Zonta Women of Achievement nominee: Beth Keller

For 23 years Beth Keller has been a vital part of the Saint Francis Healthcare System where she currently serves as an Account Manager for Saint Francis Health Plans. Volunteering is second nature to Keller who finds ways to serve throughout the community and at church. She views the local mission field as vitally important and truly values helping her neighbors.

Keller currently serves as President of the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce. She is a member and past president of The Friends of Saint Francis Foundation board of directors and is passionate about raising money for heart and cancer patients who cannot otherwise afford treatments. She also has a heart for families in need of supplemental food and supports the power pack and backpack programs sponsored by local school districts. Concern for area families that do not have enough to eat also motivates Keller to volunteer at the SEMO Food Bank.

Empowering women in the workplace is another of Keller’s passions. She regularly speaks to classes of college students in an effort to help prepare them for the real world and life in the modern-day workplace. And, while she still sees the challenge of equality for women in the workplace as an ongoing effort in general, she also notes that some improvements have been made over the years. She enjoys helping women with career counseling, which includes recognizing their potential and connecting them with resources to further their education and career aspirations. Mentoring is important to Keller because she believes that learning to juggle work-life balance is one of the biggest challenges facing women today; noting that working moms especially have their plates full.

Some of Keller’s favorite people call her Meemaw, as she is a grandmother to Graham and Jagger. She and Keith, her husband of 32 years, have one daughter, Blythe Bertrand.