Brava! Awards

Meet the Brava Recipients

Each year we identify “Women of Excellence” in our state who have made an impact by their service to others and celebrate them at our annual Brava! Award Banquet. Following are this year’s honorees:

2024-2025

The following are our previous years’ Brava! honorees:

2024

Bernie Griffin, Managing Director Emeritus and Senior Advisor, 5th Avenue Theatre, Bernie Griffin Consulting and Advisor
Estela Ortega, Executive Director of El Centro de la Raza
Karen Blair Troianello, Pioneer of Title IX, the suit that changed the course of women's college athletics.

2023

Dr. Sheila Edwards Lange, Chancellor, University of Washington Tacoma
Sally Jewell, Affiliate Professor, UW Foster School of Business, Former U.S. Secretary of the Interior
Dr. Mary-Claire King, American Cancer Society Professor of Medicine and Genome Sciences, University of Washington

2022

Monica Alexander, Captain of Washington State Patrol (Retired)
Dr. Kristie Ebi, UW Global Health Professor, Co-Author of United Nations IP Report, Global Climate Change
Christine Gregoire, Former Governor of Washington State, CEO of Challenge Seattle

2020 - 2021

(Coronavirus restrictions; no awards given)

2019

Colleen Echohawk, Director of Chief Seattle Club
Marty Hartman, Director of Mary's Place
Georgia Gerber, Sculptor and Advocate for the Arts

2018

WUC Community Civic Leaders

Catherine Gibson
Frances Heaverlo
Karen Lane
Pearl Noreen
Carolyn Quatier
Karen Wong

2017

Leslie Jackson Chihuly, President Chihuly Studios and Advocate for the Arts
Janet JonesPreston, Global Humanitarian and Community Leader
Megan Karch, CEO, FareStart

2016

Sara Boos, Artistic Director, Northwest Girlchoir
Barbara Earl Thomas, Noted Artist, Writer and Former Director of the African American Museum
Trina Westerlund, Founder, Children’s Institute for Learning Differences

2015

Sheila Capestany, Founder, Open Arms Perinatal Services
Margaret Larson, Broadcast Journalist and Host, KING 5 TV’s New Day Northwest
Mary Yu, Washington State Supreme Court Justice

2014

Women of the Century

Dorothy C Bullitt
Dorothy Stimson Bullitt
Harriet Overton Bullitt
Katharine “Kay” Muller Bullitt
Priscilla “Patsy” Bullitt Collins

2013

Janis Avery, CEO, Treehouse for Kids
The Honorable Bobbe J Bridge, Founder and CEO, Children & Youth Justice
Maureen Browning, Founder, Friendship Adventures

2012

(Ten-year reunion celebration; no awards given)

2011

Maggie Walker, Civic Leader and Philanthropist
Luly Yang, Fashion Designer and Entrepreneur
Sister Kathleen Ross and Martha Yallup, Founders, Heritage College in Yakima

2010

Kathy Johanson and Stacy Lill, Founders and Owners, O Wines Winery
Lisa Brummel and Ginny Gilder, Ownership Team Seattle Storm
Anne Levinson and Dawn Trudeau, Ownership Team Seattle Storm

2009

Jennifer James, Urban Cultural Anthropologist
Jane Jones, Founder, Book-It-Theatre
Jean Walkinshaw, Producer

2008

Jane Hastings, Architect
Deborah Jacobs, Seattle City Librarian
Patrinell “Pat” Wright, Founder, Total Experience Gospel Choir

2007

Barbara Bennett, Founder, First Place School
Anne Gould Hauberg, Arts & Education Activist
Karen Moyer, Co-founder, The Moyer Foundation for Children in Distress

2006

Marja Brandon, Founder and Executive Director, Seattle Girls’ School
Katharine “Kay” Bullitt, Noted Seattle Civic Leader and Community Activist
Dr. Bonnie J Dunbar, President and CEO, Seattle’s Museum of Flight

2005

Dr. Linda Buck, 2004 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine
Assunta Ng, Publisher, NW Asian Weekly
Colleen Willoughby, President and Founder, Washington Women’s Foundation

2004

Jeanne Ehrlichman Bluechel, Music Education Activist
Linda Hartzell, Artistic Director, Seattle Children’s Theatre
Nancy Pearl, Director, Washington Center for the Book

2003

Virginia Anderson, Director, Seattle Center
Francia Russell, Co-Artistic Director, Pacific NW Ballet
Rita Ryder, Director, Snohomish and King County YWCA