Aug. 18, 2008 at 2:06pm

Women of Influence announced

The Business Examiner's 2008 Women of Influence honorees have been selected.

Women in the South Sound are first nominated and then asked to complete an extensive questionnaire about their business and community activities. Some 40 women qualified for consideration this year.

Judges review the materials and select the class of honorees. This year's class includes Dawn Lucien, a WOI alumnae from 2004 who was selected for the Lifetime Achievement award, while Rising Star awards for up-and-coming women business leaders go to Cecelia Loveless, director for Resource Development at Clover Park Technical College and Vicky Mohler for her work with Support America's Armed Forces.

Other honorees are: Cyndi Wikstrom, general manager of Tacoma's Click! Network; Kim Farnes, executive director of Communities in Schools of Orting, Rita Hutcheson fire chief of South East Thurston Fire and EMS; and Jill Kenly, director of Fund Development for Tacoma/Pierce County Habitat for Humanity.

The annual class of business and community women is selected by previous honorees gathered by the Business Examiner. A special publication honoring the 2008 Women of Influence, including articles profiling each honoree, will be distributed in the Sept. 15 issue of the Business Examiner.

Women of Influence is presented by KeyBank - Key4Women. More than 375 business and community members are expected  to celebrate Women of Influence alumni, honorees and nominees at an event Sept. 24 at the Sharon McGavick Student and Conference Center at CPTC. Supporting sponsors include: J Robbins Florist, El Gaucho, Sea Grill, Savi Day Spa and Union Bank of California. Contributing sponsors include: AA Party Rentals and Beverly McConaghy Financial Network.

Tickets are on sale now at BusinessExaminer.com.

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