YWCA Charleston is pleased to announce three of the 2015 Women of Achievement. These women – Kitty Dooley, Sharon Flanery, and Judy Wellington – were nominated by their community for their contributions to the Kanawha Valley and for their embodiment of the YWCA mission. We invite you to join us on Friday, March 6, 2015 at Embassy Suites for the 19th Annual Women of Achievement luncheon in their honor.
Sharon Flanery is one of the country’s leading lawyers in the field of energy, mining, natural resources, oil and gas law. As a petroleum engineer with both an operating and legal background in the energy industry, she brings real-world experience to her law practice as a member of the Executive Committee and leader of the Energy and Natural Resources Department at Steptoe & Johnson PLLC in Charleston. In her position, Sharon is active in supporting the professional development of women in the field, including participating in the Charleston Area Alliance’s Women in Energy forum. She is the recipient of the 2011 Best Lawyers Oil & Gas Lawyer of the Year award for the Charleston area and is recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® and Chambers USA as a leading lawyer in the field of natural resources.
Kitty Dooley, a coal miner’s daughter originally from Fairmont, WV, decided to become an attorney at the age of 12. On the path to attaining that goal, she served in the United States Army, completing her military career as a Captain. As an attorney with her own practice in Charleston, Kitty has worked to better her community, and most recently completed 10 years of service as the Chair of the Board of Commissioners for the Charleston-Kanawha Housing Authority, where she spearheaded a $50 Million effort to rebuild Charleston’s most depressed public housing. She has served with numerous organizations, including Children’s Home Society of West Virginia, the J.R. Clifford Project honoring West Virginia’s first black attorney and the Kanawha Institute for Social Research and Action.
Judith L. Wellington is the President and CEO of the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences of West Virginia. Judy started her career as a research chemist after earning a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Harvard University. She ran away to the zoo and, while serving as vice president at the Philadelphia Zoo, quickly learned that a cultural institution can have a major impact on a city and, more importantly, can change the lives of the individuals it serves. Since then, she has worked to integrate the cultural organizations she has led into the fabric of the community and has looked for ways to serve those most in need. Judy serves on the boards of the Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Arts Council of the Kanawha Valley and East End Main Street. She is on the Remake Learning Council in Pittsburgh, PA.
Join us in celebrating these women whose work, passion and vision help shape and lead our community—and consider becoming a sponsor of this important event. As a sponsor, you will not only support these incredible honorees but will be contributing to the YWCA programs that serve 10,000 of the most vulnerable women, children and families in Kanawha, Clay and Boone counties.
