to follow in their footsteps.

A few of those awarded Saturday thanked their fathers for having the foresight to push them to be best leaders they could possibly be. It's a lesson Greene said she hasn't forgotten.

"The advice I would give to a young woman is that you always have to be better than your male counterpart," Greene said. "I'm sorry that's just how it is."

Krauter said her dad "held the bar a little higher and dared me to succeed." Plitt's father always had her back, too, she told the audience.

"While he was a politically conservative person, he actually believed in the individual," said Plitt. "He began to be offended that I didn't have opportunities because I was a girl. He demonstrated to me that I mattered, even though I was a girl."

The ceremony came on a special day for Reynolds, who called the luncheon "the biggest birthday party I've ever had." She said she grew up in a "not perfect" home, but both of her parents made sure to instill values that she has carried throughout her life.

"They loved me and cherished me and fostered feelings of self-respect, confidence and independence," Reynolds said. "They also made sure I knew the importance of honesty, responsibility and hard work."

Another common thread was the need for connections. All of the honorees thanked their support systems and spoke about how important it is to develop relationships.

"A young person really needs to be talking to people, listening to people", said Neirman. "Throughout the years, I didn't realize that I was gathering information all along. I was just dialoguing with people, but it turns out that there were some true gifts in that that I had no idea were going to be influential in my life."

Plitt urged little girls to find something they're passionate about and network with other people with related interests.

"Use every contact you can possibly find and keep them recorded in your contact list," she said.

While Plitt's tips were aimed primarily at younger women, she still had guidance for the older crowd.

"I would like you to ask 'What can older women do?,'" said Plitt, when Guilfoyle asked if there was anything she'd like to tell the crowd. "And the answer is 'everything!'"

Past honorees, including School District of Manatee County icons Dr. Mona Jain and Barbara Harvey, were among those in attendance.

A ticket-drawing raffle was also held. According to Gulifoyle, all proceeds will go toward the Bradenton Branch of AAUW's scholarship fund, which "provides support to local non-traditional students."

This story was originally published April 7, 2018 at 7:34 PM with the headline "These five women are 'shining a bright light' in Manatee County."