Cleveland Heights Resident Barbara Danforth receives YWCA Lifetime Achievement Award

Senior Vice President of Ratliff & Taylor recognized for extraordinary leadership

On Monday, May 14, YWCA Greater Cleveland recognized area women for their professional achievements at its 36^th annual Women of Achievement Awards Luncheon. In addition to the Women of Achievement Awards, this year the YWCA presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Barbara Danforth, who exemplifies the organization’s mission of eliminating racism and empowering women in an extraordinary way. Ms. Danforth is only the fifth recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award in the history of the Women of Achievement Awards.

YWCA Greater Cleveland holds a special place in Danforth’s heart, and with good reason. She was the organization’s executive director from 1995 to 2007 and president and CEO from 2007 to 2010.

“Empowering women means providing the tools, skills, and strategies for them to be their very best,” Danforth says. “During my years as president and CEO of the YWCA, when my team was creating the Women’s Leadership Initiative programs, I developed a passion for empowering women, especially in the corporate world, to reach the top of their career ladders, the corner offices or C-suites of their companies.

Danforth now serves as the senior vice president at Ratliff and Taylor, a human resources consulting firm that provides executive search, leadership development, and career transition services. Her role includes developing new business clients in middle-market and Fortune 1000 companies, facilitating the attraction and retention of senior-level employees through executive search services, and providing leadership and talent development tools and strategies to enable employees to reach their full potential through seminar presentations and executive coaching.

“I truly loved my work at the YWCA, but I realized that the time had come to create the next chapter of my career,” Danforth says. “It was a daunting consideration to leave what I loved and knew so well to venture out into the unknown. I was fortunate to have the excellent guidance of an executive coach who facilitated my journey. She enabled me to quantify my assets, identify my passions, and qualify for the job of my dreams. What initially seemed like a courageous or frightening decision became a journey of self-discovery and ultimate career fulfillment.”

YWCA Greater Cleveland is pleased to celebrate Ms. Danforth’s accomplishments with this award. Also recognized at the event were this year’s Women of Achievement:

- Debra Adams Simmons, Editor, Plain Dealer

- Nan Cohen, Founder and CEO, Creekside Financial Advisors LLC

- Diane Downing, Regional Manager of Corporate Affairs, Huntington National Bank

- Lisa Rose, Senior Managing Director, Dix & Eaton

- Sharon Sobol Jordan, President and CEO, Center for Families and Children

 The YWCA is committed to eliminating racism and empowering women, and provides transformative services in three focus areas: early childhood education, youth services, and leadership and inclusion initiatives. For more information call 216-881-6878 or visit www.ywcaofcleveland.org.