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Who: Soroptimist International of Huntington Beach (SIHB), a volunteer service organization for business and professional women dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls, in local communities and throughout the world What: 24th Annual Making A Difference For Women Awards Luncheon   When: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - 11:00 am – 1:30 pm   Where: Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort, 21100 Pacific Coast Hwy, Huntington Beach, CA   Details: SIHB will honor four distinguished women from Orange County whom have made a positive difference both locally and internationally for women and girls.   View the Invitation Mail/Fax Order Form Advertise in our event program

     Soroptimist International Huntington Beach (SIHB), celebrating its 45th anniversary of service to women, invites the community to attend its “Making a Difference for Women” awards ceremony and fundraising luncheon at the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort at 11:30 a.m., Tuesday, May 12. To receive an invitation, make a reservation, make a donation or learn more about sponsorship opportunities with Soroptimist International Huntington Beach (SIHB), please contact Nouha Hreish, event chairperson, at 714-840-5558. Tickets are $45. Tables, sponsorships and program advertising are also available.

     This year’s award recipients are Marcia Manker, CEO of Orange Coast Memorial Hospital, for “Advancing the Status of Women in Health;” Marilyn MacAllister, “Woman of Distinction in Community Volunteer Development;” Dr. Susan Roper, Huntington Beach Leadership Academy, “Woman of Distinction in Education;” and Reverend Mary Walton, Interval House Crisis Shelters for “Women Helping Women.” The panel of judges for this year’s awards was Dianne Harman, Shirley Dettloff, Ulla Herman and Jackie Cherwick Ritacco.

     Nouha Hreish, SIHB “Making a Difference for Women” chairperson, says “Soroptimists’ ‘Making a Difference for Women’ awards laud each of these remarkable women for their outstanding contributions in support of women in our community. Their leadership and dedication exemplify the values and goals of all Soroptimists whose name simply translates “best for women.”

     Dr. Susan Roper, lifelong educator and current facilitator for the Huntington Beach Leadership Academy, will receive the award for “Woman of Distinction, Education.”
     Roper knew since she was 12 that she wanted to be a teacher. Earning her Bachelor’s degree in education from Chapman University, she began a life-long career as an educator. After several years teaching elementary school including coaching other elementary teachers to improve their crucial math instruction, Roper went back to Chapman University to earn her Masters’ Degree in Counseling at in 1965. She left the classroom to expand her influence over high school students, serving as a counselor at Marina High School. She went on to become first female administrator in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District, serving as Assistant Principal of Guidance Services at Mission Viejo and El Toro High Schools.
     During her time as Assistant Superintendent for Personnel in the Huntington Beach Union High School District, she encouraged and mentored principals and other administrators to be “guardians at the gate” -- to hire only the best employees to serve students. She mentored and recruited women and minorities, urging them to prepare themselves to be competitive in the hiring pool. In 1997, Susan completed her Doctoral Degree in Educational Administration and the following year was selected as the Superintendent of the District.
     After 46 years in education, Roper had briefly retired in 2003, but was soon recruited to be facilitator for the newly created Robert Mayer Huntington Beach Leadership Academy in 2004. The Academy, now in its fourth year, has become an inspiring educational program training and motivating current leaders to assume leadership roles in Huntington Beach. As the spark plug that has makes the program so successful, Roper notes, “Once a teacher, always a teacher.”

     Reverend Mary L. Walton, MSW, will be honored with a Women Helping Woman Award.” Walton has worked with Interval House since 1979, serving as executive director in its earliest years and continuing to serve as a director for the program in its 30th anniversary year. When many at her age have chosen to retire, Reverend Walton has accelerated her impressive contributions to our communities by working on her doctorate while writing a book about domestic violence and religion around the world.
     Reverend Walton, also a clinical social worker, has been a domestic violence advocate since 1976 and was instrumental in the start-up and staff training of at least four domestic violence shelters in Southern California. Additionally, Walton has served on governing and advisory boards of domestic violence coalitions and alliances, as well as numerous policy and advocacy groups over the years.
     Reverend Walton received her M.Div. from Claremont School of Theology, was Senior Pastor of Dominguez UMC in Carson, CA, for four years, and is now serving an extension ministry at Interval House as Director of the C.A.S.E. Interfaith Project which provides domestic violence awareness education and intervention skill-building to faith leaders – both clergy and laity, with a special emphasis on the African American community. It offers crisis intervention and ongoing assistance to victims and their families.

     Marcia Manker, CEO of Orange Coast Memorial Hospital, will be honored for “Advancing the Status of Women in Health.
     A senior executive with over two decades of experience leading healthcare organizations in the competitive Orange County market, Manker is seasoned in all aspects of hospital operations with notable successes in new business development, complex medical group partnerships, medical staff relations and employee engagement. An MBA from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, she possesses a strong background in managed care and medical group operations.
     In her position as CEO of the Fountain Valley-based Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center, Manker currently leads a $.5 billion, 224-bed acute care hospital with more than 1,000 employees and a medical staff of nearly 700.
     Among her many successes in the industry, Manker developed the Memorial Care Breast Center at Orange Coast which cares for 15,000 patients each year, created a bariatric surgical program in partnership with well known surgeon Dr. Peter Leport, led the hospital to three consecutive years of earning five-star quality ratings for the care of stroke patients (from HealthGrades, a leading independent health care ratings agency) and consistently receives the highest employee satisfaction ratings within the Memorial hospital system.

     Marilyn MacAllister will be named “Woman of Distinction” for her work in Community Volunteer Development.
     MacAllister moved to California from Iowa when she was transferred by her employer, Collins Radio. After meeting and marrying husband Don and making their home in Pasadena, she served as the President of the Pasadena Jaycees, a position that would be among the first of many volunteer activities. While the MacAllisters moved to the Bahamas with their three young daughters for two years, they soon returned to California, settling in Huntington Beach. Marilyn spent the next two decades as a school secretary and secretary in administration for the Ocean View School District.
     Over the past 40 years, Marilyn has been an active member of the community, involved in scores of charitable organizations and volunteer efforts, including Soroptimist Huntington Beach. She was one of the founding members of the Duck-a-thon and has served on its committee each of the past 17 years, a Girl Scout leader and active in the PTA. In her free time, Marilyn enjoys visiting with her daughters and three grandchildren, playing golf and bridge, traveling and remaining active in volunteer work. Marilyn is one of those rare individuals who cannot say no to a good cause.