How can women get ahead in Columbus?
Woman have come a long way, but the road toward equality remains long.
That holds as true in Columbus as anywhere else in the nation.
Ahead of the 2022 YWCA Women of Achievement lunch noon on April 27, a diverse panel of of former honorees were convened for Dispatch presents Columbus Conversations: “How can we empower and advance women in Columbus?” The panelists were:
● Sue Zazon, president, Huntington Bank, Central Ohio Region
● Dr. Mysheika W. Roberts, Health Commissioner, Columbus Public Health
● Janet Jackson, former Columbus city attorney, Franklin County Municipal Court judge, and president and CEO of the United Way of Central Ohio
● Barb Smoot, president and CEO of Women for Economic and Leadership Development (WELD)
● Sandra Anderson, retired attorney, Planned Parenthood board of trustees
The Dispatch is a YWCA Women of Achievement sponsor.
Videos of the discussion can be found on Dispatch.com or on our Facebook and Youtube pages. Excerpts can be read below and on 4F. They are edited slightly for clarity.
Hosted by Dispatch Opinion and Community Engagement Editor Amelia Robinson and in association with the Columbus Foundation, the Columbus Conversations series seeks solutions to issues of importance to this community.
What’s holding Columbus women back and how can those hurdles be overcome?
BARB SMOOT:
“If I were all-powerful and I could pick just one thing to fix, it would be pay disparity. If you look at studies by Fast Company and others, just eliminating the pay gap alone would add over 500 billion to the United States GDP.
See CONVERSATIONS, Page 4F
HOW TO GO
WHAT: The 2022 YWCA Women of Achievement lunch
When: Noon Wednesday, April 27.
Where: Virtual
How much: Early-bird passes for the virtual event are $100 at ywcacolumbus.org.
The price is $30 for those age 30 and younger.
Who: This year’s honorees are Dr. Laura Espy-bell; Deputy Franklin County Administrator for Health and Human Services Joy Bivens; Central Ohio Transit Authority CEO and President Joanna M. Pinkerton; Community Refugee and Immigration Services Executive Director Angie Plummer; Taft Stettinius & Hollister Partner in Charge Janica Pierce Tucker and Linda Hondros, the owner and co-founder of Hondros Family of Companies.
“Women on the Rise” honorees are: LC Johnson, founder and CEO of Zora’s House; Erin Scott, co-founder and co-executive director of the Ohio Women’s Alliance and Danielle Tong, director of capacity building and community knowledge at the Columbus Foundation.