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Nominees for 2024
Woman of the Year & Business of the Year
Each October, Upper Keys Business and Professional Women (BPW) celebrates National Business Women’s Week by naming a Business of the Year and Woman of the Year.
Scroll down to read about the nominated members and member-run businesses that have inspired us and made particularly positive impacts on our organization and the broader community!
Awards will be presented at our "Celebration of Working Women" event on Wednesday, October 16.
We're grateful to long-time supporters SouthState Bank for sponsoring the awards and the event this year!
Nominees for 2024 Woman of the Year
Submissions have been edited for clarity and consistency. In cases of
multiple nominations, submissions have been combined and condensed.
Bonnie Barnes
Member since 2021
Bonnie helps other women in business achieve their goals, regardless of how big or small they are. As the local business consultant for the Small Business Development Center at FIU, she selflessly gives endless resources, knowledge, kindness and inspiration.
Bonnie serves on many volunteer boards, and in leadership positions, including the Upper Keys BPW Board of Directors as Vice President of Programs. She is everywhere… always setting up, breaking down, teaching and mentoring, lending a helping hand – with a smile. She has helped BPW members overcome business obstacles they didn’t imagine they would get through.
With her dedication to helping small businesses thrive and her contributions to BPW and the community as a whole, Bonnie deserves to be recognized!
Bernice Dionne
Member since 2023
Bernice inspires other women through her exceptional leadership as both a former teacher and a personal trainer. Her leadership and dedication have positively impacted her students, their parents and her current clientele.
Bernice’s resilience, compassion and creativity set a high standard of excellence, showing that women can excel in diverse roles. By overcoming challenges and balancing multiple responsibilities, she demonstrates that with dedication and passion, women can achieve their goals and make a significant impact. Her achievements and role modeling encourage others to pursue their aspirations and believe in their potential.
Bernice has made a significant impact on Upper Keys BPW through her leadership and dedication. By sharing her expertise and experiences, Bernice provides mentorship and inspiration. Her commitment to excellence and her innovative approach make her a vital force in advancing the professional growth of women in the organization.
Bernice embodies the spirit of this award through her tireless efforts and unwavering commitment to making a difference. She is amazing and deserves this award!
Vivian Dodge
Member since 2021
As executive director of Chapters Health Hospice, Vivian is compassionate, dedicated and committed. She leads by example and offers her knowledge and insight.
Chapters Health is the latest hospice in Monroe County and the customer service is excellent. Vivian has brought much-needed expertise in hospice care and is a woman who believes in a team.
So happy to have her in BPW!
Mary Beth Harris
Member since 2019
Mary Beth is a wonderful advocate for women and women-owned businesses. She is a role model as a professional, and as a banker, she provides financial advice and education to women and women-owned businesses.
Mary Beth is a long-standing member of Upper Keys BPW and very supportive of BPW events. She is also a tireless volunteer who supports a wide variety of causes. She is generous with her time and her smiling face is seen at almost every community event.
Mary Beth is always open to helping others and is especially supportive of women and women-owned businesses.
Victoria Leonard
Member since 2019
Victoria Leonard inspires and empowers women both personally and professionally. As a working woman, wife and mother to two young children, she juggles it all with grace and humor, and still makes time to do great things.
Victoria has served on the BPW Board of Directors for the past five years, providing continuity, institutional knowledge and perspective. As treasurer, she serves in one of the hardest Board roles and dedicates hours to ensuring the organization runs smoothly. She always has a smile, attends all of the events and makes sure the first experience at check-in is the smoothest it can be. She is quick to respond, has a wonderful personality and is so easy to work alongside. She is especially passionate about the BPW scholarship program that benefits adult working women.
Victoria works at our local power company and remains engaged in the community and our organization. For example, despite the many demands on her time, she recently completed the MCSO Citizens Police Academy.
Victoria epitomizes the characteristics of a BPW Woman of the Year through her passion for our mission and her selfless dedication to the organization and the community.
Barbara Overton
Member since 2023
Barbara is a strong advocate for women’s rights, including through her work with the Upper Keys League of Women Voters, where she currently serves as president. Barbara invests hours in creating awareness about issues on the ballot and in making a difference for women.
Since joining BPW, Barbara has been active in the organization. This year, she worked with BPW to collaborate on special events to educate members on ballot initiatives and on the candidates running for office. As a result, the public is able to meet and mingle with candidates in an informal venue.
Megan Scallan, PhD
Member since 2024
Megan is the owner of two Upper Keys businesses, Mossfire Skincare (a holistic, all-natural brand of handmade products for men and women) and Megan Scallan Historical Consulting (helping clients write personal memoirs and works of fiction, digitally preserve photographs and videos, and more). As a Reike master, Megan also helps women in their personal and professional journeys through her training in herbalism and holistic healing.
Megan looks for ways to connect women who have had shared experiences or who can help each other develop personally and professionally. She invites new residents to Upper Keys BPW events, especially those who may not know such organizations exist. She encourages and inspires women to pursue their personal, educational, and professional dreams no matter how out of reach they may seem, and supports members going through personal challenges. She wants to see everyone's dreams come true!
Megan does much for our community behind the scenes. She supports local businesses by attending their events and offering financial coaching to new business owners. She also volunteers at local events by recording oral histories, taking photographs, and teaching art projects.
Megan is a true inspiration. She has made the most out of life, being the first in her family to graduate from college and to earn two master's degrees and a doctorate.
Nominees for 2024 Business of the Year
Submissions have been edited for clarity and consistency. In cases of
multiple nominations, submissions have been combined and condensed.
Cirque Salon Studios
Whitney MacEachern, member since 2018
Cirque Salon Studios is a small business that helps other small businesses by offering subdivided spaces for entrepreneurs who need an affordable way to open their doors and provide services to our community. This forward-thinking vision has given many new businesses an opportunity to succeed. Owner Whitney MacEachern recently expanded and replicated her model to open another facility in Homestead.
The Cirque Salon Studios office space is filled with our members receiving quality services and care every day. Whitney made this happen and gives back to the community through Chambers of Commerce, BPW and other ways, offering items for local charity auctions and so much more.
Many of the businesses within Cirque Salon Studios are women-owned. Whitney has given them the freedom to succeed and a place that is safe, clean and inviting to begin their own business ventures.
First State Bank
Lori Bailey, member since 2024
First State Bank is a local bank with a strong commitment to the community. From donating tents to nonprofits for events, to volunteering and belonging to every Chamber, organization, and club, the staff at First State Bank are committed to ensuring we know they care. They also sponsor many Monroe County organizations’ events.
First State Bank stepped up this year to sponsor three Upper Keys BPW events as well as actively participating in all of them. They always have a booth at outdoor events and actively participate in Light Up Key Largo each year.
While they hire independently and without prejudice, First State Bank always seems to have a staff of mostly women working in the bank. Their commitment to organizations like BPW helps to promote women in business.
Houston Insurance
Mary Houston, member since 2020
Houston Insurance has an extremely positive impact on our community. Mary regularly sponsors and donates to BPW events and so many other local events. Whatever is needed – be it just enthusiastic support or monetary contributions – Houston insurance is there. You cannot host or attend an event that Houston Insurance is not somehow a part of!
Houston Insurance also demonstrates a strong commitment to working women. Mary started the business on her own and worked her way up to create a successful business that is now one of the most supportive women-owned businesses in our community. She also hires and mentors women interested in learning the insurance business.
It’s important that people understand how hard Mary Houston worked to build Houston Insurance and to demonstrate what a good businesswoman can achieve!
Jellyfish Daydreams
Cassandra Clark, member since 2022
Jellyfish Daydreams deserves to be recognized for the impact this small-but-mighty business makes on our local Florida Keys reefs, as well as their support of numerous local nonprofits. From making eco-sustainable choices to outright monetary donations, this business is a prime representation of what our community needs.
Jellyfish Daydreams aims to inspire locals and visitors to learn about our reefs and to get involved in community efforts to preserve our fragile ecosystem. Owner Cassandra Clark actively chooses to use plant-based, compostable plastics to help reduce the amount of plastics that end up in our oceans, and also inspires others to make small changes in their daily routine to help reduce plastic pollution in our local environments.
Since establishing Jellyfish Daydreams, Cassandra has raised over $9,350 for local Florida Keys conservation organizations such as REEF, I.CARE, The Turtle Hospital, Mote and FKWBC.
As a woman-owned business, Jellyfish Daydreams supports and inspires working women to achieve their goals by supporting other woman-owned businesses and giving women the opportunity to express themselves and work in a healthy environment.