Outstanding Tulsa Women Honored As 2020 Women Of The Year

Outstanding woman in the Tulsa community were recognized at the 2020 Women of the Year-Pinnacle Awards ceremony at City Hall Thursday, January 9. Their achievements were recognized in the annual awards presented by The Mayor's Commission on the Status of Women and YWCA Tulsa.

“We are proud to honor these Tulsa women who are making valuable contributions to our community through their professional work and volunteer activities,” said Mayor G.T. Bynum.

“These women have distinguished themselves through accomplishments in their fields of expertise and have stepped up as advocates and leaders in our city.”

The following women (and one organization) will be honored at the Pearl Party at the Mayo Hotel March 5:

Tina Pena — Associate professor of Spanish and Community/Medical Interpreter Trainer at TCC. Recipient of the 2015 Human Rights Award by the United Nations of Oklahoma. 2017 Newsmaker Award by the Association for Women in Communications and the 2018 Community Leader Award by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Kenya Carter — The designer and creator of the K. Nicole brand. She is a fashion designer, boutique owner and community volunteer.

Shella Bowlin — Senior Director Strategy and Analytics Cherokee Nation Businesses and Board Member Youth Services Tulsa, the only Tulsa non-profit organization focused solely on adolescents and young adults.

Laurie Tilley — Executive Vice President of Brand Strategy at Littlefield Agency. Co-Founder of Project Elf, which began as a grassroots network that could help school kids with basic needs; today serves every Tulsa Public School (more than 80), some private schools, and has over 800 volunteers.

Omare Jimmerson — Program Director Strong Tomorrows, a school-based initiative that identifies and serves both mothers and fathers in junior high and high school by providing one-on-one case management for participating students, as well as education and training on a host of topics including prenatal care, child birth, career planning, health and high-quality child care.

Gabriella Ortega Lagorin — Program Director Take Control Initiative; The choice of when and if to have children is associated with securing better women’s health and pregnancy outcomes. TCI drives this change by breaking down social, economic, and clinical barriers to access with a goal of promoting health equity for women.

Junior League — Since 1923, JLT has provided volunteer leadership in more than 100 community projects in the areas of healthcare, education, social services, child abuse prevention, homelessness, domestic violence prevention, food insecurity, and many more.