19th North Bay Women in Business Awards to honor 18 professionals

This year's selection of North Bay Women in Business winners are professionals from industries such as high technology, finance, manufacturing, construction and health care.

"Over the past 20 years, we have honored more than 230 women leading local organizations with their keen insight, courage and creativity, and we look forward to a gathering of these influential women," said Brad Bollinger, North Bay Business Journal publisher.

Those selected this year will be honored at a dinner gala next month. The keynote speaker for the event is set to be Rayona Sharpnack, founder and CEO of the Institute for Gender Partnership and the Institute for Women's Leadership. For over 25 years, she has been on the forefront of not just getting more women into corporate leadership but helping organizations learn how to best leverage strengths for profit and productivity. Her clients include Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, universities and nonprofits.

Read profiles on this year's Women in Business honorees:

Diane Aqui, partner, Smith Dollar PC, Santa Rosa

Kim August, senior vice president and senior relationship manager of lending, Summit State Bank, Santa Rosa

Andrea Biagi Bailey, director of sales and operations, Biagi Bros., Napa

Karen Behnke, founder and CEO, Juice Beauty, San Rafael

Maryanne Harris, vice president and business development officer, Exchange Bank, Santa Rosa

Patricia Hiserote, D.O., family medicine physician and director of the Kaiser Permanente family medicine residency program, Kaiser Permanente, Santa Rosa

Analisa Hunt, CEO and co-owner, Datum Technologies, Santa Rosa

Channing Hussey, director of operations, Private Ocean Wealth Management, San Rafael

Julia Jackson, CEO, Grounded Summit

Tania Kelley, senior vice president and head of marketing, Hennessy Funds, Novato

Kate Kelly, director of public relations and marketing, Sonoma Clean Power, Santa Rosa

Lisa Lichty, CEO, Star Staffing, Petaluma

Demae Rubins, principal for the planning division, Summit Engineering, Inc., Santa Rosa

Liz Ruetsch, director of worldwide sales and services for EEsof, Keysight Technologies, Santa Rosa

Barbie Simpson, president and owner, Simpson Sheet Metal Inc., Santa Rosa

Lisa Ward, M.D., chief medical officer, Santa Rosa Community Health, Santa Rosa

Tracy Weitzenberg, communications and public relations manager, Redwood Credit Union, Santa Rosa

Wendy Young, executive director, Sonoma County Medical Association, Santa Rosa

The awards gala will be held June 19 at the Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine Country hotel in Santa Rosa. Register for the event at nbbj.news/wib19 by June 17. The cost is $95 a person or $825 for a table of eight.