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2008 Woman of the Year
YANA DICUS
IS BPW’S WOMAN OF THE YEAR

BPW President, Rhonda Griffith, presents plaque to
Yana Dicus, BPW Woman of the Year.
Yana Dicus was
congratulated by her family and friends on Monday, October 27, 2008
when they watched her receive the highest honor that Benton Co.
Business and Professional Women (BPW) can bestow, that of Woman of
the Year. She gathered with her loved ones, as well as the members
of Benton Co. BPW at the Country and Western Steakhouse at the
annual banquet celebrating National Businesswomen’s Week (NBWW),
held each year in October.
NBWW is the one week of the
year set aside to celebrate the contributions of working women.
Each year at this time, the organization chooses a woman who makes
outstanding contributions to the community, and Yana is such a
woman. Surrounded by members and guests, President Rhonda Griffith
presented Yana with a large spring mix bouquet and a Woman of the
Year pin. Yana also received gifts donated by women in the
community including Rhonda Griffith, Laurie Pierce and Dawn Sacks
Duke, as well as The Ivy Corner.
Yana is the owner and
president of ATA Defense Industries in Camden, which makes
computerized and radio-controlled target systems for the military.
ATA has been in business since 1959, but she and her husband, James
Gary Dicus, took over the business in 2001. As a business owner,
Yana is a strong believer in the success of women in business.
Women often seek her assistance and knowledge in starting and
running a business. She also has participated in workshops relating
to business ethics and women-owned businesses. Yana has 3 grown
children, Kristi Ezell, Talia Douglas and James T. (Trint) Dicus.
They have given her 3 grandchildren whom she enjoys spending her
small amount of spare time with. She also enjoys reading and
spending time on the boat.
Yana serves on numerous
Boards and Committees in Benton Co. As a Board member of the West
Tenn. Workforce Investment Act (WIA), Yana is instrumental in
helping both unemployed and employed women retrain or obtain the
education required to further enrich their lives. Yana holds to a
strong belief that women can be the best in any job and she goes the
extra mile to help. She is also a Board member of Camden General
Hospital and co-chairperson of Kentucky Lake Friends of NRA as well
as a member of the Rotary Club. She has served as the President of
the Benton Co. Chamber of Commerce and the 3 Star Committee. Her
dedication to each Board/Committee proves her commitment to the
community.
Yana is also a licensed
nurse and very passionate about women’s health issues. Members of
the community who endorsed Yana for this nomination feel that she
possesses the ability and uses her collective knowledge of business
and nursing to the betterment of all women. They strongly value her
input and are impressed with her dedication to women and the
community. Thus she represents the epitome of the type of woman
that Benton Co. BPW seeks in bestowing this honor. We hope that you
will join us in congratulating Yana and thanking her for the many
contributions she has made to the women of Benton County.
enton Co. BPW traditionally
celebrates National BusinessWomens Week (NBWW) in the third week of
October by selecting and honoring a Woman of the Year..a woman who
has made significant contributions to women and the community.
Yana is one such woman. NBWW was first observed in 1928. The
objectives are to promote full participation and equity for women in
the workplace; to publicize the achievements of business and
professional women on the local, state and national level; to
publicize the objectives and programs of BPW/USA as they relate to
the millions of business and professional women across the country.
Founded in 1919, BPW/USA is a cross-generational, nonpartisan
membership organization with a mission to achieve equity for all
women in the workplace through advocacy, education, and
information. Established as th first organization to focus on
issues of workingwomen, BPW is historically a leader in grassroots
activism, policy influence and advocacy for millions of
workingwomen.
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