Dr. Kanani Espinoza, a member of The Junior League of Las Vegas, is a remarkable community builder whose dedication and passion have made a significant impact in various areas. Her journey with the Junior League began in 2021, and she has since demonstrated her commitment to advocacy, voluntarism, and building a sense of belonging.

Kanani’s advocacy efforts are rooted in her time as a student body president at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she organized trips to the state legislature to address student concerns. She brought this experience to the Junior League, serving as the Chair of the Public Affairs and Advocacy Committee. Under her leadership, the Junior League of Las Vegas successfully hosted Advocacy Day in Carson City, leading to the inclusion of the Junior League in a legislative initiative to allocate American Rescue Act funds.

In her current role as Member at Large of Community, Kanani assists chairs with their work, ensures community committees stay on track, and facilitates important conversations. Her collaborative efforts, including a voter registration training project with the Shannon West Homeless Youth Center, have strengthened the Junior League’s relationships with other non-profits.

Kanani has managed a range of impactful programs, from supporting homeless youth and feeding the hungry to awarding grants to local teachers. As an alumna and chair of the UNLV Alumni Association advocacy committee, she has organized clean-up days that have removed three tons of debris, demonstrating her commitment to community service.

Kanani has also been pivotal in the Junior League’s new focus area on human trafficking. She vetted partners and developed a strategic assessment framework to improve future community impact decisions.

In addition to her advocacy and volunteer work, Kanani is a champion of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB). She leads DEIB sessions, encouraging members to be more accommodating and inclusive. Her commitment to building awareness and understanding for invisible disabilities ensures a more inclusive environment within the Junior League.

Following a tragic active shooter incident at UNLV, Kanani was part of the volunteer first responder team, providing support and raising over $20,000 for victims and student wellness.

Dr. Kanani Espinoza is a dedicated, strategic thinker with a passion for creating positive community impact. Her leadership, humility, collaboration, and ability to inspire others make her an exceptional servant leader. She seamlessly integrates her professional expertise and community commitment, embodying what it means to lead a life of purpose

This year’s Rising Star recipient, Kelly Larsen of The Junior League of Phoenix, AZ, embodies the significant promise and untapped potential consistent with the vision and values of The Junior League Mission, and provides new leadership in what it means to be a Junior League civic leader.

For as long as she can remember, the Junior League has been a part of her life, which goes back to a legacy of strong women leaders: her grandmother who was in the League, and then her mom and aunt. She grew up with stories about their Junior League journeys. In 2019, Kelly was able to begin her own Junior League journey when she joined the Junior League of Phoenix (JLP). She has been a stand-out member from day one.

Kelly’s path has been through the “community impact” tenant of our Mission. Specifically, Kelly was actively involved as a key member of JLP’s signature program, HealthFest, from 2019 to 2022, leading the committee in the last year that she served on it. HealthFest has been a signature program of JLP since 2016 and was originally envisioned as a fun, community festival for health and wellness activities and education to families living in food desert pockets of the Phoenix metropolitan area. The program has steadily grown since its founding and, just as the program was hitting its stride, COVID happened. Kelly unquestionably led the program in its most trying times during the last three years due to the impacts of COVID. The event twice went to a hybrid format, limiting its original intended impact and scope. Still, HealthFest was able to create impact through innovative and safe approaches, such as making it a drive-thru event. As Chair, Kelly was able to stabilize HealthFest and our partnership with the City of Phoenix to set it up for success as she rolled off the committee. From there, she was asked to step up further in leadership.

Today, Kelly is JLP’s Vice President of Community as a third-year Active. In this role, she sits on the Management Team and is overseeing five committees including four community programs and our Volunteer Action (“Done in a Day”) Committee (these are further elaborated in the next question). Additionally, she serves as a key member on JLP’s Community Research & Development (CR&D) Subcommittee that is researching and finalizing new community partnerships under our new focus area of “Empowering Women & Girls” that will begin in June 2023.

The skills Kelly has learned as a Junior League Member have only emboldened her leadership abilities to make a stronger impact in the community. One of her many core values is giving back to the community through servant leadership. She practices this daily through her profession as a public school psychologist and, beyond that, as a mom to son Garrett. As a psychologist, Kelly speaks daily to students – many of whom are young women – who come into her office where she mentors them through intentional and thoughtful conversations to be leaders in their school. She is also a mentor and trusted confidante to her colleagues and new school psychologists. As mom to Garrett, she is raising him to be a young man and showing him examples of practicing kindness and empathy through service to others. She is often right by Garrett’s side at his events and encouraging his involvement in Boys Team Charity and National Junior Honor Society. Junior League has given her a platform to practice and further refine her leadership skills. Reflecting on how she gives her time through service, she said: “It teaches about other communities and provides a broader knowledge of the world while instilling compassion.”

Through her involvement, she has seen and been a part of collaboration at the highest level, helping members come together toward a common goal. Specifically, reflecting on her involvement on CR&D, she said being in the company of other phenomenal women as we shift our focus area has changed her as a leader. “There are a lot of people who are doing – or who want to do – the same thing in our new focus area. How do we bring these people together to increase the impact?” she said. Kelly is also an observer and learner, constantly growing in her own leadership. “No matter what meeting I’m in, I learn something new. I meet someone new. I’m constantly reminded of purpose and mission.”

Within the JLP, Kelly is an ever-present positive force. She always has a smile on her face and warm encouragement for other members. Kelly has already made a tremendous impact on both the Junior League of Phoenix and our community. A rising star in JLP, she will surely be looked upon for continued and greater leadership roles in our organization and the community.

Aprille L. Moore of The Junior League of DeKalb County embodies what it means to be a Junior League civic leader.

When Aprille became a Provisional Member of the Junior League of DeKalb County in September 2019, it was quickly apparent that she lived by the motto “see a need, fill a need.” With each service project she works on, she epitomizes the Mission of The Junior League, jumping at the opportunity to lead projects and engage with community partners who regularly lean on her leadership. During her first active year, Aprille went above and beyond to acquire donations to the Clarkston Community Food Pantry during the Thanksgiving Food Drive, ultimately donating half of the total donation the pantry received. The following Thanksgiving, she once again brought in the largest donation to support the Decatur Cooperative Ministry.

During Aprille's provisional year, she became an informal leader within her cohort, offering innovative programing ideas, encouraging peers to attend activities and trainings, and providing inspirational messages when their provisional year was interrupted due to COVID-19. In May 2020, she earned the Spirit of the League Award, given to the provisional member who displays a passion for service, a love of the League's Mission, and a desire to become a leader in the Junior League of DeKalb County and the community. For the 2020-2021 League year, Aprille was selected to serve as the Member Connections Chair. Under her leadership, the Member Connections Committee began making personal phone calls to members on their birthdays, started a walking club, and continued to host engaging virtual activities for members. Aprille is now Vice President of Fund Development, where she is known for encouraging a collaborative effort across Councils to execute programming. She is also a Member of the AJLI Women of Color Affinity Group, as well as a Nominating Committee Member on a three-person Committee and an inaugural WOC Legacy Keeper who contributed above her WOC membership dues to invest in other women. Aprille’s continuous display of service and leadership led the President of the Junior League of DeKalb County to present her with the 2021 Chandani Algeo Shining Star Award, given to a member who exemplifies strength, community service, and compassion.

The Junior League of Tulsa

Deputy Mayor Amy Brown strives to improve her community every day in both her personal and professional endeavors. She is in the unique position to connect her work to her volunteer world. For instance, she recently connected the JLT to the City’s Resilient Tulsa Strategy which strives to build a more resilient Tulsa by confronting historic discrimination and inequality. Connecting the trained volunteers of JLT with crucial data and the community leaders working to eradicate inequity in their community is one of the many ways Deputy Mayor Brown leads towards long term change in Tulsa.

Equally important, she has played a pivotal role in the Graves Investigation which resulted from the 1921 Race Massacre in Tulsa, which destroyed Black Wall Street and resulted in an unknown number of deaths. The process of planning, coordinating, and funding the 1921 Graves Investigation has been legally, historically, and emotionally complex. The Investigation has brought nearly one-hundred-year-old wounds to the surface and forefront of community dialogue. Throughout this process, while shouldering the anger, grief, and undue blame thrust upon her personally by members of the community, she has diligently advocated for fairness, for transparency, and for healing. She has been and continues to be an agent for change when and where it is needed most.

The Junior League of Philadelphia

A supporter of women and their advancement, Kimberley Brown embodies the Junior League mission. From developing the potential of women, to promoting voluntarism, to improving communities; her work within, and outside of, the League is a testament to her commitment to our foundational tenets and her potential for community leadership.

As the chair of JL Philadelphia’s sponsorship committee, Kimberley’s actions evince her belief that leaders are generated through empowerment. She encourages committee members to tackle challenging assignments and engage in prudent risk taking. The impact of her approach is evidenced in the unprecedented success of her committee. Under her leadership they landed not just their first, but their first FOUR corporate sponsors. As additional evidence of her focus on empowering women, she recently completed ASCEND, a global women’s leadership program, and is a member of Johnson & Johnson’s Women Leadership and Inclusion (WLI).

Kimberley’s unwavering advocacy for volunteerism is reflected in her fierce promotion of and recruitment for JL Philadelphia. A vocal supporter of their mission and community engagement, she prides herself on actively recruiting new members from her social and professional circles. Beyond JLP, her promotion of voluntarism is demonstrated in her service as chair of the field service committee of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

If a woman is to be a leader in a community, she must be able to identify avenues to effectuate change. As chair of JLP’s sponsorship committee, Kim works tirelessly to recruit sponsors. The sponsorship monies that the committee solicits offset JLP administrative costs, permitting them to dedicate more funds to their community projects. Outside of the League, Kimberley understands that communities are improved through fitness; a Scientific Director and yoga instructor, she is dedicated to helping her neighbors achieve their fitness goals.

Never one to monopolize the spotlight or take individualized credit for the work of her committee, always seeking the input of teammates, Kim stands ready to accept new challenges and assume responsibility for the decisions that are made.

The Junior League of San Diego

From the beginning of her Junior League career, Carolyn Carpenter Nall demonstrated her ability to serve as a strong leader. Within her provisional group, Carolyn led a community service project in which her team partnered with California State University, San Marcos, to create a community lounge for transition age foster youth attending college.

In her first active year, Carolyn led a team of four community partners dedicated to human trafficking prevention to create a mobile app that uses avatar-based gaming to teach youth how to make healthy relationship decisions to avoid becoming victims of sexual exploitation.

Carolyn’s second and third active years have been dedicated to serving as JLSD’s SPAC delegate, working with state and local legislators to drive lasting change for the League and its community partners through effective legislation. In this role, Carolyn works with League delegates throughout California to create, draft, sponsor and support state legislation in the areas of human trafficking, family support, education, violence prevention and women’s health. Carolyn travels to Sacramento to meet one-on-one with state legislators to encourage them to vote yes on bills that drive change in these focus areas. Carolyn was recognized as JLSD’s January 2019 Volunteer of the Month for her efforts.

Carolyn provides many opportunities for League members to learn and volunteer. Most recently, she served as moderator for one of the Junior League of San Diego’s biggest events of the year, the Community Impact Forum. Carolyn led and moderated the Forum discussion, providing guidance on how the information shared by the panelists could be applied to work within the League and members’ personal lives.

Carolyn always makes sure to be inclusive of any League members and welcomes a wide variety of input and viewpoints. Most importantly, Carolyn makes clear to the League that her driving purpose is to serve as an advocate for those without a voice. Her heart for serving others is unparalleled.

Unapologetically passionate vision. Unwavering commitment. Proactive self-starter. Inspired, gracious leader. Mentor. Curious community builder. All are hallmarks of Jillian Goodwin’s leadership approach. And, The Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach and the broader community are beneficiaries of her passion, vision and can-do attitude.

Beginning her membership in 2015, Jillian volunteered for placement on the Communications Council, being a graphic designer professionally and recognizing a real need for this skill set in League. She held this position while also assuming another on the Kids in the Kitchen Committee and served as a mentor to those who have followed her in this role.

From there, Jillian chaired the Children’s Initiatives Committee, successfully restructuring the Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach’s 7th Annual Little Hands, Big Difference event and working closely with other League committees. The event broke all previous records for children’s service for the League (doubling previous participation and directly touching at least 2,800 lives). She fostered a new partnership between the League and the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, establishing new programming for members to visit hospitalized children three times a month, bringing toys and books for them to enjoy.

Over the course of four months, Jillian chaired a committee that planned Project Makeover Hampton Roads, an event of unprecedented proportion for the Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach. 330 volunteers, 1,850 hours of service, and three days of hard work later, Jacox Elementary School had a new butterfly garden, fresh paint and new games to play on school grounds. The school had revitalized bathrooms and more than 35 murals (totaling 1,100 feet), which Jillian was instrumental in designing and placing. With no dedicated funding for the project, the project raised $14,000. Jillian Goodwin surrounded herself with people who lifted her higher and the results are nothing short of contagious passion!

The Junior League of Wichita

In 2015, as a new Member, Luisa Taylor became a United States citizen. Since then, the League and the broader Wichita community have benefited from her passionate and proactive leadership style.

Luisa leads fearlessly by example, inspiring others to get involved in the community. She is highly sought after to help others understand and engage in advocacy efforts. In her first year as an Active Member, and informed by her citizenship journey, she developed and facilitated a training for fellow Junior League members on dismantling stereotypes, designing a session that reinforced the Wichita community’s commitment to an inclusive environment. This was only the beginning of her work on this issue. For the last two years, Luisa has held a facilitator and panelist position at the Know Your Worth Women’s Leadership Conference, held in collaboration with the Kansas Leadership Center, which also addresses the dangers of stereotypes and advocates for diversity and inclusion.

Her commitment to the safety, health, education and wellbeing of children runs deep. In her League, Luisa served on the committee that planned a three-year $150,000 partnership between the Junior League of Wichita and the Wichita Children’s Home. Outside of the League she is a volunteer teacher for BabyTalk, which provides parenting and prenatal instruction, and mentors youth in a local AVID program that preps teens for college readiness.

Professionally, Luisa is a nurse who coordinates a telemedicine program; she is a contributing writer to the Wichita Mom’s blog; a volunteer with the League of Women Voters on the Voter Service Committee; a member of the Kansas Public Health Association, and on the Board of Directors for Project Access. She also currently serves as Secretary of the Governing Board for the Junior League of Wichita.

After hearing of her accomplishments, it seems more than fitting that her peers describe her as “unstoppable.”

In order to grow as leaders we often have to stretch outside of our comfort zones, and that couldn’t be more true for our Rising Star award winner, Meredith Eason of The Junior League of Nashville. A connector of people, and a teacher by heart, Meredith has brought her unique brand of resiliency and passion for growth to all that she does in and outside of her League.

After joining the Junior League of Nashville in 2013, Meredith spent her first active year on the Done in a Day placement—going above and beyond the hour requirements to better immerse herself in the program and find the best ways to help.

It’s no wonder that the following year, Meredith was appointed to be one of the Done in a Day co-chairs. The initiative was seeing exponential growth in its placements, growing from 40 to 200 members, which meant Meredith and her co-chair had to take on additional responsibilities at a moment’s notice—which they embraced in true Junior League fashion. Meredith and her co-chair reached out to organizations in the community to find interesting opportunities where the additional women could volunteer.

The volunteers in the Done in a Day placement came from diverse backgrounds, education levels, and experience levels, and many formed friendships through the volunteer work and social activities Meredith helped organize. The majority of the members in the placement were provisionals or first year actives and did not know many people in the league yet. Meredith and her co-chair went out of their way to make them feel welcome and included.

Outside the Junior League, Meredith has demonstrated her commitment to diversity and inclusion through her work with kids with dyslexia and learning differences at Learning Matters, and with homeless youth at the Oasis Center.

In 2015, Meredith joined her League’s Grants Committee to help select partner agencies for JLN’s new focus areas through 2022, including human trafficking and literacy. Through that placement, Meredith has helped influence the direction of the JLN and the member experience for years to come.

Meredith also serves as a community leader outside of her work with the Junior League as a civil litigator, dedicating time to pro bono service as a member of the Tennessee and Nashville Bar Associations. Here, she’s helped support Learning Matters, which offers low-cost tutoring and diagnostic services to dyslexic children.

Being an effective leader often requires a balance of many different, and sometimes conflicting, personality traits. The ability to be assertive and confident, yet generous and approachable. To come to the table with a keen set of skills and knowledge, but also be open to different ideas and viewpoints that could reveal a better solution. Meredith embodies all of these qualities and more and shows great potential for leadership in her League and the community at large far into the future.

Change happens in a multitude of ways. In some cases, it’s the result of slow and steady progress. In others it happens by jumping in with two feet. Ericka Nicholes from The Junior League of Phoenix  is a woman who optimizes the jump-on-in approach.

Since her provisional year of 2014-15, Ericka Nicholes has made a tremendous impact within the Junior League of Phoenix in a staggeringly short period of time.

Inspired by the League’s mission towards leadership development, Ericka became involved in the newly formed Community, Outreach, Leadership and Advocacy committee, ultimately serving as Vice Chair.

Finding her passion within the committee, Ericka honed in on the advocacy component, becoming the first chair of the JLP Public Affairs Committee in just her second active year.

Ericka inspired her committee to research and work on legislative issues that impacted the League’s service areas and defined what a successful Public Affairs Committee should look like. Under Ericka’s leadership, the League hosted a voter registration drive, had a Day at the Capitol, and initiated the process of designating the JLP headquarters as a potential polling place for the 2018 elections.

But Ericka’s commitment to her community isn’t limited solely to the work she’s doing with her League. In 2016, she became the foster parent of a six year old who was having trouble in school due to an oversized classroom and lack of resources. In search of a solution, Ericka began her quest to improve the education and outlook for not just her own child, but all of Phoenix’s foster children who are often forced to change schools as many as 3-4 times in a school year while in the system.

Ericka has helped develop policies in schools on how to better orient these children, and provide the support and sense of stability they need to succeed. Currently working to change legislation and laws as it pertains to foster youth and their families, Ericka has been asked to speak in Washington, D.C. to share her thoughts on the foster care system and to help develop proactive strategies that states can use to prevent children from going into foster care in the first place.

Ericka has also been a powerful force in improving diversity and inclusion in both her community and her League. A prized member of the AJLI Women of Color Affinity Group, Ericka defines inclusion as connecting each one of us to our Mission. She believes that the true power of diversity comes from leveraging our unique experiences and contributions—and how these help fuel the success of our organization.

Ever-present, Ericka is an incredible positive force at the JLP. Known for her “cool calm,” she continually proves herself as a steady, respected leader whose personality, skills and positive attitude have helped propel her work and inspire her fellow members to be their own brand of leader within their communities—to be brave enough to step into the unknown and become a powerful force for change.

Hilary Jackson is a fast learner.

Before joining The Junior League of Collin County, Hilary was already a successful banking professional…but she admits that she didn’t know much about the challenges facing her community – and the nonprofit organizations addressing those challenges – even after living there for 12 years.

So Hilary got busy.

In her Provisional year, she became intimately involved in JLCC's second largest fundraiser, Trinkets to Treasures, and even created and executed an eBay auction to sell higher-end donations. The auction alone resulted in over $3,600 in revenue in its first year.

Hilary then joined JLCC’s committee for HopeWorks, a vocational readiness program to empower survivors of domestic violence in securing independent, violence-free lifestyles. With her extensive professional experience, Hilary helped to develop the program’s training curriculum and leveraged her professional network to provide financial training.

Speaking of her day job, Hilary took The Junior League Mission of promoting voluntarism beyond the boundaries of her JLCC involvement by encouraging her team of over 200 colleagues at Capital One in Dallas to become volunteers. And Hilary leads by example…in addition to her roles at JLCC, she is a leader with Hope’s Door New Beginning Center, Habitat for Humanity of Collin County, Communities in Schools in the Dallas Region, and Capital One’s MathCorps Summer Camp.

Not content with donating her time to lead and serve organizations, Hilary also leads through mentoring and speaking. At Capital One she has mentored women on career growth, professional development, and corporate leadership. And Hilary has joined with other leaders to educate women in the business school of the University of Texas on how to plan for their post-graduation careers.

Junior League of Greenville, SC

If you ever want to know about effective community leadership, just ask Jessica Sharp.

Jessica’s appetite for community leadership focuses on organizations that develop the potential of women and girls and young professionals. To pick just one example, Jessica was serving on the Junior Board of the YWCA of Greenville when the Y decided to close its doors. Jessica immediately led a group of her fellow Junior Board members in creating a new organization with a similar mission called LeadHER Greenville. LeadHER Greenville is now a successful community organization dedicated to empowering young women through leadership development, outreach to the Greenville community and networking opportunities.

Jessica is also a past board member of the Urban League of the Upstate’s young professional organization, where she worked to create programs that develop and empower young professionals of color.

As a passionate volunteer, Jessica encourages her friends and family members to get involved in the community as volunteers…and she makes financial contributions to the organizations she believes in to help further their missions. And Jessica has also been recognized as an emerging leader in the Greenville community. She has not only served on the board of the Better Business Bureau of the Upstate, Jessica was a participant in the Greenville Chamber of Commerce’s leadership development program for young professionals.

Jessica’s appetite for leadership extends to her Junior League roles. After joining the Junior League of Greenville in 2014 Jessica was nominated for Provisional of the Year. In her first Active year, she served as a Provisional mentor and as a member of JLG’s Sponsorship Development Committee, which works to bring in cash sponsorships and magazine ads. In her second Active year, she was made chair of the committee. In her third Active year, she moved up to Fund Development Vice President, managing JLG’s fund development manager, and serves on the Personnel Committee and is a voting board member.

The Junior League of Phoenix 

Jessica Eldridge took a great program and made it even better.

Of course, that’s not all Jessica has done as a young member of the Junior League of Phoenix. She is the chair of the League’s Community Impact committee. She also is a Provisional Mentor. And a graduate of the League’s Leadership Development Institute.

But Jessica’s wow factor really kicks in with her work in expanding the Junior League of Phoenix’s Kids in the Kitchen program. Not only is Kids in the Kitchen one of League’s signature programs, it also is its largest community program. Under Jessica’s leadership and guidance, Kids in the Kitchen has flourished. She volunteered to co-chair the program in her first year as an Active and then stepped up as chair the following year.

Jessica established and maintained important community partnerships, including an exciting two-year partnership commitment from the Boys and Girls Club of Arizona. She also led the development of a new “KITK University” nutrition education curriculum.

And the results are now in…under her leadership, the League’s Kids in the Kitchen program has grown from two events serving 250 kids in 2012-13 to 12 events serving more than 1,200 kids in 2014-15.

But Jessica didn’t do it alone. She says… “Luckily, I had 11 committee members and an eager set of Provisionals who shared my passion to make a difference. I built a structure for my team, delegating based on their interests and skills. This shared power created stronger buy-in among the team…at committee meetings, we had discussions and share-outs, instead of a very one-sided report structure. We even empowered volunteers to lead discussions and activities during shifts instead of passively assisting.”

The Junior League of The City of New York 

DeNora Getachew knows how to get it done in the Big Apple.

Professionally, she is an accomplished attorney specializing in advocacy, and is the campaign manager and legislative counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice in New York City. She serves on the boards of the Union Settlement Association in East Harlem and for Planned Parenthood NYC Votes.

She also is vice chair of her local community board in Manhattan…and hopes to take on higher-level community leadership, including possibly running for local office. That’s the leadership resume DeNora brought to the Junior League of the City of New York…and she has put it to good use.

As the co-chair of the League’s Advocates for Public Policy committee, she works hard to ensure that the committee is focused on issues with the greatest impact on women and children. And she is both bold and savvy in seeking out new opportunities for the League to collaborate with prominent community organizations, coalitions, and elected officials with the goal of developing higher public visibility for the League and its initiatives. DeNora also partners closely with the New York State Public Affairs Committee to help form critical relationships with statewide organizations and other Junior Leagues throughout the state.

A product of the Bronx, DeNora was a teenage mother who brings her own personal experience to her work as an advocate for women and children.

Looking at her time as a League member, she says… “While NYJL has recognized me as a Provisional on the Move and a Woman to Watch, this is not the reason that I remain an active NYJL volunteer. I dedicate my time and skills to the League because I believe in its power to strengthen the health and well-being of New York City’s women, children and families.”

The Junior League of Scranton 

Notable among Maggie’s characteristics are her compassion for others and a deprecating sense of humor. Both have served her exceedingly well during her first years in the League where she says she has learned that leadership can be an asset to her community as much or more than direct service.

Upon her arrival, Maggie worked with other Provisionals to develop KNOWME, a program that tackles the perils of bullying and low self-esteem among at-risk teen girls through immersion in the arts. In an offshoot to that work, Maggie chaired the League’s beloved Cinderella’s Closet initiative, which provides underprivileged girls with the opportunity to find prom dresses and accessories for under ten dollars. Eventually, Cinderella’s Closet was spun off into an independent 501(c)3 organization called Cinderella’s Closet of NEPA and Maggie was asked to lead it as president. She expanded its Esteem Town series of workshops and invited students to sit on a special board and influence its development while receiving mentoring from community leaders.

Maggie’s other volunteer commitments include her work with Jewish Family Services and those in need of mental health services, Marley’s Mission where she is engaged in equine therapy for children who’ve suffered abuse or neglect, Project Vitality’s playground-building mission, and spearheading programming for a local nursing home. And the list goes on.

The Junior League of Baltimore

With a commitment to her strong and widespread bonds in her community, her status as an uber-volunteer and her gift for natural leadership, Karyn Riley has been an invaluable asset since she arrived at The Junior League of Baltimore. Her key initiatives have been to reinvigorate the Penny Wise Internship Committee, which works with disadvantaged women seeking retail training and experience; assume the role of Vice President of Community Impact in which she expanded the League’s fleet of short-term impact projects resulting in many former members reinstating their League memberships; her service as Vice President of Fundraising and her commitment to diversity by leading members through an AJLI diversity workshop that made contributions to the Reaching Out Statement.

A consummate mentor to both local youth polishing their public speaking skills and to women seeking asylum and assistance in writing resumes, Karyn has served as a board member to numerous organizations throughout the city focused on the arts, education and youth development including the Maryland Court Appointed Special Advocates, the Baltimore Museum of Art’s Community Advisory Board for the African Art Gallery and the Eubie Blake Cultural Center. In 2013 she was the recipient of the JLB’s prestigious Annapolis Bowl.

Karyn practices her skills in a professional capacity as well, serving her city as the director of public affairs and then as Chief of Staff for Visit Baltimore where she has developed the first formal outreach program to youth.

The Junior League of San Diego

Brandi Cropper, a former Naval officer who grew up all over the world navigating different cultures, has been a tireless advocate for the cause of foster youth in the throes of transition to independence and self-sufficiency. An unwavering champion who has been active on every front of her League’s youth-in-transition focus area, she has recruited vendors for Transition Age Youth’s signature fundraiser, developed a mentoring initiative, served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for Voices for Children and made connections between the young adults in these programs and her fellow League members, and board members, community partners and donors.

The Junior League of the Lehigh Valley

Rosalind Lucien is a stand-out volunteer leader with an entrepreneurial streak whose impact has been felt throughout her community in just a few short years. She not only serves her League as Chair of the Community Impact Committee, she works for a nonprofit where she facilitates prevention education, life skills training and healthy decision-making programs for adults and adolescents. In 2009, moved to act by the negative portrayal of women in the media and the influence it was having on young girls. Ms. Lucien founded The Glam Squad, which offers empowering workshops for mothers and daughters that address social media safety, healthy relationships and strong self-esteem.

The Junior League of Atlanta

Rising Star Award-winner Stacey Chavis defines what it means to be a leader who takes the initiative, advocates for change, and remains at the top of her game through continuous training and the study of issues important to her. Her impact on the Junior League of Atlanta, which she joined only two short years ago, has been boundless, as has her ability to educate her community about the real and present danger of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children.

The child of two public servants whose volunteer career began at her mother’s side on projects for Meals on Wheels and March of Dimes, Chavis has evolved into a savvy and compassionate figure in the community whose impactful work on the League’s CSEC committee has truly been transformative.

Chavis was trained by the Governor’s Office for Children and Families. Then, equipped with her new knowledge and while serving as the Leagues Political/Public Affairs Committee Chair-Elect, she ventured out into the community, presenting to church groups, business leaders, and state legislators about the dangers of the exploitation of children.

In addition, Chavis led an advocacy workshop for League members interested in bringing about legislation. Her service to the League complies fully with its mission to improve the effectives of its resources, to be the go-to source in the community for leadership training and volunteer service, and to transform communities by empowering at-risk women and children to become self-reliant.

The Junior League of Sacramento

Rising Star Laurie Green of The Junior League of Sacramento is a woman whose membership in the League is proof that some of the most rewarding paths to take are those you never would have considered initially.

A career nutritionist with a passion for public health - specifically the health of women and children - Green joined the League on a whim with a friend in 2008. In 2009, when the League solidified its focus on the issue of nutrition, she decided to serve on the PR and Marketing Committee where she proved a quick study. She applied her new-found skills to the marketing of the League’s 1991 cookbook, which was being resurrected in celebration of its 65^th anniversary. With a daunting inventory of books to sell, she discerned a need for change in the Cookbook Committee, nominated herself as chair, and used what she’d learned in mission-driven fund development workshops to market the book to community members outside the League who were willing to support the League’s good work.

Green then served as Treasurer for her League. As such, she devoured laws and regulations, educated her fellow members on responsible and realistic budget management, pushed through a much needed dues increase, and negotiated with local businesses for discounts on costs while maintaining their allegiance.

The Junior League of San Diego

Megan Lim, the winner of the 2012 Rising Star Award, is active in her League, visible in her community, and generous with her time.

Joining the Junior League of San Diego four years ago, Lim found herself in a large class of more than 90 Provisionals. The size of the class meant that members were primarily interacting with the same small assigned groups, making it difficult to get to know each other. Viewing camaraderie as critical to the League experience and essential to the development of effective volunteer teams, she suggested that there be social opportunities for Provisionals.

In addition, Lim served on the team that planned the League’s first nonprofit forum for the San Diego community, the goal of which was to build consensus and balance the desires of diverse groups, including the League’s Board of Directors, the general membership - including Provisionals and Sustaining members - and community partners.

Lim has also been a bridge to San Diego’s large community of Sustaining members, working with the League’s president to identify ways for them to play a stronger role in the League’s day-to-day activities, and encouraging mentoring relationships with current leadership and members.

Outside of the League, Lim was a founding member of Women Give San Diego, which funds nonprofit organizations that help underserved women and girls achieve economic security and self-sufficiency. She also plays leadership roles in organizations as varied as the San Diego Regional Climate Education Partnership (CEP), San Diego Coastkeeper and the Equinox Center. Professionally, she works in fundraising.

The Junior League of Los Angeles

With her unbounded energy and singular dedication, Rising Star September Hill of the Junior League of Los Angeles has demonstrated a tremendous potential for community leadership in a manner consistent with the mission and values of The League. In just three years of Active membership, Hill has demonstrated her initiative and her drive on several fronts, ranging from public policy and advocacy to women’s mental health, diversity, and education.

As the co-creator of the internationally recognized and award-winning Public Policy Institute, Hill cultivated relationships with city, county, state, and federal officials, and secured vital internship opportunities for the program. As a result of her efforts, her League inspired Leagues in other cities to establish their own public policy institutes, which have graduated more than two dozen women, many of whom have gone on to careers in public policy.

Inspired by the success of California SPAC’s Perinatal Depression Awareness campaign, Hill joined the mission with gusto, enlisting a graphic designer and spearheading a branding campaign that resulted in an attention-catching “Speak Up When You’re Down” logo and slogan, as well as information cards detailing signs and symptoms. In addition, she used her social-media connections to garner coverage for the initiative by major media outlets including the Los Angeles Times and Huffington Post.

Hill also laid the foundation for the Appointments to Boards and Commissions Institute by securing seed funding and shoring up support from Sustaining members. Thanks to her efforts, this new initiative, which is designed to encourage League members to pursue appointments on California’s many public boards and commissions at all levels of government, has trained two dozen women and gained resounding support from the membership.

The Junior League of Halifax

Rising Star Aimee Dawson of the Junior League of Halifax has leveraged her many years of study in both dentistry and public health into a role as a one-woman healthcare advocacy effort specializing in the medical issues that confront women and children of the province of Nova Scotia.

Aimee’s quest for knowledge and drive to master the issues closest to her heart are matched by her consistent desire to take the lead on the issues of health and wellness in the greater community. Already in possession of a Bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and behavior, a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree, and a Masters in Public Health—and on her way to obtaining a second Masters in Gerontology—Aimee, an immigrant to Canada, identified an unmet need in Halifax and came up with a solution: assisting new immigrants with vital dental care and nutritional information by way of a triage program she runs out of her dentistry practice.

She has served as the Junior League of Halifax's representative on the Nova Scotia Council for the Family. As a member of the Halifax Community Health Board, she has advised the local health authority on important health-related policy issues that affect the 400,000 residents of the province, including social isolation, health inequalities, and opportunities for physical activity.

In addition, this unflaggingly compassionate activist finds time to serve on the Population Health Committee, where she worked on an evaluation plan to monitor progress in implementing a multi-year health plan. She epitomizes what it means to think globally and act locally.

The Junior League of Nashville

Rising Star Jenny Barker’s can-do attitude and relentless dedication to the community is well known in Nashville. She assisted Nashville’s Agenda 2007, a city-wide, non-partisan goal-setting project by mounting a public relations strategy that recruited ideas to improve the community from every sector of the city. In addition, she was selected to participate in the highly competitive Nashville Emerging Leaders program, which engages and nurtures future leaders through personal development, mentorship, and access to Nashville’s top community and business leaders.

Barker excels in marketing and communications. As a first-year Active, she led the communications effort for the League’s inaugural holiday marketplace and secured a $50,000 media sponsorship from the city’s leading daily newspaper, as well as one from the top-rated television station—both of which helped draw 4,000 attendees and net a total income that exceeded the League’s goal by $20,000. Her work earned her the Junior League of Nashville’s First Year Active Award. As a second-year Active, she was appointed to a three-year term on the Home Board, one of the oldest and most sought-after placements in the League. Her success in coordinating the “For Santa’s Sake” gift drive landed her a seat on the board of Oasis Center, one of the League’s partner agencies. Whether the issue is sheltering the homeless or improving adult literacy, Barker shows a deep appreciation for all people, and reaches within herself to serve them to the best of her ability.

The Junior League of Montgomery

As a new member of the Junior League of Montgomery, Rising Star Tonda West immediately demonstrated qualities of an emerging civic leader. During her year as a Provisional, she surpassed the volunteer hour requirements due to her work with Adullam House, a community program dedicated to helping the children of incarcerated parents experience the joys of a typical childhood. West not only gave generously of her own time, but recruited friends in the beauty shop business to create a safe, child-friendly environment in which to give little girls first-rate hairstyles. For one 13-year-old, it was the first time she’d ever had the opportunity.

With an eye on making a significant difference in the community, West has participated in a range of initiatives and organizations. As the founder and executive director of Daughters of His Divine Glory, Inc., she is dedicated to improving the lives of inner-city youth and seniors. As a volunteer chaplain for the Life-Tech Transitional Rehabilitation Center, she teaches and provides spiritual guidance to women in the court-ordered program. Through her participation on the League’s Community Research Committee, she is helping shape the strategies for community grants and the deployment of volunteers.

Due to West’s commitment to bettering the community and dedication to creating opportunities for the underserved, the Junior League of Montgomery renamed its Provisional Award for Excellence, the "Tonda West Provisional Award."

The Junior League of Dayton

Rising Star Kathy Barenbrugge is a woman who has the special ability to utilize her personal and corporate connections to make a difference in her community. For the past three years, her family has prepared up to 200 sack lunches per month for the residents of the St. Frances DePaul homeless shelter. To meet the upsurge in need, she accepted the responsibility of providing the meals year round, mobilizing league volunteers to help.

Seeing an opportunity for volunteerism, Barenbrugge lead the way for the League to participate in Service Nation Day, for which the League joined a coalition of almost 200 national and local nonprofits. Another example of her sharp eye for opportunities is when she learned about an Air Force base moving to Dayton. She formed a team and came up with a plan to utilize the League’s ‘Causing A Stir’ cookbook to help attract new members and to welcome relocated military families to the community.

The Junior League of the City of New York

Rising Star Patricia Miranda leads the Junior League of New York's Playground Improvement Project (PIP), which seeks corporations, government agencies, and organizations to provide funds, supplies, and volunteers for the renovation and restoration of parks and gardens. This longstanding, multifaceted program has achieved significant public recognition so it is a testament to Miranda's leadership potential that it has been entrusted to her.

Through the program, she has revitalized and beautified neglected playgrounds and parks in many neighborhoods, leading the program with unsurpassed expertise. This project has a committee of over 60 women and she has managed over 1,000 volunteers in collaboration with government agencies and corporations.

Miranda has impressed many by producing results and instituting new processes to obtain discount supplies leading to greater impact. She was responsible for delivering excellent press coverage and organizing a ribbon cutting ceremony featuring a local dance troupe, children’s choir, and community leaders.

The Junior League of Boise

Rising Star Cecelia Gassner's willingness to tackle projects head-on and her ability to listen respectfully to others and embrace different opinions demonstrate the kind of leadership qualities that have made her a sought-after board member and volunteer. In just four years, Gassner’s strong desire to educate herself on the issues impacting Boise serves as a model for other volunteers looking to become connected to the local community.

Recently, Gassner and a friend launched a radio program titled Divas for a Difference, which features community organizations and issues, and invites listeners to “get involved and get inspired.” She also finds ways to connect her personal passions to the betterment of her community. For example, Gassner leveraged her participation in an Iron Man event and raised more funds for League community programs than any other team involved in the event.

The Junior League of Greater Princeton, NJ

Rising Star Patricia May Thomsson’s leadership abilities were evident from the beginning of her League membership when she became co-chair of the Provisional Class Project. She is motivated to make a difference in her community, and with a mere two years of League experience, she has emerged as the go-to person for advice, ideas, and action.

Thomsson’s interest in helping disadvantaged youth led her to develop a passion for childhood literacy and education. She helped her League develop a meaningful partnership with Trenton Head Start, which blossomed into a much larger, long-term League project of implementing an early literacy program focused on improving the math and science skills of preschool children.