In honor of Women’s History Month, Galleria Fort Lauderdale will host History Fort Lauderdale’s “Women Trailblazers: Champions of Change - Broward County” presented by Memorial Healthcare System, a free photo exhibition. Six prominent women of today who are proponents of change, along with their historical female predecessors who helped to pave the way for our community, will be showcased. The photography exhibition runs through March 31 at Galleria Fort Lauderdale.

This engaging 40-image exhibit will celebrate the contributions of six new outstanding women of today including Sebrina María Alfonso, music director for South Florida Symphony Orchestra, Alexandra Anagnostis-Irons, founder and owner of Total Marine Solutions, Kathleen Cannon, president and CEO of United Way Broward County, Melanie Dickinson, president and publisher of South Florida Business Journal, Bertha Henry, county administrator for Broward County and Carolyn Michaels, executive vice president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce.

Past pioneering women counterparts to be highlighted include Gertrude Denison (1915-1997), forerunner of Fort Lauderdale’s yachting industry, interior yacht designer for Broward Marine 1960 eventually establishing Yacht Interiors and honored in 1995 with a Showboat magazine lifetime achievement award for her contributions to the marine industry; Ruth Dichtenmueller (1904-1983),  teacher, principal, vice president of Community Service Council and general supervisor of Broward County Schools; Anne Kolb (1932-1981), journalist, environmentalist, Florida Wildlife Federation Conservationist of the Year 1978 and the first woman to be elected Broward County Commission chair; Juliette Lange (1882-1977),  mezzo soprano, musical comedy star vocalist and choir director at St Anthony’s Church also serving as president of the church’s Women’s Club; Eva Oliver (1883-1964), philanthropist, historian, active suffragette and first woman on the local election board, first president of the Fort Lauderdale Woman’s Club and chair of the committee that named Port Everglades and Lorna Simpson (1913-1995), Fort Lauderdale Daily News columnist, society editor/writer for Daytona Beach Sun-Record and WKAT writer and producer.

Last year’s inaugural Women Trailblazers, Kareen Boutros, executive director of Broward Workshop; Lori Chevy, market president of Bank of America; Heather Havericak, CEO of Broward Health Medical Center and Salah Foundation Children’s Hospital; Jennifer O'Flannery Anderson, Ph.D., president and CEO of Broward Community Foundation; Stacy Ritter, president and CEO of Visit Lauderdale and Burnadette Norris-Weeks, Esq. of Austin Pamies Norris Weeks Powell, PLLC and founder of the Women of Color Empowerment Institute, went on to become part of History Fort Lauderdale’s permanent exhibition space housed in the New River Inn.

For more information about “Women Trailblazers: Champions of Change - Broward County,” call (954) 463-4431 or visit historyfortlauderdale.org. Additional information about Galleria Fort Lauderdale is available at facebook.com/GalleriaFtLauderdale or www.galleriamall-fl.com.