Events

Outstanding Women Leaders Recognized

Tuesday, March 30 at its Annual Founders Awards Dinner, the Georgia Women’s Institute bestowed its most coveted awards to four of Georgia’s most outstanding and influential female leaders. According to Nellie Duke, President of the Institute, "These women have made and continue to make an indelible imprint not only in the State but certainly in the interest of all women in Georgia."

Linda DiSantis, General Counsel for CARE USA, received the Linda T. Muir Award for Business and Law. CARE is a humanitarian agency that fights global poverty. DiSantis has practiced law at Alston & Bird, was a managing attorney for UPS and the Atlanta City Attorney for Mayor Shirley Franklin. She is a Senior Fellow at Georgia State University’s Center for Ethics and Corporate Responsibility and chairs GSU’s College of Law Board of Visitors.

Sudha Reddy, MS, RD, LD, received the Dr. Mary Lou Frank Award for Health and Education. Reddy is Chief Nutritionist and Wellness Program Director for the Georgia Department of Human Services, Division of Aging Services. She is a former Major in the US Army Reserves at Eisenhower Medical Center. A widely published and recognized authority on wellness Reddy is the beneficiary of numerous state and national awards.

Georgia Senator Renee Unterman received the Nellie Dunaway Duke Award for Leadership & Public Service. A leader in the majority party, Unterman is former Mayor of Loganville and former Gwinnett County Commissioner. She serves as Chair of Georgia’s Government Oversight Committee, Vice Chair of Health & Human Services and Regulated Industries and Utilities. Unterman also chairs the Appropriations Sub-Committee. As a legislator, she has focused on health, social law and consumer issues.

Jocelyn Dorsey received the Linda Torrence Award for Arts and Communications. Dorsey is the Director of Editorials and Public Affairs and Executive Producer of People2People for WSB TV, Atlanta’s ABC affiliate. Dorsey has been recognized for her outstanding work in journalism and received numerous awards including seven Southeast Regional EMMYS for Editorial Excellence by the National Academy of Television Arts and Science. As an inductee of the National Association of Black Journalists Region IV Hall of Fame, she was also named Media Woman of the Year.

The Founders Awards Dinner event was co-sponsored by Georgia Commission on Women.