Cape Zonta Club honors women for achievements and service to community

The Zonta Club of Cape Girardeau honored Kathy Swan with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the group’s annual Women of Achievement luncheon Friday, Nov. 17, at Drury Plaza Hotel Conference Center in Cape Girardeau.

Swan is a commissioner on the state Labor and Industrial Relations Commission. She is the former president of Johnson Communication Services, a wireless telecommunications company in Cape Girardeau. In addition, she has been employed in a variety of nursing positions at Saint Francis Healthcare System and Southeast Missouri State University. Swan represented House District 147 in the state House of Representatives from 2013 to 2021

Jessica Hill, a member of Zonta Club and executive director of Safe House of Southeast Missouri, introduced Swan, saying she exemplified the women of Zonta who “inspire, motivate and teach us every day.”

In accepting the award, Swan recalled how her mother often instructed her to do the right thing for the right reason in the right way.

“To my mother, doing things the right way was the only way to do things, and to do it with character and integrity,” Swan said.

Swan said her experience in politics introduced her to people who, instead, followed the philosophy of Machiavelli, “The ends justify the means.”

She said there’s a major difference between being a politician and being a policymaker, and, as a legislator, she chose to be the policymaker.

“There’s no room for Machiavellian-type thinking when you’re making decisions that impact people’s lives,” Swan said.

Zonta also recognized Abbie Crites-Leoni, a magistrate judge for U.S. District Court Eastern District of Missouri and presented her with its Celebration Award.

Crites-Leoni spoke about the objective of changing the world. She said the name “Zonta” is derived from a Lakota-Sioux Indian word meaning “honest and trustworthy”.

“Over 100 years ago, the confederation of Zonta clubs articulated their mission of building a better world for women and girls,” Crites-Leoni said. “In doing so, Zonta chose an epic objective especially considering the times.”

She spoke of the efforts of women and men who fought for the rights of women to vote and said every American had the responsibility “as beneficiaries of that herculean effort” to promote civic education, empower women through service and advocacy and endeavor to make a difference.

Crites-Leoni said she was 10 years old when Sandra Day O’Connor was selected as the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. She said she was inspired by that and Justice O’Connor’s argument that “each of us bear that burden of ensuring that the future of our nation is better than the past and that the victories of our past are not squandered.”

“No matter our race, gender or religion, we have an obligation to teach the generations that follow us,” Crites-Leoni said. “Every single one of us have chances to change lives in both our personal and professional capacities.”

Kendra Eads, executive director of Southeast Missouri Network Against Sexual Violence, was honored with Zonta’s 2023 Women of Achievement award.

In accepting the award, Eads said the members of Zonta inspired her through the work they do in the Cape Girardeau community.

“It means so much to me to receive an award from a professional organization whose mission is to empower women,” Eads said. “I feel so fortunate to have spent the last 20 years advocating for survivors of sexual violence. I remember every day that I am standing on the shoulders of giants.”

Eads acknowledged her parents, who have both passed away, saying the role they had in shaping her could not be overstated. She said the building blocks for her success were that she always knew her parents loved her and were proud of her.

“My dad made sure I always knew my worth and showed me how to navigate life independently,” Eads said. “My mom encouraged me to live a life of service, show the most love to the marginalized and vulnerable, and always prioritize family.”

Zonta is an international service organization of business and professional women working together to empower women through service and advocacy at the local, state and international level. Chartered in 1976, the Zonta Club of Cape Girardeau provides financial support to not-for-profit organizations, and provides scholarships to Southeast Missouri State University and the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center.