Women of Influence 2017 awardees announced

Security Bank announced today the awardees for the 2017 Women of Influence program.

Women of Influence honors local women for their contributions to the community in and around Springfield. The 2017 awardees are:

• Dr. Susan J. Koch, chancellor of University of Illinois Springfield
• Molly Berendt, executive director of Compass for Kids
• Margaret "Boony" Luparell, owner of A Storage Box
• Rasha Said, CEO and founder of Sensible Innovations
• Dr. Tracey Smith, assistant professor and director of several programs at SIU School of Medicine
• Mary Therese "MT" Vann, owner of Prairie Property Solutions (honored posthumously)

The awardees will be recognized at a ceremony from 5-7 p.m. on May 9 at the Inn at 835. They will also be featured in a special section in the May 2017 issue of the Springfield Business Journal. Watch for the new issue on April 26 to learn more about the contributions of this year's awardees.