BMO Harris Bank recognized three local women at the BMO Celebrating Women program event held in Milwaukee, which honored women leaders in their communities in the following categories: Women Who Lead, Women Who Serve and Women Who Inspire.
Women Who Lead: Julia Taylor is president of the Greater Milwaukee Committee (GMC), which promotes collaboration on regional issues and opportunities through its initiatives in education, economic development and effective government. Before GMC, Taylor was president of the YWCA of Greater Milwaukee for 16 years and managed a $40 millionannual budget. During her tenure at the YWCA, she led initiatives resulting in national models for employment training and placement, affordable housing, women’s leadership and racial justice. She was the first woman to be appointed as President of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, and was honored in the 40 Under 40 Hall of Fame list by the Milwaukee Business Journal last year.
Women Who Serve: For over 30 years Cecelia Gore has dedicated her time to philanthropy, community affairs and the nonprofit sector. She is currently the Executive Director of the Brewers Community Foundation and has helped obtain over $27 million in the past eight years to help the Milwaukee community thrive in important areas. Gore is a current member of many different boards of directors in the Milwaukee area and is the recipient of the 2015 Alverno Outstanding Alumna Award. In addition, she was featured on the Milwaukee Business Journal’s top 40 Under 40 list and was named 2017 Business Champion by the African American Chamber of Commerce.
Women Who Inspire: Carmen Pitre is the Executive Director of Sojourner Family Peace Center, an organization providing services for families dealing with domestic violence. She played a key role in supporting the merger of Sojourner Truth House and The Task Force on Family Violence, as it transitioned into a state-of-the-art center that offers victims fleeing from abusive households’ shelter, medical and wellness services, housing police and prosecutors assigned to domestic violence crimes.
“At BMO it is important for us not only to recognize true women leaders in the community, but also say thank you for their efforts,” said Stephen Johnson, Regional President of the Northern States, BMO Wealth Management. “The greater Milwaukee area is fortunate to have women like Julia, Cecelia and Carmen who work tirelessly to make our community stronger.”
