Oasis Center sings out for Barbara Boone, community cornerstone

For the past 16 years, The Oasis Center for Women & Girls has held an annual community-wide celebration of women and girls during Women’s History Month. We think one way to encourage girls to believe they can be and do anything is to make certain that we show them endless possibilities for their lives. By celebrating the achievements of women before them, we are lighting a path for them to follow into their future.

Oasis is proud to honor Barbara Boone with our 2023 Unsung Shero Award.

An unsung shero is a woman who plays a critical role in the community but doesn’t often receive public recognition for their efforts.

At first glance, it may not be obvious why Oasis chose Barbara for this award since many of the most influential leaders in our community know her and admire her because of her work as the Executive Director of Leadership Tallahassee. But those people will be the first to tell you that Barbara is truly an unsung shero.

She works behind the scenes to cultivate the leaders of our community by bringing together experts in every field and every sector to teach them and show them how to be the best community stewards they can be. And Barbara does all this by creating a space and a process for volunteer leaders to take front and center.

Since her work at Leadership began, she has led the development of a generation of leaders without ever seeking the limelight. When we talked with her, Barbara expanded the definition by adding that sheroes don’t look for recognition but are happy to do the work. That perfectly describes Barbara Boone.

While each class recognizes her extraordinary gift to the program, she has never been acknowledged in a community-wide way for her commitment to service on behalf of all of us. This is what makes her a community servant and an unsung shero.

“I believe Leadership Tallahassee is not just an organization. It is a mindset. This belief gives individuals a transformative experience and the opportunity to be a leader anywhere, even if it is not a given title,” Boone explains.

When asked what words of wisdom she would share with young women and girls working to achieve their dreams, Boone explains that it is essential not to give up and continue to persevere despite challenges. She explains that dreams may begin as generalized goals, but as you grow and have experiences, you can hone in on what you truly want to achieve. “Keep the flame alive and continue to build upon each experience. Let those experiences be the foundation for your future endeavors,” Boone says.

Written collaboratively by Grace Reed, Moore Agency, and Mary Deschler, The Oasis Center for Women &Girls. You can reach them at mary.deschler@theoasiscenter.net

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Oasis Center honors Unsung Shero Barbara Boone, community cornerstone