Each year, the Women’s Center for Advancement shines the spotlight on deserving women whose work, dedication and commitment have grown and shaped women and girls in Omaha. Through Tribute to Women, the WCA has recognized and honored more than 300 amazing leaders, teachers, great thinkers, impact-makers and movers and shakers.

This year, inductees include:

Karen Corral de Pesek, CFO of Pesek Law, serves on several nonprofit boards, including: Metropolitan Community College Foundation where she serves in the Finance Committee, Matters On Tomorrow, Urban Abbey where she serves in the Treasury committee, Centro Comunitario del Pueblo and Girls Inc. Nebraska. Additionally, she and her husband fouded the True Potential Scholarship at Central Community College with the mission to help young immigrants reach their True Potential through quality, affordable education.

Meridith Dillon is the Director of Strategic Growth & Innovation for Blair Freeman. Previously she helped local affordable housing nonprofit Front Porch Investments get off the ground.

Dr. Janice Garnett is an educational leadership instructor at the University of Nebraska-Omaha’s College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences. Prior to her position at UNO, Dr. Garnett was the former Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources for the Omaha Public Schools.

Wendy Goldberg was one of the founding board members of Omaha’s Tri-Faith Initiative. She served as the executive director from February 2019 until April 2024. The Tri-Faith Initiative fosters empathy, invites understanding, and advances common action between people of diverse faiths through the shared efforts of intentionally co-located congregations of the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths and an interfaith center on one campus.

Racquel Henderson currently serves as the pathway coordinator for the Walter Scott Jr. Career Pathway Scholarship at Metropolitan Community College where she works with the Walter Scott Scholars while focusing on the retention of first-generation and underrepresented students by providing intrusive academic support and guidance while guiding them to Career Placement. Additionally, Racquel works with the TerraLuna Collaborative on the Lived Experience Project which seeks to assist youth and families who have been impacted by the juvenile justice system.

Samantha Mosser is the Nebraska Market President and Regional Officer at Bankers Trust and a member of the bank’s Management and Senior Loan Committees. She currently sits on the Board of Directors for Children’s Nebraska, YPO, the Business Ethics Alliance, and the Association of Corporate Growth. Previous volunteer work on Board of Directors includes Community Alliance, Greater Omaha Chamber, Ak-Sar-Ben Foundation, Child Saving Institute and the Bemis Center.

Donna Polk is the chief executive officer of the Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition. Polk, who is a licensed mental health practitioner, spent time as a counselor at the Lincoln Indian Center, as well as leadership roles on the Lincoln-Lancaster County Board of Health, and a directorship position at No More Empty Pots. Her work has earned her numerous accolades, including a lifetime achievement award from Voices for Children in Nebraska.

Cella Quinn made waves when she was one of the first female brokers that Merrill Lynch hired in 1972. She founded her own firm seven years later. She went on to became the first woman president of Rotary Club of Omaha in 1996 and was recognized in 2011 as Omaha's Businesswoman of the Year. She volunteers with the Nebraska Wildlife Rehab Center, the Nature Conservancy -Nebraska chapter, Josyln, Kaneko and others.

Aileen Warren is the CEO of ICAN. Warren has been involved with ICAN since 1996, including 12 years on the executive committee of the board of directors. Prior to her position at ICAN she was an associate vice chancellor and executive director of human resources for University of Nebraska Medical Center. Warren’s recent public service includes President of the Women’s Fund of Omaha, the Omaha Home for Boys Board Executive Committee, current service as President of the Omaha Downtown Rotary and member of the Urban League of Nebraska Guild.

Sarah Yale a community leader who is a member of several boards, including the Kiewit Luminarium, the Dixon Family Foundation, Boys and Girls Club of the Midlands Westside Club, UNMC College of Public Health Campaign COmmittee, UNMC Monroe Meyer Institute Community Advisory Council, and the Lauritzen Gardens Antique Show Underwriting Committee.

This year’s Tribute to Women will be at noon, June 26 (check-in/registration at 11:30 a.m.) at Embassy Suites La Vista.

The keynote speaker will be #MeToo founder Tarana Burke, and the event’s honorary chair will be Diane Duren.

Tickets for the event can be purchased here.