ECU Women’s Roundtable honors 2022 Incredible Women Award recipients

The East Carolina University Women’s Roundtable will honor 10 award recipients at its Incredible Women Luncheon on Sept. 23.

Established in 2003, the Women’s Roundtable acknowledges the contributions of women to ECU’s legacy and encourages new levels of commitment by women to the university’s future.

The recipients are Mary Sue Cummings Deaton, Susan M. Durrwachter, Mary W. Earp, Marybeth Petteway Eason, Karen E. Evans, Valerie Madden, Ariana McAuley, Danielle Moinet, Windy O’Connor and Dr. LaNika Wright.

• Mary Sue Cummings Deaton, MSN, RN, FABC, of Greenville is a two-time ECU graduate — earning both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing. She serves as the chief engagement officer of Patient Centered Innovation, a company offering services designed to promote patient, family, caregiver and community-centered care.
• Susan M. Durrwachter of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, is an Emmy-nominated CNN producer. She graduated from ECU in 1985 with a bachelor’s degree in sports medicine, and later received her master’s degree from American University.
• Mary W. Earp of Winnabow graduated from ECU in 1958 with a bachelor’s degree in home economics. A community leader in Brunswick County, Mary and her husband, Wilbur, settled in 1960 at Funston Farm, where they adopted cutting-edge enterprises to sustain their farm operation which included a grape vineyard, swine and cattle production.
• Marybeth Petteway Eason of Greenville is an Elizabethtown native who earned an associate degree from Peace College in Raleigh and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from ECU. After graduation, she joined BB&T, now Truist, where she is merchant services marketing and sales enablement manager.
• Karen E. Evans is a North Carolina native who earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from ECU in 1980. She is a former registered nurse and U.S. Air Force Captain, and serves as a trial attorney with The Cochran Firm in Washington, D.C.
• Valerie Madden of Los Angeles graduated from the ECU School of Art and Design in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in communications, arts and graphic design. She is a multi-disciplined entertainment marketing and advertising professional with more than 20 years of industry experience. She is entertainment marketing and advertising creative director at Amazon Studios.
• Ariana McAuley graduated from ECU in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. She later received master’s degrees in international relations and diplomacy from Schiller International University-Paris and the University of Roehampton-London. She is a senior global strategy and operations consultant for Deloitte Global in New York.
• Danielle Moinet is a Raleigh native who earned a bachelor’s degree in business marketing at ECU in 2006. Moinet is an accomplished actress known for being a WWE diva under the ring name Summer Rae, as well as through her nonprofit work for the DTM Foundation — named after Dean Thomas Moinet — that provides services to families with medically fragile children at Duke University and UNC hospitals.
• Windy O’Connor, an award-winning and globally renowned American painter, graduated from ECU in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in interior design. Based in Charlotte, her passion for art and design developed into a lifestyle brand of textiles, wallpaper, clothing and home accessories.
• LaNika Wright, Ph.D., WHNP-BC, of Greenville received her doctorate in nursing from ECU in 2014. She earned a bachelor’s degree from East Tennessee State University and a master’s degree and certification as a women’s health nurse practitioner from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Wright is associate vice chancellor of health and well-being and the executive director of Student Health Services at ECU.

The Incredible ECU Women Luncheon is held every three years and celebrates ECU’s legacy of women leaders while making a difference for deserving ECU students. Awards are presented to deserving alumnae who have achieved excellence in education, business, health sciences, fine arts, performing arts, public service, media, sports, professional services and research.

Guests will hear a keynote address from Pirate alumnae Jamie Lynn O’Grady ’01 and Sarah Evans ’01 — partners of the award-winning public relations firm, J/PR. Attendees will also enjoy inspirational messages by alumnae and students, updates on university initiatives, and opportunities to connect with university and community leaders.

Event proceeds will benefit the Women’s Roundtable Access and Honors College Scholarship Endowment funds, which provide support for undergraduate student scholarships. To make a charitable gift or to learn more about sponsorship opportunities, visit www.piratealumni.com/IECUW22.

Following the luncheon, the honorees will participate in a panel discussion at 2 p.m. in the Main Campus Student Center Black Box Theater. The event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited.

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Contact
Nicole Stokes, strategic initiative and campaign manager, stokesn17@ecu.edu, 252-737-5265