Worcester Business Journal

10 Worcester Business Journal | September 30, 2024 | wbjournal.com For the 2024 Outstanding Women in Business awards, WBJ received 51 nominations for 41 nominees. e unenviable task of selecting this year's winners from that group fell to three judges, who independently scored each nominee based on their professional achievements, community involvement, mentorship, and breaking of the glass ceiling. Breaking the glass ceiling Damaris Dominguez is the manager of customer advocacy and managed account services at electric and natural gas utility National Grid, where she helps low-income customer pay their utility bills. She has been the vice chair of the Massachusetts Good Neighbor Energy Fund. She is a 2023 winner of the Outstanding Women in Business award. Kristine Bostek is senior vice president at Worcester nonprofit insurer Fallon Health, overseeing its Program of All- inclusive Care for the Elderly. She is board president of the MassPACE Association, The Boys & Girls Club of Worcester, and the Reliant Foundation. She is a 2021 winner of the Outstanding Women in Business award. Theona Scola is the director of donor strategy and stewardship at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. She serves on two committees with the United Way's Women's Initiative in Worcester and helped establish the Leadership Worcester Alumni Scholarship Fund. She is a member of WBJ's 40 Under Forty Class of 2024. 16TH OUTSTANDING WOMEN IN BUSINESS AWARDS Kathleen Jordan President & CEO, Seven Hills Foundation & Affiliates Page 14 Mary McGovern President & CEO, Country Bank Page 20 Caitlyn Correia President & CEO, BlueHive Exhibits & Continental Woodcra Page 17 Lee Curtis President & director of people and culture, BSC Group Page 22 Jean Beaupre Dean for the School of Business & associate professor, Nichols College Page 11 Cynthia Gray Owner, Gray's Analysis Page 13 Elizabeth Wambui Director of diversity, inclusion, and community impact, Fontaine Bros. Page 18 Denise Kapulka-Cariglia Co-owner of Simply Delicious Catering & Elms Cafe; sales consultant at Knights Airport Limousine Page 25 T he Outstanding Women in Business awards have long been one of WBJ's hardest honors to win. Typically, more than 50 wom- en are nominated for the award, and yet only 10-20% of those nominees are selected as winners. Many, many worthy profes- sionals don't make the cut, and each year brings another round of truly excellent nominees. To win the award, the women have to be truly outstanding. Now in its 16th year, the Outstanding Women in Business awards has evolved over time. It started a bit as a lifetime achievement award for women, at a time when the majority of those types of honors went to men. As that shied, Outstanding Women in Business focused more on women doing great things at any point in their careers. is year, the cri- teria shied slightly to be more comprehensive, examining each nominee on her professional achievements, community impact, ability to break the glass ceiling, and mentorship to other professionals, particularly women. In addition to the profiles on the following pages, I invite you to cel- ebrate this year's amazing professionals at WBJ's Outstanding Women in Business awards luncheon Oct. 22 at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester. – Brad Kane, editor [ All photos of the Class of 2024 are by Matt Wright ] W

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