By Brandi McGrath Kong, Director of Communications and Conferences
While Sertoma began as the male-only Cooperative Club in 1912, the contributions of women have profoundly shaped our organization over the years, beginning with the Co-Opperettes auxiliary clubs in 1923. Sertoma amended its bylaws to welcome women as members in 1985. Since then, women have taken on leadership roles and have become an essential part of our community, enriching our mission and vision in countless ways.
Pennsylvanian Diana Caine-Helwig became the first woman to serve as president during the 2001-2002 year. She was followed a few years later by South Dakota’s Sheila M. Reding. Sheila is the only individual to have served as president of Sertoma, as well as the Sertoma Foundation and Hearing Charities of America. She was also the very first inductee into the Sertoma Hall of Fame in 2023.
Eight more women would soon follow: Carol Moore, Julie Hejtmanek, Debby Larsen, Cheryl Cherny, Joy Newman, Gretchen Nielsen, Renee Ward and 2024-2025 International President Bea Gabany. President Elect Cindy Markham will become the 11th woman to serve as our president next year.
Looking at our most recent history, women have consistently made up at least half of our International Board for the past five years. We currently have women leading two of our regions, Mitzi Jones (Allegheny/Canada) and Cheryl Pence (Great Lakes). And of course, there are the many women that so tirelessly serve as club officers, committee chairs, volunteer leaders and so much more.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t also include the impact that women have had behind the scenes as staff. We had our first female executive director when longtime Director of Finance Amy Ellington stepped into the role on interim basis before ultimately choosing to retain her original position. Today’s staff is two-thirds female, three of whom have been a vital part of the operations and leadership of the organization for over 25 years.
We don’t share this to suggest that women are better than men or that their involvement is any more important. Instead, we want to reflect on how far our organization has come and celebrate those who paved the way. We also want to acknowledge the work of the men and women who made this progress possible and who understood that Service to all Mankind truly means Service by all Mankind.
Interested in being part of Sertoma’s leadership future? We are currently seeking candidates for the 2024-2025 Sertoma elections. Open positions next spring will include vice president, treasurer and regional director (Mountain West and Great Plains only). Please contact Executive Director Jason Camis at jcamis@sertoma.org for more information.
Author’s Note: A very special thanks to International Treasurer Stuart Fujiyama for inspiring this article with his thoughtful observations and insightful research.