By Donald White. Twenty-four successful women have been nominated for the prestigious 2016 Top Women awards, one of the oldest and largest events honoring women leaders in Lake Norman, Cabarrus County and University City.

The high quality of this year’s stellar crop of candidates shows the huge strides women have made.

“I think seeing these successful women year after year shows how much we continue to see women successfully thriving in the workforce, many in jobs that years ago you would not have seen women doing,” said Allen Tate Realtor Diane Honeycutt, one of this year’s judges. “With that example, it sends the message to young girls that the sky is the limit and you have no boundaries.  Go for your dreams.”

The 2016 Top Women nominees exemplify the contributions women have made to their organizations and the community in several areas.

Nominees are often owners, founders or partners of small, medium and large companies or nonprofits. The judges’ criteria includes, in part, leadership skills, progress in achieving business or personal goals, charitable work, length of tenure with an organization, management of important projects or teams, involvement in major programs and events, and ability to juggle challenging workloads with the demands of a family.

Winners will be announced in the October 2016 issue. Business Today created the Top Women awards 12 years ago to honor the Golden Crescent’s most dynamic women in business, community service, education and politics.

All judges are former Top Women winners. This year’s judges include Angela Swett, marketing director for Davidson-based McIntosh Law Firm; Cabarrus County Commissioner Diane Honeycutt, one of the top Allen Tate Realtors in North Carolina; Cornelius business attorney Catherine Bentz; banker Wendy Moran of Peoples Bank; event planner Karen Lawrence; community leader Susan Tillis; Georgia Krueger, director of the Ada Jenkins Center in Davidson; and Tammy Whaley, senior manager of economic development for Duke Energy in North Carolina.

Prior Top Women winners include Cyndie Mynatt, owner of the Concord-based Ben Mynatt auto dealerships, Abigail Jennings, president of Lake Norman Realty, based in Cornelius; Kate Gaither, owner of Mooresville-based Newport Properties; Dianne Snyder, chancellor of Cabarrus College of Health Sciences; Robin Salzman, co-owner of Lake Norman Chrysler Dodge Jeep; and Phyllis Wingate, CEO of Carolinas Medical Center-Concord.

A Champagne Reception to fete this year’s winners will be held from 6-9 p.m. Thursday Oct. 27 at the River Run Country Club in Davidson.

To make reservations to attend the Top Women Champagne Reception, call 704-895-1335. Tickets are $39 in advance. the event includes a mini business expo designed for women.

This year’s presenting sponsor is Duke Energy. Novant Health is the platinum sponsor, silver sponsors include Aquesta Bank, Rose & Associates and Uwharrie Bank. The Champagne Reception is sponsored by RE/MAX Executive.

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Congratulations to our 2016 nominees!

Arlene Berkman

Respect Ability Foundation

Barbi Jones 

Cabarrus Regional Chamber

Carol Roth 

National MS Society

Cheryl Kaufman

Alliance Legal Solutions

Cindy Michael

A+ Network

Danielle Ratliff

Serenity Now Massage Therapy

Deborah Young

Deborah Young Studio

Donna Moffett

Donna Moffett Accountants

Jennifer T. Szakaly

Caregiving Corner

Karen Tovar

The Tovar Group, LLC

Kathleen Holden

Home Helpers

Katie Page

Habitat for Humanity Cabarrus County

Kelly Hawkins

Main Street Management Group

Lauren Kimsey

Aquesta Bank

Lee Kieffer

Coldwell Banker

Lisa (Natalie) Mayhew

Smithville Community Coalition

Marcia Webster

Davidson Housing Coalition

Mary Margaret Flynn

CVAN

Michelle Walsh

Cocoon Salon

Nettie Reeves

N’Shape Within

Sara Thomas

Charter Spectrum Reach

Shelia Brumlow

Ohanakey Company

Stephanie Cornelius

Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat Associates

Velvet Nelson

ProctorFree