WILMA’s 2025 Women to Watch Awards

Meet this year's Women to Watch finalists
WILMA Staff,

Meet the 2025 WILMA Women to Watch Awards finalists and FIRST-EVER WILMA Icon Award recipient

They represent leaders in their fields and the community. Read more about the thirty-six women on the following pages to learn more about why the judges selected them out of hundreds of nominations and applications that came in this year.

In this issue, we introduce this year’s finalists in arts, business, education, health, nonprofit/volunteer, public sector, and rising star. The rising star category is the only one with an age description and is open to those under thirty.

The women will be honored at this year’s awards event on September 5, where the winners also will be announced, and our inaugural WILMA Icon Award recipient, Judy Girard, will be honored.

Congratulations to this year’s group.

The Categories

To see the finalists for the ARTS category, click here.

To see the finalists for the BUSINESS category, click here.

To see the finalists for the EDUCATION category, click here.

To see the finalists for the HEALTH category, click here.

To see the finalists for the NONPROFIT category, click here.

To see the finalists for the PUBLIC SECTOR category, click here.

To see the finalists for the RISING STAR category, click here.

The Judging Process

Each year, WILMA opens up the nominations process for the Women to Watch Awards during the spring.

Our judging panel – made up of leaders who sit on WILMA Leadership’s advisory board as well as outside guests – met to pick the finalists and winners in each of the seven categories.

WILMA would like to thank the judges for volunteering their time and expertise on the awards.

The Judges

  • Wanda Coley
  • Denise Foat
  • Katie Gloe
  • Amy Grant
  • Pam Hardy
  • Nicole Haverly
  • Alexis Hunter
  • Sheri Leavens
  • Tracey Newkirk
  • Tammy Proctor
  • Ruth Ravitz Smith
  • Cara Stretch
  • Karen Weaver

Credits

AWARDS BRACELET: This year’s awards bracelet is by Martha Ladd (read more about Ladd here).

INTERVIEWS: Dylan Schmidt

GROUP PHOTOS: Madeline Gray

HEADSHOTS: Sasha Sheldon

HAIR AND MAKEUP: Anna Woodall Lee

LOCATION: Azalea Station, 1502 Castle St, Wilmington

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Categories: Women to Watch Award Winners