The W. Hotel on Poydras Street was packed with ladies who lead the community as well as numerous other guests on the morning of July 23. Champagne and hors d’ouevres were passed around preceding a luncheon that honored New Orleans Magazine’s Top Female Achievers, who were featured in the July issue.
After a warm welcome from Editor in Chief Errol Laborde, each Top Female Achiever received an award and gave a short but inspirational speech.
The honorees were: E. Aminata Brown, founder of BaBa Blankets; Priscilla Lawrence, executive director of the Historic New Orleans Collection; Karen Gadbois, activist and blogger of www.squanderedheritage.com; Cheri Saltaformaggio RN and CEO of Center for Restorative Breast Surgery and St. Charles Surgical Hospital; Chimene Grant Connor, director of advertising and tourism marketing for Audubon Nature Institute; Kathy Randels, founding artistic director of ArtSpot Productions; Amy Boyle Collins, executive director of Young Leadership Council; Cecile Waters Tebo, crisis unit administrator for New Orleans Police Dept.; Charlotte Randolph, president of Lafourche Parish and co-owner of Randolph Publications; and Sandra Carlin Andrieu M.Ed, Ph.D., professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of LSUHSC School of Dentistry.
Guest speaker (and a 2008 Top Female Achiever!) Barbara Motley discussed her experiences as the proprietor of Le Chat Noir cabaret theater, and expressed enthusiasm for the Prospect.2 exhibition that will take place next year under her direction.
All of the proceeds benefited the Grace House.
Sponsors of the event included Cook’s Champagne, the W. New Orleans; Thibodaux Regional Medical Center; AT&T; New Orleans Magazine; and Hardy’s Nottage Hill.
