This year, we invite you to help nominate candidates for WAN’s 2020 Woman (or Organization) of the Year, to be recognized at this year’s virtual Holiday Party. Traditionally, WAN has celebrated a Woman of the Year to honor the growing accomplishments of women in the water/ocean sector, to expose the WAN community to strong female leaders in the aquatic sphere, and to learn from her career and personal journey. This year, WAN is welcoming nominations for organizations as well! Note that candidates can be located outside of the D.C. region as long as they are within the U.S.

Previous Women of the Year:

2015: Dr. Kathy Sullivan (Then National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

2016: Christy Goldfuss (Then White House Council for Environmental Quality)

2017: Dr. Marcia McNutt (National Academies of Science)

2018: Dr. Nancy Knowlton (Smithsonian)

2019: Dr. Rita Colwell (University of Maryland at College Park, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and CosmosID Inc.)

Please submit nominations who fit the following criteria.

Nominations will be open from August 17 - September 1. 

The candidate:

• Is a woman, self identifies as female, or is an organization;

• Has had meaningful and impactful accomplishments in the marine, aquatic, or coastal fields, recognizing that women are not always recognized through traditional leadership positions or accolades; and

• Brings new perspectives and insights to the WAN community. 

The final Woman (or Organization) of the Year selection will be made by the WAN Executive Board based on all input provided. If you have any questions about the nomination or selection process, please contact WashingtonWAN@gmail.com.