Board Service and Beyond

Nancy Halwig
Nancy Halwig
Becky Schmitt
Becky Schmitt
K. Michele Sims
Michele Sims
Mark Wasserman
Mark Wasserman

This year we continue our annual tradition of recognizing and thanking the AWF Board Members whose terms have come to an end. The four amazing Board Members we’re highlighting this year have served for six years, but have been AWF supporters long before their board service.

Nancy Halwig

An engaged and dedicated board member, one of Nancy’s most significant contributions was serving as chair/co-chair of the Women in Finance fundraiser (now part of the All Women Forward fundraiser) four times. Affectionately nicknamed the “Host Whisperer” by her 2021 and 2022 Women in Finance co-chair, Nancy earned her well-deserved nickname because year after year as chair or co-chair of the event, Nancy secured the most donors for the host committee. The secret to Nancy’s success? Persistence! She makes sure to follow up with her contacts multiple times and that persistence yielded results.

In addition to her Host Committee success, Nancy helped to grow Women in Finance from a house party that raised $10,000 her first year as chair (a new record) to a large event that raised a record $45,000 in 2022, increasing revenue by 350% over five years! As an AWF donor for over twenty-five years, Nancy is a true AWF supporter and passionate about helping to improve the lives of women and girls.

Becky Schmitt

Since 2019, Becky Schmitt has co-chaired AWF’s Mission Committee, ensuring the integrity of AWF’s grantmaking process. Under her leadership, AWF launched the Women’s Pathway to Success Program and the Breaking Barriers, Building Women: Economic Empowerment Program. Becky has worked with the Mission staff to shift our grantmaking model, review proposals annually, prepare Board reports, and lead reporting and grant recommendations to AWF’s Board of Directors. She was responsible for facilitating the final approval and distribution of over $2,000,000 to local nonprofits serving women and girls impacted by poverty. Becky also served as Board Secretary from 2017-2020. 

Becky’s support extended beyond her leadership roles. She actively attended events, including the first poverty simulation for the new Inspire Atlanta program, and helped arrange a customized Women on Board session at her company.

Michele Sims

Michele Sims is incredibly generous with her time and treasure, serving in leadership roles, as a hands-on volunteer, a fundraiser, and donor. For the last three years, Michele has served as the Board Treasurer and Finance and Investment Committee Chair. In this role, she provided oversight of AWF’s financials; reviewed the annual audit, Form 990, and budget; guided AWF’s investment strategy; and provided regular updates to the Board. She also served on the Inspire Atlanta Committee for the last two years.

Michele was also an active fundraiser, especially for Women in Finance. She co-chaired the event in 2020 at the start of the pandemic and successfully hosted a joint virtual event with Women in S.T.E.A.M. featuring Rachel Wilson, head of wealth management data security & infrastructure risk at Morgan Stanley. Michele also jumped in as a volunteer at the 2016 Yogathon fundraiser and for this year’s Inspire Atlanta poverty simulation.

Michele is always a cheerleader for the staff and an enthusiastic support of AWF’s work.

Mark Wasserman

As Managing Partner at Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP and Co-Chief Executive Officer, Eversheds Sutherland Limited, Mark Wasserman has an extensive network that he tapped into to help build a strong pipeline of candidates for the AWF Board, serving on the Governance Committee for five years. He also served on the Public Policy & Community Education Committee for one year.

Mark has been an AWF supporter even before joining the board, being an AWF donor for almost fifteen years. While serving on the Board, he has been a Leadership Donor for the Women in Law fundraiser (now part of the All Women Forward fundraiser) for the last five years and co-chaired Women in Law in 2021.

For the last six years, Nancy, Becky, Michele and Mark have been leaders, fundraisers, cheerleaders, and advisors to AWF and we are incredibly grateful for their years of dedicated service to AWF’s mission.