Each year since 2016, YWCA Lancaster has celebrated the achievements of women and female-identifying and aligned community members through the Women of Achievement Awards. These awards are a testament to the strength and resilience of leaders, mentors, and volunteers who embody our mission to eliminate racism and empower women. All proceeds from the event support YWCA Lancaster’s Kepler Hall Residence Program, the County’s longest-running affordable housing program.

This year’s nomination process was the most competitive yet, and we’re so excited to share with you the incredible work of the 2024 Women of Achievement Honorees.

We would like to congratulate:

Salena Coachman (she/her) – Armstrong World Industries

Frances M. Gibbons (she/her) – Alzheimer’s Association

Malinda Harnish Clatterbuck (she/her) – Franklin & Marshall College

Elena Roth, LCSW (she/her) – As You Are Counseling Services LLC

Female identifying community members of every race, class, and ethnic background have made historic contributions to the growth and strength of our county in countless recorded and unrecorded ways. Whether they are cisgender, transgender, or identify as gender expansive, these individuals constitute a significant portion of the labor force, working inside and outside of the home, and they have provided the majority of the volunteer labor force of the county and establishing early charitable, philanthropic, and cultural institutions including YWCA Lancaster in 1889.  Female-identifying people have served as leaders in the forefront of every major progressive social change movement here. They have been leaders, not only in securing their own rights of suffrage and equal opportunity, but also in the abolitionist movement, the emancipation movement, the industrial labor movement, the civil rights movement, and other movements to create a more fair and just society for all. The Women of Achievement Awards is a community event that recognizes and honors all female identifying individuals who have demonstrated qualities of leadership and excellence in their professional and personal endeavors while supporting YWCA Lancaster’s mission of eliminating racism and empowering women.

Contact Information:

Nancy O’Halloran (she/her)
Chief Development Officer

(717) 393-1735 X 233

nohalloran@ywcalancaster.org

YWCA Lancaster’s Kepler Hall Residence Program is the oldest affordable housing program in Lancaster County, and includes a mix of permanent residence and emergency shelter options to more than 50 community members at our historic Lime St. location.

You support of Women of Achievement fuels our work to provide quality housing, safety, and community for women and families in transition.

Women of Achievement Honorees

These awardees—honored as Women of Achievement—come from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. But each share a deep commitment to breaking down barriers and creating opportunities for women in Lancaster County. Today, many are still actively doing just that: acting as leaders in their workplaces and communities.