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2024 Annual Meeting Reflection

By Anna Grace Hawkins

Nikki Jarrell, Board Chair passing gavel to Katie Susong, Incoming Board Chair
Mary Lou and Jim Babb with family
2024 Nonprofit Partners!

This year I attended my first WIF Annual Meeting and was blown away by the excitement, inspiration, and sincerity in the room. It was particularly special for my first annual meeting to be WIF’s 20th Anniversary. As I reflect on the night three favorite moments came to mind.

First, I loved Hannah Hasan’s spoken word reflection. She captured WIF’s mission in such a beautiful and inspiring way as she articulated what a woman’s impact means. Her words were memorable and set the tone for the rest of the evening.

The 2024 Grant Announcements were also a clear highlight of the night. It was amazing to hear the various non-profit leaders share their mission and how impactful the grant will be to their organizations. It was such a great display of how the work of so many WIF members comes together and makes a larger difference in the community than each of us can do on our own.

Hannah Hasan
Claire Magee Ferguson, Grants Chair
Carolinas CARE Partnership accepting grant

Lastly, I loved hearing the reflections from our founders Mary Lou Babb and Claire Tate on how they established WIF and how it has grown and evolved over time. It was inspiring to hear about their passion for WIF and their vision. Additionally, the announcement of the new endowment was such an exciting way to mark our 20th anniversary milestone and solidify the future of the WIF. Donations up to that night were $158,000 representing the original 158 women who supported their vision.

Each of these moments, accompanied by the opportunity to connect with other women in the room, made for a fantastic evening. I left feeling so proud to be part of an organization filled with women eager to make our community a better place and committed to the future of WIF.

Rodney Banks, Wells Fargo
Anna Grace Hawkins and Talia Moody
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Janet LaBar

Executive Director​
jlabar@womensimpactfund.org

With more than 25 years of experience, Janet has a proven track record of leading organizations and teams in developing strategies that foster thriving communities. Her career is dedicated to the well-being of the places she serves, and the people and businesses within them, positioning her as a trusted sounding board, critical thinker, and purposeful protagonist across corporate, government, education, entrepreneurial, and civic spheres.
Janet joined Women’s Impact Fund in June 2025 to guide one of Charlotte’s most respected, women-led philanthropic organizations into its next phase of growth and impact. In partnership with the Women’s Impact Fund team, Board, Advisors, members, volunteers, and key community partners, she will continue strengthening communities by maximizing women’s leadership in philanthropy through collective giving, education, and engagement.
Inspired by her family, teams who dare greatly, and people and communities striving to be their best selves, Janet’s impactful career includes leadership roles as President and CEO of Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, President and CEO of Greater Portland Inc, and Chief Performance Officer of Greater Phoenix Economic Council. As a first-generation Filipino American, her lived experience deeply informs her professional drive to create equitable economic growth and opportunity in the metro areas she’s served.
She holds a BA in Communication Arts from the University of West Florida and an MBA in Marketing from the University of Phoenix. Janet and her husband James are proud parents to an older daughter, and a daughter and son who are twins.