The 2012 Barbara Lackritz Awardee: Diane B. Ludwig

Diane Upholds the AAUW Mission: Diane Ludwig joined AAUW in 1973 and has been a strong advocate for its mission, especially philanthropy, ever since.  She has been to numerous state and regional conventions and attended her first national convention in 1981.  Diane ensures that links are made between branches and AAUW Fellowship recipients and has mentored AAUW Fellows and brought them into active membership.  She has worked with fund and grant applicants to strengthen their proposals.  Diane is a regular member of the Missouri Century Club and was a lead participant in the Breaking Through Barriers and Lilly Ledbetter national campaigns.

Diane provides service to AAUW at local, state, regional national and/or international levels.  As a member of Oklahoma and Missouri branches, Diane has presented programs on fundraising at AAUW state and regional conferences and has been honored as a Named Gift Honoree in both states.  It was Diane’s idea to make fundraising for IBC a regular part of the Spring Fling.  As a member of the Equality Day Steering Committee, Diane prepared program booklets and included paid program ads for the first time last year which raised over $900.

Diane provides leadership to AAUW at local, state, regional, national and/or international levels. Diane is known for her fundraising expertise and currently serves as AAUW’s National Fundraising Chair. She created, pilot-tested and implemented a graphic design for the new AAUW fund structure.  The design was beta tested in MO and rolled out to all AAUW members after a “tweaking”.  Diane was a member of the Local Arrangements Committee for the St. Louis National Convention where she initiated the effort to get local donations for a National Convention which raised $5000 more than the $10,000 goal.  In two MO branches and two OK branches Diane has served as president and held the state offices of EF Chair, Program VP and Treasurer.  This year Diane will plan the program for the State Leadership Meeting in May.

Diane provides service and leadership in non-AAUW areas in her community, professional, religious and/or political arenas.  As a professional fundraiser, Diane was honored as the 2007 Fundraiser Professional of the Year by the St. Louis Regional Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.  During her eight years at the Walker Scottish Rite Clinic for Childhood Language Disorders, she grew clinic services through a Walker Challenge Grant, increased donor membership, added new ways to raise funds and created ways to engage families.  Throughout her career Diane has increased development activities at numerous organizations: Trailnet St. Louis, Epworth Children & Family Services, Ranken Jordan Pediatric Rehabilitation Center, Indepependence Center and the Scholarship Foundation.  Diane is also a leader in her professional society, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, where she has served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee.

WHO WAS BARBARA LACKRITZ, AND WHY IS THERE A SERVICE AWARD IN HER NAME?

The purpose of The Barbara Lackritz AAUW Service Award is to recognize the AAUW branch members in the St. Louis area who have contributed many years of selfless, dedicated service to  promote the AAUW mission. Known as Barb to all of us in AAUW and as Granny Barb to those on the Cancer listserve, this one-woman powerhouse taught us all a thing or two about how to live, and ultimately, how to let go.

   Barb and husband Irv moved from New York to St. Louis in the late 60’s. Twins Pam and Hilary, and son Neal, completed the family. Barb’s Masters Degree in Special Education from Columbia University was soon put to work when she became a speech pathologist at Fairmount Elementary School in St. Peters, a position she held until 1999.

   In AAUW, most of us remember Barb as a fun-loving, but tenacious, fundraiser for EF and LAF, a tireless advocate for women’s rights, a savvy politician, and a guru of the internet – a talent she used to help the entire state board, and many branches, come “on line” while Missouri State President from 2000-2002. Barb was a natural leader who served AAUW in a variety of positions at the local, state, regional, and national levels. You could never miss Barb’s enthusiasm, or her vast collection of AAUW pins, proudly displayed on her hat or vest, at any convention or conference! She was a true AAUW model.

   Among her many other achievements, Barb served as alderman from 1985-1993 for Town and Country, was on the city’s planning commission, authored a book on leukemia in 2001, hosted the leukemia listserve, helped organize cancer self-help groups, and was a national speaker on Adult Leukemia to doctors, pharmaceutical firms, and patients.

   In the end, Barb was taken away by the disease on June 4, 2003. But she went on her own terms – gracefully, peacefully and with dignity, surrounded by the love of her family and friends.

As printed in the Fall 2003 Missouri in Motion, the AAUW in Missouri newsletter.

Prior Lackritz Award Winners:

• 2003 – Barbara Lackritz, Creve Coeur, Kirkwood-Webster Groves, and Ballwin-Chesterfield
• 2004 – Shirley Breeze, Ferguson-Florissant, and Shirl Garhart, Creve Coeur
• 2005 – Jean Shull, Kirkwood-Webster Groves
• 2006 – Ella M. Bettinger, St. Louis and Kirkwood-Webster Groves
• 2007 – Carol Davis McDonald, St. Louis and Kirkwood-Webster Groves
• 2008 – Julia Triplett, Ballwin-Chesterfield
• 2009 – Barbara Barnett, St. Charles, and Lynne Roney, Kirkwood-Webster Groves
• 2010 – A. Patricia Shores, Ballwin-Chesterfield
• 2011 – Betty Takahashi, St. Charles Branch

 

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