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NEWS RELEASE

February 25, 2008

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12th Annual Howard County Women’s Hall of Fame to Induct Five Outstanding Women

ELLICOTT CITY, MD -- County Executive Ken Ulman and the Howard County Commission for Women will host the 12th annual Women’s Hall of Fame Ceremony on Thursday, March 13, at 7:30 p.m., in the Banneker Room of the George Howard Building, 3430 Courthouse Drive in Ellicott City. Admission is free and the event is open to the public.

This year the Commission has selected four outstanding Howard County women for induction into the Women’s Hall of Fame: Evelyn Bolduc, Pamela Mack, Ann Mech and Jane Walker. The Commission will also honor the late Jeanne M. Simons with the Women’s Hall of Fame in History Award.

Evelyn Bolduc is a tireless volunteer and philanthropic leader in the areas of healthcare, education and human services. Pamela Mack works to strengthen numerous local non-profit organizations. Her work has and will continue to enrich the quality of life for County residents.

Ann Mech is a Registered Nurse, educator and lawyer whose passion for providing quality healthcare has been the cornerstone of her life. Jane Walker has pioneered local mental health services through various organizations and is an effective advocate for children's mental health issues not only in Howard County, but also throughout the State of Maryland and our nation.

The late Jeanne M. Simons will be the recipient of the Women’s Hall of Fame in History Award, presented to a woman who made unique and lasting contributions to the economic, political, cultural, and/or social life of Howard County during her lifetime. Ms. Simons was a world renowned pioneer in the treatment of autism. In 1955, she founded the Linwood Center in Ellicott City. She developed "The Linwood Method," which remains the basis for Linwood’s philosophy and methods still practiced today. Her book, “The Hidden Child: The Linwood Method for Reaching the Autistic Child,” chronicles Ms. Simons work through the years and is used today as a teaching guide for staff at Linwood and other centers working with individuals with autism. Ms. Simons passed away in her Columbia home in 2005 at the age of 95.

The first recipient of this award honor was Almira Hart Lincoln Phelps, Head Mistress of the Patapsco Female Institute beginning in 1841. She was a pioneer in education as well as an advocate and practitioner for women's education.

The March 13th induction ceremony will be followed by a reception.