SHARE 2019

2019 Woman of Power

Cathy Ferrel moved to Aurora in 1997, during her 40 year career in financial sales with Fortune 100 companies. She volunteered at Indian Prairie School District 204 in many capacities such as Parent Teachers Association, the district wide Indian Prairie Parent's Council (IPPC) group, and assisting in the referendum to build Metea High School.

Cathy resides in the East side of Aurora and has 2 grown children, Kelly age 27 and Daniel age 25. In 2004 Cathy was awarded 'Volunteer of the Year' by the City of Aurora through the Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois Council.
Seven years ago, Cathy started a Community Service Committee in her East Side Aurora neighborhood. This is where she learned about the Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry and the legacy of Marie Wilkinson. She couldn't ignore the stories of Marie's hard work and relentless dedication to help others.

Cathy truly believes that Marie is constantly looking over her shoulder, keeping her motivated and encouraged to do good work throughout Aurora and Fox Valley area. Along with dedicated volunteers and the guidance of pantry director Diane Renner, she helped relocate Marie's East Side pantry into it's new location at East Aurora High School. Cathy works directly with staff and social workers to assist students with any special hunger needs, educating them about general services which help nourish the community. This partnership at the high school and district has been beneficial to everyone involved.

Cathy provides direction and support to over 100 volunteers that help keep pantry programs running each month. She's a 'hands on' leader, and look out - she knows how to sling boxes, and operates a forklift and pallet jack like nobody's business! Pantry guests soon become 'friends and family', as Cathy is always ready to lend an ear and provide compassionate, practical support to anyone in need.

In addition to dedicating her time and energy to help build new food pantry programs, Cathy has been active with other non-profits in the area such as the Fox Valley Marines, Vets Week, the Neighbor Project, East Aurora Educational Foundation, the Aurora Kiwanis Club and downtown Aurora parades. If you ask her for assistance, she will eagerly dedicate her time and energies to help causes that she's passionate about.

2019 Keynote Speaker - Tee Marie Hanible

Mother, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, Reality TV Star and Author are just a few ways to describe this 2013 Maj McClung Leadership award recipient Gunnery Sergeant of Marines, Tee Marie Hanible.
Tee Marie Hanible is a Southside Chicago native, and enlisted into the Marine Corps in 1996. In 2003, Hanible deployed as the only female in one of the first units to Iraq. During her time in the Corps, Tee served as a Military Recruiter, Legal Chief, Operations Chief and as the Marine Corps Diversity Chief. In 2011 Hanible founded Operation Heroes Connect, an organization partnering veterans as full-time mentors for at-risk youth. Her organization also facilitates a summer camp program in which 50-60 local youth from the D.C., MD, and VA areas are afforded the opportunity to attend a week long summer enrichment camp for free. In 2012, Ms. Hanible was honored at the White House by President Obama for her work both in and outside of the uniform. Later Tee went on to be featured in Newsweek Magazine's “Heroes Edition” publication and featured in the Daily Beast Heroes Summit.
The following year, Tee (then Gunnery Sergeant Hanible) went on to assist in assembling the Corps’ first ever Marine Week Youth Academy program for 250 local Cleveland Ohio area youth. Tee Marie Hanible is also the first military recipient of the prestigious “Washingtonian of the Year” award, an award normally coveted by doctors and other such humanitarians.
Upon retirement from the Marine Corps, Tee went on to co-star on FOX’s “American Grit” alongside John Cena as the only military female expert on the show, the first national television role to ever spotlight a military woman of color, Tee also co-starred in the Lifetime documentary “What I Signed Up For”.
Tee was the National Veteran’s Chair for Women’s March on D.C. and currently sits on the board for Women’s March D.C. Along with being the author of the memoir “The Warrior Code; 11 Principles to Unleash The Badass Inside of You”, Tee is the CEO of her nonprofit foundation “Operation Heroes Connect,” mother to two beautiful daughters Destiny and Jasmine, and graduate student at Harvard University studying creative writing and literature.
Keynote Speaker