Inspiring Women Honored For Life-long Commitment To Service
The U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress will present its 18th annual Statesmanship Awards to: former Senator and CEO of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, Elizabeth Dole; Indra Nooyi, chairman and CEO of PepsiCo; and to the "Women of the Senate," represented by Senator Susan Collins(R-ME) and Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)(invited). Anchors of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" -Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski will be the event co-hosts.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress (FMC), will be celebrating the accomplishments of women during the 18th annual "Statesmanship Awards: A Salute to Service" fundraising gala to be held at the Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C. on March 25, 2015. Whether in politics, business or philanthropy, these outstanding women leaders have served the nation with dedication and sacrifice, and have embraced service as the core of their life's work. Each has demonstrated courage in tackling the issues that affect our nation, and serving as champions for those whose voices may not always be heard. Their accomplishments include: working on a bipartisan basis to bring about meaningful legislation; aligning the success of business with the needs of society; and supporting the caregivers of our wounded warriors.
FMC's honorees are women of unparalleled achievement, according to Barbara Kennelly (D-CT), president of FMC.
"I couldn't be more proud of this year's honorees," said Kennelly. "Each has had the political and business courage to not only stand up for their beliefs, but to also build coalitions and partnerships that have positively affected the people they serve."
Kennelly added that having all women honorees reflects the non-profit organization's leadership--where she and Connie Morella (R-MD) have served as FMC's volunteer president and vice president, respectively, for many years. "This year we are recognizing the outstanding women of the Senate and are thrilled that these political trailblazers will be receiving our 2015 'Statesmanship Award.' They personify legislators who are not afraid to collaborate with Members of the opposite political party, and stand up for what they believe in regardless of the political risk," she said.
Pete Weichlein, CEO of FMC, said that this year's honorees are also being recognized for their risk-taking outside of the political arena. "Senator Elizabeth Dole established a foundation to support America's 5.5 million hidden heroes—the nation's military and veteran caregivers. A military caregiver herself, she witnessed the incredible challenges faced by spouses, mothers, fathers, and other loved ones caring for wounded warriors during her husband, Bob's extended stay at Walter Reed. Her tireless work has led to greater awareness of their struggles, important legislative and programmatic strides, and increased support among the general public. She's also a life-long public servant with a distinguished record as a member of the Federal Trade Commission, Secretary of Transportation, Secretary of Labor, president of the American Red Cross, and as a U.S. Senator from North Carolina, all of which make her an obvious choice for the Civic Statesmanship Award."
"Indra Nooyi has shown the world how to run a successful global company in the 21st century," he added. "Her vision for delivering Performance with Purpose, which creates shared value by aligning what's good for business with what's good for society, made her the clear choice for our 2015 Corporate Statesmanship Award. Under her leadership, PepsiCo has transformed its product portfolio to offer healthier choices, found innovative ways to reduce costs and environmental impact through energy and water conservation, fostered a diverse and inclusive workplace, and made significant investments in strengthening our communities. All of these things have both strengthened PepsiCo and improved our world."
Weichlein continued: "Having Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski as co-hosts for 2015 will be a great thrill for our organization. As a former Member of Congress, Joe is well known and respected by our FMC members, and he's done a great job as a political host and author during his post- Congressional career. And Mika is one of the top journalists of our time, as well as an author and champion of women. We are honored they will be joining us next year."
Some of the past honorees include: President George H.W. Bush, Congressman John Lewis; Gary Sinise and the Gary Sinise Foundation; Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez; Senators Sam Nunn and Richard Lugar; Secretary of State John Kerry; the Tug McGraw Foundation; and Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, among many others. Funds raised from the annual dinner help FMC continue its programs that help promote democracy around the world, encourage civic literacy, and inspire young people to get involved in public service, as well as work to improve political dialog and bipartisanship. For more information about the 2015 FMC Statesmanship Awards: A Salute to Service, or to become a sponsor, visit www.usafmc.org.
ABOUT FMC: The mission of FMC is to promote public service and strengthen democracy through many domestic and international programs. FMC seeks to improve the public's understanding of the role of Congress as a unique institution, as well as the crucial importance of representative democracy as a system of government. Former Members of Congress participate in many diverse national and global pro- bono projects, such as election monitoring abroad, outreach to high school and university students to encourage public service, as well as supporting programs that provide services to severely wounded veterans upon their return from Iraq and Afghanistan.
SOURCE U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress
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