History Fort Lauderdale and Galleria Fort Lauderdale’s “Women Trailblazers: Champions of Change – Broward County” 2026 Reception
Thursday, 03/26/2026-, 06:00 pm-08:00 pm
Galleria Fort Lauderdale
2414 East Sunrise Blvd.,
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 33304
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Cost: $50 to benefit History Fort Lauderdale

History Fort Lauderdale and Galleria Fort Lauderdale will honor six impactful women who lead our community during its “Women Trailblazers: Champions of Change – Broward County” ticketed reception benefitting History Fort Lauderdale set for 6 p.m. on March 26, at Galleria Fort Lauderdale (2414 E. Sunrise Boulevard). The reception will be hosted by radio personalities Julie Guy and Tamara Gant.

This year’s honorees are Mary Adams, principal consultant and owner of The Employee Relations Group; Monica Cepero, county administrator at Broward County Government; Genia Duncan Ellis, president and CEO at Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale, Inc.; Kristina Hebert, president and CEO of Wards Marine Electric; Suzanne Higgins, director of development at Henderson Behavioral Health and Dara Levan, author, speaker, and board member of Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Foundation/Memorial Foundation.

The Women’s History Month celebration will kick off a special photo exhibit highlighting these women alongside their groundbreaking historical female predecessors who helped to pave the way for our community. The exhibition celebrating their achievements will be on display through April 19.

Past pioneering women counterparts to be highlighted in the photo exhibition include Louella Snyder (1875–1969), a Fort Lauderdale resident since 1910 who later founded and served as president of the Wells-Snyder Paint Company with M.W. Wells serving as secretary-treasurer; Virginia Clements (1914–1995), a member of the Junior League, and the first board chair of Henderson Behavioral Health who was instrumental in the organization’s establishment along with other roles in civic and cultural organizations; Ellyn Ferguson Walters (1927-2012), a 41-year tenured teacher for Broward Schools, major fundraiser and executive chair of the African American Research and Library Center, founder of the Sistrunk Festival and 1999 Urban League plus Kathleen C. Wright Award-winner; Eva Oliver (1883-1964), first president of the Woman’s Club, chairman of the Port Everglades naming committee, historian, author, philanthropist and suffragist; Anne Kolb (1932-1981), first elected woman chair of the Broward County Commission, environmentalist, conservationist (1978 Florida Wildlife Conservationist of the Year) and namesake of the Anne Kolb Nature Center; and Charline Skogsberg (1906-1999), a Broward County pioneer and daughter of Captain Charles Skogsberg, a keeper of the House of Refuge (U.S. Government life-saving service stations for shipwrecked sailors in Florida), a kindergarten teacher, Trinity Lutheran Church organist and Broward Marine at Bahia Mar employee.

All honorees will become part of History Fort Lauderdale’s permanent exhibition space devoted to telling our stories.

History Fort Lauderdale and Galleria Fort Lauderdale’s “Women Trailblazers: Champions of Change – Broward County” 2026 is sponsored by UKG, Rick Case Automotive Group, BBX Capital, Henderson Behavioral Health, SunSentinel, City & Shore PRIME magazine, Gulf Stream Distillery, P.F. Chang’s, Dillard’s and GPR | Goodman Public Relations.

Tickets for the March 26 recognition and benefit reception honoring today’s leaders are $50 and are available at bit.ly/HFLWomenTrailblazers2026.

For more information or to join this event as a sponsor, call (954) 463-4431 or visit historyfortlauderdale.org. Additional information about Galleria Fort Lauderdale is available at facebook.com/GalleriaFtLauderdale or www.galleriamall-fl.com.