News
December 22, 2022YWCA NENY Announces 2023 Empowerment Award Winners
YWCA NorthEastern NY with premiere sponsor, New York Oncology Hematology has announced the winners of the 2023 Empowerment Awards (formerly Women of Achievement). The Empowerment Awards will be presented to ten remarkable individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary achievement in their career and/or community involvement and serve as role models, empowering others through the leadership qualities they exhibit.
The 2023 Awardees are:
Kokese Ballou – CDPHP – Social Justice Award
Coach Carmen Duncan – Mission Accomplished Transition Services, Inc. – Youth Empowerment Award
Mara Ginsberg – To Life! – Advocacy Award
Shana Gourdine – Unmasking Motivation – Arts & Culture Award
Anna LaLoe – Saratoga Shredders – Katherine S. Rozendaal Volunteer Award
Lisa Mitzen – Business for Good – James Addison Good Neighbor Award
Tanya Perrault – Livingston Energy Group – Susan Rosenthal Women in Business Award
Ella Schoenborn – ProjectElla – Young Excellence Award
Raysheea Turner and Kimberley Wallace – Wallace Turner Law, LLP – Empowerment Award
These individuals will be celebrated at the 2023 Empowerment Awards Gala on March 23rd, 2023 from 6pm to 9pm at River’s Casino and Events Center. The Honorary Chairpersons for the event are Dr. Arsyl De Jesus, Oncologist at NYOH and 2022 Achievement Award Winner, and Yuvette Wayman, Executive Assistant of Operations at Business for Good, previous Women of Achievement Awardee, and YWCA NENY Board Vice President. To join the Honorary Committee or purchase tickets for the gala please visit
The 2023 Empowerment Awards, sponsored by NYOH, will be the 40th Annual awards ceremony for YWCA NorthEastern NY and celebrated during the organization’s 135th year in Schenectady, NY. The evening will be a gala-style event featuring a silent auction, raffles, presentation of the organization’s 135-year history, awards presentation by Marcella Hammer of Palette, keynote by Walter Thorne of Albany Business Review, followed by dinner and dancing.
