2024 Women Of Distinction
Dr. Nana Becoat
Nana Becoat is an educator committed to collaborative learning that engages students, staff, families, and the community. Since 2003, she has served as an English teacher in the Hazelwood School District, emphasizing the importance of education. She has dedicated her professional career to fostering a dynamic and inclusive learning atmosphere for every student. Continuously pursuing knowledge, Nana completed her doctorate in Social Justice in Education from UMSL in May.
Outside of the classroom, Nana assumes the role of chairperson for the YWCA's Racial Justice Committee. Here, she leads a range of initiatives aimed at advancing equity for women while tackling pressing issues in the Alton community. She has orchestrated and led several impactful projects, including YWCA Community Book-talks, Community Circles, the Hampton Garden Project, Diversity and Equity in the Workplace workshops, and Soul Sista Saturday events.
Nana's commitment to improving her community sets a shining example, inspiring other women and girls, including her daughters, who are embracing her legacy as empowered champions for fairness and justice. Through her leadership and actions, she encourages women to speak up and engage wholeheartedly in the ongoing battle against inequality.
Kristen Burns
Kristen Burns is a remarkable individual whose life has been dedicated to serving others and bettering her community. From a young age, she demonstrated a passion for helping others, participating in various organizations such as Girl Scouts, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and volunteering with church groups and children's camps.
Throughout her life, Kristen has held roles in marketing but transitioned to working for non-profit organizations, where she made a significant impact. She served as the Program and Marketing Director for the Alton YWCA, organized successful events, taught fitness and swim classes. Kristen's dedication extended to volunteering with numerous organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, United Way, and serving on various committees and boards.
In recent years, Kristen has focused on fostering community development and promoting economic growth. She has played an active role in various organizations, including the East Alton Wood River School Board as a dedicated school board member, and the Wood River Business Alliance, where she has worked to support entrepreneurs, organize events, and improve the downtown area. Kristen's efforts have been recognized with awards and invitations to speak about her accomplishments and experiences.
Annette Campbell
Annette Campbell is an unabashed cheerleader for the Alton community and its residents. She is a member of the Greater Alton Community Development Corporation, a non-profit organization which aims to be a leader and catalyst for community development in the Hunterstown neighborhood of Alton, and participates in the Health Equity Coalition, where she is able to speak out on what the city needs to do to be better at caring for people and helping them connect to needed resources. She is a member of the Fourth Ward Committee, which meets monthly and advocates for community growth, development, and social equity. Annette is a part of City-Shapers, a diverse group helping bring awareness to city leaders about what residents need and want for the City of Alton to flourish. She participates in table and group meetings making sure that city leaders hear from residents on these issues.
Annette is a member of the Racial Justice Committee of YWCA Southwestern Illinois, where she says the group looks for ways to bring equity to the Alton community. She participated in revitalizing Hampton Garden in 2021 and is currently advocating, along with others in the community, to plant other gardens throughout the city. She sees these gardens as a way to bring healthy food to people, a way to teach people to grow and cook fresh food, and, encouraging entrepreneurship, to teach them how to market and sell the food they grown. Much of this work is focused on the teens and young people in Alton.
Helping people thrive, particularly women and young people, is a theme of Annette’s life. A Certified Life Coach, Annette brings her training in listening, asking questions and giving feedback, to all of her volunteer endeavors. She says that having three children and nine grandchildren are some of the best gifts God has given her. The experience of raising her children with her husband until his passing has brought her great joy and gave her the desire to see everyone with whom she is associated as family. Along the way, Annette says that she has accumulated many sisters and brothers, children and grandchildren, friends and neighbors. To her, family and loving God is how we thrive.
Shanyra Cox
Shanyra Cox is an experienced educator of 23 years, passionate about cultivating an engaging and inclusive learning atmosphere for students of diverse backgrounds. Currently, she works as an instructional technology coach at the Edwardsville School District, with a team of female instructional and technology coaches. Her teaching journey includes 16 years as an elementary Spanish bilingual educator, along with experience teaching 2nd and 5th grade general education.
he actively engages with the local Hispanic community, providing essential services such as translation during medical appointments, connecting families with outreach programs for housing and utility assistance, and facilitating English as a Second Language classes for Spanish-speaking parents. Additionally, Shanyra mentors a group of Vietnamese girls, focusing on enhancing their English language proficiency through engaging activities.
Shanyra lends her time at the Glen Ed pantry, serves as a board member for the Edwardsville Symphony, participated in an international service trip to Guatemala with the YMCA of Southern Illinois, is the Ethnic Minority Representative for the Illinois Education Association Region 45, serves as a member of the Illinois Ethnic Minority Emerging leadership committee and National Education Association Black Caucus, and coordinates a sensory-friendly community event with the Edwardsville Police and Fire Department for children with autism.
Teresa Howard-Johnson
From a young age, Teresa Howard-Johnson was instilled with a sense of responsibility towards community service and empowerment. Guided by the values of equity, justice, and dignity for all, she embarked on a lifelong journey dedicated to uplifting women, girls, and marginalized communities.
Teresa championed causes close to her heart. Through volunteering in various capacities, including teaching Sunday school and assisting with voter registration efforts, she sought to empower individuals and promote civic engagement.
In 2009, fueled by a vision to support at-risk teenage parents, particularly young mothers, Teresa founded Chariti Home Ministries. Through this 501(c)(3) organization, she aimed to provide a holistic support system, including transitional housing, education, and mentoring, to empower young parents and break cycles of poverty.
Through her leadership at Chariti Home Ministries and extensive volunteer work, Teresa has touched countless lives, empowering women, girls, and families to thrive. Her dedication has been recognized through awards, including board memberships, and invitations to contribute her insights and experiences to various forums.
Marlene Lewis
Marlene Lewis has a fervent desire to empower women and assist those in need. Her altruistic character and modest disposition shine through her extensive years of dedicated community service. Contributing to the community has taken various forms for Marlene.
Professionally, Marlene served as the Events Coordinator for BJC hospitals Christian NE and NW, as well as Alton Memorial Hospital. Transitioning to a similar role at Alton Memorial Hospital and later positions in the Development Office, she honed her expertise in Public Relations and Community Fundraising, bolstered by the completion of her bachelor’s degree in 2008. As a member of the BJC Cultural Diversity Committee, Marlene advocated for inclusivity, appreciation of differences, and mutual understanding. In 2011, Marlene earned her profession’s leading certification by becoming a CFRE (Certified Fundraising Executive). This certification recognizes her as a talented fundraising professional with the highest ethical standards.
In her unwavering dedication at the hospital, Marlene secured grants to enhance women’s health, particularly addressing disparities in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment within the Black community through awareness campaigns and screenings. She successfully coordinated physician lectures to address health risks in the community, including efforts to engage minorities through representation. Moreover, Marlene organized educational tours for students and coordinated events like Ground Hog Job Shadow Day, providing opportunities for high school students to explore healthcare careers. Additionally, she coordinated a fundraising campaign to raise $3 million toward the construction of a new hospital wing boasting 76 private rooms.
Apryll Pittman
While working at a daycare center over the course of many years, Apryll Pittman saw things that encouraged her to become more involved in her community and in the lives of parents and children. As a single parent of three children herself, she understood the struggles many parents went through and was determined to provide resources for those parents. These experiences have provided the foundation for her volunteer career.
Apryll leads a mom’s small group in the Alton area. What started as a small group within her church has now been converted to a community group. They sponsor nights for just the moms to have some time without children, speakers to address issues important to them, monthly check-ins to touch base and catch up with concerns, needs, and so forth, and activities for moms and children together such as bonfires, craft nights, park trips and movie nights. She has also volunteered at ThriVe as a confidential advocate. ThriVe volunteers provide counseling for young women who are facing a pregnancy as a teenager or an unexpected pregnancy, provide information on options available to them and help them reflect upon the ramifications of each choice.
Apryll is also a member of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), working with other women to make women of color in the community aware of all opportunities available to them. She enjoys encouraging young women of color to continue their education after high school.
Juanita Shaw
As Riverview Gardens School District 2023 Teacher of the Year, Juanita Shaw holds a firm belief in the importance of education. As a child, she overcame numerous challenges to excel in her chosen field, and thus knows the importance of learning to fight through obstacles to achieve a goal.
Hoping to pass along these life lessons, Juanita founded a club called Teens to Queens, encouraging girls to live beyond the injustices in their surroundings. She encourages them to be productive citizens and, given her own priorities, demonstrates the importance of education as well as how to be a friend to others. The young ladies in the club teach other members their own personal interests, thus building confidence in themselves.
Juanita volunteers with several organizations, including the NAACP, Urban League, Korey Johnson Foundation (teaching the value of philanthropy to children), Demetrius Johnson Foundation (trying to improve the lives of inner-city youth in the St. Louis area), United Way, March of Dimes, St. Jude, the Christine L. Brice Foundation of Alton, where she is the co-chair of the Juneteenth Freedom Motorcycle Ride, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., and Ride4Hope Foundation. It is in her work with these last two organizations where Juanita channels her dedication to supporting and mentoring other women and girls.
Anne Tyree
Anne Tyree has spent much of her adult life advocating for behavioral health in Illinois. Throughout her career, she has also mentored and coached women both in her professional capacity, as a member of the Illinois Air National Guard, and as a volunteer in community organizations.
As Regional CEO of Centerstone’s Illinois operations, Anne is very aware that she sets an example for other women in her organization. She leads an organization where women comprise 83% of the workforce. Inasmuch as more than 50% of Centerstone’s clients are women, she strives to offer women-centric approaches to treatment, strengthening supports for women and girls experiencing behavioral health issues. Anne also supports bringing quality behavioral health care to all Illinois communities.
Anne is also proud of her military service in the Illinois Air National Guard. She was a medical logistics officer in the male dominated military where less than 25% of officers are women. She has encouraged other women to enter the military and to pursue becoming an officer. She was instrumental in implementing two Centerstone policy changes that benefit military women and families. The first ensured that employees who must be absent from their regular job due to required reserve training receive pay equal to their company pay. The second allowed a military or military family member up to two weeks leave to support the transition to a new duty location. This is particularly helpful to military members who are single parents (most often mothers).
Jeanne Wuellner
For Jeanne Wuellner, her most important lifetime achievement is making a difference in her community, especially for women, children and the elderly. She seeks out volunteer opportunities focused on these three groups and found them through various organizations including Junior League of Greater Alton (JLGA), Boys and Girls Club of Alton, Make-A-Wish Southern Illinois, and Sleep in Heavenly Peace, among others.
An organization particularly close to Jeanne’s heart is the Make-A-Wish Foundation, where she continues to serve as a council member for the Southern Illinois Chapter. During the past eight years, she helped raise over $45,000 through the Walk for Wishes and golf tournaments, as well as the annual Ride for Wishes event, partnering with Ted’s Motorcycle World. The proceeds from these events help grant life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses, an experience Jeanne considers herself fortunate to experience.
Her family continues to have an impact on her life choices, as, several years ago, Jeanne left her job in a large corporation to return to school and earn her CNA certification. Seeing her parents age and needing more assistance had convinced her that there was a need to help senior citizens in their homes or in assisted living communities. She now operates her own woman-owned business, providing in-home health care services.