Novi Resident Receives Women in Communications Vanguard Award

Novi resident Shawne Duperon will receive the Association for Women in Communications Detroit Chapter (AWC-Detroit) Vanguard award during the organization's annual Matrix Awards ceremony held May 16 at the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn.

She is an Emmy Award-winning media coach and has been in the TV business for nearly 20 years. Perhaps Duperon's biggest undertaking is Project: Forgive, a documentary exploring forgiveness that was sparked by her friendship with two men: Gary Weinstein, who lost his wife and two sons in an accident - and the drunk driver who caused it, Tom Wellinger.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy will keynote the chapter's 75th anniversary event at the Automotive Hall of Fame, 21400 Oakwood Blvd., in Dearborn. Recently named one of Newsweek's 125 Women of Impact, she was the first African American and first female to become Wayne County prosecutor. She has advocated for funds to protect witnesses, created the county’s first Elder Abuse Unit and implemented a "Change the Culture" initiative focusing on reducing gun violence.

Honors will also be given to the following individuals and organizations:

Headliner Award: West Bloomfield resident Desiree Cooper is a lawyer, blogger, and former Detroit-area journalist. Cooper is the director of community and media relations for Planned Parenthood Mid and South Michigan. The former Detroit Free Press columnist and Metro Times editor has dedicated her primary writing in the last decade to exploring extraordinary stories about women and children, diversity, and philanthropy at a grass-roots level.

Diamond Award: Bloomfield Hills resident Molly MacDonald, CEO of The Pink Fund, was unemployed, in debt, supporting five children, and diagnosed with breast cancer. Out of her experience, she founded a nonprofit organization that assists women (and men) battling breast cancer with short-term funds for living expenses during their treatment. 

The public is welcome to attend the Matrix Awards. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. with a reception and silent auction. Tickets are $48 for AWC-Detroit members, $55 for non-members, and $35 for students. For more information, or to reserve tickets, visit the Events page on womcomdetroit.org or call 866-685-1784.

Source: AWC-Detroit press release