Tribute to Women: Katharine F. Erskine Award
YWCA Central Massachusetts is set to host their annual Tribute to Women celebration at a new time!
Tuesday, September 30, 2025 at 3:00 pm – 5:30 pm at the AC Hotel Worcester
The Katharine F. Erskine Award recognizes women who have demonstrated leadership and reached exemplary levels of achievement in their professions and communities. Award recipients show a commitment to the YWCA’s mission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.
Any questions, contact 508-767-2505 ext. 108 or email events@ywcacm.org.
Tickets
Award Recipients
Linda Cavaioli
Former Executive Director, YWCA Central Massachusetts
Linda Cavaioli led the YWCA Central Massachusetts for 30 years, overseeing a $8 million organization and the agency’s recent $26-million building renovation. She is an active community leader whose service spans many organizations. She is Treasurer and a member of the Board of Directors of the Quinsigamond Community College Foundation, and Treasurer, Board Member, and former President of 2Gether We Eat. She also serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Notre Dame Academy, where she is a member of both the Finance and Strategic Planning Committees. Linda also is a member of the President’s Advisory Committee for the Massachusetts Women of Color Coalition, a former Co-Chair of the Mechanics Hall Portraits Project, and holds emeritus status with several organizations, including the Community Board of DCF Worcester West Area Office, the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women, and the United Way Women’s Initiative. In addition, she serves on the Martin Luther King Community Breakfast Committee.
Janice Ryan Weekes
Executive Director, MassHire Central Career Centers
Janice Ryan Weekes leads MassHire Central Career Centers, serving Worcester and 37 surrounding communities. She oversees programs that connect residents—including veterans, youth, people with disabilities, and those in recovery—to career pathways in high-demand industries. Janice previously built a career in finance and founded Worcester’s Higher Education Resource Center, expanding college access for underrepresented students. She serves on numerous boards and was appointed to the Massachusetts Workforce Board by Governor Charlie Baker in 2019. She holds a B.S. from Bentley College and an MBA from Suffolk University and is a 45-year member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.
Dianne Langford James
Author and Entrepreneur
Dianne Langford James is an entrepreneur, author, and transformational coach dedicated to empowering women and youth to break cycles and live their fullest lives. She is the founder of Cycle Breakers, Inc., LLC, and Yes We Care Teen Academy, and serves as East Coast Executive Director of The Torch Foundation, where she helps teens develop leadership, resilience, and social-emotional skills. Mrs. Langford James is also President and CEO of BravHERy, a global women’s empowerment program, and the author of Breaking Cycles and Building Your Legacy. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Worcester State University and, with more than 30 years of nonprofit leadership, has been recognized with the Key to the City of Worcester and multiple citations from the Massachusetts State Senate for her transformative contributions to the community.
Amie Shei, Ph.D
President and CEO, The Health Foundation of Central MA
Amie Shei, PhD, is President and CEO of The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts, a health conversion foundation advancing health and regional equity. Since joining the Foundation in 2016 and becoming CEO in 2022, she has led initiatives in advocacy, grantmaking, and thought leadership. Dr. Shei was named USA TODAY’s Woman of the Year for Massachusetts in 2025 and has been recognized on the Worcester Business Journal’s Power 100 in 2024 and 2025. She serves on multiple nonprofit boards and has held state appointments in health policy and children’s services. Previously, she worked in health care strategy and research and taught community health at Tufts University. Dr. Shei earned degrees from Amherst College and Harvard University and received a Fulbright Fellowship to support her doctoral research on anti-poverty programs in Brazil.
Olga Valdman, M.D.
Founder and Executive Director, Worcester RISE for Health
Olga Valdman, M.D., is a physician, educator, and advocate dedicated to serving refugee and immigrant communities locally and globally. She co-founded the African Community Education (ACE) program, strengthened refugee health programs at the Family Health Center of Worcester, and established Worcester RISE for Health. Dr. Valdman leads the Worcester Refugee Health Collaborative and has built international partnerships in multiple countries, including Liberia, where she helped establish the first Family Medicine Residency program. She is the recipient of the Pisacano Leadership Award, Faculty Excellence Award, and Rotary International Humanitarian Award.
Abby Marschke
Executive Director of Marketing, Retail and Customer Service
Saint-Gobain Abrasives North America
Abby Marschke has dedicated 25 years to Saint-Gobain Abrasives, advancing from product engineer to senior executive roles in marketing, market management, and sales leadership. She was the first woman in company history to serve as Regional Sales Manager and Area Director, and today, over half of her team is female. Abby also serves as project manager for the construction of Saint-Gobain’s new 47,000-square-foot administration building, integrating workforce hiring and supplier diversity initiatives. She holds a B.S. in Ceramic Engineering from Alfred University and an MBA from Clark University.
Sponsors
Champion Sponsor
Trailblazer Sponsor
Leader Sponsor
Country Bank
Fidelity Bank
Fontaine Community Foundation
National Grid
Repligen, Inc.
Saint-Gobain
Worcester State University
Supporting Sponsor
Anna Maria College
College of the Holy Cross
Cutler Management
Dube Construction Management
Erskine & Erskine
Massachusetts Women of Color Coalition
Meryl’s Safe Haven
Notre Dame Academy
Open Sky Community Services
Quinsigamond Community College
Stowe & Degon
UnicPro, Inc.
Webster Five
Women’s Initiative, United Way of Central Massachusetts
Worcester Railers Foundation
About Katharine Erskine
Katharine Forbes Erskine devoted more than 80 years of her life to furthering the mission of the YWCA Central Massachusetts. She first became a member of the YWCA as a teenager in the early 1900s when she signed up for a gymnastics class at the organization, which was formerly located on Chatham Street.
A 1911 graduate of Vassar College, Mrs. Erskine went on to serve as President of the YWCA twice – once in 1930 and again in 1960 during the YWCA Building Campaign, which raised one million dollars to construct the present YWCA facility located at One Salem Square. She also briefly studied law and received a physical education certificate from Wellesley College.
Mrs. Erskine served on nearly every YWCA committee throughout her lifetime, but particularly enjoyed serving on the YWCA Public Affairs Committee, as well as the Camp Committee, which acquired Camp Wind-in-the-Pines located on Stiles Reservoir in Leicester. She founded the YWCA Dialogue Group, which was comprised of women interested in discussing women’s issues and current events, as well as the Nereids Club, a swimming group for adult women.
Mrs. Erskine died in 1990 at 100 years of age, but her unwavering spirit and commitment to creating opportunities for women and girls lives on through the contributions of the Katharine F. Erskine Award recipients.
