2024 Women to Watch Award Winners

Meet the winners of the 2024 Women to Watch Awards.  

Wilmington is home to many successful women, thirty-six of whom were honored at the September 6 party at the Wilmington Convention Center. 

Each woman furthers the community and excels in her field in the categories of arts, business, education, health, nonprofit/volunteer, public sector, and rising star. The seven category winners were announced Friday. Read below to learn the winners in each section.

Arts 

Amanda Goodyear
Actor, Host, Radio DJ & Comedian
Momedy Comedy & Sunny 103.7

AMANDA GOODYEAR is a woman whose talents and interests range – including film, TV, and radio. Specifically, she is a radio DJ for Sunny 101.5. Momedy Comedy helped her make a name for herself, along with her business partner, Shannon Perez.  

“Once I embraced being myself, everything started to click,” Goodyear says. “For me, it’s all about connecting openly with my audience and being real. I strive to be an open book, sharing my journey and experiences along the way.” She wants to be a getaway from the hardships of life and hopes to one day have her own talk show. 

Click here to read more about the Arts category finalists. 

Business 

Brooke Skipper
Vice President
Salt Air Heating & Cooling

BROOKE SKIPPER is a co-owner and vice president of Wilmington-based Salt Air Heating & Cooling. In her own words, Skipper oversees “various aspects of operations, HR, marketing, and business development.” Her outreach in the community includes helping nonprofits such as WARM NC and Canines for Service. Her advice to young professionals is “to never stop learning and improving.” 

Click here to read more about the Business category finalists.

Education

Kemeka Sidbury
Academic & Learning Coordinator
D.C. Virgo Preparatory Academy 

KEMEKA SIDBURY recognizes that all people are imperfect, but in their own beautiful way, as she sees at the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s lab school D.C. Virgo. When at Virgo or when helping “various organizations which focus on educational empowerment initiatives for the community,” Sidbury works to provide learners with valuable experiences and opportunities relating to education.  

“Education is the foundation to all of life’s circumstances,” she says. “Education transforms lives. It is the inquiry to our curiosity. Education brings joy to those who unearth it. Education provides visions even when one can not see. An equitable education is learning without limitations. Whether formally or informally, education always exposes the genius in all of us!” 

Click here to read more about the Education category finalists.

Health

Heather Davis
Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer
Novant Health Coastal Region 

HEATHER DAVIS may only be less than a year into her role at Novant Health, but she has already affected others in the area in a positive way by “help(ing) increase resources and access to high-quality primary and specialty care for our region.” As she says she has also, “advanced residency education and retention of primary care physicians to serve greater Southeastern North Carolina, including our rural communities.” She has “also mentored physicians to take on leadership roles” in the health care system. 

Click here to read more about the Health category finalists.

Nonprofit/Volunteer

Vannia Raya Aguilar
Founder
Cape Fear Latinos 

As VANNIA RAYA AGUILAR – nicknamed fondly Mrs. Cape Fear Latinos – says, “There are so many wonderful nonprofits doing awesome work here in Wilmington.” The organization she founded is one. She is passionate about helping her Latino community.  

Click here to learn more about the Nonprofit/Volunteer category finalists.

Public Sector

Bernice Sanders Johnson
Senior Project Manager
Cape Fear Public Utility Authority 

Despite her work varying from day to day, BERNICE SANDERS JOHNSON is excited “to make a positive impact on our community” through her work at Cape Fear Public Utility Authority as well volunteering and being on the North Carolina Azalea Festival Board of Directors. 

Click here to learn more about the Public Sector category finalists.

Rising Star

Paige Marshall
SRO K9 Handler
New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office 

PAIGE MARSHALL works side-by-side with her K9 partner, Vera. Marshall is a school resource officer at Hoggard High School during the school year. During summer, she and Vera “work normal patrol duties and respond to daily calls of service through 911.” One of her career highlights is being the first-ever female K9 handler for the sheriff’s office. That is an accomplished goal of Marshall’s, her next is to be “the first female to be a Patrol K9 Handler for the Sheriff’s Office.” 

Click here to learn more about the Rising Star category finalists.

Congratulations to all of this year’s winners, shown here at the event.

WILMA’s Women to Watch Awards at the Wilmington Convention Center on September 6, 2024.

To view more of photographer Madeline Gray’s work, go to madelinegrayphoto.com.

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