Celebrating women in philanthropy

From left: Dyllan McGee, Elizabeth Bracken-Thompson and Judith Johnson.

At the United Way of Westchester Putnam Women”™s Leadership Council”™s 5th Annual Celebration of Women in Philanthropy, Marsha Gordon, president and CEO of the Business Council of Westchester presented Women of Distinction Awards to Judith Johnson, a member of the New York State Board of Regents and Elizabeth Bracken-Thompson, a partner at the advertising, marketing and public relations firm Thompson & Bender.

Alana Sweeny, left, with Zaneta Darden.

United Way President and CEO Alana Sweeny said proceeds from the breakfast event go to support leadership council programs that work to lift women from poverty and help them achieve financial self-sufficiency as well as programs to help children to read on grade level, an indicator of future success. 

Sweeny presented a special award to one of the program”™s beneficiaries Zaneta Darden, a young mother of four children from Yonkers who is improving her life through work and study.

Keynote speaker Dyllan McGee is a two-time Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and founder of and executive producer of MAKERS, a women”™s media brand.