Dr. Linda Bradley is one of the world’s foremost experts in women’s health, a specialist in menstrual disorders and an innovative leader in the field of hysterectomy alternatives.
Susan Fuehrer has gone from an unpaid intern in Veterans Affairs to CEO of the Northeast Ohio VA Healthcare System, overseeing care for more than 100,000 veterans across the region.
Ines Rehner was raised on a family farm in Croatia and has lived the American Dream as a self-taught chocolatier whose gourmet sweets are sold in several states and have even made it into outer space as a treat for astronauts.
How’s that for inspiring?
These are just three of the nine women we’ll honor with INSPIRE Awards at this year’s Celebrating Women, a daylong event Friday, Sept. 28, in the Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Center where we bring women together to learn from each other’s successes. Each year we acknowledge several of Cleveland’s most deserving women leaders with INSPIRE Awards.
Here’s our list of 2018 honorees:
- Joy Banish, executive director of Greater Cleveland Volunteers, which recruits adult volunteers to help non-profit organizations
- Dr. Linda Bradley, professor of surgery at the Cleveland Clinic, director of the Center for Menstrual Disorders, Fibroids and Hysteroscopic Services at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, and vice chairwoman of obstetrics and gynecology at the Women’s Health Institute
- Susan Fuehrer, medical center director/CEO of the Northeast Ohio VA Healthcare System
- Karen Giffen, co-founder of Giffen & Kaminski, LLC, a women-owned law firm specializing in business litigation, and president of the Legal Aid Society
- Pam Gill, president and CEO of Recovery Resources, which provides a broad continuum of care to more than 10,000 people from northeast Ohio who are dealing with mental illness, alcoholism, drug and other addictions.
- Jennifer Ilgauskas, CEO of Rebound Physical Therapy, who was inspired to open a clinic by the physical therapists who helped rehabilitate injuries suffered by her husband, former Cleveland Cavaliers basketball player Zydrunas Ilgauskas. The clinic now has four locations.
- Shannon Lyons, chief operating officer of Flashstarts, a venture capital firm that funds startups in healthcare IT, data and analytics, IoT, VR and other high-tech fields
- Ines Rehner, owner of Sweet Designs in Lakewood who produces SmartBark pouches of gluten-free, certified-organic, fair-traded chocolate
- Kristen Warzocha, president and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, which works with nearly 1,000 partner agencies and programs across northeast Ohio
These nine women exemplify exactly what the INSPIRE Awards are all about – following your passion with enthusiasm and courage to achieve more and take their organizations to the next level. Nominations were made earlier this year, then a committee of experienced, non-partial business professionals selected the winners. We’ll give out the awards during this year’s Celebrating Women, which features several inspiring speakers including a panel discussion with all nine INSPIRE Award winners.
The theme of this year’s Celebrating Women is “Investing in Yourself! Knowing Your Value!”
Register for the event here.
“