woman volunteer of the year luncheon - News - The Coastal Star2024-03-29T12:48:36Zhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/woman+volunteer+of+the+year+luncheonCoastal Star: Junior League led Boca mom to embrace life as volunteerhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/coastal-star-junior-league-led-boca-mom-to-embrace-life-as-volunt2019-10-02T17:44:29.000Z2019-10-02T17:44:29.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960902084,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960902084,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960902084?profile=original" /></a><em>Amy Kazma, honorary chairwoman of the Woman Volunteer of the Year luncheon, sits with her cockapoo Remy, 10, and mini Australian shepherd Spartacus, 6. <strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>By Margie Plunkett</strong><br /> <br />Amy Kazma of Boca Raton recently became an empty nester, but she has plenty to keep her occupied. <br /> For one, she has been named honorary chairwoman of this year’s Woman Volunteer of the Year luncheon, an annual event that celebrates women nominated by nonprofits throughout Palm Beach County. <br /> The luncheon and fashion show, put on by the Junior League of Boca Raton, will be Nov. 8 at the Boca Raton Resort & Club.<br /> Kazma, 55, has been a member of the Junior League for about 16 years, supporting the organization along with her husband, Mike. The luncheon “is such an incredible event for the community. … They recognize women who are doing volunteer work through various organizations. This year they have 38 women nominated, who are from 38 organizations in Palm Beach County.<br /> “When they asked me, I was honored to say the least,” Kazma said.<br /> Kazma’s responsibilities as honorary chairwoman include championing the event in the community, as well as hosting the nominee reception Oct. 10 at the resort’s Spa Garden. That event is attended by all the nominees plus past winners. <br /> Kazma will know she has succeeded in her role “if everybody enjoys themselves and feels special,” she said.<br /> Kazma and her husband are involved with a variety of other local organizations, including the Florence Fuller Child Development Centers, the Boca Raton Historical Society, Boca Raton Regional Hospital, the George Snow Scholarship Fund and Boca Helping Hands. The family also is part of the Kazma Family Foundation, a nonprofit that grants scholarships and supports education.<br /> The Kazmas moved to Boca Raton 23 years ago. Mike is CEO of Amzak Capital Management. Amy credits him with being a big part of her ability to get involved in the community, by “supporting me and allowing me to make commitments to different organizations financially as I see fit. He doesn’t like the limelight — he likes to sit in the shadows. But he’s always supporting me,” she said.<br /> Their two children, Jennifer, 20, and Nicholas, 18, now attend university, leaving the empty nesters home with their two dogs, Remy and Spartacus.<br /> When Amy Kazma, who has a bachelor of science in communications and public relations from the University of Southern Indiana, first arrived here she didn’t know a soul, she recalls.<br /> She felt fortunate to be a stay-at-home mom, but her husband traveled frequently. After having her second child, she decided she needed to find something for herself. That’s when she was introduced to the Junior League. She found it a good fit. While it has provided an outlet for her community spirit, it also has altered her personal life.<br /> “Through all my volunteerism is where I’ve found my closest friends,” Kazma said. “When you volunteer, that’s where you find people who are like-minded, because they’re there for the same reasons you are. <br /> “Volunteerism has been a huge part of my life, not just in the time I have spent there, but what it has brought to my life with the friendships and the satisfaction of being able to be involved with these organizations and help out in a small way,” she said.<br /> When Kazma has spare time, she loves to go to the beach with her girlfriends. She and her husband enjoy boating, traveling and hiking when they spend time at their Colorado home. “And now that I’m an empty nester, I can do all those things,” she said. <br /> What does Kazma most hope to achieve in her lifetime? <br /> “I really would like to be looked upon as someone who was a nice individual who cared about my family and friends and the community — and was fortunate enough to be able to share my time, talent and treasure in that community with my friends and family.”</p>
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<p><span style="font-size:18pt;"><strong>If You Go</strong></span><br /><strong>What</strong>: Woman Volunteer of the Year luncheon, hosted by Junior League of Boca Raton<br /><strong>When</strong>: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 8<br /><strong>Where</strong>: Boca Raton Resort & Club<br /><strong>Tickets</strong>: $150 for general seating<br /><strong>More info</strong>: <a href="http://www.jlbr.org/woman-volunteer-of-the-year-2">www.jlbr.org/woman-volunteer-of-the-year-2</a></p></div>Woman Volunteer of the Year: Boca Raton Resort & Club – Oct. 5https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/woman-volunteer-of-the-year-boca-raton-resort-club-oct-52017-10-31T20:23:21.000Z2017-10-31T20:23:21.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960746266,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960746266,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="600" alt="7960746266?profile=original" /></a><em>Joyce DeVita was named the 2017 Woman Volunteer of the Year at the Junior League of Boca Raton’s 30th annual luncheon and fashion show. DeVita was nominated by the Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum. Forty-two women from nonprofits around Palm Beach County were recognized for their dedication as volunteers. ABOVE: The 2017 Woman Volunteer of the Year nominees. <strong>Photo provided by Munoz Photography</strong></em></p></div>Woman Volunteer of the Year Kickoff: Saks Fifth Avenue, Boca Raton – Aug. 23https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/woman-volunteer-of-the-year-kickoff-saks-fifth-avenue-boca-raton-2017-10-04T00:01:36.000Z2017-10-04T00:01:36.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960743697,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960743697,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="600" alt="7960743697?profile=original" /></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960744085,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960744085,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="600" alt="7960744085?profile=original" /></a><em>The Junior League of Boca Raton named fashion designer cinq a sept as the headliner for its Woman Volunteer of the Year Luncheon and fashion show scheduled for Oct. 5, as well as the 42 nominees for the award. The Junior League celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. TOP: (l-r) Amy Kazma, Mary Lavalle, Tricia Anderson and Kristen Ross-Majhess. ABOVE: (l-r) Helen Ballerano, Susan Brockway and Laura Stoltz. <strong>Photos provided by Munoz Photography</strong></em></p></div>Luncheon leaders named: Boca Raton Resort & Club – June 29https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/luncheon-leaders-named-boca-raton-resort-club-june-292017-08-29T16:27:39.000Z2017-08-29T16:27:39.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960736462,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960736462,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="600" alt="7960736462?profile=original" /></a><em>Barb Schmidt will be honorary chairwoman of the Junior League of Boca Raton’s Woman Volunteer of the Year Luncheon, set for Oct. 5. Past President Kirsten Stanley will serve as event chairwoman. The affair (this year is its 30th) is considered one of the kickoffs to the South Florida social season. ‘Our Woman Volunteer of the Year Luncheon spotlights not only the Junior League of Boca but the entire nonprofit community,’ President Renata Sans de Negri says. ‘It is remarkable to see the difference we are making as female volunteers in the community when you see the women who take the stage on Oct. 5.’ ABOVE: (l-r) Mindy Shikiar, Schmidt, Stanley and Maureen Mann. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></p></div>Coastal Star: Her idea for a community garden helped cultivate togethernesshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/coastal-star-her-idea-for-a-community-garden-helped-cultivate-tog2016-11-02T17:43:22.000Z2016-11-02T17:43:22.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960689281,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="500" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960689281,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960689281?profile=original" /></a><em>Then-Boca Raton Mayor Susan Whelchel prodded the city to donate land for a community garden in 2010.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>Since then, the Junior League of Boca Raton has managed and supported the garden,</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>which has 97 plots that are leased to city residents.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>By Rich Pollack<br /><br /></strong> As Boca Raton’s mayor during the national economic meltdown, Susan Whelchel could see — and feel — the impact the crisis was having on her city. <br /> “You could just sense in the community that it was time to bring people together,” said Whelchel, who served as mayor from 2008 until 2014. <br /> With bringing people together in mind, she came up with the idea of creating a community garden in Boca Raton — one that would provide a living oasis downtown. <br /> She realized, however, that the city couldn’t do it alone. So she turned to an organization she knew could get the job done well — the Junior League of Boca Raton. <br /> After Whelchel and the league spent a couple of years planning and securing support from city leaders, the Boca Raton Community Garden became a reality in 2011. Today it continues to thrive as a partnership between the city and the Junior League. <br /> Whelchel, 72, a resident of the Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club, is one of 40 women who will be the focus of attention as nominees during the Junior League of Boca Raton’s 29th annual Woman Volunteer of the Year Luncheon on Nov. 18. (See names of all nominees in Philanthropy Notes, Page AT3.)<br /> Whelchel, a Junior League member, says she is humbled to be considered along with other community volunteers. <br /> “Every single one of the nominees is a star and a leader in their organization,” she said. <br /> Whelchel’s role in creating the community garden was a factor in her nomination, but the league is also recognizing her overall leadership in the community and in the community-service group itself. <br /> “Susan has been a mentor and an inspirational figure,” says Kirsten Stanley, president of the Junior League of Boca Raton. “She is an example of how you can translate volunteerism into community activism.”<br /> A league member for more than 35 years, Whelchel is always available to lend a hand to the organization, serving as a celebrity bartender at fundraising events and also as emcee for the annual Woman Volunteer of the Year luncheon for several years. <br /> She has been a speaker at several other events, sharing her experiences during her years in public service, which included serving as a City Council member, mayor and member of the county School Board. <br /> Now retired, along with her husband, John, they enjoy traveling (they have a second home in Colorado) and spending time with family, including 10 grandchildren.<br /> Her thoughts on politics?<br /> “The national political scene has been so disappointing and I, along with everyone I speak with, are hopeful that that type of politics does not filter down to the local or state levels. Politics should bring out the best in people, not the worst. People ask me what I miss about not being in politics any longer. I miss the people. I worked with many wonderful people and I don’t get to see them as much.”<br /> Whelchel’s league involvement dates back to a few years after she moved to Boca Raton in 1978. She was introduced to the organization when friends invited her to join what was known as the Junior Service League of Boca Raton. <br /> She credits the league with helping her to become more involved in the community.<br /> “I don’t think I would have ever run for office had I not had the opportunity to learn the leadership skills they were teaching,” she said. <br /> Whelchel serves or has served on the boards of organizations such as the Boca Raton Historical Society, Spirit of Giving Network, Boca Bowl and the Florida Atlantic Research and Development Authority.<br /> She still feels a sense of pride when she walks through the community garden, which has grown to 97 plots. Ten percent of the food grown is donated to Boca Helping Hands. <br /> “We accomplished something special,” she said. “We did something specifically for the welfare of the community.”</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong><span style="font-family:georgia, palatino;" class="font-size-4">If You Go</span></strong><br /><strong>What:</strong> 29th annual Woman Volunteer of the Year Luncheon<br /><strong>Where:</strong> Boca Raton Resort and Club <br /><strong>When:</strong> 10:30 a.m. Nov. 18, reception and runway raffle; 11:30 a.m. luncheon<br /><strong>Tickets:</strong> $95 to $250 per person for luncheon; $100 for after-party <br /><strong>Info:</strong> Call the Junior League office at 620-2553 or visit <a href="http://www.jlbr.org">www.jlbr.org</a> and click on “events.”</p></div>Meet Your Neighbor: Kirsten Stephensonhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/meet-your-neighbor-kirsten-stephenson2014-10-01T16:00:00.000Z2014-10-01T16:00:00.000ZChris Felkerhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/ChrisFelker<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960528257,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960528257,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="219" alt="7960528257?profile=original" /></a><em>Kirsten Stephenson at the Junior League office.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></p>
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<p style="text-align:left;"> For Kirsten Stephenson, being a Junior League member has been about life lessons — learning the needs of her community while at the same time learning about herself and what she can achieve. <br /> “I am a different person after having been in the Junior League,” she says. “As a member of the league you’re trained to see the world differently, to be sensitive to the needs of your community and to how you can make things better.”<br /> Active in the Junior League of Boca Raton, having served on the board of directors and as chair of several committees, Stephenson, 47, has found herself continuously taking on new challenges. <br /> “As a member of the league I have done things I never dreamed I could do,” she says. <br /> Now, Stephenson is in the home stretch of what may be the most massive challenge of her 15 years as a league member. With her longtime friend Yvette Drucker, Stephenson is co-chairing the Junior League of Boca Raton’s 27th annual Woman Volunteer of the Year Luncheon and Fashion Show, set for Friday, Nov. 7, at the Boca West Country Club.<br /> “Yvette and I wanted to do something together that we’d never done before,” Stephenson said. “We thought taking on something like this would be a wonderful opportunity.” <br /> It’s also turned out to be tremendous amount of work, especially in the last few months as the event gets closer and the committee responsible for making it happen adds the finishing touches to its plans. <br /> “It’s been a full-time job and then some,” says Stephenson, who, along with her husband, Sam, juggles raising four children, ages 6 to 15, with her league responsibilities. “What’s been amazing is that everyone who has done this before has come to help.” <br /> To understand just how big an undertaking serving as co-chairs for the event is, you just have to look at the numbers. This year’s Woman Volunteer of the Year luncheon is expected to draw between 650 and 700 guests, and while the main goal is to honor women who are nominated, the event is also the major fundraiser of the year for the Junior League of Boca Raton. For Stephenson, the return on her investment of time and energy has been well worth the effort. <br /> “I truly feel that what this organization has done in the community is incredible and what it’s done for me is powerful,” she said. “I recruit people all the time for the league and I tell them ‘You will do more than you ever thought you could.’ ”</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><em>— Rich Pollack</em><br /> <br /> <strong>Q.</strong> Where did you grow up?<br /> <strong>A.</strong> I’m a bit of a hybrid. I grew up in Miami, attended university in Alabama, was in Berlin for the wall coming down, and then lived for the first part of my young adult life (five years) in Europe before returning to the States. I lived many years in Texas, and then moved to Boca Raton. I feel just as comfortable in cowboy boots wading through rattlesnakes and swampland on our family property in Alabama as I do ordering dinner in French in Paris.<br /> <br /> <strong>Q.</strong> What professions have you worked in? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?<br /> <strong>A.</strong> I was fortunate enough to work for a major international company in Europe in the project management field. But every time I visited the States, I was so impressed with the amount of options available. Upon returning to the U.S., I settled in Boca Raton and worked for Pepsi’s international division. I finished my career at Enron in project management and management. Enron was a fabulous company and it was a pleasure to work with people who lived to think ‘outside the box.’<br /> <br /> <strong>Q.</strong> As co-chair of the Woman Volunteer of the Year luncheon, what do you see as your greatest challenges for this year’s event?<br /> <strong>A.</strong> Challenges? We (my co-chair Yvette Drucker and I) prefer to think of them as opportunities, such as our fantastic partnerships with the Boca Raton Regional Hospital Foundation and Saks Fifth Avenue Boca Raton. We’ve also been blessed to work with Marta Batmasian, our honorary chairwoman, who has been invaluable in her assistance to us. I do want to mention that we have wonderful partners in the community. The Boca Raton Regional Hospital Foundation has been a wonderful friend to us for many years and serves as our awards sponsor for this event. Also, Heather Shaw and Stacy Atwater at Saks Fifth Avenue Boca Raton are a wonderful team to work with, as Saks is serving as our fashion partner and putting on an incredible fashion show for the event featuring their alice + olivia clothing line.<br /> <br /> <strong>Q.</strong> How did you choose to make your home in Boca Raton ?<br /> <strong>A.</strong> Easy. My husband literally grew up on the same street we currently live on. Everything about his life here in Boca was ideal, and he wanted to re-create it for our children. <br /> <br /> <strong>Q.</strong> What is your favorite part about living in Boca Raton?<br /> <strong>A.</strong> Simply, we are a community of generosity. I am oftentimes overwhelmed by how generous we are. There are constant breakfasts, lunches, dinners and fundraisers to honor nonprofits throughout our community. These are well-attended and well-funded. It’s a beautiful thing to see us helping those that need it the most. It’s a warm and comfortable feeling to be living among so many people who give so much to help others. <br /> <br /> <strong>Q.</strong> What book are you reading now?<br /> <strong>A.</strong> Well, I am a voracious reader. I usually have several books going at once. I am rereading Isabel Allende’s Islands Beneath the Sea, a historical fiction about Haiti; I am halfway through Sarum, by Edward Rutherford; just finishing Grain Brain, by Dr. David Perlmutter, and just finished Breakfast With Buddha, by Roland Merullo, a book my mother wanted me to read.<br /> <br /> <strong>Q.</strong> What music do you listen to when you need inspiration?<br /> <strong>A.</strong> I adore jazz. I play Symphony Hall on Sirius XM in my home many evenings to keep my kids relaxed enough to complete homework. <br /> <br /> <strong>Q.</strong> Do you have a favorite quote that inspires your decisions?<br /> <strong>A.</strong> Yes, since I was young, this from Theodore Roosevelt has had such an impact for me: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”<br /> <br /> <strong>Q.</strong> Have you had mentors in your life, individuals who have inspired your life decisions?<br /> <strong>A.</strong> In my league career, Debbie Abrams has been a constant. I have literally showed up on her doorstep when she could hardly remember me, and she has always come through for me. She is the epitome of graciousness, and I am forever grateful for the person she is, the generosity of heart that she exhibits, the quiet strength she exudes. Dorothy MacDiarmid has been an enormous mentor to me in terms of my advocacy efforts and an unfailing friend. In my family, my grandfather was a rock of morality, my daughter exhibits a quiet grace that I find incredible, and my husband has been everything that I could ever dream for and much more.<br /> <br /> <strong>Q.</strong> Who/what makes you laugh?<br /> <strong>A.</strong> My beautiful family, particularly my 6-year-old who lives for this privilege.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family:georgia, palatino;">If You Go</span></strong><br /> <strong>What:</strong> 27th Annual Woman Volunteer of the Year Luncheon and Fashion Show<br /> <strong>When:</strong> Friday, Nov. 7<br /> <strong>Time:</strong> 10:30 a.m. for silent auction/raffle and noon for luncheon<br /> <strong>Where:</strong> Boca West Country Club, 20583 Boca West Dr., Boca Raton<br /> <strong>Tickets:</strong> Platinum Runway seating, $200; Gold Seating, $150, Silver seating, $95<br /> Highlights: Fashion show featuring Stacey Bendet, CEO of alice + olivia, showcasing the company’s spring 2015 line. <br /> <strong>Info & Tickets:</strong> <a href="http://www.jlbr.org/wvoy">www.jlbr.org/wvoy</a></p></div>Junior League of Boca Ratonhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/junior-league-of-boca-raton2012-08-01T15:12:52.000Z2012-08-01T15:12:52.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p></p>
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<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960391680,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960391680,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="576" alt="7960391680?profile=original" /></a><em>The Junior League of Boca Raton, Inc. recently announced the Board of Directors for 2012-2013. Leading the board is President Jackie Reeves, a JLBR member since 2001. ABOVE: Bottom L-R: Elizabeth Kelley Grace, Jennifer Barner, Cyrstal McMillin, Jackie Reeves, Kristine Kuntz and Kellie Mejia. Top L-R: Kirsten Stephenson, Jackie Shatz, Kirsten Stanley, Debbie Abrams, Carolyn North, Melissa Whelchel, Andrea Garcia, Alicia Laufer, Dorothy MacDiarmid and Fabiola Hooker.</em></p>
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<p><em>The League also held its 2012 Woman Volunteer of the Year luncheon kickoff announcing Neiman Marcus as its Fashion Show Sponsor. In its 25th year, the annual WVOY Luncheon will be held Oct. 18 at the Boca Raton Resort & Club. LEFT: Holly Meehan (chair) and Kelly Martin. <strong>Photos by Downtown Photo</strong></em><br /><br /></p></div>