Community News

The Zonta Club of Oswego will present its 2019 Amelia Earhart Woman of Achievement Award to Jillian Shaver at its annual recognition ceremony on June 18 at 5:30 pm at the Lake Ontario Event and Conference Center.

The award is presented annually to a woman who has dedicated herself to her community and who serves as a role model for young women. Zonta Club President Inga Back said, “Jillian’s work to bring the Children’s Museum of Oswego to life exemplifies what we look for when we select an Amelia Earhart Woman of Achievement. She has shown leadership and commitment and has dedicated herself to responding to a specific community need. We are so excited to recognize Jillian’s hard work and success as part of our mission to honor and highlight successful women in our community.”

Jillian Shaver is originally from Connecticut.  She studied and earned her degree in Child Development & Psychology at George Washington University.  Her husband, an Oswego native, is a United States Naval Officer so they lived in California, Hawaii, Virginia, South Carolina, and Saratoga, NY before moving back to Oswego in 2012.  As a mother of two young children she was always very interested in children's museums in each of their communities as it provided a fun developmental opportunity for children to explore and learn about the world around them.  When deciding to move back to Oswego Jillian felt that it was a great place to raise her children, but it was lacking the one thing she always looked for, a children's museum.  She knew that she could work to make an impact on her new community by introducing her ideas.  

Jillian has worked tirelessly to build the Children's Museum of Oswego (CMOO) into what it is today.  She reached out to the community to develop connections and share her ideas.  The CMOO not only offers the museum in the center of Oswego, but they also bring exhibits to the community in the Children's Park at Harborfest, Oswego Farmer's Market, and other events throughout the year.  Children's museums are currently the largest growing museum type and Jillian works closely with the Association of Children’s Museums as she continues to develop CMOO.   The Children's Museum of Oswego recently raised 1.35 million dollars through their capital campaign.  Through her work she has been able to secure supporters for the CMOO including Novelis, Pathfinder Bank, Shineman Foundation, Downtown Revitalization Initiative, Oswego County Federal Credit Union, Oswego Family Dentistry, Burke’s Do It Best Home Center, Exelon, Oswego Speedway, C’s Farm Market and others.

In addition to her work with CMOO, Jillian has also been involved with Trinity Catholic School, Harborfest Children's Park Committee, United Way, and the Literacy Council.  In 2016, Jillian was also one of 22 Women of Distinction recognized by Senator Patty Richie.

The greatest part about the Children's Museum for Jillian is seeing the reactions of the children when they walk in the door and begin exploring.  She is most excited to see how they will respond to the new water table exhibit when they reopen June 18, 2019.   Her hope is that CMOO will not only be a resource to the local community, but it will also help bring visitors into Oswego as families look for engaging locations for the whole family.  Jillian's ultimate goal for the future of CMOO is that through community support and fundraisers the museum will be sustainable for generations to come.

Amelia Earhart was an aviator as well a prominent figure in Zonta International as an early member of the organization in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Earhart once said, “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.” Jillian Shaver has been tenacious in her work for the CMOO and has made a lasting impact on the residents of Oswego County.

The Woman of Achievement award was started in 1985 by the Zonta Club of Oswego to honor a woman annually whose hard work and dedication has made a difference in the lives of families in the Oswego community. The Amelia Dinner also serves to raise funds for college scholarships for young women from Oswego County as well as other programming aimed at increasing the status of women.

The Amelia Award dinner will be held at the Lake Ontario Event and Conference Center in Oswego, on Tuesday, June 18, 2019, starting at 5:30pm and will feature both the Amelia Woman of Achievement Award presentation and the presentation of several scholarships made possible through this annual event. For tickets or to make a contribution visit the Zonta Club of Oswego Facebook page or contact Inga Back at 315-806-0785 or ingaback@yahoo.com.