Other Butler County women who will be honored include Eva Lande, Ann Antenen, Nellie Craig Walker, Virginia Ritan, Shakila Ahmad, Jackie Phillips Carter, Kathy Klink, Katherine Rumph-Cole, and Kelli Kurtz. Also honored will be Dr. Julia Goodman, the first female physician in Hamilton, and the founder of the YWCA Hamilton in 1900.
“This festival is a celebration of resilience and unity,” said Waters-Connell. “We are proud to honor the legacy of these extraordinary women who remind us that progress is rooted in courage and community.”
HERstory and HERitage is aimed to be a blend of art, music, culture and recognition that invites everyone, from young and old to individuals and families, that will showcase women- and minority-owned businesses. Since it’s founding, YWCA Hamilton has had a commitment to empower women and promoting social justice through diverse programs, including domestic violence shelters, permanent supportive housing, youth outreach, and racial justice education.
The organization says it continues to address critical issues facing women, girls, and marginalized communities, fostering a more inclusive society.
- Of the honorees, Lande, Antenen and Klink are former Hamilton Citizen of the Year honorees for their collective decades of involvement in the community. Additionally, Antenen was named a YWCA Woman of the Year in 2001, and Lande (1987), Rumph-Cole (1990), Ritan (1993) and Kurtz (2011) were previously recognized as YWCA Women of Outstanding Achievement.
- Craig Walker, a school teacher and business owner, in 1905 was the first African-American student to graduate at Miami University in Oxford;
- Ahmad is the former chair of the Islamic Educational Council and a founding member of the Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council;
- Phillips Carter is the Middletown Health Commissioner and a Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities board member;
- Rumph-Cole was the first African-American council member in Hamilton, serving 12 years, and after moving to New Miami, she was elected mayor of the village in 2003;
- Kurtz, among other accomplishments, is the founder of Grace Changes Things, a comprehensive resource and educational tool for families of transgender and non-binary youth; and
- Ritan had led the former Middfest International, a cultural celebration in Middletown, for years.
- Four of the honorees will be honored posthumously: Goodman died 1902, Craig Walker died in 1969, Lande died in 2005 and Antenen died in 2022.
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