May 2025 Celebration Recap
Celebrating a Remarkable Year: Highlights from the Junior League of Seattle May 2025 Celebration
On Tuesday, May 20, more than 100 members of the Junior League of Seattle (JLS) gathered at the historic Swedish Club to commemorate the closing of the 2024-2025 League Year. The annual May Celebration was a vibrant evening filled with reflection, recognition, and inspiration as we honored the incredible work of our members and looked forward to an exciting future.
Ahead of the official May Celebration, the Sustaining members of our organization met with the new Active members to welcome them with a toast celebrating the completion of their Provisional year. Congratulations to the 2024-2025 Provisional Class for a year completed and for many more years of service to come!
Pictured: New Member Toast and Reception hosted by Sustainers.
We were privileged to hear from our 2024-2025 President, Avery Berschauer, who delivered heartfelt remarks reflecting on her impactful term. Avery’s tenure was marked by a spirit of innovation and efficiency—she spearheaded significant technological improvements, streamlined internal processes, and helped guide JLS into a new era following our centennial year. Her leadership has left an indelible mark on the League, and we are deeply grateful for her service.
The evening continued with a special address from Evelyn Zabo, this year’s recipient of the Dorothy Stimson Bullitt Award. Evelyn’s outstanding commitment to community service and leadership exemplifies the values of our League, and we are honored to celebrate her achievements.
Pictured: 2024 Dorothy Stimson Bullitt Community Service Award Recipient, Evelyn Zabo and partner.
Rebecca Dolan, our current Executive Vice President, provided an insightful operational update and financial report, highlighting the exceptional work of the Management Council and our successful fundraising efforts. Rebecca's thoughtful leadership continues to guide our organization with purpose and strength.
One of the most anticipated moments of the evening was the announcement of our 2024-2025 Member Recognition Awards. Please join us in congratulating this year’s honorees:
- Provisional of the Year: Lauren Essl
- Provisional of the Year: Emilie Hall
- Active of the Year: Angela Lawson
- Sustainer of the Year: Stephanie Howe
- Transfer of the Year: Lynsay Lee
- Spirit of Service: Rebecca Dolan
- President’s Award: Sunnie Malik
- President’s Award: Ellen Derrick
Each of these members has gone above and beyond to embody the mission of the Junior League of Seattle, and we are incredibly proud of their contributions.
To close the celebration, we were inspired by remarks from Michelle Schoonover, our incoming 2025-2026 President, who shared her vision for the year ahead. The evening concluded with the gavel pass ceremony, a cherished tradition in which past JLS Presidents ceremonially passed the gavel to the incoming President, symbolizing the League’s continued legacy of strong female leadership.
Cheers to an extraordinary year! We are immensely proud of everything the Junior League of Seattle has accomplished during the 2024-2025 League Year. Here’s to the continued growth, impact, and empowerment of women leaders in our community.
