While the U.S. celebrates Women’s History Month in March, the Fierce Awards of Greater Gainesville made history honoring its largest class of “Fierce” women in the award’s 11th year. 

Started by CCM Consulting and Advisory Services in 2015, the Fierce Awards aim to honor female leaders who shape and inspire the community. 

This year’s award cycle will culminate in a ticketed ceremony at 5:30 p.m. on April 16 at Granville Plantation (760 SW 202nd St., Newberry), celebrating the 30 winners for 2026.  

Fierce Award and CCM founder Scott Costello and Barzella Papa from the Community Foundation of North Central Florida will emcee the event featuring dinner and dessert, networking, an Irish dance and Gainesville string quartet performances. Business strategist Cotrenia Davenport-Hood will be the guest speaker.  

Any proceeds remaining after event costs are covered will be donated to charity, usually ones focused on serving women, or to Santa Fe College and the University of Florida to fund scholarships for single mothers.  

Costello said each winner receives material awards like a plaque, keepsake program, shirt and mug, but the intangible prizes of exposure and recognition of fierce women are priceless for the winners and community. 

“When you recognize people who deserve to be recognized, who realize that they’re winning this in their community that they live and work and play, it hopefully keeps them here and hopefully builds their confidence and shows that this is a community that cares about recognizing strength, embraces success. That’s fierce,” he said. 

Costello was well acquainted with putting on events to support the community after involvement with other awards like Gainesville’s Forty under 40 and creating the Taste of Greater Gainesville charity event. 

Although he wouldn’t consider himself a feminist, Costello said he’s a girl dad with two daughters who believes in supporting women every chance he gets.  

Wanting to instill a mindset in his girls of not giving up on opportunities just because they’re female, he started thinking about how to encourage other women to do the same. 

“We created the Fierce Awards to recognize women who have an inner strength that allows them to juggle so many things and prioritize so many things,” Costello said. “They’re the person that, whether it’s in the home, or in the office or wherever, they’re the organizer, the facilitator, the encourager. But their strength to do so much comes from within and when they believe strongly and passionately about something, they believe in it fiercely.” 

Word-of-mouth and social media are the primary ways people get inspired to nominate a woman they know. Applications are submitted online as far as a year in advance, and a panel of judges, including former Fierce winners, spends hours narrowing down the candidates.  

Costello said this year saw the most nominations ever, with almost 300, driving the expansion from 20 winners to 30.  

During the award’s first year, Costello some of the women who won saw “fierce” as a negative connotation. He told them it was time to change the vernacular fabric for women and that he’s already seen an impact across the community.  

Fierce has created employment and mentoring opportunities in high-level positions for the more than 150 women who have won the award, he said, helping build the economy in Alachua County. 

“When Simba looks in the water, he sees Mufasa. We want women to embrace that inner lion and be fierce and wear it like a badge of honor, and encourage others to do so,” Costello said. “Today, you can’t go anywhere without hearing women in greater Gainesville use the term ‘fierce’ as a way of complimenting women doing something powerful, and it has continued to grow.” 

This year’s cohort of Fierce Award winners includes winners from various industries and countries. 

Winner Pamela Landis is the Flight School Manager at University Air Center, a Fixed Base Operator housed at Gainesville Regional Airport. She told Mainstreet that when she received the email confirming she’d won a Fierce Award, she was excited and humbled.  

In a male-dominated field of aviation where women represent just over 10% of pilots, Landis said the award demonstrates how she used her skills and determination to show she belongs in aviation.  

“This award means that someone has seen how I have overcome struggles and not let them knock me down, that because I am in a male-dominant world with my business, I am strong, I am FIERCE,” she said. “This award brings us together as a community and to know we are not alone in the challenges and struggles…My mother is my inspiration, and I know she is proud!” 

Winner Kathy Gratto is a former professor at the University of Florida and serves as the executive director of SIRA, a faith-based pro-life crisis pregnancy center in Gainesville.  

Gratto said winning the award was a total shock. She’d heard about it after her daughter-in-law won a few years ago, but didn’t know how her own name got in the mix. 

Gratto said she hopes the award raises awareness for SIRA and serves as an encouragement for the work she and the other winners are doing to continue improving the world and families for a better future.  

“[These women are] not standing on the streets, you know, being activists, they’re just doing what they love and serving their community,” she said. “I think it would be an encouragement to other people to either push forward, to continue or to start something new.” 

Winner Lauren Cohn, president and CEO of Meridian Healthcare, said being recognized among women who are making an impact in the community is inspiring and deeply affirming.  

For her, the Fierce Award isn’t about a single moment or achievement, but represents years of showing up, staying true to her values, persevering and committing herself to serving her community, she said.  

It has been a winding but rewarding journey both professionally and personally. 

“My path was shaped in a profound way when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, which tested me in ways I never expected,” Cohn said. “That experience changed how I lead today; with gratitude, courage and a deep commitment to making every moment count, and with the hope of showing my daughter that strength and kindness can coexist.” 

Costello said Fierce will expand to Southwest Florida in 2027 with additional plans for Tampa Bay, but will always be committed to recognizing women in Gainesville. 

The following women are the 2026 Fierce Award of Greater Gainesville winners: 

• Ziba Ahmadi 

• Courtney Bailey 

• Isabel Brazzel 

• Liesa Borrillo 

• Dr. Katharina Busl 

• Lauren Cohn 

• Keisha Dewberry 

• Lauren Elliott 

• Alexis Fillmer 

• Dr. Kathy Gratto 

• Jane Harris 

• Jenna Horner 

• Tabitha Jenkins 

• Lewrissa Johns 

• Lindsey Johnson 

• Shari Jones 

• Pamela Landis 

• Brittany Lee 

• Barbii Monroe 

• Corie Patton 

• Blair Poole 

• Julianne Raymond-Flinchum 

• Joy Riddle 

• Priya Rudradas 

• Lakisha Scott 

• Chanda Stebbins 

• Amy Trask 

• Marianne VanDongen 

• Christina Bennett Wiley 

• Dr. Dan Zhu 

• Daurine Wehbe will receive the inaugural Community Impact Award