Community Caretakers

For the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA), March is "Women in History" month, which the Naples chapter celebrates by honoring three exceptional leaders at the Women in History awards luncheon.

Two of this year’s honorees, Doris Reynolds and Lois Bolin, are working to preserve Naples’ history. Honoree Karen Rollins has made a career of helping Southwest Floridians deal with loss and grief.

The event is a major fundraiser for the Neapolitan ABWA, which provides ongoing education and support for its 50 area members, as well as educational opportunities for local youth. This year’s ceremony is themed "Keys to Success" and will take place March 14 at the Hilton Naples.

"There are a lot of women in Southwest Florida who are making history," says Gloria Kennedy, chairperson for the 2008 awards and a member of the honoree selection committee. "I think we came up with an excellent, diverse group."

Karen Rollins
Though she’s a self-professed "fix-it person," Rollins’ career path in healthcare has led her to a place where it would seem she can’t fix anything. As president and CEO of Avow Hospice in Collier County, Rollins is faced every day with the pain and grief of bereavement.

Yet Rollins deliberately sought a job in hospice after 25 years working in home healthcare, as part of her conscious effort to work with patients on a deeper, more intimate level.

"I think the most interesting and meaningful way to work is when you know that what you’ve done on any given day has made someone’s life more peaceful, more comforted, easier in some way," says 53-year-old Rollins. "Hospice is a place where that happens all the time."