Meet the 2022 Women of Achievement honorees

ZANESVILLE — Eight recipients of the 2022 Muskingum County Women of Achievement Awards will be honored at a banquet May 4 on the joint campus of Zane State College and Ohio University Zanesville at the Campus Center. The program is sponsored by the colleges and Muskingum Family Y. 

Mary Arnold: Winifred K. Vogt Education Award: Arnold has more than four decades of experience as an occupational therapist and has traveled thousands of miles to provide services to patients in the region. She has also provided mentoring to others interested in the vocation. Arnold was the director of the occupational therapy assistant program at Zane State from 1994 to 2017 and then developed the master of occupational therapy program at Muskingum University, where she’s the director. 

Beth Brown: Aldine Roach Flegal Special Recognition Award: Brown is the outreach service manager at the Muskingum County Library System and serves as a master gardener with the Muskingum Valley Garden Society. She has participated in the downtown planter project, Spring Fever Gardening Symposium, Earth to Art, National Public Garden Day and and the Y Bridge Arts Festival. 

Judy Davis: Josephine Phillips Healthcare Award: Davis began her nursing education career as an instructor for the Bethesda Hospital School of Nursing before joining the faculty of OUZ. She has amassed 60 years of experience in the nursing profession and has influenced the lives of countless nursing professionals as an instructor and practicing nurse. She has a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Capital University and a master’s degree from Ohio State University. 

Mary Ann Dutro: Mary Vashti Jones Funk Business Award: Dutro is an advocate those interested in the accounting profession or in owning a business. As the owner of M A Dutro CPA LLC for more than a decade, she is involved in Zanesville Business Professional Women, where she has mentored business owners and up-and-coming professionals. She serves as a consultant for the Muskingum County Business Incubator, is a board member of the FoodWorks Alliance and is involved with the Hunger Network, 100 Women Who Care in Muskingum County, Leadership Muskingum, Hills of Ohio Planned Giving, Kiwanis, Duncan Falls-Philo Lions Club, Philo Athletic Boosters and Girl Scouts of Ohio Heartland. She has served in various capacities for the state BPW and is a member of the Ohio Society of CPAs and the Zanesville-Muskingum County Chamber of Commerce. 

Stephanie Freas: Ethel Granger Schultz Young Adult Award: Freas is a strong community servant leader having served as the chairperson for the Zanesville Daybreak Rotary Club’s Interact Club for high school students, and organizing the 2021 Peace Symposium. She spearheaded Community Conversations on Race, which engaged community organizations and individuals to address local race history and to increase understanding and encourage discussion. She’s involved with the American Library Association and Ohio Library Council and is a certified public librarian. 

Kierston Harper: Muskingum County Community Foundation Bright Futures Award: Harper is a high achieving senior at Philo High School in academics and athletics. She participates in College Credit Plus at Zane State, where she was named to the dean’s list and was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa. Harper ranks first in her class with a 4.0 grade point average. She plays soccer and basketball and runs track and cross country. She was named the Ohio School Board Association’s Outstanding Female Student for the southeast region in 2021. She’s in the National Honor Society, Key Club, Student Council, Students Against Destructive Decisions, Building Outstanding Leaders and Teams, iBelieve and Spanish Club and is a class officer. Harper has volunteered for Clean Up the Community events, American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Electric Leaders and Big Brothers Big Sisters. Harper plans to become a physician assistant and has been accepted into the honors program at OU. 

Julie MacLaine: Mary Townsend Professions Award: MacLaine is employed at Zane State and has been active at West Muskingum Schools as a volunteer, PTO member and board member. She’s served on the board of the Zanesville Rotary Club and is the current president-elect. She’s also served as chair of the Rotary Youth Leadership Awakening Scholarship Committee. In church, MacLaine has been a Sunday school teacher, clerk of session and deacon. 

Sheryl Wise: Muskingum Family Y Lifetime Service Award: Wise is a musician, educator and theater professional. She’s taught theater classes and is the technology coordinator at Franklin Local Schools. She’s been a local, regional and state director for Odyssey of the Mind while securing grants to ensure student success. Wise is an organist, choir director and office assistant for Trinity Episcopal Church in Newark. She gives private lessons in voice, piano, drums, guitar and theater. She’s manager of the Zanesville Community Theater, on the board of the Zanesville Concert Association and is a member of the Zanesville Memorial Band.