Latest Recipient

Amanda Converse is named the Mercy Otis Warren Cape Cod Woman of the Year 2023

22nd annual award recognizes community leadership and ideals of patriotism in Barnstable County

May 10, 2023, Barnstable, MA – Today the Barnstable County Commissioners endorsed Amanda Converse of Marstons Mills as the 2023 Mercy Otis Warren Cape Cod Woman of the Year, recommended by the Mercy Otis Warren Cape Cod Woman of the Year Award Committee.

Each year since 2002, the award honored remarkable women who exemplify the traits of community leadership and who have made a significant contribution to the arts, education, business, community involvement, and volunteerism while embracing the ideals of patriotism. Ms. Converse exemplifies these qualities through her work focusing on sustainability and the Cape Cod economy.

After achieving a master’s degree from George Washington University, Ms. Converse returned home with an ambitious vision and championing the “buy local” cause, advocating for its economic, environmental, and social benefits. Her business improvement initiatives include founding the Current Quarterly, a unique local fashion magazine, and Love Live Local, a nonprofit that holds annual festivals uniting local businesses with consumers. When Covid-19 hit, she helped raise $121K in relief funds for Cape Cod businesses and later became the voice of THIRST, a Massachusetts organization highlighting problems with the lack of payout of business interruption insurance.  She has also supported non-profits across Cape Cod, including WE CAN, Cape Wellness Collaborative, Amplify POC and serves as president of the board of trustees of the Hyannis Public Library.

Ms. Converse was nominated this year by Meg Loughran, Cynthia Cole, and Sheryl Baba.

“To say I am humbled to be named the Mercy Otis Warren Cape Cod Woman of the Year would be an understatement. To think of myself in the same group of strong, dedicated, and trailblazing women who have received the award before me is an incredible honor. The Cape Cod community means the world to me, and I can only hope I have made a fraction of the impact on it as it has on me, ” Ms. Converse said.

ABOUT THE CELEBRATION:  The award will be presented to Ms. Converse by last year’s recipient, Angelina Chilaka of Harwich, on Flag Day, June 14, 2023, at 7 p.m. at the 1717 Meetinghouse, ​2049 Meetinghouse Way in West Barnstable.  The award is a bronze statuette sculpted by Town of Barnstable  artist David Lewis. It is a replica of the statue of Mercy Otis Warren located on the Superior Court House lawn in Barnstable Village.

The Committee would like to thank its sponsors: Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank, Barnstable County, Tales of Cape Cod, Barnstable Village Association, West Barnstable Civic Association, Cape Cod Media Group, and the Cape Cod Writers Guild, with a special thank you the Cape Cod Chronicle, the Cape Cod Times, the Enterprise Newspapers, and the Provincetown Independent.

ABOUT MERCY OTIS WARREN: Mercy Otis Warren, born in West Barnstable in 1728, was a playwright, a historian, a pioneer in women’s causes, a champion of liberty, an advocate of the Bill of Rights, and a patriot. In an era when it was unusual for a woman to receive an education, or to emerge as a leader, her advocacy for the cause of patriotism during the Revolution was remarkable.

PAST RECIPIENTS: 2002 Marion R. Vuilleumier | 2003 Jean D. Gardner | 2004 Eugenia Fortes | 2005 Felicia R. Penn | 2006 Bonnie M. Snow | 2007 Lynne M. Poyant | 2008 Josephine P. Ives | 2009 Mary L. LeClair | 2010 Gloria W. Rudman | 2011 Susan A. French | 2012 Judy Walden Scarafile | 2013 Dorothy A. Savarese | 2014 Mary Lou Petitt | 2015 Michelle L. DeSilva | 2016 Ann M. Williams | 2017 Dolores Holden Daluz | 2018 Nancy Viall Shoemaker | 2019 Juliet Bernstein | 2020 Mimi McConnell | 2021 Wendy Northcross | 2022 Angelina Chilaka.

Visit https://www.capecod.gov/MOWAward  to learn more about the Mercy Otis Woman Cape Cod Woman of the Year award.

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