Nominations Open for 2026 Women of Distinction Awards
July 16, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nominations Open for 2026 Women of Distinction Awards
Honorary Chairpersons Announced for March 4, 2026 Luncheon Celebrating Exceptional Women
Tampa, FL, July 16 – Girl Scouts of West Central Florida (GSWCF) is pleased to announce its Honorary Chairs for the 2026 Women of Distinction Awards Luncheon on March 4, 2026 at Armature Works. Nominations for the awards are now open at www.gswcf.org/WoD.
The 2026 Honorary Chairs will be:
- Dr. Moira Burke, 1992 Woman of Distinction – Ophthalmologist and Retired Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force Reserves
- Veronica Cintron, 2022 Woman of Promise – Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Strategy at Tampa International Airport
- Dr. Tonjua Williams, 2020 Woman of Distinction – President of St. Petersburg College
In its 34th year, this event celebrates six local women and annually attracts more than 600 business and community leaders across Tampa Bay. GSWCF invites the Tampa Bay community to nominate extraordinary women for two awards. The Woman of Distinction Award is for business and community leaders who exemplify Girl Scout traits of courage, confidence and character, and who have made significant contributions as business, community and/or philanthropic leaders. The Woman of Promise Award is presented to one exceptional woman under age 40 (as of March 4, 2026) for making a substantial difference in her industry and community. Nominations for both awards are now open at www.gswcf.org/WoD.
Award recipients will be celebrated at a luncheon on March 4, 2026, at Armature Works. Proceeds from the luncheon support the mission of Girl Scouts of West Central Florida and the 30,000+ experiences we provide to more than 20,000 Girl Scout members at our four Camps in the region.
To learn more about Women of Distinction and to submit a nomination, visit www.gswcf.org/wod.
For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Angelique Lenox at alenox@gswcf.org.
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Media Notes:
Chief Executive Officer Mary Pat King, Board President Deirdre Dixon and the Honorary Chairs are available for interviews regarding this event.
About Girl Scouts of West Central Florida
Girl Scouts’ mission is to build girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. Founded in 1912, Girl Scouts is the preeminent leadership development organization for girls with nearly 2.5 million girl and adult members worldwide. Girl Scouts of West Central Florida serves more than 20,000 members throughout its eight-county footprint that includes Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Marion, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sumter counties.
Dr. Moira Burke
Dr. Moira Burke grew up near Buffalo, New York. After graduating from Vassar College, she earned her medical degree from the State University of New York and completed her surgical training in Philadelphia. In 1975, she moved to Tampa, becoming one of the first women in surgical practice in the area.
Following 32 years in private practice, she was recruited to teach cataract surgery to ophthalmology residents at the Morsani College of Medicine, where she served as a clinical professor in the Department of Surgery. Over the years, she received the Excellence in Surgical Teaching award five times—an honor that was eventually renamed in her recognition.
Now retired from both medicine and her role as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves, Moira remains active in community affairs, where she has held numerous positions of responsibility and received many honors. She enjoys a variety of hobbies, but most of all, she’s crazy about her grandchildren.
Veronica Cintron
Veronica Cintron joined Tampa International Airport in April 2020. As Vice President of Marketing, Communications, and Strategy, she oversees all internal and external messaging and strategic branding for America’s Favorite Airport. Before joining TPA’s award-winning Communications and Marketing teams, she was Spectrum Bay News 9’s primary weekday evening anchor for 10 years. Her work earned six Suncoast Chapter Emmy awards, Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists awards, and Society of Professional Journalists Sunshine State awards.
Veronica serves on The Florida Aquarium Board of Directors and is a member of the University of South Florida’s Zimmerman School of Advertising and Communications Advisory Council. She is Vice-Chair of the Marketing & Communications and Customer Experience Steering Committee for Airports Council International North America and a member of the London-based Royal Aeronautical Society.
She is a 2022 Tampa Bay Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 honoree, the 2022 Girl Scouts of West Central Florida Woman of Promise, and a member of the Athena Society and the Tampa Bay Women’s C-Suite Group. Veronica graduated from the University of South Florida and lives with her husband and 10-year-old daughter in Tampa.
Dr. Tonjua Williams
Dr. Tonjua Williams is a nationally recognized leader in higher education and the President of St. Petersburg College (SPC). With a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Barry University and more than three decades of academic leadership, she is known for driving innovative solutions and championing student success.
Since becoming SPC’s president, Dr. Williams has strengthened the College’s fiscal health, improved graduation and retention rates, and expanded workforce pathways aligned with industry needs. Her strategic leadership led to SPC being named a top producer of Fulbright Scholars and achieving national rankings in online education and veteran support.
Dr. Williams has been recognized among Florida Trend’s “Florida 500”, Tampa Bay’s Power 100, and the Inaugural Tampa Bay Titan 100, and was the 2024 recipient of the Community College Baccalaureate Association’s Pioneer Award. She has served on numerous local, state, and national boards, including the AVID National Board of Directors, American Association of Community Colleges, Florida Council of 100, and the Florida Chamber Foundation Board of Trustees.
