Call for Nominations for 2016 Women's Hall of Fame - Due July 15, 2016

NOMINATIONS FOR 2016 WOMEN'S Hall of Fame due July 15, 2016

            The Okaloosa County Commission on the Status of Women (OCCSW) is taking nominations from the community for the 2016 Women's Hall of Fame.  Okaloosa County Women's Hall of Fame is sponsored by the OCCSW and is held in conjunction with Womens' Equality Day.  Nominations are due Friday, July 15, 2016.  Nominees must be individuals who give freely and unselfishly by volunteering their time to community activities in Okaloosa County; who inspire others and acts as a role model; who have a positive impact on the direction and success of community projects, programs or individuals in Okaloosa County; and whose life and works have made significant contributions to the improvement and enhancement of life for all women and citizens in Okaloosa County.  Nominees must be living and must be Floridian either by birth or by permanent residency and domicile.

Only contributions made while living and/or working in Okaloosa County will be assessed for membership in the Hall of Fame.  Nominee’s accomplishments may be in one or more fields of art, agriculture, athletics, business, community services, education, environment, government, health, humanities, law, philanthropy, and/or science.  It is not necessary to have made contributions in all of the above areas.  No contribution is considered trivial or unimportant.  Candidates will be judged only on the contents of the application.  Nominators are encouraged to include all information they consider relevant.

The Hall of Fame is the Commission’s oldest and most prestigious award.  Pictures of the women inducted into the Hall of Fame are displayed at the Okaloosa County Water and Sewer Building, the Niceville City Council Chamber and in the Crestview Courthouse.  “We encourage friends, family members, co-workers and employers to nominate the special women in our county who enrich their lives," says Dawn Johnson, chair of the OCCSW.  "Women in our community have made tremendous contributions to our county's growth, health, education, welfare and culture.  Each year we want to continually recognize these women in a permanent way.”

The nomination form and more information can be found at http://www.occsw.org.  For more information, or a nomination form, contact Mary Florence at 850.862.0111 or hof@occsw.org.  Inductees to the Women’s Hall of Fame will be honored August 23, 2016, at 6:00 pm at the Northwest Florida State College - Niceville Campus Student Services Center on the 3rd Floor (Costa Leadership Institute).

               The Okaloosa County Commission on the Status of Women (OCCSW) was established by the Board of County Commissioners in 1995 for the purpose of recognizing and honoring women who have made significant contributions to the improvement of women and citizens of Okaloosa County. The OCCSW membership is composed of appointments by county commissioners and representatives of various women's organizations. Each year they take nominations for the Okaloosa County Women’s Hall of Fame, conduct special activities during Women’s History Month, provide a speakers bureau addressing various women’s issues, and partner with Jobs Plus and the Workforce Development board in the “Suit Up to Move Up” program to provide appropriate clothing for ladies trying to get off welfare and into the workforce. For more information, contact Dawn Johnson at chair@occsw.org, or visit the organization's website, www.occsw.org.

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