Zonta honors women of achievement at luncheon

~ Maryann "Miki" Gudermuth received the club's 2007 Woman of Achievement award.

Joyce Dooley watched Maryann "Miki" Gudermuth's face during a luncheon Friday, waiting for a look of surprise. She got it.

Gudermuth heard her own name as the Zonta Club of Cape Girardeau's 2007 Woman of Achievement and looked "stunned," said Dooley, her own eyes tearing a bit. "She does deserve it."

Gudermuth is a polio survivor and executive director of the SEMO Alliance for Disability Independence Inc., which she founded. Dooley is SADI's accounting director.

At Friday's luncheon, Gundermuth was lauded by co-workers and friends in a videotaped tribute as a leader in business as well as a personal mentor and inspiration.

"I didn't expect this honor. I was pulling for several other nominees," Gudermuth told the crowd. She didn't hog the glory.

"I'm only a little pinpoint compared to all their achievements," she said of SADI's 40-person staff. "I accept this on behalf of them."

Kathy Swan, district governor-elect, was also at the luncheon. She said she joined Zonta in 1992 because the club is the "only service organization that focuses on women and women's issues."

Swan said the club awards annual scholarships to encourage young women to enter technical fields such as science, aviation and engineering. With the help of Zonta's Jefferson City chapter, the Cape Girardeau club created the annual awards luncheon as its main fundraiser. This year, the club netted about $13,000 from the 336 tickets sold, money destined for community projects.

Four Jefferson City Zontans, Brenda Myers, Amparo Thomas, Christy Trimble and Darla Porter, attended the lunch.

The six other nominees for Woman of Achievement were Tammy Gwaltney, executive director for the Southeast Missouri Network Against Sexual Violence; lawyer Marcia Mulcahy; teacher and cancer survivor Carol Reimann; NaTika Rowles, director of the Boys & Girls Club of Cape Girardeau; pediatric dentist Jayne Scherrman; and Debra Schumer, clinical dietitian for Saint Francis Medical Center.

Tina Klocke, chief financial bear for Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc., named Zonta's Celebration Award winner, sent her thanks via video.

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127