By Andra Bryan Stefanoni

news@joplinglobe.com

PITTSBURG, Kan. — When the new year begins, a picture of a smiling Barbara Rhodes will greet some residents each day in January.

The co-owner of Ron’s Supermarket is one of 12 women the Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce is honoring as “Women of Distinction.”

About 100 residents gathered last week to pay tribute to the women at a reception at Pittsburg State University.

“They’ve contributed so much to our community that it’s made our community a better place to live,” said Steve Beykirch, chairman of the chamber board.

This is the third year for the calendar project, an idea that chamber president Blake Benson and his wife, Christel, brought from Arkansas.

“In Southeast Kansas, any notable project or activity usually had a strong woman behind it, and they are women who don’t seek out pats on the back,” Benson said. “We also wanted to have a calendar that would be a resource that listed all area events. We decided to tie those two things together and honor them in this way.”

The chamber published its first Women of Distinction calendar in 2007, accepting nominations from the community.

Those recognized for 2009 are as follows.

n Barbara Rhodes and her family developed a small local grocery store into a business that now puts $1.5 million in annual payroll into the local economy. She also is involved in numerous organizations, including the Pittsburg Public Library, the Salvation Army, the Mount Carmel Foundation and the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas.

n Lynda Wilkinson has long been affiliated with not-for-profit organizations, including 13 years as president of the chamber and several years as the president of SEK Inc. Currently a developer of special projects at Pitsco Education, she also volunteers on the foundation boards for the Pittsburg Public Library and Pittsburg State University, and is a founding trustee for the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas.

n Deena Hallacy is a champion for housing for those less fortunate. As Pittsburg’s community development specialist, she manages the city’s Section 8 program, and has written several successful grants that helped to put into place the Choices Emergency Shelter and Early Childhood Center. She also serves on boards for United Way of Crawford County and the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas.

n Mandy Commons used her experience with her autistic son as a catalyst to make a difference. She is president of the Kansas chapter of the National Autism Association, organized the first Kansas Autism Conference in 2007, and advises Pittsburg schools on ways to accommodate the growing number of autistic children.

n Dawn McNay has helped manage some of the largest construction projects in the history of Mount Carmel Regional Medical Center, most recently the $16.5 million outpatient services expansion, and currently the $2.6 million Cardiac Step-Down Unit. She has served 12 years as a member of the Pittsburg school board and on the board of the Family Resource Center.

n Becky Sloan was co-chairwoman of the first Future Fund Event for the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas, the Mount Carmel Foundation’s 2007 gala, and PSU’s “Partners in Progress” Community Campaign. She also has served on the boards of Safehouse, the Pittsburg Family YMCA and the Pittsburg Public Library Foundation.

n Dana Cook, the daughter of Salvation Army officers, has made the organization’s cause a family affair. She and her siblings have all taken up the cause, and now, as envoy to Pittsburg’s Salvation Army, she has led missions to Ghana and South Africa. She also has led a Salvation Army gospel choir for 10 years.

n Kristy McKechnie became a leader at 24 as Oswego city administrator, and since that time has served in four Kansas gubernatorial administrations. She currently serves as a commissioner on the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission.

n Linda Broyles has worked as an advocate for early childhood education as director of Head Start for a 12-county program that serves 800 children and families. Since 1998, she has developed grant initiatives totaling more than $50 million, and provides expert testimony on early childhood education legislation and training.

n Vicki Dennett has contributed countless hours helping area organizations with her financial expertise as a certified public accountant, including the Mount Carmel Foundation, United Way of Crawford County, the Pittsburg Sunrise Rotary Club, the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas, the Little Balkans Festival Association, and the PSU Foundation and Alumni Association.

n Joan Fields has been actively involved in local schools, including the parent-teacher organizations at Westside Elementary and Pittsburg Community Middle School, site councils, strategic planning committees, and district booster clubs. She works with the Leadership High and Youth Leadership Programs in area schools and the chamber foundation to bridge business and education.

n Suzie Butorac moved to Southeast Kansas just two years ago after one visit from California sold her on the area, and since then has delved into community projects such as the Colonial Fox Theater Foundation, United Way of Crawford County, the Presbyterian Church Youth Group, the Little Balkans Day Festival and local recycling efforts.