Co-founder of SEMO NASV wins Zonta Club's Women of Achievement Award

Kathy Blevins grabbed her husband's hand just before her name was announced Friday at the Zonta Women of Achievement Luncheon.

"I am grateful for the women who allowed me to share in the personal moments of their life," said Sarah Francis as she read from an essay written by Blevins. Francis read a portion of the essay before attaching a name to the words, but Blevins and her husband of 40 years, Jim, braced themselves for the announcement.

Blevins received the Women of Achievement Award at the luncheon at the Plaza Conference Center. She held back tears as she approached the stage to accept the award. She said she was almost speechless.

"Most of you who know me know that's almost impossible," Blevins said.

Blevins is the co-founder of the Southeast Missouri Network Against Sexual Violence, which provides counseling, examinations and support for victims of sexual violence. She is one of 104 certified sexual assault nurse examiners throughout the world.

"There's still a lot of hurt out there," she said during her acceptance speech. "There's still a lot of work to do."

The fundraising event draws about 300 people annually. Event chairwoman Polly Holten said the group hoped raise $13,000 with the luncheon. The club funds scholarships and service projects for organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters, Habitat for Humanity and the Family Counseling Center.

Ronna Lichtenberg also received the club's Celebration Award. Lichtenberg, author of "Pitch Like a Girl: How a Woman Can Be Herself and still Succeed," is the president of Clear Peak Communications, a management consulting firm. Southeast student Sherry Davey and Susan Harp, a student at the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center, received the club scholarships.

The other Women of Achievement award nominees were Chantelle Becking, co-creator of the not-for-profit organization Room For One More; Beverly Cleair, founder of the Regional Eyecare Center; Leola Twiggs, who has worked for Head Start for 40 years; Jennifer Hendrickson, founder of Hendrickson Business Advisors; Betty Martin, director of the Cape Girardeau Public Library; Kelly Green, Cape Girardeau's first female city engineer; Dr. Rita Fisher, a Jackson School District administrator and Lynn Ware, who works for the Cape Girardeau Police Department and helps coordinate the Safe Communities program and the Team Spirit leadership training conference.

Denise Stewart, former executive director of the Girl Scouts of the Otahki Council, received the award last year. Past honorees include Miki Gudermuth, founder and executive director of SEMO Alliance for Disability Independence and Southeast Missouri State University educator Jeanine Dobbins.

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