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WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT
THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
SUNDAY, APRIL 4, 2021
2021 Women of Achievement Finalists CULTURAL ARTS
Jessica Hill
Paulette Stefka
Jessica Hill of North Platte is “a mother of three who has not only chased her passions, but shares her talent with the community that she calls home,” ac- cording to nominator Chantel Burch. Hill, a professional artist, has won numerous awards in art shows in the community and surrounding areas, but still finds time to give back to the com- munity. Last year she was a Girl Scouts “artVenture” artist mentor and taught young girls how to create pastel animal portraits. She also donated signifi- cant time and labor to create a cloud backdrop for the North Platte Community Playhouse’s production of “Mamma Mia!” last summer. She has created two wing murals that have aided in the beautification of North Platte for the #in- spiringwingsnp movement: one at the Do-It Center and the other on the Mr. Appliance building. She donated over 80 hours of painting time to the 2018 Paws on the Platte event to raise funds and awareness for Paws-itive Partners. Hill has created a series of five paintings for the Bridge of Hope Child Advocacy Center in North Platte and Ogallala. Her images are colorful and comforting. While Jessica is an independent artist, her leadership skills shine when she is teaching others. She will soon have her own classroom. “I couldn’t be more proud to be a fan, a supporter and a friend of this woman of achievement,” Burch wrote.
Paulette Stefka has been a lifelong resident of North Platte and strives to be an involved community member, nominator Jane Wilkinson says. Stefka was a founding member of the North Platte Area Children’s Museum “and helped bring this gem for children to life,” Wilkinson wrote. She has vol- unteered in many organizations, including Creativity Unlimited Arts Council, of which she is a former board member; North Platte Community Playhouse; and Prairie Arts Center. She is an Art Study League member. She has been a board member and past scholarship chair for the Miss Nebraska Scholarship Pageant and continues to volunteer for the organization. As a volunteer at Great Plains Health, she has accrued over 5,000 volunteer hours over 20 years. Other organizations that have benefited from her volunteer involvement in- clude the North Platte Public Schools Foundation, Linden Court, Goodfellow Shoe Fund Board, PEO and the Foster Care Review Board. Reaching beyond the North Platte community, she also volunteers across the state. She has been a Humanities Nebraska Council member since 2015 and in 2020 also joined the organization’s foundation board. She is also on the board of the Lied Center for the Performing Arts in Lincoln. Stefka worked for 32 years as a speech language pathologist at ESU 16. She is a past president and head negotiator for the ESU 16 Association.
Congratulations Laurie on your Nomination for the Women of Achievement Award! You have been serving the public for 45 years this year and we cannot think of anyone more deserving! Your strong and positive leadership has carried us through these unprecedented times
Congratulations
Mrs. Wood! for being named a 2021 Women of Achievement FINALIST
as we continue to serve the public. Good Luck from all of us at the North Platte Social Security Office.
From your North Platte Catholic Schools family
Pam Wood
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