Nominees for Woman of the Year
Tamra Barrett
Since 1997 Tamra Barrett has split her time between her private defense practice, serving as a public defender and working to help the community.
In addition to her duties as a private attorney and a public defender, Barrett serves as dean of Professional Studies at Champion Bible College.
She has been a mentor in juvenile court and has volunteered with the Battered Women’s Shelter in Little Rock and Big Brother/Big Sister Organization and served with the Garland County Junior Auxiliary.
Susie Reece
Susie Reece is passionate about suicide prevention, awareness and education. At the age of 10 she lost her father to suicide and battled depression from losing her father at such a young age.
She is a founding member of the Garland County Suicide Prevention Coalition and the first to chair the group. She has collaborated with Project HOPE Food Bank, the Ouachita Area Youth Council, Chapter of Understanding based in New York City, the War Horse, the Arkansas Suicide Prevention Network and the I’Mpossible Project.
Donya Catlett
Donya Catlett is the head of the Ali’s Angels Foundation, an organization with a goal to improve the lives of all children, especially those with Batten disease and rare and undiagnosed diseases.
Catlett lost her daughter, Ali, to Batten disease in September 2014.
Through the Ali’s Angels Foundation, Catlett brought the disease to light for many. Catlett has secured land and developed plans for an all-inclusive, barrier-free handicapped accessible playground for all in the community. It is a first of its kind.
Charlene Simon
Charlene Simon is a self-described serial entrepreneur and philanthropist. She has made it her life’s work to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit of others. With this passion she has developed multiple businesses in downtown Hot Springs.
She founded the Bathhouse Soapery and Fat Bottomed Girl’s Cupcake Shoppe, which have both been featured in the national media. She and her husband also own Evilo Oils & Vinegar boutique and have plans to open a restaurant, The Pioneer Cabin, in the historic downtown area.
Angela Echols
Angela Echols is committed to helping those in need and has a drive to better the community. Last year the Hot Springs native started Accessible Legal Services, the only fully functioning nonprofit law firm in the State of Arkansas.
Echols is committed to providing relief to a huge segment of the population in Hot Springs who cannot afford a full-priced attorney but do not qualify for legal assistance through Legal Aid.
Amy Thomason
Amy Thomason has been with Arkansas Hospice for the past 11 years. She has worked in the Hot Springs office as community liaison for Garland County, as well as five other surrounding counties.
Thomason’s involvement in the community is driven by her desire to connect people with the services she knows exist through her relationships in the healthcare community.
She is inspired by all she has learned from her colleagues over the past 24 years in Hot Springs.
Hannah Mills
Owner of The Hot Springy Dingy, Hannah Mills has been instrumental in the effort to revitalize the Park Avenue area.
In recent years, the plan has been met with community grants, fundraising, the help and encouragement from the City of Hot Springs and the hard work of PACA.
Mills was involved in the task force in the 1980s to revitalize downtown. That task for cleaned up downtown and updated much of it.
Mary Kay Wurm
Mary Kay Wurm, director of Career Services and Service Learning at National Park College, has assisted students and the community with educational opportunities for over 25 years. She is dedicated to her NPC students and passionate about internships and service learning. Her focus is student success through individualized career services.
As administrator of the NPC Career Ready Internship Grant, Perkins Grant, NPC Work Study Program, and Coordinator of the WIOA and TAA student workforce, Wurm is responsible for annual program planning and administration, budgets and supervision.
Katherine Polczynski
Deeply involved in the community, Katherine Polczynski works hard to make the lives of others better. She has been in banking for 21 years and is currently vice president/mortgage lending officer with Relyance Bank.
As an Ambassador with the Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce, she has attended countless ribbon cuttings to welcome new and expanding businesses. She is also a loyal supporter of the Chamber’s Business After Hours program.
Mary Zunick
As cultural affairs manager for Visit Hot Springs, Mary Zunick’s responsibilities include working with the Hot Springs area arts community as well as serving as the executive director to the Sister City program.
Throughout her work with the Hot Springs National Park Sister City Foundation and the community, the sister city message of tolerance and promoting peace through people-to-people relationships is shared. Foundation board members say that Zunick brought a new spark to the program that has taken it to new heights.