WJA awards grants to 28 members

Twenty-eight member of the Women's Jewelry Association (WJA) have been awarded a cumulative prize worth $14,000. The WJA distributed this award through its member grant programme, which is aimed at promoting the ongoing education for women within the gem and jewellery industry. Funding for the grants comes through the WJA’s silent auction, held during the annual WJA Awards for Excellence gala, while it is also facilitated through companies and individuals.

Individually the grants amounted to about $500. The names of the recipients included - Cynthia Sliwa (LA Chapter), Ann Arnold (Metro Chapter), Nancy Kuhl and Kathleen Hammond (Midwest Chapter), Melissa Spence and Beverly Strom (Rocky Mountain Chapter), Kimberly Vagner, Lisa Slovis-Mandel, Jill Prantera and Peggy Tsiamis (San Diego Chapter), Emily Johnson (Twin Cities Chapter), Ann Fagin (Northern California Chapter), Julia Behrends, Marilyn Salvatore and Sara Onderdonk (New England Chapter), Constance Berry (Southeast Chapter), Suzanna Stull (Mid-Atlantic Chapter), Heather Seever (Pacific Northwest Chapter), Valerie Heck, Odaybea Morrow (DC Chapter).

Also, there were chapters which awarded grants to some including - Evelyn Huang (LA Chapter), Rebecca Buys (San Diego Chapter), Merrill Essex, Julie Schwalbe, Alison Newmann and Amber Erickson (Midwest Chapter), Deborah Durant (Northern California Chapter) and Carolyn Jacoby (Metro Chapter).