Aiding Women in Abuse and Rape Emergencies’ board of directors on Wednesday announced the recipients of the 2019 Women of Distinction Awards.

For 23 years, AWARE, Juneau’s gender-inclusive shelter for survivors of gender-based violence, has honored women whose contributions have increased safety for women and children, and the community as a whole, with the Women of Distinction Awards.

This year’s honorees are Francine Eddy Jones, Jorden Nigro, Susan Macaulay and Janine Reep, and they will be recognized at a gala fundraiser at Centennial Hall, March 9, 2019. Tickets will go on sale in January.

“We are delighted to be honoring these women, and we’re so grateful that people in our community nominated them,” Saralyn Tabachnick, Executive Director for AWARE, told the Capital City Weekly.

Jones has served as the Director of the Tribal Family and Youth Services Department since 1996, according to a press release from AWARE, and is dedicated to embracing and implementing the spirit and tenets of the Indian Child Welfare Act in Alaska to better serve Alaska Native families.

Nigro, originally from Gustavus, has worked with Juneau Youth Services, SAIL, Zach Gordon Youth Center advocating for young people and building resilience and protective factors through community partnerships, according to an AWARE press release. She is dedicated to assisting people experiencing homelessness with compassion and empathy.

Macaulay served in the Air Force in Germany, when a car accident changed the course of her life, according to an AWARE press release. After moving to Juneau she started volunteering at Riverbend Elementary School, where she has been a consistent presence for over 20 years. She was instrumental in fundraising for breakfast club and developed a reputation as being trustworthy and honorable, serving as a lifeline and mentor for many students.

Janine Reep has worked at Alaska Legal Services, as an Assistant Attorney General for Child in Need of Aid cases, and the Office of Public Advocacy, according to an AWARE press release. Those who have worked with Reep report that her compassion, listening skills and and total commitment to confidentiality has resulted in trusting relationships. She continues to mentor foster youth as an active member of the board of directors of Facing Foster Care in Alaska.

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• Contact arts and culture reporter Ben Hohenstatt at (907)523-2243 or bhohenstatt@juneauempire.com.

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