2024 Foundation Convention Award Winners

Order of the Golden Anchor Award

Award Recipient: Roxanne Ebner LaMuth, Epsilon-Ohio State

This is the Delta Gamma Foundation's most prestigious award, given solely at the discretion of the Foundation Board of Trustees. Having only been awarded six times in the past 30 years, this recognition is bestowed upon individuals who have demonstrated, through major accomplishments, unequaled loyalty to the Delta Gamma Foundation. The recipient must fulfill the mission of the Delta Gamma Foundation in an extraordinary manner, that is unprecedented and lasting, and that leaves a significant impact on our Foundation and society.

Roxanne’s visionary leadership as Foundation executive director and as an advancement executive has changed the trajectory of the Foundation in profound and meaningful ways. While executive director, the Foundation embarked on its first-ever comprehensive campaign with a goal of $50 million. Roxanne’s work has made an unparalleled impact on generations of Delta Gammas and improved the lives of millions of people through Service for Sight. In her almost 16 years of service to Delta Gamma on staff, her contagiously positive attitude, adept relationship-and consensus-building skills, passion for Delta Gamma and deep belief in the mission of the Foundation and our philanthropy have distinguished her as exceedingly worthy of this recognition. From the time Roxanne was appointed executive director in 2014, to her transition to advancement executive in 2020, total Foundation assets grew 62%. The largest gift ever made to the Foundation, $5.5 million, was a direct result of Roxanne’s work. She has been and remains a role model to all who know her. Roxanne was presented this award at Convention in Palm Desert, CA. To view the photos used in a special slideshow during the award presentation click here. Congratulations to Roxanne on her retirement and an incredible career filled with service and sisterhood!

Theta Chapter of Delta Gamma Collegiate Leadership Award Honoring Patricia Peterson Danielson

This award is sponsored by the Theta chapter to honor beloved Theta alumna Patricia Peterson Danielson, in appreciation of her deep commitment to and leadership within the Theta chapter, Delta Gamma, Indiana University and her community. The award honors a Delta Gamma collegian that has made and continues to make a significant leadership contribution to their campus, community, place of worship, state/province, nation or world in an area of philanthropy or philanthropic service.

Winner: Kearney Miller, Zeta-Albion

Nominated by: Kelly Brown, Zeta-Albion, ATC

Kearney Miller joined the Zeta chapter of Delta Gamma in the spring of 2021. Throughout her time, she has served as the director of social awareness, vice president: social standards, and vice president: member education. She has also served two terms on Albion College’s Panhellenic Council as the vice president of service and philanthropy. On campus, she is a captain of the softball team, a member of the Student Volunteer Bureau, and a part of the Ford Institute for Public Policy and Service. She will graduate in May of 2025 with a B.A. in political science and history, intending on entering the nonprofit sphere focusing primarily on public spaces and community-based programming. She has spent two summers in Detroit as an intern for the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to revitalizing and maintaining the five-mile long riverwalk in the heart of the city. Supporting both the development and programming teams, she gets to work with fundraising and donor relations, but also directly with Detroit residents through public events. In her free time, Kearney enjoys birdwatching, weightlifting, and spending time with loved ones.

The Catherine Stuart Schmoker Principled Alumnae Leadership Award

This award is sponsored by James and Helen Catherine (H.K.) Davis Stuart, Kappa-Nebraska to recognize their daughter’s commitment to Delta Gamma, her alma mater, her community and her church. The award honors a Delta Gamma alumna who has made, and continues to make, a significant leadership contribution to their community, place of worship, state/province, nation or world in an area of philanthropic service.

Winner: Dr. Dae Caruso Sheridan, Delta Kappa-South Florida

Nominated by: Tampa alumnae chapter

Dr. Dae Sheridan is a proud 1991 initiate of Delta Kappa-South Florida. She is a licensed mental health counselor, board certified clinical sexologist and a certified rehabilitation counselor in private practice who returned to her alma mater, where she taught for 15 years in the department of child and family studies.

As an activist and advocate for quality mental health services and sexuality education for all, Dae provides pro-bono counseling services to those in need and regularly presents her research and participates as a featured expert for various professional organizations and media outlets, worldwide. 

As a first-generation college student, it was in Delta Gamma that she first learned the word “philanthropy” and vowed to find ways to continue to do good throughout her life. Dae is known as a consummate volunteer, educator, mentor, leader, joiner, helper, do-er, fund-raiser, friend-raiser and party-thrower!

For the last 3 decades, Dae has supported countless non-profit organizations throughout her community, and has been recognized by the Tampa Bay Business Journal as a “Healthcare Hero.” Since 2014, she has dedicated her time as an active member of the board of directors at the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.

No stranger to the financial struggle many face during their student years, upon her retirement from the University of South Florida, Dae was particularly inspired by the phrase “First you learn, then you earn, then you return.” She has since established two distinct need-based scholarship funds at USF which reflect her own journey:

The Dr. Dae Sheridan Endowed Scholarship which provides financial assistance each semester to a graduate student in the Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling Program, and the “DUE Good” Scholarship which pays dues for dedicated USF Delta Gamma collegians who otherwise wouldn’t be able to remain active.

A recent Cable Award recipient, Dae has served on the Delta Kappa Chapter Advisory team as rituals, honor board, alumnae relations, and programming advisor, is an active member of the Tampa alumnae chapter and is thrilled to host various fabulous DG events at her home throughout the year.

She happily spends her free time with her GDI husband of 26 years, and her two amazing children.

H.K. Stuart Spirit of Service Award

The H.K. Stuart Spirit of Service Award is reserved for collegiate chapters and alumnae groups that exhibit the dedication and service exemplified in the life of Helen (H.K.) Davis Stuart, Kappa-Nebraska. This award was endowed by H.K.’s daughter Catherine Stuart Schmoker and her husband Richard.

Alumnae Group Applicants

Boulder alumnae chapter

Greater Naples alumnae chapter

Jackson alumnae chapter

Pittsburgh South Hills alumnae chapter

Louisville alumnae chapter

Tampa alumnae chapter

Alumnae Group Winner: Greater Naples alumnae chapter

Collegiate Chapter Applicants

Zeta-Albion

Nu-Idaho

Alpha Lambda-Drake

Beta Psi-Alabama

Gamma Zeta-Louisiana State

Gamma Phi-Arizona State

Delta Iota-Georgia

Delta Lambda-Mississippi State

Epsilon Epsilon-Tennessee Tech

Epsilon Sigma-San Diego State

Zeta Alpha-Villanova

Zeta Gamma-Richmond

Zeta Iota-Chapman

Eta Eta-Spring Hill

Theta Zeta-Florida Gulf Coast

Collegiate Chapter Winner: Zeta Gamma-Richmond

Mildred Moyer Baynard Award for Excellence in the Field of Blindness

This award is given at each Convention and honors a local organization that has done exceptional work enhancing the lives of those with vision loss.

Recipients: Braille Insitute - Coachella Valley and Guide Dogs of the Desert

For Immediate Release:

Contact: Jennifer Magro Algarotti, PhD, Director of Strategic Communications, (614) 487-5507
jennifer.magro.algarotti@deltagamma.org

Delta Gamma Foundation Elects Two Trustees for 2023-2026 Term

Columbus, Ohio [July 20, 2023]- Delta Gamma Foundation voting members elect two Trustees to serve on the Board at the Foundation Annual Meeting, held during Delta Gamma's Officer Training Seminar in Memphis, Tennessee.

Lee C. Deadwyler, Gamma Iota-DePauw, has been elected by the Foundation voting members to serve as a Trustee for the 2023-2026 term. Lee previously served as a member of the Foundation staff from 2014-2016. Catherine (Kim) Schmoker Hunnewell, Alpha Upsilon-Southern Methodist, was re-elected to serve a second term as Trustee for 2023-2026. Both Lee and Kim have served previously in various volunteer positions for Delta Gamma.

Board of Trustees Chair Jennifer Stuart Ragusa, Zeta Lambda-UC Riverside, shares: “The Board of Trustees is thrilled to have Kim Schmoker Hunnewell serving in her second term. The addition of Lee Deadwyler is a great win for our Board. Their remarkable achievements, combined with their passion for the Delta Gamma Foundation, will be invaluable in driving our Board forward. I am confident that their contributions will greatly enhance our ability to make a positive impact in the coming year. We express our gratitude to our departing board member, Joan Workman Newman, Gamma-UC Berkeley for her invaluable service and dedication.”

Deadwyler and Hunnewell were elected and took their Oath of Office on June 29, 2023. Jill Elizabeth Roshto, Gamma Zeta-Louisiana State, will serve as Board Treasurer and Lynne C. Thieme, Beta Xi-Michigan Statewill continue to serve as Board Secretary. 

Six elected Trustees and three ex-officio Trustees, who serve concurrently in the roles of Delta Gamma Fraternity President, Fraternity Treasurer and Council Trustee: Fraternity Programming serve on the Board to ensure the fulfillment of the Delta Gamma Foundation’s philanthropic mission. 

About the Delta Gamma Foundation: Incorporated in 1951, the Delta Gamma Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization formed as a complement to the Delta Gamma Fraternity. The Delta Gamma Foundation fosters lifetime enrichment for members, promotes Service for Sight and partners with the Fraternity to ensure the future of our sisterhood through three areas of support: Individual Member Support, Training and Programming, and Delta Gamma’s philanthropy, Service for Sight.

Planting Seeds of Sisterhood

As long as Delta Gammas have been coming together, we have been focused on our motto to do good. In fact, our founders chose our motto “do good”, and our Greek letters Delta Gamma followed to signify our constant focus.

Although our motto has remained timeless and unchanged, our mission to do good has expanded over time. The Delta Gamma Foundation has been at the heart of this mission, looking for new ways to engage our collective sisterhood as we have grown. With Individual Member Support, Training and Programming, and Service for Sight as our three areas of focus, Delta Gamma remains an unstoppable force for good, not only focusing our efforts on each other but our wider communities.

One of the most exciting ways we come together is at our biennial Convention or Officer Training Seminar. If you have had the pleasure of gathering with your sisters at either of these events, you may have noticed the buzz around the Foundation’s giving area. The colors and logo may change, but the intention remains just as heartfelt – to make a tremendous impact, one sister at a time. From the early days of the Giving Tree, which grew into an entire Garden of Giving, and then transitioned to a highly spirited Regional Race competition between regions, our sisters show up time and time again through their overwhelming care and generosity.

The cream-colored rose, first adopted in 1885 as the Fraternity flower, is as timeless as our do good motto, making it the perfect representation of the Foundation’s newest giving opportunity, Cream Rose Tribute Giving.  The chance to honor someone special with a virtual cream rose while making your Foundation gift creates a meaningful connection not only to one another but to our rich history. This treasured touch of friendship and affection is the perfect way to celebrate 150 years of steadfast sisterhood.

Cream Rose Tribute Giving, although new this year, continues this same important work of doing good while focusing on our future needs.  Through the Foundation and Fraternity’s comprehensive campaign, Anchoring the Future: The Campaign for Delta Gamma, your Cream Rose Tribute Gift can ensure that the life-changing member experience you had remains available for our sisters for generations to come.

Sandy S. Kuespert, Gamma Theta-Florida, recently honored a sister with whom she has a special bond through a shared love of finance. As the Fraternity accountant at Executive Offices for 27 years, Eleanor Wagner Cary, Alpha Rho-Ohio Wesleyan, hired Sandy onto the finance team at Executive Offices prior to promoting her to fill her own role as accountant in 2004. Sandy, who still serves in this role, honored Eleanor’s memory after her recent passing with a Cream Rose Tribute gift. Sandy recalls Eleanor fondly: “Eleanor demonstrated all of the qualities of a Delta Gamma each day. She provided leadership, support and was a wonderful guide on how to do good in everyday tasks. She saw Delta Gamma as a way of life and a vision of the future for women in leadership. “

Eleanor even sponsored Sandy to become an alumna initiate member of Delta Gamma, sharing an even deeper bond.

As Delta Gammas, we strive to extend kindness and gratitude to all, but especially our sisters with whom we have shared meaningful connections. Taking time to share gratitude for a sister’s influence in your life is one of the most thoughtful expressions of sisterhood.

“Sharing is caring, so a gift to the Foundation in honor or memory of a beloved sister says volumes about how we are connected to do good together. Partnering with the Foundation to impact lives provides enrichment for me and for others.”  Sandy said when asked why she felt compelled to make a tribute gift.

We hope that you also feel connected to our do good spirit with those who recognize that the pursuit of doing good is never done and that together we can accomplish unimaginable possibilities.

-------

You can recognize the sister you thought of most when you read this story with a Cream Rose Tribute Gift. Each Cream Rose Tribute Honoree will receive a personalized tribute message from you and their name will be added to our virtual rose garden.

Questions about Cream Rose Tribute Giving? Email Samantha Mogab, Foundation Annual Giving Manager, at samantha@deltagamma.org

Mission Moments: Service for Sight

Adaptive Sports Center

Advocating for equal access to outdoor recreation is core to the mission of the Adaptive Sports Center’s (ASC), one of our Service for Sight grant recipients. Since its inception, the ASC has offered adaptive adventures at a reduced rate. In January 2022, the ASC introduced the Adventure Equity Initiative (AEI), further reducing the price of a full-day lesson to $125. This initiative makes the ASC one of the most affordable, if not the most affordable professionally facilitated adaptive sports programs in the nation. For example, similar Colorado-based adaptive sport programs charge $265 to $550 per day.

The ASC recognizes that the cost to enjoy the outdoors is commonly a barrier for people with disabilities, including those living with blindness or other vision loss. ASC participants have access to state-of the-art equipment and fully accessible facilities, one-on-one attention from expert instructors, and many take lessons on an indefinite basis due to their need for adaptive services. Although these special considerations increase the cost of participation, the Adventure Equity Initiative helps break down barriers by subsidizing the cost to make participation more accessible.

ASC grants manager, Aimee Hoyt, shared, "We plan to offer our new AEI rate throughout the next year, enabling more participants with disabilities to access our life-changing programming. Our goal is to ensure the financial stability of the program and continue the new pricing structure indefinitely. The Delta Gamma Foundation’s Service for Sight grants have been instrumental in supporting our mission and enabling us to continue to offer programming that is affordable for our participants.

People living with disabilities are one of the most underserved populations in the U.S., and programs have historically been hard to find and expensive to participate in. Over three million Americans of all ages and backgrounds live with visual impairments, and research has shown that 'positive approaches to promoting health [for people with disabilities] are important because this population has a high rate of health problems, including obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and depression.' Additionally, COVID-19 has significantly impacted our world, and for people with visual impairments, recreating in the outdoors provides a crucial escape from the challenges of social isolation and much-needed opportunities for physical activity. Support from Delta Gamma members truly does make a difference in the lives of people living with visual impairments. Working for the Adaptive Sports Center, I talk to participants daily who describe the impact our programming has on their lives, and we wouldn’t be able to do what we do without funders like the Delta Gamma Foundation and our extraordinary volunteers."

Good friend and long-time participant at ASC, Lonnie Bedwell, had the following to say about his experience with the ASC, their staff, volunteers and supporters:

“I love the Adaptive Sports Center because of the people. They’re more than friends to me, they’re family. I come out here and they embrace me. They make me feel like I’m important. I have value. I have purpose. Just being here sparks up my life. The people who do the programs, the people who support the programs, the participants, the caregivers, it takes us all to just join in and change this world and make it a wonderful place for us to live.”