2020 BPW Woman of Achievement
Monday, October 19, 2020
The Jackson Area Business and Professional Women will name their Woman of Achievement for 2020 at their business meeting on Monday, October 19, 2020, in celebration of National Business Women’s Week, October 19-23, 2020. This will be the 31st year that this award has been presented.
The Woman of Achievement must be a woman living or working in West Tennessee, excluding Shelby County. She must be a woman who has achieved distinction in her field; who has served as a role model or mentor to other women, and who embodies the BPW Motto, “Women helping women.”
The Woman of Achievement Award is given annually by Jackson Area Business and Professional Women. Past recipients of this award are: Justice Martha Craig Daughtrey, Carol Carter-Estes, Helen Herron, Veronica Coleman, Anita Battershell, Caprice East, Mary Tyler, Shirlene Mercer, Judge Christy Little, Kay Gibson, Karolyn Henry, Beth Bates, Terri Kozlowitz, Pat Alford, Jacque Hillman, Jackie Utley, Doris “Cousin Tuny” Freeman, Mary Jo Middlebrooks, Margaret Cole, Linda Higgins, Dr. Nancy S. Zambito-Franz, Dr. Kay Wiles, Patsy Turner, Lynn Menendez, Daryl Chansuthus, Marilyn Jackson, Kristi Turnbow, Wanda Stanfill, Pam Nash, and Vickie Lake.
For more information: Jackie Utley. Jackson Area BPW Woman of Achievement Committee Chair. 731-293-5055. jutleydar@gmail.com
For more information about Jackson Area BPW: http://www.jacksonareabpw.com
Nominate a Woman of Achievement
Meet Vicki Lake, 2019 Woman of Achievement
Victoria Schneider Lake is a third generation Jacksonian. Her parents were the late Anne and Victor Schneider, who practiced law for many years in Jackson in the law firm of Schneider, Schneider, & Harris. She attended the public school system, graduating from Jackson Central Merry High School. Vicki completed her bachelors of arts and masters of science degrees at The University of Alabama, and did her doctoral work at Michigan State University. She has been married to Jeff Lake for 16 years, and they have five rescued dogs including three basset hounds.
She is the Director of Market Research and Community Development at West Tennessee Healthcare. In this capacity she is responsible for grant and proposal writing for all West Tennessee Healthcare affiliates, designated community public and not-for-profit agencies. Through her work, approximately $41 million in grant funds have been received by rural West Tennessee agencies. She is also responsible for writing certificates of need, facility licensing, award applications, and other proposals; and conducting market, demographic, socioeconomic research.
She plays an active role in many community organizations including past board president of Youth Town of Tennessee, The STAR Center, the Jackson Arts Council, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Madison County, Jackson-Madison County Sports Hall of Fame, the Jackson Family YMCA Regional Board, and The Bank of Jackson. Vicki is currently the Chair of the Board of the WestTenn Bancorp Holding Company.
She is Past President of the Jackson Rotary Club and past District 6760 Assistant District Governor. Vicki is past Chair of the Jackson State Community College Foundation, and the Jackson/Madison County Library Foundation. She serves on the Union University Board of Regents and on boards of the Jackson Arts Council, the West Tennessee Housing Resource Network, and is a graduate of WestStar Leadership Program. She is active in The University of Alabama West Tennessee Alumni and Friends Chapter.
In 2007, City of Jackson Mayor Jerry Gist asked Vicki to serve as Chair of the Safe Neighborhoods Task Force that was charged with reviewing data and making recommendations to the Jackson City Council on housing, property codes and ordinances as well as crime and law enforcement on a neighborhood by neighborhood basis. The final report was submitted on December 24, 2007. She has recently been appointed chair of the newly created Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Jackson. The purpose of the Agency is to plan, finance, and implement development and redevelopment plans and projects to eliminate or prevent slum and blight in Jackson.
She was the 1996 Outstanding Young Woman in Jackson presented by the Jackson Jaycees; the 1997 Woman of the Year presented by the Altrusa Club of Jackson; and was the 2000 recipient of the President’s Award, presented by the President and CEO of West Tennessee Healthcare. In November 2007 she was named the recipient of The Jackson Award for Community Service by the West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation. The WestStar Class of 2008 named Vicki the recipient of the C.P. Boyd Award for leadership. The Boys & Girls Club of Jackson recognized her with their 2009 Hope Giver Award; and she was named one of West Tennessee’s 20 Most Influential Women in 2010 with a Sterling Award.
Vicki and her husband, Jeff, attend St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.
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