Meet Paste BN’s Women of the Year
These honorees are strong and resilient women who have been champions of change across the country, leading and inspiring as they promote and fight for equity, and give others a place to seek help and find hope.
National honoreeSimone Biles
Already the most decorated female gymnast of all time, she became a fierce advocate for mental health at the 2021 Summer Olympics.
National honoreeRosalind Brewer
One of corporate America’s most prominent women, she is the only Black woman CEO of an S&P 500 company.
National honoreeKizzmekia Corbett
The National Institute of Health’s lead scientist for coronavirus vaccine research, she helped develop the COVID-19 vaccine, saving millions of lives.
National honoreeHeather Cox Richardson
In her popular daily newsletter “Letters from an American,” she empowers marginalized groups, who she says are more important than ever to the political landscape.
National honoreeRoopali Desai
This attorney defended the integrity of the 2020 presidential election and helped launch a recreational marijuana program.
National honoreeNina Garcia
The editor-in-chief of Elle magazine, she credits her Colombian heritage in helping her excel in the competitive world of fashion.
National honoreeMelinda French Gates
Committed to donating most of her wealth in her lifetime, she’s become a global advocate for women and girls.
National honoreeKamala Harris
The nation’s first-ever female vice president, she shattered the glass ceiling for women of color everywhere.
National honoreeCheryl Horn
After her niece disappeared, she created an online community to spread awareness and information about the many missing indigenous women in Montana.
National honoreeRachel Levine
She became the highest-ranking openly transgender official when the Senate confirmed her as assistant secretary of health in October 2021.
National honoreeJanet Murguía
She’s the president and CEO of UnidosUS, the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S.
National honoreeLinda Zhang
The chief engineer behind the revolutionary all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning, she’s made history in the male-dominated auto industry.
Alabama honoreeMichelle Browder
She built a memorial to three enslaved women just blocks from a statue of the surgeon who experimented on them.
Alaska honoreeClaudia Jones
Education changed this Mexican immigrant’s life. Now she’s trying to help other Spanish speakers.
Arizona honoreeRoopali Desai
This attorney defended the integrity of the 2020 presidential election and helped launch a recreational marijuana program.
Arkansas honoreeMichele Wright
She co-founded the National Organization of African Americans with Cystic Fibrosis, providing education and resources.
California honoreeTara VanDerveer
She became the all-time winningest coach in women’s college basketball, then won her third national title.
Colorado honoreeJane DeDecker
This sculptor and women’s history buff is spearheading the upcoming national women’s suffrage monument.
ConnecticutAlexandra Ford
Inspired by her young cancer patients, this nurse stayed dedicated through COVID-19.
District of Columbia honoreeRachel Levine
She became the highest-ranking openly transgender official when the Senate confirmed her as assistant secretary of health in October 2021.
Delaware honoreeDr. Sandra Gibney
She saw the horror of opioids up close. Now she’s trying to help, neighborhood by neighborhood.
Florida honoreeAlina Alonso
This doctor spent her entire career in public health. In 2020, she became a public face of the pandemic.
Georgia honoreeKimberly Barnes
This marketing veteran is finding ways to solve hunger across America, one meal at a time.
Hawaii honoreeLeela Bilmes Goldstein
When the pandemic hit Hawaii women hardest, her foundation stepped in to help.
Idaho honoreeCherie Hoeger
Determined to destigmatize periods, she’s also working to make care for them more sustainable.
Illinois honoreeDr. Ngozi Ezike
She is the first Black woman to lead her state’s department of public health, a 145-year-old institution.
Indiana honoreeMelissa Borja
She led a team of researchers to track anti Asian racism during the pandemic.
Iowa honoreeGina Zastrow-Hayes
This crop genomicist and her team helped make COVID testing cheaper, faster and more reliable — twice.
Kansas honoreeTiffany Anderson
This superintendent knows education can be the difference between life and death.
Kentucky honoreeKeturah Herron
This activist was instrumental in getting Breonna’s Law passed in Louisville.
Louisiana honoreeChantelle Gary
She and her family traveled across America, giving “COVID Care” packages to homeless populations in different cities.
Maine honoreeMichele Meyer
This state representative created a Facebook group to help people support each other during the greatest health crisis in a century.
Maryland honoreeLeathia West
This career volunteer founded a nonprofit that distributes well-stocked backpacks to children in need.
Massachusetts honoreeMarlene Sallo
She’s spent decades advocating for access, children and civil rights up and down the East Coast.
Michigan honoreeDr. Joneigh Khaldun
As a face of public health, she helped guide her state through different stages of the pandemic.
Minnesota honoreeSheletta Brundidge
An activist and author, this Emmy Award-winning comedian started her own podcast company to share Black stories.
Mississippi honoreeAileen Stingley
This dentist has spent more than 30 years helping Mississippians access dental and health care.
Missouri honoreeRobin Carnahan
This longtime civil servant and elected official helps support federal agencies and their basic functions.
- Montana honoree
Cheryl Horn
After her niece disappeared, she created an online community to spread awareness and information about the missing Indigenous women in her state.
Nebraska honoreeCarmen Tapio
She isn’t just leading the state’s largest Black-owned business — she’s helping grow the next one.
Nevada honoreeAutumn Harry
A powerful Native voice, she’s looking to change the landscape of Indigenous and environmental activism.
New Hampshire honoreeClaire Bloom
After retiring from the Navy, she built a nonprofit to feed hungry school children facing food insecurity.
New Jersey honoreeTawanda Jones
Her performing arts center has given thousands of children a safe, fun and educational outlet.
New Mexico honoreeKaren Trujillo
She dedicated her life to K-12 public education and encouraged others to do the same.
New York honoreeSandra Lindsay
This nurse became the first person in America to get the COVID-19 vaccine after months of caring for sick patients.
North Carolina honoreeKizzmekia Corbett
The National Institute of Health’s lead scientist for coronavirus vaccine research, she helped develop the COVID-19 vaccine, saving millions of lives.
North Dakota honoreeErica Thunder
As the state’s Commissioner of Labor and Human Rights, she’s an advocate for Indigenous people.
Ohio honoreeDr. Amy Acton
COVID-19 catapulted her from a relatively obscure cabinet position into a folk hero of sorts.
Oklahoma honoreeCaylee Dodson
She helped open a much-needed grocery store in what was widely considered a food desert.
Oregon honoreeCindy Chauran
After a wildfire swept through her community, she launched a fund to help survivors in the recovery, cleanup and rebuilding of their communities.
Pennsylvania honoreeDr. Ala Stanford
She fought health disparities brought to light by COVID-19, helping thousands access free testing and vaccines.
Rhode Island honoreeDawn Euer
Among her many legislative achievements, this state senator co-sponsored landmark climate legislation.
South Carolina honoreeMorgan Allen
Her initiative has provided more than 130,000 meals since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
South Dakota honoreeLynn Marie Welbig
This lobbyist likes to call herself “a nun that the Lord let loose.”
Tennessee honoreeCynthia Finch
A longtime public health official, she was key to getting more than 80,000 people tested, vaccinated and educated.
Texas honoreeJessica González
During two terms in the state legislature, she’s fought tirelessly for voting rights and worked to protect the LGBTQ+ community.
Utah honoreeLuz Gamarra
She helps immigrants and English-as-a-second-language students to get into college, then connects them with mentors.
Vermont honoreeJulie Scribner
This retired police captain is leading the charge to get more women in law enforcement across the U.S.
Virginia honoreeLashrecse Aird
She helped ban no-knock warrants and sponsored a resolution that declared racism a public-health issue.
Washington honoreeMelinda Gates
Committed to donating most of her wealth in her lifetime, she’s become a global advocate for women and girls.
West Virginia honoreeGina Moore
This nurse helped organize several vaccine clinics in 2021, getting thousands of people vaccinated.
Wisconsin honoreeJulie Doniere
From her ER, she fights three epidemics simultaneously: opioid addiction, gun violence and COVID-19.
Wyoming honoreeAshleigh Chapman
She says we can end human trafficking — and she can help teach you how to do it.
Puerto Rico honoreeAngie Noemí González Santos
Her killing ignited a women’s rights movement in Puerto Rico.
– Developed by the Paste BN Network Storytelling Studio