Alston & Bird’s Los Angeles office hosted its 11th Annual “Women of Distinction” Awards, honoring women who demonstrate leadership and achievement in their professions and the community and who have contributed to the personal and professional development of women. The event took place March 12, 2015, and was attended by more than 75 guests, including the firm’s clients and friends.
“Throughout the last decade, Alston & Bird has honored the accomplishments of some truly exceptional women and organizations in the Los Angeles area,” said Thomas Wingard, Alston & Bird partner-in-charge of the firm’s Los Angeles office. “This year is no exception.”
The awards are part of Alston & Bird’s Women’s Initiative, a firmwide effort dedicated to identifying and supporting various women’s causes and conferences, as well as internal initiatives such as mentoring and community involvement programs. Fortune magazine recently ranked Alston & Bird No. 4 among the country’s “Top 10 Best Companies for Women,” owing to the firm’s wide array of programs and resources aimed at helping individuals and families achieve their career goals while meeting their family responsibilities.
“We are so happy to have such great support for this event,” said Diane Stanfield, senior counsel in Alston & Bird’s Los Angeles office who served as master of ceremonies for the evening. “The women who have been recognized are all inspiring leaders in our community, and we are proud to work with them.”
This year’s honorees are:
- Julie Howard, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Navigant Consulting, Inc.: Howard is responsible for the development and implementation of Navigant’s long-term strategy and effective prioritization of resource allocation. With over 25 years of professional services experience, Howard has spearheaded the development of numerous initiatives to leverage the organization’s growth and to ensure the successful integration and management of multiple operating models, cultures, systems, policies and infrastructures. She is a champion of women’s leadership development and is a founding member of the Women’s Leadership and Mentoring Alliance.
- Robyn Miller, Chief Counsel, Legal Operations, Americas, AECOM: Miller focuses her work on professional liability and risk management for architects and engineers. She is particularly interested in issues related to standard of care, Building Information Modeling, sustainable design, professional licensing and creative dispute resolution. Miller is a Fellow in the American College of Construction Lawyers and is Co-Chair of its In-House Counsel Practice Group. She also serves on the Council for the Yosemite Conservancy (formerly Yosemite Fund), the primary nonprofit fundraising organization for Yosemite National Park.
- Downtown Women’s Center: This year’s featured charity, Downtown Woman’s Center (DWC) was founded in 1978 and is the only organization in Los Angeles exclusively dedicated to addressing the needs of women overcoming poverty and homelessness in Skid Row. DWC serves 4,000 homeless and extremely low-income women annually, through its housing program, drop-in day center and onsite women’s medical and mental health clinic. Through its 119 units of safe and supportive housing, DWC maintains a 95% success rate, meaning 95% of the women housed never return to homelessness.