Charleston woman one of recipients of inaugural Women of Achievement Award

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A Charleston woman was one of 10 women to receive the inaugural Lieutenant Governor’s Women of Achievement Award Thursday.

Sherry Branch-Maxwell, of Charleston, was honored at the Missouri State Capitol Thursday morning, along with nine others, with the award, created this year to recognize the diverse accomplishments of Missouri women.

Branch-Maxwell is the assistant area coordinator for Lincoln University Cooperative Extension and is innovative in leading partnerships, integrating youth programming, food and nutrition programs, while working closely with state officials to expand assistance to those in need.

She has been a driving force in Missouri for more than four decades, overseeing the provision of capacity-building assistance to promote evidence-informed practices with state and local partners.

For over 35 years, Branch-Maxwell has embraced positive youth development, policy change and truly believes in the strength and ability of youth in the Missouri Bootheel.

Branch-Maxwell’s most notable project, is Kids’ Beat. At one time the organization had an enrollment of over 1,500 members across more than 30 clubs in all six Bootheel counties, including Butler and Cape Girardeau. She has served on several gubernatorial boards, including but not limited to, The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. State Celebration Commission, The Children’s Trust Fund, African American Task Force and the Missouri Commission for Volunteerism.

Most recently, Branch-Maxwell was the 2021 DeVerne Lee Calloway Woman of the Year Award recipient.

Others honored at the ceremony were: Ali Kindle Hogan of St. Louis, Kathy Nelson of Kansas City, Starr Kohler of Springfield, Sharon Beshore of Joplin, Dr. Marion Pierson of Kansas City, Major General Cassie Strom of St. Louis, Libby Martin of California who currently resides in Columbia, Sharon Naught of Jefferson City and Stephanie Mills of Kirksville.

“I was raised by a single mother of six, which greatly impacted my life, and I wanted to create a way to honor the incredible work women do in Missouri,” Kehoe said. “These ten recipients are diverse in talent, from agriculture to entrepreneurship and community service to non-for-profit work. They are also a direct representation of the high achievement of the high achievement this award is intended to represent.”