The 35th Susan B. Anthony — Women of Influence Awards, which celebrates area women, and raises money for local non-profit organizations and scholarships will be held Friday, March 27, 2026, at UW-Parkside’s De Simone Arena, 4130 Petrifying Springs Road.
“This will be another wonderful evening to celebrate the great work that women do in Kenosha, raising money for nonprofits and supporting higher education through scholarships. It is also typically a sold-out event,” Amanda Blommel, SBA-WOI chairwoman, said. “We encourage people to get their tickets soon. The Early Bird Special pricing ends on Feb. 20th. We encourage everyone to attend.”
Receiving the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Awaard will be Kristi Schaeffer Kleutsch, president of The Schaeffer Financial Group.
In addition to Schaeffer Kleutsch, Women of Influence Awards will be presented to:
- Arts/Education Award: Michelle Hancock, Ph.D., vice president of College of Culture for Inclusion at Carthage College in Kenosha. Dr. Hancock has devoted her career to equity, and serves as a mentor to staff, teachers and students.
- Business/Government/Non-Profit: Teri Jacobson, Kenosha County treasurer. Jacobson outside of her work in county government is a devoted community volunteer for several organizations, including the Mahone Fund Jazz Fest, and the Kenosha Sister Cities Association.
- Woman to Watch (Under 40): Amanda Kurt, vice president/managing partner at Kurk Inc., Union Grove. Kurt helped launch the Women Build Week with Habitat for Humanity in Kenosha, giving women hands-on instruction in construction.
The money raised at the event will be awarded to local nonprofit organizations serving girls and/or women and their families in Kenosha County as well as scholarships for nontraditional-aged female students.
Selected to receive the 2026 Scholarships are: Cydney Black and Raven Flowers, both of whom are nursing students at Gateway Technical College in Kenosha.
The nonprofit organizations selected to receive funds in 2026 are:
- Boys & Girls Club for its SMART Girls WNBA Experience
- Building Our Future for the Youth Voice Project
- Kenosha Literacy Council for its Empowering Women Through Literacy program
- Safe Families for Children for its Family Preservation Project
- Sharing Center for its Hygiene Supplies program
- Society’s Assets for its Adaptive Cooking Classes
- Women & Children’s Horizons to create new program brochures
- United Way of Kenosha County for its VITA Tax Program
Previous Susan B. Anthony – Women of Influence Lifetime Achievement Award winners include: Saundra Yelton-Stanley; Camille Thibaudeau-Meyers; Anne Bergo; the Honorable Barbara Kluka, JD; Frieda Schurch; Jennifer Fostel, PhD; Rosanna Ranieri, MD; Eunice Boyer, PhD; Katherine Marks; Terry Potente; Kay Wikel; Beverly Jambois, JD; Joan Wilk, PhD; Joyce Erickson; Natalie Troha; Adelene Greene; Florence Hammelev; Kathy Barth; Jane Harrington-Heide; Patricia Johnson; Debra Hertzberg; Roseann Shales; Guida Brown; Earlene Jornt Girman; Michelle Serpe; Connie Ferwerda; Joanne Rattan; the Honorable Mary Wagner; Ellen Brookhouse; Betsy Brown; Gina Madrigrano Friebus; Mary Lou Mahone (posthumous); Terry Wruck; Ardis Mahone-Mosley; Rebecca Matoska-Mentink; and Keeshia Jones. 
The Kenosha Women’s Network, AAUW-Kenosha (WI) Branch and Tempo Kenosha are three women’s organizations in Kenosha that collaborate to make the Susan B. Anthony – Women of Influence Awards possible.
Event sponsorship packages are available: Elizabeth Cady Stanton Level, $2,500; Alice Paul Level, $1,750; Ida B. Wells Level, $1,000; and Olympia Brown Level, $500.
Reservations to attend the event, which often sells out, are now available at Eventbrite.com by searching “Susan B. Anthony Awards Dinner.” The reservation deadline is March 12, 2026. Early bird pricing, received no later than February 20 2026, is $60 each, or a table of 8 for $455. After February 23, tickets will be $65 each, or a table of 8 for $505. For more information about tickets or sponsorships, contact Wendy Gauss at susanbdinner@gmail.com.
People and businesses are also encouraged to support the event by advertising in the Dinner Program. Advertising prices: full-page, $400; half page, $250; a quarter page, $175; and an eighth page, $100. For more information about advertising, please also contact Gauss, at susanbdinner@gmail.com.