ASHLAND — Three predominant Ashland-area women were honored Thursday night as the 2020 Ashland County Women of Achievement in a small ceremony held at Uniontown Brewery.
The Ashland County Women of Achievement was founded by Kay Conrad in 1991 to recognize women who have contributed substantially to the quality of life in Ashland County.
The three women, Mary Ann Dull, Anne Cowen and Amy Daubenspeck were nominated for this award by people close to them in order to bring attention to the many achievements each has accomplished in their lives thus far.
After the original ceremony scheduled to take place at Brethren Care Village Community Wellness Center was canceled for health precautions, the awards committee instead decided to have this more intimate ceremony in order to keep individuals safe while still honoring these standout women.
In her speech following the presentation of her award, Cowen acknowledged the women in her life who have made the biggest impact on her.
“One was my mom,” she said. “My mom was tough. She was a woman of highs and lows but she was smart and she was hardworking. She grew up in an era when people believed women shouldn’t go to college.”
In addition to her mom, Cowen thanked the women she’s met through her bible study and her church who assisted her when she was a young mother and “helped me through some really tough times.”
Daubenspeck, who currently serves two “official” posts as Executive Director of Explore Ashland and interim director of the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce, has spent the last 20 years doing anything she can to bring outsiders to Ashland to enjoy the activities and resources of the county while encouraging local people to enjoy them as well.
“I think Ashland is just an amazing place,” she said. “I can’t imagine living anywhere else and it’s my home. There’s so many things it has to offer so it’s been a real joy to promote it to other people.”
When Dull saw that she was unexpectedly nominated for this award, she felt nothing but gratitude.
“I was humbled when I got the letter that I was being honored. It was quite an honor,” she said.
On top of these three women being honored, Ashland University senior Esther Abel was awarded with the Young Woman to Watch award for her many achievements at such a young age.
“It’s just an honor,” Abel said. “I didn’t know I was being nominated for it so when I actually got the award itself, I was kind of surprised and shocked.
“It’s such an honor because there’s only one award and there’s so many deserving recipients. I am truly honored to get this award.”
Abel was also awarded $250 from the Women of Achievement Committee to assist in continuing her leadership endeavors.
Some of Abel’s proudest achievements thus far include working with the Ashland Honor Bus, which takes veterans to Washington D.C. to see their respective war memorials, and interning this past summer for Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio).
Each of these four women have made their mark on the Ashland area and continue to do so through their enthusiastic passion and dedication to making an impact on the community.
