Join us for the 10th anniversary of the Women of Achievement Awards presented by PNC Bank, Downriver’s premier awards celebration! Sponsorship and admission registration is found at the bottom of this page.

Nominate now for the 2026 Awards!

The event honors women in Downriver business and nonprofit operations, and inspires our next generation of female leaders. The Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber will proudly recognize the 2026 recipients with the “Kyle F. Stack Leadership Award,” “Entrepreneur Award,” and “Unsung Heroine Award!” The Chamber will also honor an emerging young professional in our community with the “Distinguished Young Woman Award.” The program will feature a grand awards ceremony and luncheon complete with inspirational recipient videos!

2026 Panel

The event will feature an impactful panel discussion, powered by Corewell Health, highlighting the impact of women leadership in business and nonprofit service.

About Emcee Christy McDonald

Christy McDonald is an Emmy-Award winning TV anchor, speaker and moderator who has covered news in Detroit and Michigan for 30 years. She is currently the founder/CEO of Sammac Communications Inc.

Christy specialized in political coverage, in-depth reporting and live news events, most recently at WDIV Local 4. She created exclusive streaming programming for Local 4+, which included the interview series “A Conversation With..” and car lover spotlight “What’s In That Garage”. Prior to WDIV, Christy was Managing Editor/Anchor for WTVS Detroit PBS One Detroit for 11 years. She created the station’s weekly flagship politics/news show “MiWeek” and “One Detroit”. Her on air career in Detroit started at WXYZ Channel 7, as a reporter/anchor for 10 years.

A sought-after moderator, Christy has led lively discussions at the Detroit Economic Club and Mackinac Policy Conference. She also co moderated Gubernatorial debates in 2014 and 2018. Christy appeared numerous times on the PBS NewsHour and CNN reporting on Michigan politics and Detroit’s financial crisis.

Christy is a passionate advocate for colorectal cancer awareness after losing her husband Jamie Samuelsen to the disease in August 2020. She is a graduate of Michigan State University’s James Madison College. Christy is raising her 3 children in her hometown of Troy.

2025 Award Recipient Videos Coming Soon

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