President Anne, Kara Gravely-Stack and six alumna are among 41 to be recognized as YWCA Women of the Year
Anne Blackhurst and Kara Gravely-Stack are among 41 women honored tonight at the 50th annual YWCA Women of the Year. The event spotlights exceptional women who are leaders, mentors, visionaries, angels and heroes.
President Anne Blackhurst
We are proud of President Anne Blackhurst’s lasting legacy as she nears retirement. As a YWCA Woman of the Year nominee, we acknowledge the thousands of students she’s inspired, the meaningful ways she’s guided MSUM to meet community needs, and her tremendous impact in creating an equitable, diverse and inclusive campus culture and community. These are the things that contribute to our vibrant, educated and resourceful community.
Lisa Borgen, Vice President, American Crystal Sugar Company, writes: Anne has built relationships with community leaders, alumni, businesses, friends and neighbors all in the name of being an ambassador of education, of MSUM, of Moorhead, of education and of social justice. Anne has a servant’s heart that shines through in everything she does – whether it is fighting for new programming to help students or funding to support the new alumni center, or working to revitalize Downtown Moorhead, Anne is always eager to help support the people of our community.
Dean of Students Kara Gravely-Stack
We are proud of Dean of Students Kara Gravely-Stack’s unrelenting commitment as a leader in planning and executing educational programs to address equality on many fronts. She exhibits the YWCA’s mission of “eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all” while leaving a lasting impact on the students she represents and the community she serves.
Sandra Holbrook, Director Emeritus, North Dakota State University, writes: She was an early, active member of the NDSU anti-racism team as well as the anti-racism group comprised of faculty and staff from MSUM, Concordia and NDSU. She was instrumental in establishing the Safe Zone and anti-bias efforts at NDSU and in the institutional strategic planning focused on equity and diversity. In these and other such efforts Kara was consistently a leader and a colleague during a time when push-back and resistance were common, often deeply institutionalized, sometimes thinly disguised or subtextual. Despite the circumstance, she simply did not waiver.
Congratulations, Anne and Kara. We thank you for your service and impact on students and the community.
MSUM also celebrates these Dragon alumni and YWCA Women of the Year nominees:
- Sally Jacobson (anthropology), executive director, Red River Zoo
- Michelle Parkinson (business administration), director of human resources, Prairie St. John’s
- Marjorie Schlossman (liberal arts), artist and painting instructor
- Trisha Stibben (English education), board member, GiGi’s Playhouse
- Chelsey Strand (social work), co-leader, Box of Balloons
- Jennifer Swenson (sociology & criminal justice), chair, Kindred Area Arts Partnership
Congratulations to all of these Dragons!