Anyone who has spent time in Madison is familiar with the annual YWCA’s Women of Distinction Awards. For 50 years these awards have honored women who have made significant contributions to the Madison area community. For many years the awards presentation took place at a luncheon in a downtown hotel or at the Monona Terrace Convention Center. In recent years the event was held at Garver Feed Mill during an evening cocktail reception. However, on Friday, May 8, 2026, the YWCA presented this year’s Women of Distinction Awards at its first Solidarity Sunset Soiree at the Marriott West in Middleton. Attendees were attired in beautiful sunset hues of orange, yellow, ecru, and lavender.
Another change in this year’s event was that all of the awardees were women who have worked as leaders within the YWCA Madison community. The awardees included Colleen Butler, former interim Chief Mission & Resource Officer, Monica Mims, a former member of the Board of Directors and former Third Street resident, Nancy Wrenn Bauch, volunteer racial justice facilitator and Third Street coordinator, Jael Currie, former housing director and shelter case manager, and Vanessa McDowell-Atlas, former Chief Executive Officer and former Chief Programs Officer. Instead of the typical formal introduction by an emcee or host, each awardee was introduced by someone from their close circle—friends or family members.
The evening kicked off with a social hour with music provided by DJ Terrence J. Once the crowd was seated for dinner they were welcomed by T.R. Williams, Women of Distinction Co-Chair. YWCA CEO Gery Paredes Vasquez provided opening remarks and recognized this year’s honorees. The evening was kept lively by recognizing the longevity of some of the YWCA’s signature events—50 years of Women of Distinction, 25 years of the Racial Justice Summit, and 20 years of the Annual Block Party.
During a fundraising moment, CEO Gery Paredes Vasquez urged the attendees to donate to the YWCA over the length of one song—Kool and the Gang’s, “Celebration.” The crowd was asked to meet a $10,000 challenge in route to a $25,000 goal. By the end of the evening YWCA Chief Development Officer Vera Lewis announced that the crowd had raised $49,000 to support the organization’s programming.
A special moment was the heartfelt remarks of former CEO Vanessa McDowell-Atlas, a lifelong Madisonian who now resides in Charlotte, NC. Introduced by her nephew, C.J. McDowell, a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, McDowell-Atlas shared the challenges she faced as the YWCA of Madison’s first African American CEO. Her expansion of the programming, the award of a $3 million grant from McKenzie Scott, and the purchase of the Empowerment Center on Madison’s south side reflects the profound impact McDowell-Atlas has had on the institution and the many lives she was able to touch through it.
The evening ended with attendees dancing the night away to music again provided by DJ Terrence J. It was a beautiful night for a sunset soiree.
