We are pleased to honor Atsuko Fish for her years of effective empowerment of women’s leadership and philanthropy. Atsuko, a Trustee of the Fish Family Foundation and the Founder of Japanese Women’s Leadership Initiative (JWLI) and Champion of Change Japan Award, is a generous supporter of the Women’s Lunch Place and many other Greater Boston non-profits. She served for years on the Boards of Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence, The Boston Foundation, and Management Sciences for Health. Atsuko is also the first Japanese woman to receive Champion of Change Award from US President Barack Obama in 2013. In 2006, Atsuko founded the Japanese Women’s Leadership Initiative, a great executive training for women leading social change in Japan to learns from the leaders of Boston’s non-profit organizations, including Women’s Lunch Place. Atsuko continues to empower the non-profit sector in Japan and Boston, and we are proud to recognize her extra ordinary accomplishments.

We honor Mary Lou Sudders, Secretary of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health & Human Services, for her decades of work in support of Massachusetts’ most vulnerable citizens. Secretary Sudders currently leads the largest executive agency in state government, a $21 billion state budget with 22,000 dedicated public servants, and oversees critical services that touch one in four residents of the Commonwealth. Professionally trained as a social worker, she has also been a provider executive, advocate and college professor.

The Women Who Give Award honors women who support Women’s Lunch Place and give back to the community in a selfless manner. This year, we honor four women who exemplify this by volunteering their time and talent to make Women’s Lunch Place a community of respect and dignity.

Arnita Cooper
Nancy Schieffelin
Linda Kreisel
Mary Lou Monaco

Barbara is a compelling ambassador and generous donor to the Women’s Lunch Place. For over ten years, she served on the Board of Directors, the last two years as President during a successful three million dollar capital campaign. Her distinguished career at BNY Mellon, advocacy on behalf of our guests, and encouragement of young women to get involved and give back, highlight Barbara as a role model for other women in philanthropy.

Vivien is a longtime supporter of and volunteer with the Women’s Lunch Place. Vivien is the president of the Boston Harbor Association. She ahs devoted her career to improving the Boston waterfront community and distinguishing herself as a role model for women in philanthropy. She joins Angela Menino and Micho Spring, past award recipients, as a leader in our community for the support and service of women.

Angela Faltera Menino, First Lady of Boston, has a long history of public service. As a young mother, she joined her friends to set the groundwork for Boston Community Schools, now known as Boston Centers for Youth and Families (BCYF). Since then, she has continued to advocate for worthy causes, especially those which benefit young people and women.

The First Lady was a founding member of the City of Boston Women’s Commission and the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women. She serves on a number of community boards, including the Advisory Committee of the Women’s Lunch Place. After Hurricane Katrina, she traveled to New Orleans to participate in building a Habitat for Humanity home.

Often recognized for her exceptional community service, Mrs. Menino has been formally honored by numerous organizations. She has also received several honorary degrees, including Doctor of Humane Letters from Emmanuel College and Doctor of Public Service from Northeastern University.

In addition to her position as First Lady, Mrs. Menino has had a career in the accounting field. She has also made it a priority to enjoy family time which has included supporting the activities of her six grandchildren.

For a generation, Micho Spring has been a prominent civic, political and business leader in the Greater Boston community. As Deputy Mayor of Boston and as Chief of Staff to Mayor Kevin White, she played a key role in Boston’s transformation into a world-class city. A trailblazer for women leaders, she served as the first woman chair of the United Way of Massachusetts Bay, is a past president of the Massachusetts Women’s Forum and the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce’s Women’s Network. Boston Magazine has repeatedly named her one of the most powerful women in the region. A founder and chair of Friends of Caritas Cubana, she also sits on the boards of the John. F Kennedy Library Foundation, The Boston Foundation, the Executive Committee of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, the Boston Plan for Excellence in Public Schools and the Taubman Center Advisory Board at the JFK School of Government.