2025 Pillar Awards
A Celebration of Bravery and Impact
The Pillar Awards were established to honor women who exemplify the 5 Es for Life: Educate, Empower, Encourage, Engage, and Evolve in four core areas: Relationships, Professional Development, Impact, and Wellness. Each nominee and award recipient has demonstrated a commitment to making a difference within their sphere of influence, inspiring others to take bold steps in their own lives. As we enter our third year, the significance of these awards continues to deepen, creating a ripple effect of positive change across communities. What began as a vision to highlight the brave actions of women has transformed into a movement. The Pillar Awards have expanded in scope, recognition, and attendance, attracting influential leaders, advocates, and changemakers from diverse industries. The move to Rivers Casino reflects this exciting growth, providing a dynamic and vibrant setting to honor the accomplishments of these incredible women. The Pillar Awards serve as more than just a recognition event; they are a call to action.
By highlighting the inspiring journeys of our nominees and award recipients, we encourage all women to embrace their own bravery, step into leadership roles, and foster inclusive, supportive environments.
This event is a powerful reminder that every act of courage - big or small - creates lasting change.
BWP's 5 Es for Life
Educate – The Teacher
She helps other women grow by generously sharing her wisdom. Whether it’s through formal teaching or informal advice, she provides others with the knowledge, skills, and insights they need to succeed.
Empower – The Advocate
She guides women to reach their goals, equipping them with resources and real-world support.
Through her words and actions, she helps others find their voice and claim their power.
Encourage – The Cheerleader
She lifts others up with positivity and belief. Her heartfelt motivation sparks momentum, especially when the path gets hard, reminding women of their strength and helping them push forward.
Engage – The Connector
She brings the right people together at the right time. Through meaningful introductions and intentional networking, she opens doors to partnerships, opportunities, and shared success.
Evolve – The Changemaker
She’s always growing and brings others along with her. With intention, awareness, and courage, she leads change that uplifts her community and inspires transformation in those around her.
BWP Pillar Awards 2025 by Dominique Murray Photography
https://www.dominiquemurrayphotography.gallery/bwppillarawards2025/
Please give credit when sharing photos: Dominique Murray Photography
Meet the 2025
Bravery in Action Award Winner
The 2025 Bravery in Action Award, revealed live from a sealed envelope, was presented to
Dr. Susan Medley, Music Director, Pittsburgh Concert Chorale.
As Music Director of the Pittsburgh Concert Chorale and Director of Choral Activities at Washington & Jefferson College, Dr. Medley has devoted her career to choral music education - exemplifying innovation, inclusion, and impact at every level: academic, professional, and community.
Her choirs do more than perform - they inspire. One of her groundbreaking initiatives is the annual commissioning of new choral works through the Robert and Carol Woody Choral Commissioning Fund.
These pieces, crafted by nationally recognized composers, are premiered at the Festival of Choirs, an extraordinary event that unites over 200 high school and community singers each year, leaving a lasting legacy in music education.
Dr. Medley’s influence extends far beyond the stage. Former students often return to sing in her community ensembles, describing the Pittsburgh Concert Chorale as a musical home- a testament to her ability to nurture lifelong joy and belonging through music.
Her choirs have earned national acclaim, performing across the globe, including in Austria, Italy, and Carnegie Hall - evidence of her pursuit of artistic excellence and her gift for cultivating it in others.
A champion of inclusive leadership, Dr. Medley is pushing boundaries and expanding representation in a traditionally established field. Her roles with the American Choral Directors Association exemplify her commitment to service and professional development for others.
Dr. Susan Medley is more than an exceptional educator - she is a builder of futures. Through creativity, generosity, and courage, she unlocks potential and transforms lives, and ensures that music - and learning - remain accessible to all.
Meet the 2025
5 Es for Life Winners
Kim Adley
Educate
Sharise Nance
Empower
Sunnie Fenk
Encourage
Lynzy Groves
Engage
Kathi Elliott
Evolve
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Kim Adley is an educator in the truest and most expansive sense of the word. Whether she's teaching in a traditional classroom, designing immersive tours, or producing community focused TV programming, Kim uses every platform she touches to spark curiosity, share knowledge, and inspire others.
Kim educates through story as well, whether she's in costume as a beloved character like the Queen of Hearts, speaking to college students about entrepreneurship, or leading senior women on confidence building day trips. Her storytelling workshops, curriculum writing, and public speaking engagements all reflect her deep belief that education should delight and empower.
In every endeavor, Kim models courage through creativity. She isn't afraid to try something new, be seen in full color, or chart her own path. And that visible boldness gives others permission to dream bigger, take risks, and live more fully, improving not only their quality of life, but the spirit of the community around them.
As a trauma recovery expert, leadership coach, and systems change advocate, Sharise equips women with the tools and mindset to rise in their personal and professional lives. Her impact is visible in the many women who, under her guidance, have launched private practices, earned clinical licenses, started businesses, and embraced their value by confidently charging their worth and pursuing leadership opportunities.
Sharise exemplifies empowerment by helping women rise through action, example, and accountability.
As a wife, entrepreneur, business owner, mentor, clinical supervisor, and community leader, she consistently equips women with tools, guidance, and the confidence to level up in their lives and careers.
Her advocacy is deeply rooted in community, and her message is always clear: You deserve to be well, valued, and whole.
Sunnie Fenk leads with clarity, empathy, and purpose, bringing both operational excellence and people first leadership to every space she enters. Whether she's mentoring a colleague, running point on a critical project, or creating space for women to rise, Sunnie brings a rare balance of precision, purpose, and people centered leadership that sets her apart, and why she's such a beloved and respected leader in her field.
Sunnie is the embodiment of encouragement, not just in spirit, but in consistent, tangible action. She's the one who remembers your big presentation (and checks in afterwards to see how it went). The one who spots a challenge before it snowballs, and solves it without fanfare. The one who mentors behind the scenes and celebrates others in the spotlight.
Encouragement, to Sunnie, is a way of life. She leads with heart, models possibility, and cultivates a sense of community where everyone feels seen, valued, and capable of something greater.
Lynzy Groves is the kind of leader who doesn't wait for opportunities - she creates them. When she stepped into her current role as Senior Development Manager, Walk to End Alzheimer's - Pittsburgh, she saw not just a program to manage but a community waiting to be ignited. In just two years, she transformed a tiny leadership team into a powerful coalition of nearly 60 active, engaged leaders.
Beyond her day to day work, Lynzy shares her leadership wisdom as one of the youngest professors at Chatham University. She teaches Managing Nonprofit Organizations in the School of Business & Enterprise, equipping students with the tools to lead with courage and clarity. She built new partnerships from scratch, cultivated fresh voices, and inspired people who never saw themselves as leaders to step forward and make a difference.
She forges new paths, invites new perspectives, and builds bridges between people who might never have met otherwise. She is living proof that great leadership is not about a title - it's about the courage to see what's possible and the grit to make it happen.
Dr. Kathi Elliott exemplifies the essence of Evolve - The Changemaker. As the CEO of Gwen's Girls, she has built upon her mother's legacy by transforming the organization into a regional leader for gender and racial equity.
Under her visionary leadership, Gwen's Girls has evolved beyond direct service to become a powerful force for systems change, advocacy, and empowerment for Black girls and young women in the Greater Pittsburgh area. Dr. Elliott is not afraid of disrupting harmful norms and reimagining what's possible. She does more than respond to injustice - she redefines power by centering the voices of those who have been historically silenced.
She cultivates leadership in others, especially youth, and consistently ensures that those closest to the pain are closest to the power and decision making. In doing so, she models what sustainable, intergenerational change looks like.
Dr. Elliott's work is rooted in a commitment to continuous growth - of herself, her team, and the community she serves.
Meet the 2025 Pillar Award Nominees:
60 women recognized for their courage, leadership, and impact.
Download the full list and be inspired by their
stories of bravery across our 5 Es for Life.
Meet our 2025 Sponsors
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Meet the Voice & Vision Team
Dr. Christine Herring
Emcee
Jennifer "Jenny D." DiLucia
Pink Carpet Correspondent
*IMPORTANT: No one under 21 years of age is permitted on the Rivers Casino property without prior approval / authorization. If you have a guest under 21 you must email Kelli at kelli@bwp.life to complete documentation and get it approved by the Casino management before October 15.
Failure to comply with the Rivers Casino's under-21 policy will result in the guest being solely
responsible for any fines incurred.
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