Women’s Employment Network (WEN) recently named Karen Daniel the 2024 recipient of the Beth K. Smith Award.
She will receive the honor at the WEN Annual Luncheon on April 16 at the Sheraton Crown Center.
The Beth K. Smith Award, named after Jewish community member Beth K. Smith (z”l), was established in 2010 by the WEN Board of Directors to honor individuals and/or corporations who share a common vision of supporting women in the community and who are committed to advancing the mission of WEN: to help women raise their self-esteem and achieve economic independence through sustained employment.
“I am pleased to announce this year’s honoree, Karen Daniel,” said Sherry Turner, WEN president. “Karen has been a long-time supporter of WEN and served as WEN Board Chair beginning her term in 1994. We are fortunate to have Karen in our corner. Her passion for WEN’s success has made a substantial impact on our team and the women we serve in our community. We look forward to recognizing her outstanding commitment on stage at our luncheon in April.”
For more than 35 years, Karen has supported WEN’s mission through board service, committee work, volunteering and major donations. She worked alongside WEN co-founders, Marjorie Powell Allen and Beth K. Smith in the early years of WEN and often refers to them as powerful, generous and trailblazing women.
“Receiving this award in honor of Beth K. Smith means the world to me,” Daniel said. “Beth was my community mother and mentor. She took me under her proverbial wing to help me understand how I could lead in the community. I knew that I wanted to be part of helping women in some small way, but Beth and Marjorie really changed my direction to a much broader scope — they put me on a different path. They put me on a better path. I am truly appreciative of this honor and look forward to receiving this coveted award at this year’s luncheon.”
The 2024 WEN Luncheon will be held on Tuesday, April 16, at the Sheraton Crown Center’s Grand Ballroom (2345 McGee St, Kansas City, MO 64108), at 11:45 a.m. More information about Women’s Employment Network and tickets for the WEN luncheon are available at kcwen.org or by calling (816) 595-1297.
