2020 Women's Leadership Award Winner, Kathleen Abels

Kathleen Abels - CEO- TARC

Kathleen is a CEO of TARC where she has held this position for 11 years. Kathleen lives, works, volunteers, and holds an elected office in Livingston Parish.
 
Professional
Taking a position as a teacher with the Head Start Program in Springfield right out of college, Kathleen began fostering a passion for working with children who needed an extra hand. She was promoted and shortly after became the Director of Springfield Head Start. She was employed there for 10 years when the opportunity for the CEO position with TARC became available. She applied and was awarded the position where she has been for 11 years.
 
As CEO she is responsible for spearheading fundraising events that benefit clients of the center including an Annual Very Special Miss Louisiana Pageant that allows girls the opportunity to experience the pageant scene. She oversees 110 employees working with 75 clients with disabilities .She has been recognized and awarded the Embrace the Vision Award plus was awarded an Honorary Chapter FFA Degree.

Community 
Kathleen served on the Springfield Recreation Board for 8 years. She was also a March of Dimes advocate where her son was the ambassador for 2 years. Kathleen is the former Mayor and former Alderman of Killian and was the first women elected as the Constable for the area where she serves now.
 
Advancement of Women | Overcoming Challenges 
Mentoring others, Kathleen has spoken at women conferences where she tells her story of being a single mother of a child with a disability and her role of being a woman mayor and overcoming the challenges for women in leadership positions.

About the Livingston Parish Women's Leadership Award - the award was founded by the Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce in 2017 to coincide with the Women's Leadership Programming and Event.  Since then, the award criteria continues to adjust to today's women.  The criteria for the award includes professional - career accomplishments, community actions and involvement with collective efforts, mentoring of other females, women and a desire to continue and elevate women's programming in Livingston Parish.  For more information, contact April Wehrs at the Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce.