Rewarding reflection: Meet the women behind the area’s longest-standing awards ceremony

This paid piece is sponsored by EmBe.

The details might be a little fuzzy, but there’s one thing Marlene Rance and Kris Egger immediately remember about what would become the city’s longest-running recognition program, known today as Tribute to Women.

There were a lot of questions about the idea.

“It was a little confusing to some people at first, what we were doing,” Egger said. “It was confusing to sell the idea to some because it had never been done before, anything like this.”

But that didn’t stop them.

Egger and Rance helped organize the Sioux Falls community’s first Leaders Lunch program 50 years ago, beginning with one reason: The iconic Sylvia Henkin asked them to.

“You couldn’t tell her no,” Rance said. “You didn’t want to tell her no.”

Henkin brought a lot of big ideas to Sioux Falls – she also was the driving force behind the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade – so when she learned about a similar luncheon recognizing female leaders while she was serving on the national YWCA board, she decided to bring it home.

“There were few women in leadership roles at that time,” Rance said. “Women didn’t own their own businesses, and Sylvia was instrumental in showing they could as the co-owner of a television station with her husband, but women were just being educated beyond being teachers or nurses.”

Still, Henkin’s enthusiasm was contagious.

“So we thought, well, yes, let’s try it,” Rance said. “There were a few women legislators, there were certainly outstanding teachers, and there were women who were volunteers like Kris and I, and we felt that was an area that needed to be recognized.”

When they initially approached a leader in the business community to get his blessing on the fundraising needed for the event, he raised a concern.

“He thought we might run out of women to recognize,” Rance said.

“Well, Sylvia Henkin stood out of her chair and read him the riot act. And, you know, nobody tells Sylvia no.”

With that, an annual event was born.

At the time, Rance and Egger were mothers and volunteers who served together on the YWCA board and agreed to help put it together.

“I think we had good nominees, and the businesses we approached were receptive to supporting it,” Egger said.

The first lunch in 1974 drew an estimated 200 people to the downtown Holiday Inn and recognized five female leaders, everyone from a broadcaster, an insurance executive and a nursing educator to an artist and a woman who was instrumental in building the city’s bike trail.

“I remember it being kind of a quiet event,” Rance said. “I did the introduction and read their bios. It honestly was a huge relief when we got done. Then the next year, there were four winners, and it’s just grown ever since.”

This year, for the 50th anniversary of what has become the Tribute to Women awards, honors will be given in nine categories:

• Business Achievement – Business leader or leader in a professional trade, including sales and marketing, entrepreneurs and leaders in innovative endeavors.
• Banking & Finance – Banking, accounting, financial planning, investors, other finance-related businesses and those who contribute to the success of the financial industry.
• Community Service – An outstanding individual who freely gives their time and talents to a nonprofit entity, human or social service.
• EmBeliever Award – A man, woman or business that demonstrates the mission of EmBe to enrich our community by empowering women and families.
• Government & Law – Individuals serving local, state or federal government, law, politics or military service.
• Healthcare & STEM – Leader in the fields of health care, science, technology, engineering or math.
• Humanities & Education – Leader in any level of education, culture, arts, music, literature, philosophy or religion.
• Sylvia Henkin Mentoring Award – Dedicated to mentoring other women in their personal/professional lives. Women who have actively mentored for five-plus years are eligible for the Sylvia Henkin Award.
• Young Woman of Achievement – A woman age 21 to 35 with community service and professional success to indicate both current leadership and potential for extraordinary leadership and service.

“It’s been incredible to reconnect and hear the stories from those women who helped bring this event to our community decades ago,” said Susanne Gale, EmBe’s chief development officer.

“We’re so grateful to women like Kris and Marlene for how they pioneered this important program and are glad we can remind people today of what it took to make it happen.”

Over the past five decades, Tribute to Women has honored more than 300 women, men and organizations for their achievements and community contributions.

“This recognition has had so much impact, especially on women at all stages of their careers,” Gale said. “We often hear how it’s made them feel seen or given them confidence to do the next big thing. It’s impossible to quantify the ripple effect something like that can have.”

For the women behind it all, “it’s very rewarding,” Egger said. “There are several things I’ve been involved with over the years in the community that I feel that way about, but this is right up there.”

Rance agreed.

“It’s grown because the opportunities for women grew,” Rance said. “We had so much hope that it would be successful that we couldn’t doubt it.”

This year’s Tribute to Women celebration will be Oct. 19 at the Washington Pavilion.

“And we’d love for you to join us,” Gale said. “It’s such a meaningful, inspirational night, and this year it will be even more so.”

To purchase tickets, click here. 

For sponsorship and donation opportunities, contact Rachel Fiegen, donor engagement and events coordinator, at rfiegen@embe.org.