Published: May 08, 2008 11:16 pm      

YWCA honors eight women for their accomplishments

Eight area women were lauded Thursday night for their contributions to the region, accomplishments stretching from the arts to business to education.

The YWCA of Greater Johnstown held its 22nd annual Tribute to Women banquet at Sunnehanna Country Club in Westmont. The honorees had been announced previously.

“Early on, somebody said this event wouldn’t last very long because we would run out of women (to honor),” said Diane Lopez, who chairs the YWCA board.

“But that hasn’t been the case. Each year, it keeps growing and the number of people nominated keeps growing.”

The honorees, selected from among 80 nominations, were:

• Yellow Rose Award: Glory Grattan of Westmont, a YWCA board member in 2003, board member of Valley Pike Manor and the Cambria-Somerset chapter of the American Heart Association.

• Arts and Letters Award: Rachel Allen of Moxham, a singer/songwriter who performs traditional, multicultural, contemporary folk music and original material.

• Business Award: Lynne Faint of Johnstown, creator of several local enterprises including Principle Court Reporting Services Inc., Principle Diversified Business Group Inc. and Chief Medical and Legal Transcription Inc.

• Community Service Award: Jean Livingston of Johnstown, vice president of the board of Westmont Family Counseling Ministries, who is active with the Garden Club of Johnstown, Johnstown Symphony Auxiliary and many other organizations.

• Education Award: Janet Grady of Richland Township, director of the Pitt School of Nursing and former administrator at Windber Medical Center.

• Lady Liberty Award: Staff Sgt. Melanie Kline of Jackson Township, a Jackson Township police officer who has served two tours of duty in Iraq with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.

• Nonprofit Award: Irene Hernandez of Johnstown, deputy director of the National Drug Intelligence Center and a volunteer with the local chapter of the American Cancer Society.

• Professions Award: Lisa Lazzari-Strasiser of Hooversville, Cambria County’s first female chief public defender, who is involved in the Cambria County Bar Association’s Mentoring Committee and various other law-related activities.

“The honorees are all very excited, but they’re all very humble, and that’s the wonderful thing to me,” Lopez said.

“They’re here because of things that they do out of love or passion.”