Honoring Women Over 65 Achievement Awards

The 17th annual "Honoring Women Over 65 Achievement Award" program and reception was held Tuesday, March 25 in the Stevenson Ballroom of the Taggart Student Center. This year's recipients were Ann Jurinak, Pat Preston and Helen Roth.


The program is designed to raise awareness about the contributions older women make to our community. Below, this year's honorees are highlighted.
Ann Jurinak

Jurinak has been described by many as a visionary woman. She has contributed to the business environment in Cache Valley and works to improve the well-being of its citizens, particularly women. She has volunteered for the Cache Voluntary Action Center, the Alliance for the Varied Arts, the Cache Chamber Music Society, the Women's Center Advisory Board and Bridgerland Literacy. Jurinak was instrumental in creating Somebody's Attic, a thrift store that contributes part of its proceeds to the Community Abuse Prevention Service Agency (CAPSA) to provide support for battered women.

A successful businesswoman, Jurinak started a used clothing and accessories store called The Consignment Company and, with other women in the community, began the Center Street Café. As a real estate agent and loan officer, Jurinak has been an ambassador for Cache Valley and has been a member of the Bridgerland Economic Development Committee since 1986.

During the 1990s, Jurinak hosted an annual "Hen Party," giving women in the community the opportunity to build positive relationships with each other. She has been a recipient of the international Women Helping Women Award and received the Woman of Achievement Award from the Business and Professional Women of Logan.

Jurinak has also been involved in raising funds for a new location for the St. Thomas Aquinas Church and, in 2002, established the St. Thomas Aquinas Thrift Store and Training Center with an emphasis on helping women in the Hispanic community.


Pat Preston

Preston got her start as an athlete when she began skiing at the age of six. In the 1950s she was one of Utah's top downhill racers. She started playing tennis when she was eight and continued playing and coaching into her adult life. Later on, she took up golf, and in 2001 she was selected as Player of the Year by the Utah State Women's Golf Association. Preston has held leadership positions in the Logan River, Birch Creek and Utah State Women's Golf Associations.

For 20 years, Preston worked as an undergraduate advisor in the Department of Psychology at Utah State. She received the first Robins Award for Professional Advisor of the Year in 1992, and the Outstanding Advisor Award in 1993 from a national advising association.

Preston has been recognized for her dedication in many aspects of her life. She received the Friends of Students Award from Student Services in 1997 and was given the Life Span Learning Programs Service Award from Utah State. Preston has been recognized for her service by the Psi Chi National Honor Society, Utah State Continuing Education, the Com-Net program and the Reentry Student Center. Preston served on many committees at Utah State and was a member of the Women's Center Scholarship Committee for seven years.

Helen Roth

Roth is known for her career in promoting and directing programs and services for under-represented groups in the community. She has worked to change attitudes and barriers that limit people with disabilities.

Roth became the executive director for the Bear River Community Action Program in the early 1970s and, during this time, founded the Cache Handicap Action Council, now called OPTIONS for Independence. It focuses on the needs of people with disabilities and limitations and strives to make communities more user-friendly by improving services, programs and access. As a member of the League of Women Voters, Roth worked closely with others in the community for a public transportation system and persevered until the Cache Valley Transit District (CVTD) became a reality. As a League member, she has been instrumental in changing the way Logan's city government operates.

She received the Caring Award from the Logan Regional Hospital, the Give a Damn Award and the Outstanding Person Award from statewide organizations. Roth has served as an active member of many boards and councils on a statewide and national level. She is also the co-chair of the national Home and Community Based Services Resource Network board and the vice president of the American Association of People with Disabilities.


For more information about the program or this year's award recipients, contact the Utah State Women's Center at (435)797-1728 or online at www.usu.edu/
stuserv/womencen/index.htm.

Writer: Shalee Sucher, (435) 797-1350
Editor's Note: Helen Roth was unable to attend the awards presentation due to illness. As such no photo is available of her. Her statement was read by Barbara Fjeldsted.