The LuLac Edition #3964, December 27th, 2018

WOMEN WE LOVE 2018

As the year winds down, we continue with our year end features. “Women We Love” is something we ripped off from Esquire Magazine a few years back. Each year we get nominees for outstanding women locally, statewide nationally and internationally. The criteria: very simple. It includes quality of work, recognition of community activities, challenging positions that give them a profile both good, or bad. Also, if there is a “buzz” about the type of year they are having and how that impacts on themselves as well as the community. Nominations come in via the LuLac E Mail box this year. We went through our usual selection process to pick these nominees. Here are the LuLac 2018 “Women We Love”.

HALEY BIANCO

She’s bright, engaging, smart and totally full of fun. The newest co-host of WBRE TV’s “Pa Live” is tasked with not only be the co- host but a sometime producer and coordinator. With guests she is sincere and makes them feel welcome upholding the tradition of the show’s founder Dave Kuharchik as well as Monica Medeja, Brittaney Sweeney, Jasmine Brooks, and Valerie Tysanner.
Bianco loves being home in Pennsylvania! She joined the Eyewitness News team in May 2016 as the Schuylkill County Bureau Reporter. In September 2018 she joined Dave Kuharchik on WBRE’s lifestyle show, PA Live! You can see her on the show Monday through Friday 4 to 5 p.m. The show features community organizations, local bands, area chefs and so much more!
Haley got her start as a multimedia journalist in Bluefield, West Virginia at the NBC-affiliate, WVVA. Before that, Haley was an intern in Los Angeles. She helped with red carpet events while interning for NBC Universal’s E! News, and covered events as a reporter/producer for Entertainment Scoop. She has also interned for KMIR 6 NBC News in Palm Springs, California. Haley’s first internship was at Blue Ridge Communications, News 13 in Lehighton.
Haley graduated Magna Cum Laude from Kutztown University. She has a bachelor's degree in electronic media, journalism, public relations and professional writing. During her time in college, she was an active member and leader of KU's TV station, radio station, National Broadcasting Society, and newspaper. She has received recognition by the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System and the Associated Collegiate Press.
When she’s away from the newsroom, she enjoys spending time with family, friends and her yorkies, Mini and Mambo. Haley grew up in Allentown, which is where her family still lives. Her brother goes to Kutztown University (go Bears!) and her sister goes to Misericordia University (go Cougars!).
Haley enjoys volunteering for local animal shelters, and helping high school and college students prepare for their careers.

Our readers love Haley’s spark and she even on occasion has made me look smarter than I am! It is for many reasons other than that, our committee has chosen Haley Bianco as one of the LuLac Women We Love.

POLLY DELANEY

Polly with Matt Vough and Tom Bindus.

Polly Delaney has been mentioned so many times the past few years and for good reason. She is a human dynamo when it comes to her passion for this country. A long time Democrat who has never wavered from her beliefs, Delaney has been one of the catalysts for the rejuvenation of the Luzerne County Democratic party. She is also one of the people that finally got a charter for the Democratic Women of Luzerne County.
One of the things she is most proud of is the way she engineered and put in place the Luzerne County Democratic Women's Organization.
2018 saw the Luzerne County Democratic Women celebrate their first birthday. The chapter was chartered
September 27, 2017 with State President Ruth Raglin along with State Officers from Lackawanna and Wyoming Counties present.
The chapter was chartered with ten women and now has over seventy dues paying members including men!
What a year they had-- the chapter hosted Senator Bob Casey on August 10th and Senator Casey asked the chapter be represented at the November 4th rally with Senator Bob Casey, Congressman Matt Cartwright and VP Joe Biden. The chapter members worked hard,
(many having run for County Committee) to see that Governor Tom Wolf, Senator Bob Casey, Congressman Matt Cartwright, State
Representatives Jerry Mullery and Eddie Day Pashinski were re-elected. The chapter members believe Democrats Care and use that slogan when promoting Democratic candidates.
Next up--- 2019 elections! The chapter supports the Democratic Party and know the importance of keeping the County and State Blue!
This enthusiasm, sheer focus on organizing her beliefs as well as her ability to easily articulate her mission with a friendly smile is one of the reasons why Polly Delaney is one of the women we love in 2018. 

KRISTINE BLASEY FORD

You’d have to thank former Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy for all of us knowing this designation for Women We Love. Had he not bailed on the Supreme Court, Christine Blasley Ford would still be little known in the country. But her courage in coming forward to tell her story as well as the way she dealt with the onslaught against her by President Trump and his right wing extremists in this country is telling. Her character shone through while others diminished.
We all know the story about her encounter at a young age with Brett Kavanagh. That story was told and is in the history books. But a bit about her recent activities.
Blasey Ford, the woman who accused then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, was selected by Sports Illustrated to present an award honoring the first gymnast to publicly accuse former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar of abuse.
Ford recorded a video announcing Rachael Denhollander, a lawyer and former gymnast, as the recipient of Sports Illustrated's Inspiration of the Year award. The video marked Ford's first public statement since she testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about her allegation against Kavanaugh in September.
“I am in awe of you, and I will always be inspired by you,” Ford said in the video. “In stepping forward, you took a huge risk, and you galvanized future generations to come forward even when the odds are seemingly stacked against you.”
Ford was thrust into the national spotlight when she came forward over the summer to accuse Kavanaugh, then a nominee to the Supreme Court, of sexually assaulting her during a teenage party more than 30 years earlier.
Her future is up to her. Will she recede into the background as a footnote of history or will she become an advocate? In this perilous political time for women and others no one could blame her if she retreated to the sidelines. Either way, her guts and calm under fire is one of the reasons why she is one of the women we love in 2018.

THE FORTNEY SISTERS

The five Fortney sisters who came forward about sexual abuse from a priest on Smart Talk Radio.  

Fortney sisters (from left) Marisa, Lara, Patty, Carolyn, and Teresa, on a trip to Adventure Park. The picture was taken by Father Giella, the priest they say who abused them.

This year with our feature, we have an unprecedented occurrence. It was spurred on by the Roman Catholic Sexual Abuse scandal which hit Pennsylvania very hard. Many horrible cases came to light but the most incredible, ugly and morally apprehensive was the abuse of five sisters in one family. Four Pennsylvania sisters said they were all sexually abused by the same Catholic priest in Dauphin County. One sister claimed that the despicable acts began when she was a toddler.
Patty, Lara, Teresa and Carolyn, the Fortney sisters said they were victimized by their priest in the central Pennsylvania town of Enhaut beginning in the early 1980s.
Carolyn said she wasn’t even 2 when abuse began. She told The New York Post she never realized it until she was `12. ”
A Pennsylvania grand jury documented cases of more than 1,000 kids who were abused by more than 300 priests.
The Fortney sisters said they grew up idolizing the late Rev. Augustine Giella, and didn’t view his kindness as anything sinister.
He would give them candy, clothes, and toys. In some cases, the priest molested one sister in front of the others,. According to Fortney-Julius, the good padre was very hands on. “He was constantly hugging me in front of them, kissing me in front of them, trying to put his tongue in your mouth. He needed to know my cup size. I would continually remind myself, ‘He’s my priest. He’s the mediator between God and man. This is OK”.
The priest was so brazen, he’d even touch the girls in front of their parents.
Giella was later arrested and charged with possession of child porn and sexual assault. Fortney-Julius said Giella, who retired in 1989, was found to have pornographic pictures – including nude images of her sister Carolyn.

Giella was later arrested and charged with possession of child porn and sexual assault.
He died in 1993 at the age of 72, awaiting trial. The women said they hope their horrific tale will inspire other victims to come forward.
The Diocese of Harrisburg told various news organizations that it sent apologies and prayers to the family. The sisters, who have all left the Catholic Church, said they’ve never received a direct apology from the archdiocese.
The sisters have become advocates and activists traveling the state to impress upon people the need to have legislation extended so that victims can sue the Church for their situation and get both justice and closure. Appearing on various TV shows and radio the sisters wanted the statute of limitations window changed so that the window for legal action could be put in place. Most of the Senate and House of Representatives agreed but Senator Pro Tem Joe Scarnatti blocked the amendment not once, not twice.

The cowardly Scarnetti in typical right wing fashion said that it was not Constitutional and the courts should handle it. To many he has become almost an enabler to pedophiles or a tool of the Church that just might want this to go away. Everyone in the Pa Legislature WANTS this window extension. Except him! But history, public opinion as well as his maker will judge him.
However where there is no ambiguity is the courage and zeal of the sisters who have come forward to share their pain as well as their fight for further justice. It is for this reason that for the first time in our decades long history of this feature…..we salute women in one family who have come forward to tell the ugly truth of their religion and how it shaped them. Calling them courageous is an understatement.That's why The Fortney Sisters are 5 of the women we love in 2018.

BETTY GRISSOM

The widow of the second American in space, Betty Grissom is recognized posthumously for her dedication to her husband, country and space program. At first she was one of the wives of the original Mercury 7. Always at his aide in public, taking care of hearth and home. But her husband’s untimely death in Apollo I nearly 52 years ago made her into an advocate for space craft safety.
Nearly four years after the fire, Mr. Grissom’s widow, who was raising two sons on her own, filed a multimillion-dollar wrongful death suit against the Apollo program’s primary contractor, North American Rockwell. (The government itself cannot be sued.)
The statute of limitations for wrongful death for survivors was two years and had expired, said Ronald D. Krist, the Houston lawyer who represented Ms. Grissom. But the general negligence statute was four years and had not expired, allowing her to sue for Mr. Grissom’s pain and suffering. She settled for $350,000, or about $2.2 million in today’s dollars.
Her action brought Ms. Grissom considerable grief, with strangers accusing her of being unpatriotic and the close-knit space community shunning her.
The experience embittered the family, said Mark Grissom, who was 13 when his father died.
“We got the dark side of NASA,” he said in a telephone interview on Thursday. “People who were my friends were no longer my friends. A lot of people turned their back on us, and Mom got a lot of hate mail. They were like, ‘How dare you sue NASA?’ We were no longer part of the NASA family.”
Mr. Krist said that NASA had forwarded her a note from one critic who said that Ms. Grissom should not be filing a suit because her husband had assumed a certain amount of risk by being an astronaut.
But Mr. Krist, a product-liability lawyer, said the astronauts had a right to expect that their capsule would be properly designed and that all prudent precautions would be taken to protect them. “The capsule was anything but fireproof,” he said.
In any case, Mr. Krist said, the suit made it easier for the families of the other two astronauts who were killed to receive compensation without having to go to court.
Betty Lavonne Moore was born on Aug. 8, 1927, in Mitchell, Ind., to Claude and Pauline (Sutherlin) Moore. Her father worked at a cement plant. She grew up in Mitchell and met Mr. Grissom in high school. They soon married, and she got a job as a late-night telephone operator for Indiana Bell while he studied mechanical engineering at Purdue University on the G.I. Bill.
Ms. Grissom spoke with friends and guests at a memorial event at Cape Canaveral on Jan. 27, 2017, the 50th anniversary of the Apollo disaster.CreditScott McIntyre for The New York Times
Ms. Grissom spoke with friends and guests at a memorial event at Cape Canaveral on Jan. 27, 2017, the 50th anniversary of the Apollo disaster.CreditScott McIntyre for The New York Times
In addition to her son Mark, Ms. Grissom is survived by another son, Scott; two grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Her sister, Mary Lou Fosbrink, is deceased.
In the 1983 movie adaptation of “The Right Stuff,” Ms. Grissom was portrayed by Veronica Cartwright and Mr. Grissom by Fred Ward.
When she received news of her husband’s death in 1967, Ms. Grissom was at a friend’s house for their weekly poker game. She said at the time that she had “already died 100,000 deaths” being married to an astronaut.
An early scare came in July 1961 after Mr. Grissom, as the second American in space, had successfully completed a 15-minute suborbital flight under the Mercury program. He nearly drowned when his capsule landed in the Atlantic Ocean and sank after the hatch blew off prematurely.

 On Jan. 27, 2017, on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo disaster, Ms. Grissom and her family attended a small memorial ceremony at Cape Canaveral on Launch Complex 34, the now-crumbling concrete site where her husband’s capsule had been engulfed in flames.
The site was decorated with three red, white and blue floral wreaths provided by the Grissom family to honor all three men who had perished. She and her family had come annually on the anniversary of the fire, but she said she sensed that this would be her last time.
In contrast to the way she had been shunned in earlier days, Ms. Grissom was the center of attention, according to an account in The New York Times.
Betty Lavonne Moore was born on Aug. 8, 1927, in Mitchell, Ind., to Claude and Pauline (Sutherlin) Moore. Her father worked at a cement plant. She grew up in Mitchell and met Mr. Grissom in high school. They soon married, and she got a job as a late-night telephone operator for Indiana Bell while he studied mechanical engineering at Purdue University on the G.I. Bill.
She told an interviewer that her husband’s sacrifice had helped pave the way for future missions in which other astronauts made it to the moon.
Still, she said, “I’m pretty sure he got to the moon before they did.”
“Of course he didn’t make it,” she added, “but in spirit I think he was already there.” Her spirit, her determination not to sit quietly and just go with the flow as most wives of astronauts did, makes her a compelling choice, albeit posthumously for one of the women we love.

LINDA JOSEPH

We see her in the community  at debates, city hall ceremonies and at political gatherings. You'll see her at church and other volunteer functions too. That person with the easy smile and determined manner is Linda Joseph.  In her retirement, she has become the face of involvement in her home area known to many as Rolling Mill Hill section of Wilkes Barre city. 
Linda is a graduate of Meyers High School, Class of 1972. She has lived in the Rolling Mill Hill area of Wilkes-Barre all of her life. She has recently retired from a local accounting/tax preparation office as Administrative Office Assistant/Tax Preparer. Since retiring, she has given enormous time to volunteering in many capacities. Her faith is extremely important to ger as a lifelong parishioner at St. Anthony-St.George Maronite Church having served as bookkeeper, Altar & Rosary President and Treasurer, member of Parish Council, parish choir and various committees throughout the years. 

Where she has really made her public mark is as the President of the Rolling Mill Hill Residents’ Association since 2016 when it was newly established under the guidance of Wilkes-Barre City Councilman Tony Brooks. The association has worked together with Councilman Brooks and WB City Administration in providing information and helping residents express their concerns and we work to achieve a better quality of life for those in Rolling Mill Hill. Their Annual Halloween Party for all children throughout Wilkes-Barre and surrounding areas has been a great success in offering a free event that was enjoyed by over 400 children and parents this year. The association has participated and supported many of the city sponsored events such as the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the Christmas Parade, Halloween downtown, Crime Watch National Night Out, Earth Day Clean Up Campaign, etc. Linda attends the meetings of the Downtown Residents’ Association on a regular basis and participates in their events held during the year and occasionally attend the meetings and events of the South Wilkes-Barre Residents’ Association. She also volunteers at the First Presbyterian Church in Wilkes-Barre at their Annual Christmas Dinner for those who are alone for the holidays.
You can see her at all the Wilkes-Barre City Council Work Sessions and Public Meetings for the last 3 years to learn more about the workings of city government and to voice my thoughts and opinions in many instances. Joseph is a strong advocate of everyone working together to help improve Wilkes-Barre and move the city forward. In addition, she attends monthly meetings of the Rolling Mill Hill/Iron Triangle/Mayflower Crime Watch of which she is a member.
Joseph is also member of the board and the Secretary/Treasurer of the Wilkes-Barre Preservation Society. She is proud to have played an integral part in the purchase and ongoing restoration of the Zebulon Butler House on South River Street, the oldest house in Wilkes-Barre. By doing this work, her appreciation of the historical richness in Wilkes-Barre and all of Wyoming Valley has increased.
Joseph is a board member of the Osterhout Free Library and a member of their Development and Community Relations Committee. She also, works closely with the South Branch of the library located in Rolling Mill Hill. As if that’s not enough, she recently volunteered and was appointed to the Parking Ticket Appeal Board for the city of Wilkes-Barre for a 2 year term. 
Wilkes-Barre City Council President Tony Brooks perhaps summed it all up the best way. When you meet Linda Joseph, she in some way makes an impact in your life. Brooks told us, "There are times in your life when someone walks through the door and in a matter of weeks it feels like you have known them your whole life. A simple knock on Linda Joseph’s door in Rolling Mill Hill as I was campaigning in 2015 changed both our lives forever. In three short years she has become the neighborhood activist and organizer (some call Empress of Hill) with a love and drive to make Wilkes-Barre better. Linda’s dedication to uplifting the lives of neighborhood children, preserving the oldest house in Wilkes-Barre and her steadfast love of St. Anthony’s + St. George’s is an inspiration to us all."
Joseph’s dedication to her hometown and neighborhood is one of the reasons why she is one of The Women We Love in 2018. Unlike others who talk a good game, Linda puts her head down and gets the assigned task done.

GUERLINE L. LAURORE

As outgoing President of the Wilkes Barre Chapter of the NAACP Attorney Laurore has been front and center in the fight for equal justice and equality in Northeastern Pennsylvania. For way too long the word “freedom” has been taken over by those who never lost it, don’t appreciate it and want it for their cause but not others. Attorney Laurore’s leadership for the Freedom Fighters of the local chapter of the NAACP has been evident and articulate. .
She made news earlier this year at the NAACP Martin Luther King breakfast when she took on President Trump for his comments about Haiti, her country of origin being a shit hole. If you were in that audience, she methodically made the case against the inaccuracies and hate exhibited by the President.
Laurore’s road to Wilkes Barre has been inspiring. Originally from Haiti, she graduated from high school in French Guiana and later moved to France, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in1995 and a master’s degree in clinical psychology and psychopathology in 1996 from University of Provence Center of Aix.
She moved to the United States in1997 and worked in the human services field for about seven years. She earned a juris doctorate degree in 2004 from Widener University School of Law in Wilmington, Del. Ms. Laurore is licensed to practice law in the Pennsylvania and New Jersey state courts as well as federal courts since 2004. She has been admitted in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and Michigan's state courts since 2005. She is a member of the American Bar Association (ABA) and American Immigration Lawyers Association. Ms. Laurore is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) Minority Bar Committee and is the diversity representative of its Solo and Small Firm Section, of which she is also an elected council member. Ms. Laurore is also the diversity representative of the PBA Law Related Education Committee, of which she is also the chair. She is a member of the PBA House of Delegates, the PBA Task Force on the Interbranch Commission Report on Juvenile Justice and the PBA Commission for Justice Initiatives in Pennsylvania. A graduate of the PBA Bar Leadership Institute (BLI) class of 2010-2011, she is co-vice chair of the Immigration Law Committee and is a member of the PBA Commission on Women in the Profession, Quality of Life/ Balance Committee and Legal Services to the Public Committee. She is the Mock Trial District 3 coordinator, and at the local level, she is Potter County Bar Association pro bono coordinator. In addition, she is the president of Coudersport Elementary Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA). Dedicated to ending domestic violence, she is a member of the Domestic Violence Attorney Network (DVAN) and sits on the board of A Way Out, an organization servicing survivors of domestic violence. Ms. Laurore is the 2011 recipient of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Michael K. Smith Excellence in Service Award.
Locally, in addition to her NAACP duties, Laurore is an immigration lawyer. Her client services include
Immigration Consequences of Criminal Activity
Deportation and Removal Defense
Family-Based Green Cards and Adjustment of Status
Naturalization and Citizenship
Worksite Enforcement
Appeals and Federal Litigation
Laurore has offices in the Bicentennial Building on Public Square. 
During her term as NAACP head, her passion, knowledge and eloquence of the issues we as a society face in these turbulent times is one of the reasons why Attorney Laurore is one of the women we love in 2018. 

‘NANCY PELOSI

It is with great pleasure and pride that we tell you that Nancy Pelosi is one of the LuLac women we love this year. Pelosi has been the fodder of right wing loudmouths and Conservatives who blindly question her knowledge and patriotism with little regard for the facts. For years even Democrats wanted to jettison her because she made people uncomfortable. They said she was a lightning rod for Democrats who believed that the old white men with no college degrees would be won over if they got rid of her! What garbage. Those guys aren’t coming back to the party that made them members of the middle class.
Pelosi has shown strength in trying to school this ignorant President in the way of not only government or common sense.
Here’s what she is all about.
From 2007 to 2011, Pelosi served as Speaker of the House, the first woman to do so in American history. As the Democratic Leader, Pelosi is fighting for bigger paychecks and better infrastructure for America’s middle class families. In 2013, she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Seneca Falls, the birthplace of the American women’s rights movement.
For 31 years, Leader Pelosi has represented San Francisco, California's 12th District, in Congress. She has led House Democrats for more than 16 years and previously served as House Democratic Whip.
Under the leadership of Pelosi, the 111th Congress was heralded as "one of the most productive Congresses in history" by Congressional scholar Norman Ornstein. President Barack Obama called Speaker Pelosi “an extraordinary leader for the American people," and the Christian Science Monitor wrote: “…make no mistake: Nancy Pelosi is the most powerful woman in American politics and the most powerful House Speaker since Sam Rayburn a half century ago.”
Working in partnership with President Obama, Speaker Pelosi led House passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in early 2009 to create and save millions of American jobs, provide relief for American families, and provide a tax cut to 95 percent of working Americans. With the House Democratic Caucus, Pelosi continues to focus on the need to create jobs in America and prevent them from being shipped overseas.
Speaker Pelosi achieved passage of historic health insurance reform legislation in the House which establishes a Patients’ Bill of Rights and will provide insurance for tens of millions more Americans while lowering health care costs over the long term. The new law provides patients with affordable insurance choices, curbs abuses by the insurance industry, strengthens Medicare, and reduces the deficit by more than $100 billion over the next 10 years.
In the 111th Congress, Speaker Pelosi also led the Congress in passing strong Wall Street reforms to rein in big banks and protect consumers as well as the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, which expands educational opportunities and reforms the financial aid system to save billions of taxpayers’ dollars. Additional key legislation passed into law included the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to restore the ability of women and all workers to access our judicial system to fight pay discrimination; legislation to provide health care for 11 million American children; national service legislation; and hate crimes legislation. In late 2010, Pelosi led the Congress in passing child nutrition and food safety legislation as well as repealing the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which prohibited gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military.
Pelosi has made energy security her flagship issue, enacting comprehensive energy legislation in 2007 that raised vehicle fuel efficiency standards for the first time in 32 years and making an historic commitment to American home grown biofuels. In 2009, under her leadership, the House passed the landmark American Clean Energy and Security Act – a comprehensive bill to create clean energy jobs, combat climate change, and transition America to a clean energy economy. The legislation was blocked by Republicans in the United States Senate, but sent a strong signal to the world about the United States’ commitment to fighting the climate crisis.
A leader on the environment at home and abroad, Pelosi secured passage of the “Pelosi amendment” in 1989, now a global tool to assess the potential environmental impacts of development. In San Francisco, Pelosi was the architect of legislation to create the Presidio Trust and transform the former military post into an urban national park.
In continuing to push for accountability and transparency in government, under Speaker Pelosi, the House passed the toughest ethics reform legislation in the history of the Congress, including the creation of an independent ethics panel, and increased accountability and transparency in House operations, including earmark reforms. As Speaker, Pelosi led the fight to pass the DISCLOSE Act in the House, which fights a corporate takeover of U.S. elections and ensures additional disclosure; she continues to fight for this legislation today.
Additional key accomplishments signed into law under the leadership of Speaker Pelosi include: an increase in the minimum wage for the first time in 10 years; the largest college aid expansion since the GI bill; a new GI education bill for Post 9/11 veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars; and increased services and resources for veterans, spouses, survivors, caregivers, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Pelosi comes from a strong family tradition of public service. Her late father, Thomas D'Alesaanddro Jr., served as Mayor of Baltimore for 12 years, after representing the city for five terms in Congress. Her brother, Thomas D'Alesandro III, also served as Mayor of Baltimore. She graduated from Trinity College in Washington, D.C. She and her husband, Paul Pelosi, a native of San Francisco, have five grown children and nine grandchildren. 
Her ability to withstand blistering, ignorant criticism, her backbone in defending an agenda for those who are not regarded as part of the President's America and her ability to forge a return to true middle class values are the main reasons why Nancy Pelosi is one of the women we love in 2018. 

CECILY STRONG

If you are a fan of “Saturday Night Live” you’ve got to love the versatility and talent of Cecily Strong.
Strong was born in Springfield, Illinois, and was raised in Oak Park, Illinois, an inner ring suburb of Chicago.She is the daughter of Penelope and William "Bill" Strong, who worked as an Associated Press bureau chief and is now managing partner at a Chicago public relations firm. Strong's parents are divorced.[6] Strong grew up adoring SNL as a child, reenacting sketches to her friends and watching old SNL commercials on VHS. "I had a tape of the best commercials, and I wore it out, every day." She has stated that she was inspired by Phil Hartman
Strong performed regularly at The Second City and iO Chicago. Strong has performed on a "cruise ship with fellow Second City members for four months". She appeared at the Chicago Sketch Fest, Chicago Just for Laughs, New York Sketchfest, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, at the Goodman Theater, Bailiwick Theater, the Mercury Theater, and with the all-female improv troupe Virgin Daiquia.
Strong debuted as a featured player on Saturday Night Live on September 15, 2012. Strong co-anchored the recurring Weekend Update segment with Seth Meyers, beginning with the season 39 premiere. Strong later co-anchored with Colin Jost,[16] and was replaced on Weekend Update with writer Michael Che, beginning with the season 40 premiere in September 2014, partly at her own request to focus on doing sketches as a part of the regular cast. 
Strong's recurring characters include an extremely ditzy, unintelligent and unnamed pseudo-activist known as "The Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation With at a Party"; Dana, a loud-mouthed, unfriendly retail employee who always insults her coworkers out of fear of being fired; Heather, the One-Dimensional Female Character from a Male-Driven Comedy; Kyra from "The Girlfriends Talk Show"; Cathy Anne, the drug-addicted neighbor of Michael Che (usually introduced by Che as "the woman who's always yelling [sometimes "screaming"] outside my window"), who has strong opinions on current events; an unnamed blond former porn star-turned-model/commercial actress who hawks elegant items; Gemma, a British woman with various boyfriends; and Gracelynn Chisholm, one half of a married duo that hosts a talk show. Her celebrity impressions include Huma Abedin, Brooke Baldwin, Maria Bartiromo, Gloria Borger, Paula Broadwell, Erin Burnett, Marion Cotillard, Susan Collins, Stormy Daniels, Lana Del Rey, Fran Drescher, Gloria Estefan, Dianne Feinstein, Carly Fiorina, Ariana Grande, Hope Hicks, Scottie Nell Hughes, Anjelica Huston, Kendall Jenner, Khloe Kardashian, Jill Kelley, Megyn Kelly, Sarah Koenig, Tara Lipinski, Rachel Maddow, Kate Middleton, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Liza Minnelli, Alanis Morissette, Jeanine Pirro, Michelle Rodriguez, Melania Trump, Ivana Trump, Sofia Vergara and Allison Williams.
Strong was the featured entertainer at the 2015 White House Correspondents' Association dinner (cracking that she was the first straight woman to be so in twenty years). She took digs at the various news organizations in attendance, politicians of all persuasions, and President Obama. She also took shots at the US Secret Service, host location the Washington Hilton, Brian Williams, Sarah Koenig and the state of Indiana.
In 2016, she appeared in a commercial for Old Navy,[ alongside other SNL cast members Nasim Pedrad and Jay Pharoah. That year, Strong also joined the climate change documentary show Years of Living Dangerously as a celebrity correspondent. In 2016, she guest starred as Samantha Stevens in TBS's Angie Tribeca and Catherine Hobart in Fox's Scream Queens. She appeared in a series of commercials for Triscuit in 2017.
Her take off of characters, her range of motion in her imitations makes Cecily Strong one of the Women We Love in 2018.

LORRI VANDERMARK-PALOVCHAK

One of the Women we’ve always loved was Lorri Palovchak. Lorri has been front and center as a State Committee Woman for the Republican Party. Her loyalty to country and party has always been evident. Even in the most turbulent times, she could always be counted on to be a reasonable and reassuring voice.
Lorri ( Walko)Vandermark- Palovchak, was raised in Nanticoke Pennsylvania. The daughter of the late Maureen Mangan Walko and James (Jim) Walko. Jim was a Republican Committeman and because of him that Lorri became fascinated with the police process at a young age. She began attending political functions and helping at the polling places at the age of 9. Growing up in a town where Republicans were in the minority, Lorri earned the nick name of "The little Republican Girl". Lorri continued her involvement and later became the Chair of the 4th District Teenage Republicans. Throughout her teen years, she remained involved , working for local, State and National candidates. Her biggest honor during those times, was meeting Vice President George Bush and Barbara. In 1982, Lorri married her high school sweetheart, Frank Vandermark. Frank joined the United States Air Force. That started Lorri's journey as a 20 year military wife, while raising their children, Erik and Heidi. They lived in 5 states and Germany. Upon his military retirement, Frank and Lorri returned to NEPA and once again became involved with the Republican Party. Lorri served as Frank's campaign manager, when he was elected as the first Republican School Director for Nanticoke Area in the past 39 years!! She also was very proud to have been heavily involved in all of Congressman Barletta's congressional campaigns. In 2015, tragedy struck, when. Tsgt. Frank Vandermark became one of the 22 veterans each day, that we lose to suicide. Since that time, Lorri and her brave children, have become outspoken advocates for veterans rights and suicide prevention. Lorri also uses her experience as a Emergency Behavioral Health Crisis Counselor for the Department of Human Services to reach out to families and those contemplating suicide, on her social media platforms.
After Frank’s death, she of course went into the shock that survivors of such a loss feel. She told us, " You either get bitter or get better". She came across that saying after Frank's death. Already not living healthy and with his death sending her into a tail spin. She used it as motivation to change lifestyle. She became active and healthy, lost 70 pounds and started her own business with Young Living Essential Oils. She went from being a couch potato that ate junk food to walking 5 miles a day and removing bad food and toxins.
Lorri currently serves a member of the State Committee for the Republican Party of Pennsylvania. In addition to her counseling and training consultation with the Commonwealth, she is the Manager of Public Relations for LCTA ( Luzerne County Transportation Authority). Lorri has be Lorri is also thrilled to have been married on December 8th, to David Palovchak. David and Lorri currently live in Swoyersville with their dog Diva. They also enjoy visits from their three grandchildren, Daniel Daleo, Grayson Daleo and Evelyn Vandermark.
Her resiliency, knowledge, easy going manner but passionate beliefs make her one of the Women We Love in 2018.

NICOLE WALLACE

Every day this former White House operative in the Bush 43 White House takes it to the current occupant in her daily show on MSNBC “Dateline: White House.
From the White House to now, she has been a political commentator, author, current anchor of Deadline: White House, and chief political analyst for MSNBC and NBC News. She is a frequent contributor and guest host on MSNBC programs The 11th Hour with Brian Williams and Morning Joe, as well as NBC's Today Show. She is a former co-host of the long-running ABC talk show The View (season 18.)
In her former political career, Wallace served as the White House Communications Director during the presidency of George W. Bush and in his 2004 re-election campaign. Wallace also served as a senior advisor for John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign. She appeared frequently on network and cable news programs as the campaign's spokesperson and defender. Wallace also served as a senior advisor for the McCain–Palin campaign in 2008. She appeared frequently on network and cable news programs as the campaign's top spokesperson and defender.
In late October 2008, campaign aides criticized vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. One unnamed McCain aide said Palin had "gone rogue," placing her own future political interests ahead of the McCain/Palin ticket, directly contradicting her running mate's positions, and disobeying directions from campaign managers. In response to reports of dissension within the McCain-Palin campaign, Wallace issued a statement to both Politico and CNN saying: "If people want to throw me under the bus, my personal belief is that the most honorable thing to do is to lie there."
Wallace was portrayed by Sarah Paulson in the 2012 film Game Change.Wallace described the film as highly credible, saying the film "captured the spirit and emotion of the campaign." Wallace also told ABC News Chief Political Correspondent George Stephanopoulos that the film was "true enough to make me squirm."
Wallace has stated she did not vote for a presidential candidate in 2008 because Sarah Palin gave her pause
Wallace is the author of The New York Times Best Seller list bestselling contemporary political novel, Eighteen Acres and It’s Classified. Her third novel Madam President was released in April 2015.
Wallace serves in a number of capacities with NBC News and its cable network MSNBC. She is the chief political analyst for MSNBC and NBC News.[1] She is a frequent contributor and guest host on MSNBC programs The 11th Hour with Brian Williams and Morning Joe, as well as on NBC's Today Show.
In 2016, Wallace, along with Brian Williams, Rachel Maddow, and Eugene Robinson, served as chief political commentator for MSNBC's live coverage of election results.
Since May 9, 2017, Wallace has been the anchor of Deadline: White House, which airs at 16:00 Eastern Time on MSNBC.
Everyday at 4pm on MSNBC, Wallace does a show that is fueled by the fire of a Republican administration that in normal times she could defend. But since January 20th, 2017 and the months that followed, the Republican party that she knew as well as many of our readers have known is gone. She pushes back and makes no bones about calling out the President and his brand of Republicanism. It is for that reason why Nicole Wallace is one of the women we love in 2018. 

Photo credits: LuLac archives, NASA, Times Leader, Citizen's Voice, NBC.com,  MSNBC, Philly.com, Smart Talk Radio, Lorri Vandermark-Palovchak, Linda Joseph Facebook.