FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACT: Sarah Weatherby August 1, 2023 sweatherby@wawf.org | 202-469-3673
DC-Area Residents Named 2023 Visionary Award Honorees as The Women’s Foundation Celebrates its 25th Anniversary
The Visionary Awards recognizes outstanding women leaders who have made significant contributions to the advancement of women and girls in the Washington metropolitan region.
Washington, D.C. (August 1, 2023) – Today, Washington Area Women’s Foundation announced Carol Thompson Cole, President and CEO of Youth Invest Partners, and Doreen Gentzler, Retired News Anchor at NBC4, as recipients of the 2023 Visionary Award. The Visionary Award recognizes outstanding women leaders who have made significant contributions to the advancement of women and girls in the Washington metropolitan region. Both recipients will be recognized during The Women’s Foundation’s 25th-anniversary celebration on October 11, 2023, at the Renwick Gallery in D.C.
“Carol Thompson Cole and Doreen Gentzler are extraordinary individuals whose trailblazing work in our community has spotlighted the needs of women and girls of color in our region. We are grateful for their dedication, passion, and leadership and look forward to honoring them during our 25th-anniversary celebration in October,” said Tamara Wilds Lawson, president and CEO of The Women’s Foundation.
The Women’s Foundation is the only community–supported foundation that invests in the economic security of women and girls of color in the Washington, D.C. region. For 25 years, The Women’s Foundation has worked to remove the structural barriers that prevent women and girls from achieving economic stability and has awarded more than $15.2M to over 215 local community–based organizations and individuals through grantmaking and advocacy efforts.
Meet the 2023 Visionary Award Honorees
Carol Thompson Cole, President and CEO, Youth Invest Partners
Carol Thompson Cole has extensive executive management experience in the public and private sectors, including a strong history of leadership in the Greater Washington region’s philanthropy and nonprofit community and federal and local government. She has successfully partnered with cross-sector stakeholders to build networks in the region to tackle major social challenges, bringing the expertise, passion, and reach necessary to achieve life-changing results. Born and raised in Washington, DC, with deep roots in the community, Carol Thompson Cole began work at Youth Invest Partners (formerly Venture Philanthropy Partners) in 2003 and became President and CEO in 2007.
Doreen Gentzler, Retired News Anchor, NBC4
Doreen Gentzler, a distinguished news anchor, spent 33+ years at NBC4 in Washington, D.C., hosting News4 at 6 and News4 at 11 until she retired in 2022. For 28 years, she partnered with Jim Vance, creating one of the longest-running anchor teams in the country. Born in D.C., she honed her skills in reporting and anchoring before joining NBC4 in 1989. Gentzler served as the station’s medical reporter, delivering cutting-edge health reports and acting as a spokesperson for the NBC4 Health and Fitness Expo. Her award-winning segments covered various health topics, including mental health in the “Changing Minds” project. She has received multiple Emmy awards and holds a journalism degree from the University of Georgia. Doreen Gentzler resides with her family in Washington, DC.
For more information about The Women’s Foundation 25th Anniversary celebration and how you can attend or be involved, please visit here.
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