2024 Annual Meeting Reflection

By Anna Grace Hawkins

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.

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.