On a day that history will likely remember as the aftermath of a violent EF3 tornado that devastated the heart of the New North region, resiliency was a prominent theme at the 2026 Women of Influence in Northeast Wisconsin Awards Tuesday in Green Bay.
At a luncheon event, Insight Publications recognized eight women with its seventh-annual honors at the Oneida Casino Hotel, where more than 200 attendees gathered in the Three Clans Ballroom listened to the stories and wisdom of this year’s honorees: Sharon Hulce (lifetime achievement), Kathryn Hasselblad-Pascale (trailblazer), Melissa Borowicz (mentor), Mary May (young influencer), Sridevi Buddi (community difference maker), Vickie Patterson (nonprofit difference maker), Michelle Tyo-Johnson (business owner) and Tina Prigge, who received the award named specifically for resiliency.
Prigge, a double amputee who beat her low odds of surviving a 2024 motorcycle accident, delivered an address encouraging attendees to remember “today is not the end of your story.”
“As Emily Dickinson said, ‘Forever is composed of nows,’” Prigge said in her speech. “While my independence and freedom of mobility are limited, I have the freedom to choose my attitude, outlook and perspective.”
Buddi, a leader with IndUS of Fox Valley among many other nonprofit organizations who used much of her speech to highlight the challenges faced by the nonprofit sector, echoed Prigge’s sentiment and said she personally learned resilience from her father, who changed his career path in the wake of an unexpected family tragedy. She said she takes inspiration from leaders in every organization with which she has worked or volunteered, and she counts this year’s Women of Influence honorees among them.
“I am but a representation of the many persevering women who give genially to their families and communities while overcoming various challenges,” Buddi said. “We are all peas of the same pod.”
Hulce – president and CEO of Employment Resource Group in Appleton – concluded the event with her remarks, which were sprinkled with her trademark sense of humor and sensible advice. When it comes to resilience, she said, she wishes she could go back and tell her younger self not to worry so much what others think of you.
“Because the reality is, they rarely do,” Hulce said. “If you focus on making yourself happy, the rest will take care of itself.”
Honorees and attendees used the event as an opportunity to reflect on the meaning and legacy of “influence.” Patterson, who is currently executive director of the Bay Area Workforce Development Board, said positive influence is all around. You just have to embrace it.
“You don’t need a title to make a difference, because influence isn’t a position you reach,” Patterson shared in her remarks. “It is just the way you live.”
Read the stories of this year’s honorees: Women of Influence in Northeast Wisconsin – Insight on Business
