Introducing our 2021 Distinguished Members Gamble Hayden and Amanda Karhuse

The Distinguished Member Award, WGR's highest honor, is presented annually to a WGR member who has demonstrated outstanding service, initiative, innovation and dedication to WGR's goals throughout the years. Members are nominated by their peers and colleagues. Competition is strong due to the level of commitment so many members of WGR give to this organization.

This year we are celebrating two Distinguished Members, Gamble Hayden and Amanda Karhuse. These women are dedicated to the mission of Women in Government Relations and passionate about creating generations of powerful women advocates.

Gamble serves at the DEI Committee Chair and as a member on the Professional Women in Advocacy Committee. A member said, “Gamble has always shown the initiative to lead on DE&I issues for WGR and has always shown a deep dedication to collaborating across WGR to ensure this work is elevated and being invested in for all members.”

Another member applauded her leadership style saying, “Gamble leads from a place of inclusivity. She is always looking to provide opportunity to her team as well as the broader DEI Committee -- whenever there is a call for support, be it sitting on a panel to discuss WGR's achievements in DEI, or authoring a blog, or leading a presentation, she offers these to her team first rather than jumping on them for herself immediately. She has been proactive about bringing new committee members' voices to the forefront, reaching out to ensure they feel welcome and truly included in the space.” 

Amanda Karhuse has held many roles within WGR. She helped to start the Education TAsk Force and served as a co-chair before moving up to the board of directors from 2015- 2019. She currently serves as the chair of the Professional Women in Advocacy Committee. In her nomination form a colleague noted, “Amanda is nothing if not dedicated. I know her because of her devotion to WGR. It was her relationship with another WGR member that made me want to become a member and develop those relationships within the Education Policy community. Amanda was genuine and always willing to help others find their way professionally.”

They went on to highlight Amanda’s “quiet” but impactful leadership style. “Amanda creates space for new members to develop and thrive through WGR. She has demonstrated first-class leadership through her ability to problem-solve and her commitment to inclusivity. She also does so under the radar and never makes a splash while doing her job -- even if it is going above and beyond.” 

WGR will be celebrating our Distinguished Members all year! Please join us at the DEI Summit and Professional Women in Advocacy Conference for special celebrations.