Local organization presents annual ‘Woman of Achievement’ award

JACKSON, Tenn. — The area’s newest “Woman of Achievement” was honored Monday by Jackson Area Business and Professional Women.

The honor is given annually in conjunction with National Business Week.

This week is National Business Women’s Week, so the Jackson area BPW has a week full of activities in addition to honoring this year’s achievement winner.

“There is so many amazing smart young ladies out there, and I hope that they’re willing to take the world by storm,” award winner Kristi Seaton Turnbow said.

The Jackson Area Business Professional Women met at the Jackson-Madison County Library to announce the achievement award for 2016.

“A committee reviews the applications and based on a set of criteria selects the person who best meets the criteria for woman of achievement,” said Dayrl Chansuthus, president of the organization.

“We celebrate working women, business women and their accomplishments — women mentoring women,” said Jackie Utley, chairman of the achievement committee.

Turnbow, this year’s honoree, works as the sales manager of EPlusTV for JEA and is an active volunteer in the community. She says she is honored to be the recipient.

“I’m so humbled by this and being honored this way, but there are so many young, fabulous women out there that hopefully they’re going to step up and with this and run with it too, because it’s such a blessing,” Turnbow said.

Organizers say the BPW Woman of Achievement award goes to a woman in the community who embodies the motto “Women helping women” and serves as a role model.

“We celebrate that by bringing together women who are entrepreneurs, who are professionals, who spend an hour sharing with us some of their expertise,” Chansuthus said.

This year is the 26th year the Woman of Achievement award has been presented. The winner must be a resident of Madison County.

Each day this week, BPW will host a speaker at the Jackson-Madison County library in honor of National Business Women’s Week.