Paula Penebaker, the president and chief executive officer of YWCA Southeast Wisconsin will be the recipient of the 2016 BizTimes Woman Executive of the Year Award.
The award will be presented to Penebaker at the BizExpo conference on Wednesday, May 18, at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. She will be honored during the Women in Business breakfast at BizExpo.
Penebaker began her career at YWCA in 1999 as the chief human resources and facilities officer. She advanced at the agency and was appointed executive director in 2005 and later, president and CEO. In addition, she has served as chair of the YWCA USA Board of Directors.
Prior to her work at YWCA, Penebaker worked for The Procter & Gamble Company in Cincinnati. While there, she worked for 13 years in the Management Systems Division.
Penebaker moved to Milwaukee in 1991. She began her career in Milwaukee at First Wisconsin Bank as a member of the Human Resources department’s Training & Development staff in 1992 and departed as vice president and diversity manager.
Penebaker is a member of the Milwaukee Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc., Milwaukee Chapter of The Links Incorporated and the Rotary Club of Milwaukee. She serves on the board of directors of Professional Dimensions and as a trustee for the Public Policy Forum and the Milwaukee County Federated Library System.
Previous recipients of the BizTimes Woman Executive of the Year Award have included: Dr. Eve Hall, president and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce; Nanette Gardetto, founder of Baptista’s Bakery Inc.; Maria Monreal-Cameron, former president and CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Wisconsin; Gail Lione, a former Harley-Davidson Inc. executive and Cynthia LaConte, president and CEO of Dohmen.
LaConte had high praise for Penebaker.
“In a city facing systemic issues with racism, poverty and segregation, there is a quiet force doing something about it – Paula Penebaker,” said LaConte. “Paula has dedicated the last 17 years to advancing the YWCA’s mission of ‘eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.’ She has accomplished this on a daily basis by providing an often overlooked and underserved population with adult education, training and workforce development programs, supportive services, transitional housing, economic development, and leadership training. Not bad for a day’s work, but Paula has done something even more extraordinary. She has dedicated time, money and human resources to eliminating racism by hiring a director of racial justice and organizing a curriculum for community members to learn about forms of injustice and what they can do about it. Paula may fly under the radar to some, but I have not met a more inspirational and influential member of this community.”
The Women in Business breakfast at BizExpo will also include a panel discussion featuring: Kathryn Campbell, director of investor relations at Johnson Controls Inc.; Linda Gorens-Levey, partner at General Capital Group; Debra Kessler, chief financial officer at TJ Hale and Impact 100; Shontra Powell, chief operating officer at ASQ; and Mary Lou Young, president and CEO for the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County. The panel discussion will be moderated by Kimberly Kane, president and founder of Kane Communications Group.
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