The Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus- Pine Council (GSACPC) named local community leaders and long-time Girl Scout supporters Evelyn “Pit” Lucking and Lorraine Bergman as their 2017 Woman of Distinction and 2017 Woman of Courage honorees, respectively, during the organization’s first-ever Badge Bash. Held at The Bob & Renee Parsons Leadership Center for Girls and Women at Camp South Mountain on Friday, Nov. 3, the inaugural event brought donors out for a fun night of adventure as a way to support local girls.
“The Woman of Distinction Award has been given annually since 1995. This award honors an alumna who continues to be a champion of Girl Scouting in adulthood and has made significant contributions to her community,” said Tamara Woodbury, CEO of GSACPC. “Pit joins past honorees including Barbara Barrett, Jeanne Herberger and Deb Carstens.”
Lucking has been serving the greater-Phoenix community for more than 65 years. Her passion for community service began at age three, when she walked with her mother for the March of Dimes. Then as a Brownie in Troop 66, she and her troop became involved in other service projects, like collecting and wrapping presents for children in hospitals and treatment centers.
“Over the years, Lucking has volunteered in almost every sector of the community. She has been a community advisor on the boards of the Madison and Phoenix Union High School districts, helped facilitate a high school student research program run by the Barrow Neurological Institute, co-chaired the 2005 Intel International Science Fair in Phoenix, and served as a director on the ASU Foundation Board,” said Woodbury.
As a volunteer, Lucking also started and ran one of the first on-line Volunteer Information and Referral Programs in the country at ASU for eleven years.
Like Lucking, 2017 Woman of Courage award winner Bergman’s community leadership is similarly inspiring.
“Lorraine is the president of Caliente Construction Inc., a role she assumed after her husband’s untimely death. Her first task was overcoming the belief that a woman couldn’t successfully run a construction company,” said Woodbury. “Under Bergman’s leadership, Caliente Construction is now one of the 50 largest general contractors in Arizona and the seventh largest woman-owned business in the state.”
Her accomplishments don’t stop there. Bergman also contributes her talents to other community organizations. She has served as President of the Arizona Builders Alliance, State Director for Association of General Contractors of America, President of the Center for Job Order Excellence in Arizona, and co-founder of Advancing Women in Construction. And the list goes on. She has been recognized by ACE as the Most Admired CEO in 2010, named the 2014 Industry Leader of Arizona for Commercial Real Estate and in 2016 her company was the recipient of the 2016 Tempe Business Excellence Awards.
“Lorraine joins a long list of courageous, strong women who’ve earned this award, including Dr. Jacqueline Allen, Olga Aros, Deborah Carstens and Rori Gilbert,” said Woodbury.
