Mary Lou Makepeace, executive director of the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado, has been honored with several distinctions this year that recognize her as a valued contributor to the state and an advocate for higher quality of life for Coloradans. Most recently, Makepeace was selected as an inductee into the 2008 Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame. Other honors Makepeace has received this year include the Athena Award, the NEWSED Celebrate Culture Civil Rights Award, and the Bernie Valdez Corporate Award.
In November, the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame selected Makepeace as a new inductee. She joins 101 other women of diverse backgrounds throughout Colorado’s history who have made significant and enduring contributions to their fields of endeavor, elevated the status of women, opened new frontiers for women and society, and inspired others. The Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame was founded in 1985 with a mission of inspiring by celebrating and sharing the lifetime contributions of Colorado’s extraordinary women.
Lindy Conter, Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame selection committee chair and board co-chair, said, “We are thrilled to be inducting Mary Lou into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame. Chosen to be among a most distinguished group of women to receive this honor, she is more than worthy of inclusion into this esteemed group.”
Makepeace will be honored at a gala event that takes place on March 11, 2008 in Denver. More information can be found at http://www.cogreatwomen.org/.
Additional Awards Received in 2007
- In October, Makepeace was recognized for her work on behalf of the Latino community in being honored with the Bernie Valdez Corporate Award. The awards ceremony was hosted by the Latin American Research and Service Agency, whose programmatic initiatives and events have received consistent support from the Gay & Lesbian Fund.
- In August, Makepeace was honored with a Celebrate Culture Civil Rights Award, presented by the NEWSED Community Development Corporation and Santa Fe Drive Redevelopment Corporation. The celebratory event distributed awards of appreciation to those who have served the cause of civil rights and social change
- In April, the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce presented Makepeace with the ATHENA Award, naming her “Woman of the Year” at the Women in Business Conference held in Colorado Springs. Makepeace was selected for her professional success, her community service toward improving the quality of life for people in the Colorado Springs community, and her active assistance to women in reaching their full leadership potential.
As the former mayor of Colorado Springs – and the city’s first woman to hold that position – and now executive director of the Gay & Lesbian Fund, Makepeace has a long history of serving her fellow Coloradans. Her ties to Colorado date back to the early 1970s when she was a caseworker working with child abuse cases and an administrator for the El Paso County Department of Social Services. Since then, her career path in the public service and philanthropy realms has led her to become one of the state’s most influential and outspoken people in the fight to advance equality for all Coloradans.
“Mary Lou’s reputation as a strong community leader, equal rights advocate, and savvy business person make her an exceptional person to work with and know. Mary Lou has made it her personal mission to stand up for what she believes in while championing the causes of her fellow Colorado community members,” said Marcie Moore-Gantz, deputy director of philanthropy at the Gay & Lesbian Fund.