BBMC names Trailblazer Award recipients

Special to the Outlook

Six influential women from the Tallahassee area who have made significant contributions to their communities were each presented a Trailblazer Award by the Big Bend Minority Chamber of Commerce. The women were recognized during a luncheon last Friday in the Parkview Room at Cascades. 

The award recipients were Maria Pouncey, Panhandle Area Education Consortium; Cetta Barnhart, Seed Time Harvest Farms; Amy Geiger, Market President at Wakulla County Capital City Bank; Pastor Judy Mandrell, Sister Girl Network; Alexis McMillan, Economy Drug Stores; and Shawnta S. Friday-Stroud, Florida A&M University.

The women were selected because of achieved success in their career and the leadership role they play in the community through volunteering and public service, their transformational leadership, their impact on the community. Each of them has set an example that inspires and empowers other women in the community to assume leadership roles, according to a release from the Chamber. 

“Our Big Bend Region is so fortunate to have within our reach our honorees that have blazed a trail for other women to follow whose impact will be felt for many generations to come,” said BBMC’s President Antonio Jefferson.

Additionally, the Chamber’s release said, each recipient has paved the road for others and is making significant contributions to their community through their time, actions, talents and dedication. 

“This is the century of women, where we have broken the glass ceiling and entering into spaces I dreamed about when I was a child,” said BBMC Women Business Council Chairwoman Christic Henry. “I am extremely proud of our entire family at BBMC where the support of women and minority businesses is our focus every day.”

The Chamber has always recognized the achievements of women, said Founder and Board Chairman Sean Pittman. 

“When this chamber was founded just over ten years ago, our board of directors committed themselves to owning spaces,” said Pittman. “We celebrate the contributions of women and minorities that strengthen our ecosystem and forge a pathway to generational empowerment. These honorees are a beacon of light for us all to follow.”

Teneshia J. Warner, Founder and CEO of EGAMI Group and “The Dream Project” was keynote speaker. The event was sponsored by the Tallahassee Office of Economic Vitality and the Jim Moran Institute at Florida State University.