2006 Unique Woman of Colorado Announced

2006 Unique Woman of Colorado Announced

DENVER, June 8 /PRNewswire/ -- The Denver Post, The Women's Foundation of Colorado and Lockheed Martin announced the 2006 winner of the Unique Woman of Colorado Award at the final lecture in The Denver Post Unique Lives & Experiences lecture series last night. Leslie R. Foster, president and chief executive officer of The Gathering Place, is the winner of the eighth annual award.

Foster has been with The Gathering Place, a daytime refuge for women and children suffering from poverty, abuse or homelessness, for 15 years. She served as executive director for the organization prior to becoming president and chief executive officer. Under her leadership, The Gathering Place has come to be known as a true refuge of support and caring for women of all ages. Her commitment to supporting women and children in Colorado is further expressed through her involvement with numerous other organizations that directly support these causes, including the Mayor's Commission to End Homelessness, Colfax on the Hill, Community Shares of Colorado and the Denver Community Leadership Forum, among others.

Two individuals nominated Foster for this award. Bridget Johnson, a former client and now full-time staff member of The Gathering Place wrote, "With Leslie's support, encouragement and acceptance, I have changed my life considerably."

Her other nominator, Phillip Infelise, told this story: "It is very simple, really. Walk along East Colfax through the Wyman neighborhood with Leslie, as I did one day. It is not an easy place, and when Leslie was accosted by a pan-handler in an aggressive manner, out of nowhere a strong woman emerged who placed herself between Leslie and the gent and said in a very emphatic way, 'don't be messing around here -- that's our Leslie. She supports us.'"

"Leslie Foster truly embodies the spirit of this award," said Tracy Ulmer, community relations director for the Denver Newspaper Agency. "We are thrilled to honor her as the 2006 Unique Woman of Colorado. And we want to thank the community for their great support of this program. Each year we receive numerous worthy nominations -- there are great women doing great things in our state."

Also announced were the 2006 Unique Woman of Colorado honorable mentions: Mary Ann Kerwin, co-founder of the La Leche League; Marcia Neville, sports reporter for CBS4 and Sally Schaefer, president of the Hilltop Community Resource Center in Grand Junction, Colo.

The Unique Woman of Colorado award was presented at the final lecture of The Denver Post Unique Lives & Experiences series, held last night at the Buell Theatre in the Denver Performing Arts Complex. Robert Redford was the speaker. The award was presented by Linda Brisnehan, vice president of information technology and chief information officer with Lockheed Martin, and Gretchen Gagel McComb, president and chief executive officer of The Women's Foundation. The hostess for the evening was Lisa Kennedy, film critic for The Denver Post.

The nomination process for the Unique Woman of Colorado award began in February. The award seeks to honor a woman who has had a special and unique impact on Colorado. Specific criteria include: women who have left indelible marks on their communities; women who set their goals high and have the determination to achieve them; women who demonstrate leadership and use their influence to create a more equitable society for Colorado's women and girls.

Past recipients include:

1999 -- Phyllis Berti
2000 -- Dr. Joan Gosink
2001 -- Senator Peggy Reeves
2002 -- Elizabeth Loescher
2003 -- Audrey Faulkner
2004 -- Judy Cara
2005 -- B. LaRae Orullian

Source: Denver Newspaper Agency

CONTACT: Kristin Stork, Community Relations Manager of Denver Newspaper
Agency, +1-303-892-2928, kstork@denvernewspaperagency.com

NOTE TO EDITORS: Photos available upon request.

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