Aronberg Goldgehn's Women's Initiative Honors WINGS CEO Rebecca Darr With Its 2019 Inspiration Award

08.15.19

Business executives and owners, lawyers and other professionals turned out to honor Rebecca Darr, President and CEO of the WINGS Program, Inc., at the Fourth Annual Inspiration Award Reception hosted by the Aronberg Goldgehn Women’s Initiative. The reception was held on August 1, 2019, at Gibson’s Italia restaurant in Chicago.

The Inspiration Award recognizes one extraordinary woman who has achieved professional excellence and inspires others in her industry and beyond.

In presenting the Award, Reception Co-Chair and Aronberg Goldgehn Member Julie A. Johnson noted that “there are certain people, who from the moment you meet them, grab your attention; and, from that moment forward, you cannot help but be inspired and engaged.”

Rebecca Darr is a tireless advocate for families confronting domestic violence. She has been Chief Executive Officer of WINGS since 2014 and previously served as the agency’s Executive Director for 15 years. WINGS’s mission is to provide housing, integrated services, education and advocacy to end domestic violence. It provides victims emergency safe shelter and transitional housing, and helps families meet basic needs for items such as food and clothing. Originally a non-profit housing agency, WINGS continues to expand to connect clients with a range of services such as counseling, legal assistance, mentoring, life skills support and career services.

In her acceptance, Rebecca told the attendees that since 2014, WINGS has tripled in size and secured new funding sources, including three resale stores that generate revenue to support WINGS’ programs. She led the WINGS team in building the first domestic violence shelter in Chicago’s northwest suburbs in 2005, and played a key role in the 2016 opening of the WINGS Metro shelter on Chicago’s southwest side.

In her closing remarks, Aronberg Goldgehn member and Commercial Litigation Practice Group Chair, Amy Gibson, thanked Rebecca for accepting the Inspiration Award and made note of a recent Forbes article she read that talked about how women who support other women are more successful in business.

“No matter the issue, we should all support and lift each other up,” said Amy. “Whether that means to act as a sounding board, share advice and experiences, or help pave the way for future women leadership…the bottom line is that we are stronger as a group.”

About Aronberg Goldgehn’s Women’s Initiative

The Aronberg Goldgehn Women’s Initiative’s mission is to support and encourage the success of the women at our firm. The main goals of the Women’s Initiative program are to enhance professional opportunities both in and outside the firm for women lawyers, and to encourage all of the firm's attorneys to be active leaders in professional and civic organizations in the communities in which they live. These efforts naturally include hiring, promoting and retaining female attorneys, and providing mentoring in order to develop and expand client relationships, to connect with one another and to share opportunities for professional advancement.



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