27th Annual Women's Council Celebration Luncheon 2024
The WCC Foundation Women's Council will host its annual Women's Council Celebration
Luncheon on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. at Washtenaw Community College.
Please purchase your sponsorship or program ad by April 12.
Please purchase tickets by April 26.
If you need a print form for sponsorships, program ads, or tickets, you may download a fillable PDF and mail it in.
The proceeds from this luncheon benefit the WCCF Student Emergency Fund.
We will honor three incredible women and one outstanding women's organization as this
year's "Sheroes."
Sheroes are female heroes who demonstrate professional excellence through their work
and service; support the lives of women, children and the underserved; and advance
equity, diversity and inclusion.
Congratulations to the
2024 Sheroes!
Victoria Burton-Harris, J.D.
Victoria Burton-Harris, J.D. is passionate about ensuring that justice and equity
go hand in hand.
As a family law and criminal defense attorney in Detroit, Victoria witnessed the overcharging
of defendants, requests for excessive bail, and vindictiveness on the part of prosecutors.
She realized that effective change must begin with the gatekeeper to the criminal
justice system–the county prosecutor.
In 2021, she was appointed Chief Assistant Prosecutor in the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s
Office, the first Black woman to hold the position. She teaches at the University
of Michigan Law School.
Victoria is committed to eliminating the inequities of the criminal justice system,
which disproportionately impact those who are low income, people of color, youth,
and those with mental health and substance abuse disorders. She advances diversion
programs, legal processes to expunge past criminal records and consumer protection
measures.
She serves as the board chair for We the People Opportunity Farm, a nonprofit working
to reduce recidivism and offer a fresh start, and as board chair of the Washtenaw
Justice Project.
Amy Cell, MBA, CPA
Amy Cell, MBA, CPA, is a workforce powerhouse with a passion for empowering underserved
individuals through Amy Cell Talent, the talent consulting and recruiting firm she
founded in 2015. Amy and her team have helped hundreds of start-ups and small businesses
attract, retain, and develop talent. She supports and promotes programs that help
job seekers overcome obstacles to employment.
Previously, Amy served as a senior vice president for the Michigan Economic Development
Corporation. She directed talent programs for the State of Michigan and launched groundbreaking
initiatives to aid employers and the most vulnerable job seekers.
Amy has raised money for college scholarships and volunteers for many area nonprofits.
She has served on the boards of the Washtenaw Community College Foundation and the
Desai Accelerator and Center for Entrepreneurship at the College of Engineering at
the University of Michigan. She has transformed countless lives through her commitment
to equity.
Shannon Polk, J.D., D.Min.
Shannon Polk, J.D., D.Min., is a transformative leader dedicated to guiding the Ann
Arbor Area Community Foundation (AAACF) to greater heights of equity and inclusion
and a stronger impact on the lives of Washtenaw County residents.
Since becoming its President & CEO in early 2022, Shannon has increased the AAACF
board and staff diversity by race, gender, sexual orientation, and faith. She has
increased the accessibility of the staff to the broader community and invited new
partners from marginalized communities that were previously underrepresented. She
advanced a work-life balance policy to benefit parents returning to the workforce
and support team members with caregiver responsibilities.
Shannon is a tireless advocate for maternal health, a skilled diversity, equity and
inclusion facilitator, and an ordained minister and pastoral leader. Shannon’s faith
drives her compassion for the marginalized and gives her the courage to pursue justice,
equity and belonging on their behalf.
The Links, Incorporated Ann Arbor (MI) Chapter
The Ann Arbor (MI) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated is a dynamic group of African
American women committed to enriching, sustaining, and ensuring the cultural and economic
survival of African Americans and others of African ancestry. They are part of The
Links, Incorporated, founded in 1946 in Philadelphia. Its members, professional and
accomplished African American women, are friends who transform their communities through
service. There are over 17,000 members in the U.S. and abroad.
Since 1979, the Ann Arbor (MI) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated has impacted Washtenaw
County residents through countless hours of volunteer service personally and as a
group. They address needs including literacy, the arts, homelessness, and the chapter’s
current focus, Black maternal and infant health.
Members utilize their professional expertise to lead transformational conversations,
initiatives and programs that create opportunities for systematic change to benefit
marginalized people.
The Links, Incorporated has had and continues to have a positive impact on Washtenaw
County.
View photos from the 2023 event.
Learn more about the WCCF Women's Council