Women of Distinction - Part I

Girl Scouts – Mile Hi Council (today, Girl Scouts of Colorado) initiated the Women of Distinction Program in 1997 recognizing top leaders in the community who have reached remarkable levels of achievement as business, community and civic leaders. The Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame inductees profiled in this Part I were named Women of Distinction in the inaugural year of the program.

Business visionary, women’s advocate and civic leader, Steffie Allen’s major focus has been in the advancement and retention of corporate women. Her many efforts in this area have been predicated on her belief that by having women’s voices heard, corporations would positively influence global decisions in areas of importance to the world – environment, health, peace and poverty.

An expert in the cattle ranching business and an advocate for ranchers across Colorado and the west, Sue Anschutz-Rodgers led the effort to develop conservation easements – which sets aside acreage on which future development is precluded. As Chair and President of the Anschutz Family Foundation, her leadership has benefited numerous communities, especially in underserved rural areas.

When Ceal Barry began coaching the women’s basketball team at the University of Colorado – Boulder in 1983, no one attended the games. Under her leadership, CU became a national basketball power whose games were attended by sellout crowds. After more than 20 years as coach, during which she held multiple national coaching positions as well, Barry became a sports administrator at the university.

Businesswoman, hotelier, sports advocate, philanthropist, and education advocate, Joy Burns was instrumental in the expansion of the Colorado Convention Center as chair of the Denver Metro Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. She was a founding director of the Women’s Bank, was at one point called “the most powerful woman in Colorado sports” and shaped the University of Denver through her service as chair of its Board of Trustees.

The first woman to serve as a Colorado Supreme Court Justice (1979), Jean Dubofsky spent most of her legal career in the service of disadvantaged, underserved and voiceless populations in the state. Dubofsky is most remembered for filing the case Romer v. Evans which she successfully argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. The case was filed against Amendment 2 which prohibited laws banning discrimination. The decision finding Amendment 2 unconstitutional laid the groundwork for overturning bans against same sex marriages nationwide.

Educator and advocate for the Latina community, Maria Guajardo, Ph.D., was born to illiterate Mexican migrant workers. Since 1988, she has committed herself to improving the lives of children and has advocated to keep children in school by understanding why they drop out, worked for world peace and advocated for children in third-world countries. She has been active in youth development as well as issues related to Latino education and health care.

Diplomat, philanthropist, social activist and community leader, Swanee Hunt*, D.Th., co-founded the Hunt Alternative Fund, which has benefited scores of Colorado women and children. She has worked for mental health reform and helped found the Women’s Foundation of Colorado. She launched the Women and Policy Program at Harvard University in 1998.

Former First Lady of Colorado Dottie Lamm is an author, speaker, university educator, activist and feminist. She ran for the U.S. Senate in 1998 after twenty years as a columnist for The Denver Post. A co-founder of the Women’s Foundation of Colorado, she served as its first president. She was also a founder of the Democratic Women’s Caucus of Colorado.

Rachel Noel dedicated herself to equal education and opportunity for all. In 1965, she was the first African-American woman elected to public office in Colorado and the first African-American elected to the Denver Public School Board. There, she advocated for school desegregation. Noel chaired the Department of Afro-American Studies at Metropolitan State College and was elected to the University of Colorado Board of Regents.

Pioneering role model and mentor, Sue O’Brien blazed a trail for women journalists. She was the first television news director in Denver after pioneering in both radio and television. She served as Governor Lamm’s press secretary and Governor Romer’s campaign manager. Sue became the first woman editor of The Denver Post’s editorial page.

Through her dedication and hard work, never taking “no” for an answer, LaRae Orullian opened up the world of banking to more women. After many years at Guaranty Bank and having finally attained the position of bank officer there, LaRae agreed to serve as the inaugural president and CEO of The Women’s Bank. She has served on and chaired numerous corporate boards as well as World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.

Pat Schroeder* represented Colorado for twelve terms in the U.S. House of Representatives starting in 1972. She worked tirelessly to establish national family policy, including issues like parental leave, child care, family planning, and more. Pat wrote the Family and Medical Leave Act in 1985 and worked to enact legislation and secure funding for key legislation to support women's health research. She has been inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.

A political activist and an advocate for impoverished families and for equality in education, Wilma Webb served six terms in the Colorado House of Representatives. Later, as First Lady of Denver, she was the first African-American to chair the Mayor’s Commission on Art, Culture and Film and secured major art pieces for the Denver Art Museum. President Clinton appointed her Region VIII chief administrator for the U.S. Department of Labor.