PORTLAND, Ore. – Wednesday, September 12, 2018 – Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington (GSOSW) announced today the honorees for the 2018 Marie Lamfrom Women of Distinction Awards on September 27, at the Portland Hilton Hotel. The distinguished recipients, Victoria Lara and Dr. Melody Rose, will be honored for demonstrating courageous leadership, serving as role models for girls and women and working to make the world a better place.
Who: Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington—alums, business and community leaders, donors, elected officials, funders, Girl Scouts, media, staff, volunteers and Marie Lamfrom Women of Distinction (past and present)
What: 2018 Women of Distinction Luncheon
When: Thursday, September 27, 2018 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Where: The Portland Hilton, 921 SW 6th Ave, Portland, Oregon 97204
Tickets: To purchase tickets, please visit: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/wodl
Sponsorship | Questions: For information on sponsoring the 2018 Women of Distinction Luncheon or other event questions, please contact Shannon Spencer at (503) 977-6843 or sspencer@girlscoutsosw.org.
Media: This is a private, ticketed event. Interested media must R.S.V.P. by email to: communications@girlscoutsosw.org
Luncheon proceeds allow GSOSW to enhance and expand leadership opportunities in key areas, including civic engagement, financial literacy, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), and outdoor leadership for more than 14,000 girls throughout Oregon and SW Washington.
About The Marie Lamfrom Women of Distinction Award
The award is named in honor of Marie Lamfrom, who served as a troop leader for a special needs troop at Shriners Hospitals in Portland for 35 years. She served on the Girl Scout council’s board of directors and received the highest award a Girl Scout adult can receive, the Thanks Badge. Lamfrom co-founded the company that would become Columbia Sportswear.
About the 2018 Women of Distinction Honorees
Today, the Marie Lamfrom Women of Distinction Award celebrates women who demonstrate courageous leadership, serve as role models for girls and women and work to make the world a better place.
Victoria Lara
Victoria is the CEO and founder of Lara Media Services. Lara Media Services' mission is to “promote justice and equity in our world by connecting communities of color with opportunities.” Lara Media Services clients have included TriMet, Prosper Portland, Cambia Health Solutions, the Oregon Health Authority, Portland General Electric, Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters, Providence Health & Services, AAA Oregon and Metro. Ms. Lara is a business leader, communications strategist and public involvement facilitator. She was named Outstanding Mexican by the Mexican Embassy—the only woman to receive this recognition in 2016. Ms. Lara currently serves as a board member with Causa Oregon, Latino Network, All Hands Raised and the Portland Business Alliance. For more information, please visit: http://www.laramedia.com/victoria-lara/.
Melody Rose
Dr. Melody Rose currently serves as the 15th president of Marylhurst University. Prior to joining Marylhurst, she was the first woman Chancellor of the Oregon University System. Dr. Rose spent 17 years at Portland State University, where she founded PSU’s Center for Women and Leadership, mentoring and providing leadership training for women. Dr. Rose has authored a number of award-winning books. Her fourth book, Women and Executive Office: Pathways and Performance, was published during the 2012 elections. Dr. Rose recently co-authored, Hillary Clinton’s Race for the White House. She currently serves on the Habitat for Humanity Portland-Metro East Board. She was a 2013 Portland Business Journal Women of Influence honoree and received the 2010 Governor’s Women of Achievement Award. For more information, please visit: https://www.marylhurst.edu/about/university-leadership/president-rose-bio/.
About Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington
GSOSW serves more than 14,000 girls in 37 counties with the help of nearly 10,000 volunteers. The Girl Scout mission is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Every opportunity in Girl Scouting develops these essential skills in an all-girl, inclusive, safe environment. For information, please visit girlscoutsosw.org.
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