YWCA Boston recognized five talented businesswomen for their achievements and for serving as role models for younger generations of women at annual event

Crystal Johnson, a resident of Brookline, was one of five talented Boston businesswomen inducted into YWCA Boston’s Academy of Women Achievers.  They were honored during the YWCA Boston’s 18^th Annual Academy of Women Achievers Celebration Luncheon at the Westin Copley Hotel on June 4. An estimated 600 guests attended, and YWCA raised nearly $200,000 to support its community programs.

Kathy Murphy, also a Brookline resident, is co-chair of the YWCA Boston Board of Directors.

Former President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and the current Dean of Simmons School of Management, Cathy Minehan, was the keynote speaker. Her address highlighted the challenges working women face in the current economic state and YWCA’s efforts to empower women and families.

“If we want women in our community to be successful students and successful employees, we must have credible role models,” said Minehan. “YWCA recognizes inspirational role models across a variety of industries, sending a message of hope and confidence to women workers.”

The 2012 inductees into the YW Boston Academy of Women Achievers were:

• Deborah Barnard, Partner, Holland & Knight, (resident of Weston)
• Yvonne Garcia, Director of Segment Marketing, Liberty Mutual Group, (resident of Melrose)
• Crystal Johnson, Founder and Principal, Integrative Sustainability & Environment Solutions (ISES), (resident of Brookline)
• Mary Mazzio, Founder and CEO, 50 EGGS, Inc., (resident of Wellesley)
• Jean Russell, Founder and President, BenefitsMart, (resident of Burlington)

“These five women are amazing role models and leaders who have overcome barriers in their careers and communities,” said Sylvia Ferrell-Jones, President and CEO of YW Boston. “At YW Boston, we are constantly working to bring the Boston community together across the barriers that divide us, and this year’s honorees are true stories of success in the fight for equity for all.”

Liz Brunner, co-anchor of WCVB’s Newscenter 5, was the Mistress of Ceremonies, and Mim Minichiello, of Burlington, Mass., senior partner at EBS Capstone, and Hadassah Wagner, of South Boston, a partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers, co-chaired the event.

About YWCA Boston

YW Boston is America’s first YWCA, and has been driving social, racial and gender equity since 1866. Changing with the both the times and the needs of Boston’s most marginalized residents, YW Boston has in recent years focused on increasing women’s access to better healthcare, making Boston neighborhoods safer for everyone and closing the city’s educational achievement gap.

To learn more, visit www.ywcaboston.org.