Chamber to honor community leadership with Women Excel Awards

The Herald Times
Posted: Thursday, May 14, 2015
By Kurt Christian 812-331-4350 | kchristian@heraldt.com 

For the first time in the Women Excel Bloomington award ceremony’s six-year history, the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce will present a posthumous award celebrating community spirit and leadership.

The award luncheon will honor Linda Simon of Stampfli Associates CPA and seven other local women for leadership, business acumen, entrepreneurship and community involvement. Simon, who was a board member on organizations ranging from Girls Inc. to the Chamber of Commerce, died in September 2014 following a battle with cancer.

“We had an outpouring of requests from individuals who knew and respected Linda’s passionate leadership, asking if such an honor could be considered,” said Jeb Conrad, chamber president and CEO, in a news release. “It was an easy decision. Linda was a remarkable businesswoman, leader, mentor and community volunteer who truly exemplified what the WEB Awards are all about.”

The luncheon will be 11:30-1 p.m. Wednesday at Indiana University’s Henke Hall of Champions. Advance registration is required, and space is limited. The cost is $37 per person, and $450 for a table sponsorship. Doors open at 11 a.m.

Simon moved to Bloomington in 1967 after attending Brooklyn College and procuring a master’s degree in mathematics from NYU. She later became a certified public accountant and earned an MBA from the Indiana University School of Business while raising three children. After becoming an accountant, Simon founded Stampfli Associates CPA, where she served as president for many years. Simon’s involvement as a mentor and volunteer in the community won her a lifetime achievement award from the city of Bloomington in 2013 for her service and leadership on behalf of women.

Conrad had a special connection with Simon in the two years that he’s been with the chamber. Simon was a part of the search committee that hired Conrad, and according to the chamber president, she was “a tough interviewer who was knowledgeable and intuitive.”

“She embodied exactly what these awards are for: women in the community and in our membership that really take the bull by the horns, mentor others, give time and money, and commit themselves to the community to make Bloomington a better place,” Conrad said in a telephone interview. “It just seems perfect to honor such a person with this award, because she’s missed by the chamber, her family and her friends as well. We wanted to honor her passion for the community, and we felt it was important that we enshrined everything she’s done for the community and Chamber.”

Others being honored at the 2015 Women Excel Bloomington Awards Luncheon include: Kelly Frank, owner of Social Legends; Carol Weiss-Kennedy, director of community health of IU Health Bloomington; Cindy Kinnarney, market president of First Financial Bank; MaryFrances McCourt, senior vice president and CFO of Indiana University; Tina Peterson, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County; Jennie Vaughan, chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College-Bloomington; and Suzy Yeagley, owner of Bloomington Body Bar.

Sponsors for the event include Cook Group, Smithville Communications, Solution Tree, IU Health Bloomington, Markey’s Rental & Staging, Wal-Mart and Cassady Electrical Contractors. Supporting sponsors include French Lick Resort, GE Appliances and German American Bank.

To reserve a seat or to learn more about the 2015 Women Excel Bloomington Awards, visit the chamber’s website at www.chamberbloomington.org, or call the Chamber at 812-336-6381.