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BPW honors two local women |
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Written by Tatiana Rodriguez
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Saturday, 08 November 2008 |
The Sweetwater Business and Professional Women recently honored two local women who have greatly impacted the community at a recent luncheon. Both women were the guest speakers at the BPW monthly meeting.
Those honored were V. Ann McCarthy and Judy Leighow.
“Wanting to help people always seemed to be important to me beginning in my childhood days,” said McCarthy. “I always had a feeling that some day I would be able to help those in need.”
McCarthy has helped many people in need with her community work. She has been a member of the American Red Cross for 22 years and is currently serving as the volunteer auditor with her husband for the American National Red Cross in Washington, D.C., traveling all over the nation and also serving as the disaster services human resource member. McCarthy has also served during many national disasters throughout the country.
Born in Tyler, McCarthy's family moved to West Texas when she was six months old. Her grandparents settled in Stonewall County in the early 1900s and moved to Nolan County in the early 1940s.
“This is where I called home no matter where I lived,” she said.
McCarthy has been employed with the Sweetwater Fire Department as an insurance administrator; Rolling Plains Memorial Hospital as a billing supervisor; Cox Jewelry as a bookkeeper; and has been employed for over 30 years with major fire and casualty companies in Houston, Los Angeles and Sacramento.
“I had always pondered what my life purpose was to be and some years ago during a church service it came to me. I am to serve whenever and wherever the Lord leads. Volunteer service is my mission in life,” said McCarthy.
She has served as an election judge for Nolan County and the City of Sweetwater; the Sweetwater Beautification committee; Chamber of Commerce Trail of Lights Committee; legislative committee; and chaired the Women's Division (now called the special events committee). McCarthy has served with the Nolan County United Way as the publicity chairman. She has also served as president of the Insurance Women of Houston, director with the Insurance Women of Sacramento and officer with the Federation Insurance Women of Texas.
McCarthy has served on several positions with the local ARC including chapter chairman for the Nolan County ARC, chapter chairman for the Big Country Regional Chapter of the ARC in Abilene, member of the board of directors and has also served as an advisor to the board.
She has also served in state ARC positions including Texas State Service Council, nominating committee, health and safety HIV/AIDS committee, disaster committee and field service chairman. She has also been on the Southwest Region Committee and chaired the human resources committee.
She has served in various positions with ARC National Headquarters including national volunteer auditor, disaster volunteer, national senior consultant for awards and recognition, instructor and facilitator building chapter leadership teams, chapter enrichment program advisor and chapter solutions chairman, instructor in disaster courses, employee and volunteer working together, community disaster education and chairman and CEO training.
McCarthy has been a member of Trinity Baptist Church for over 26 years and is a member of the choir. She has served as chairman of Benevolence committee as well as serving on other church committees.
Leighow was born and raised in Siren, Wis. And is one of seven children.
“I attended a one room rural school for the first four years. From grades 5-12, I went to the town school, which was a one building school,” said Leighow.
After high school graduation, she attended Polk County Teachers College, a two-year teaching college. After graduation she taught school in rural Montana for three years in one-room schools. She then worked for six years as an assistant librarian in the junior-senior high school in Webster, Wis. and finished her third year of college during summer school at the University of Wisconsin Superior and Eau Claire.
“Being tired of winter I moved to Dallas as a nanny. On my initial interview I rode in a limo into Dallas with the Democratic National Chair Robert Strauss and his son Richard. They were friends of the family,” she said. While in Dallas Charley Pride stopped to help me one day when I had car trouble,” said Leighow.
“Ann Loeb Sikora sent me to Sweetwater in November 1976 as a nanny to Dr. Cox's three children. I stayed with that position until the two-year-old twins went to college.” Dr. John R. Cox III has been an optometrist in Sweetwater for many years.
In 1983, Leighow began teaching the preschool program at Kid's Kampus and still works in the daycare today.
“I have volunteer for most of my life, beginning as a teen teaching Sunday school and Bible school in my church,” said Leighow. “I served in many areas.”
After coming to Texas, people from Wisconsin called every January to see when Leighow was going home for vacation, and they would have Bible school while she was there.
She has been a member of Avondale Baptist Church and has taught Sunday school and Bible school at the church. She also heads the Wednesday evening children's program and has taken training to serve on several committees including the missions committee, children's ministry team and has also been in the choir and has served as the assistant church clerk.
Leighow has sevred the local library saying, "For many years I have been the lay representative for the Sweetwater County-City Library to the Big Country Library System. I have served on the advisory council for many terms and am currently serving on my third term as chair. I have attended many regional leadership conferences and four state leadership conferences," said Leighow.
In the last 1980s, she was a Big Country Library Delegate to the State ALA White House Conference on Libraries.
"I have spent much time as a volunteer storyteller at the library and also at the daycare in the past," she added.
In the last 27 years, Leighow has been involved as a Girl Scout volunteer.
"I started when the girls could join. I only had the chance to be a Girl Scout two years as a child, but had a lot of fun with a Girl Scout Troop from Chicago who came to Wisconsin every summer.
She has been a leader, assistant leader, trainer, committee member, event director, taskforce member and a sponsor for trips to Carlsbad Caverns and Savanna, Ga.
"I had three girls get the gold award, four girls get the silver award and have been outdoor certified. I have had the Red Cross basic training, first aid and CPR.
Leighow has received the Daisy Award and the Outstanding Volunteer Award from both West Texas and Caprock Council for Girl Scouts.
In 2006, Leighow was named one of the Women of Distinction by the Caprock Council. Currently, she serves as Sweetwater service unit manager on the council product sales taskforce and Sweetwater coordinator to get Camp Boothe Oaks up and running again.
"Recently, I coordinated the multi-level flag ceremony for the Business Professional Women fall conference meeting at Texas State Technical College.
Leighow is a member of the WASP Museum.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 10 November 2008 )
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