And the Winners Are …

Meet the winners of the 2025 Women to Watch Awards.   

Wilmington is home to many successful women, thirty-six of whom were honored at the September 5 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, in addition naming JUDY GIRARD as the inaugural recipient of the WILMA Icon Award. Read below to learn the winners in each section.

Arts  

September Krueger
Director of Lifelong Learning
Cameron Art Museum 

As director of Lifelong Learning at CAM, SEPTEMBER KRUEGER helps the Wilmington community engage with and learn about art. She manages music series, like Jazz@CAM, and oversees the Museum School and wellness initiatives, which includes the Art Enhances Health program and creative writing for veterans. Krueger works with teachers for professional development and also connects teaching artists with schools.  

“Art builds critical 21st-century skills, sparks passion and creativity, and can build empathy,” she says. “Our educators and art spaces like museums and theaters are essential for building a love for creating art together, listening to music together, and building strong community bonds through art in all of its forms.” 

Click here to read more about the Arts category finalists. 

Business  

Evonne Varady
Co-Founder/CEO
Clean Eatz 

EVONNE VARADY co-founded Clean Eatz, a healthy lifestyle franchise with over one hundred locations nationwide, after she beat cancer and wanted to make healthy eating accessible. “I lead brand vision, innovation, and strategy while supporting franchisees and scaling our impact,” Varady says. “From menu development to national campaigns, I’m involved in every layer of growth with my husband by my side.” 

Her health mission has expanded beyond franchises: “In 2023, Clean Eatz Foundation was launched to fight childhood obesity – one of my proudest accomplishments to date.” 

Click here to read more about the Business category finalists.

Education 

Kaitlin Baden
Principal
Wilmington School of the Arts 

KAITLIN BADEN is principal of Wilmington School of the Arts, where she oversees the academic and artistic education of more than 300 students.  

“Education, in my mind, is the foundation of everything. A successful educational experience should be one that encourages, that challenges, that opens minds and closes gaps,” she says. “When crafting our ‘vision statement’ for the school, … I felt strongly that we needed to include something about helping students learn to be community-conscious citizens, problem solvers, and overall just good humans. It’s something that we live and breathe inside of our school community as a common goal that unites us all.” 

Click here to read more about the Education category finalists.

Health 

Rebecca Schwartz
Doctor of Nursing Practice, Primary Care Provider
Wilmington Health 

REBECCA SCHWARTZ is a family nurse practitioner with a doctorate in nursing practice. As a primary care provider at Wilmington Health, city of Wilmington Clinic, she focuses on chronic disease management, obesity treatment, preventive health, and advocacy. She is also the administrator of the board of the North Carolina Obesity Society and works on public health initiatives in the state to expand access to care and education. 

“Whether I’m working one-on-one with patients or contributing to broader community initiatives, my goal is to close care gaps and make health more equitable,” Schwartz says. “Earning the trust and confidence of my patients is one of the greatest honors of my life.” 

Click here to read more about the Health category finalists.

Nonprofit/Volunteer 

Carolyn Beatty
Director of Community Relations and Engagement
StepUp Wilmington 

As StepUp Wilmington’s director of community relations and engagement, CAROLYN BEATTY builds and maintains positive relationships with the community and keeps the nonprofit organized through efforts of strategic planning, fundraising, data analysis, public speaking, and much more. Her leadership has paid off: In addition to managing multiple district businesses, 22 subordinate supervisors, and $6.5 million in revenue, she has overseen StepUp make 40 percent in bottom line profit.

The best part of her work, she says, is “loving our community and loving the people in our community, giving people hope by constantly speaking hope.”

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

Public Sector 

Kim Hufham
President/CEO
New Hanover County Tourism Development Authority 

KIM HUFHAM oversees operations, management and overall strategic direction of the Wilmington and Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau, advocates on issues affecting the tourism industry, and manages a destination marketing budget of $18 million.  

“Our impact in the community continues to evolve as we implement the county’s first Tourism Master Plan and become more engaged with stakeholders and residents,” Hufham says.

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

Rising Star 

Ashlyn Delabio
Grants & Communication Manager
Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern North Carolina

As grants and communication manager of Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern North Carolina, ASHLYN DELABIO has led a full organizational rebrand following a major unification and has expanded marketing efforts into three new counties.

“My goal is to continue growing with Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern NC, advancing our mission through strategic fundraising and development,” she says. “I’m passionate about securing vital resources needed to expand our impact, reaching more youth with life-changing programs. Every day, I see how our work transforms lives, and I’m committed to helping us grow in the counties we serve and in new communities to serve even more of the youth who need us most.”

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

Icon Award

JUDY GIRARD served as president of the Food Network and HGTV. After retiring in Wilmington, she and GEORGIA MILLER in 2013 announced they started a nonprofit to develop what would become Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington, or GLOW. 

“I think the girls at GLOW, I think the messages they get, first and foremost from everybody here, every teacher, is be yourself, find your strengths, find your interests and be yourself,” Girard says about the all-girls charter school.

Click here to learn more about Girard’s career.

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

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