Women’s Recognition Day 2026 Adult Winners
Arts Award
Aleta Hoff
The Arts Award is given to a woman who makes a significant contribution in the field of arts in our community. This could be through their artistic talent or through teaching and influencing others in their artistic abilities.
This year’s Arts Award goes to Aleta Hoff.
Aleta is very involved in the school music scene. Aleta provides musical accompaniment for solo and ensemble students in both Dunlap and Pekin Community High Schools. She also provides accompaniment for several schools’ musicals each year, including most recently Delavan’s Newsies, Peoria’s Young Frankenstein, and Midwest Central’s Shrek the Musical. In addition to providing accompaniment for school band’s solo and ensemble contests and school musicals, Aleta also plays for the Lincoln K-8 children’s chorus, and she plays organ, piano, and accordion for Bethel Lutheran Church in Bartonville and St. Anne’s in Peoria. She is also a member of several social bands in the area, such as the Mardi Gras Band, Caper Club, Pops Orchestra, River Valley Big Band, and the Aristocrats.
Her nominator says, “Aleta is a class act. I met her while we were both volunteering in our children’s primary school; she was in the Learning Center laminating for teachers and I was reshelving books. She has never stopped volunteering: from PTA, to classroom volunteering, to chaperoning band events, and eventually using her musical talent to accompany the many musicians she encountered.”
If you ask Aleta about her musical talent and how she uses it in her community, she most enjoys the joy it brings to those who get to hear it. From nursing home, to park concerts, to school musicals and competitions, she most enjoys being able to encourage young musicians to play their best by being their accompanist.
Aleta, because of your musical talent, your teaching and encouraging young people in music, and the joy you bring in any kind of music you do, the YWCA is proud to award you the Arts Award for 2026. Congratulations.
Business Award
Jackie Hale
The Business Award is given to a woman in the business and non-profit sectors who make a significant contribution in their field. This year’s Business Award recipient is Jackie Hale.
Jackie’s nominator is Illinois Oil Marketing Equipment. Located on Brenkman Drive right here in Pekin, Illinois Oil Marketing Equipment celebrated its 30th anniversary as an Employee Stock Ownership Plan company last year.
Jackie Hale started working as a part-time cleaner at Illinois Oil Marketing Equipment when she was a teenager and her mom, Joyce Hale was the Office Manager. She took time to get her associate’s degree at Lincoln Christian College and spent a few years decorating cakes at the Cake Shoppe in Bartonville but continued to do part-time work for IOME. Twenty-two years ago, she began working full-time for them, holding a variety of positions including accounts payable, bid billing, and construction coordinator until she moved into the leadership team as Integrator. As Integrator, she is the operational backbone of IOME, where she oversees a staff of 74, serves as secretary of the board of directors, and is the key to putting the vision of IOME into action.
Her company says of her, “Jackie’s leadership style is very approachable with a special appreciation for staff. She is selfless, trustworthy, and keeps a positive, upbeat attitude even while keeping a full schedule that few would be able to keep up with. She has an eye for detail that some might call OCD tendencies, but we appreciate her precision and thoroughness. Jackie is never the one looking for center stage. She happily sits with groups to brainstorm ideas, lend her vision and contribute her talents, but she shies away from the accolades and awards. She builds up the people around her and graciously gives them credit for achievements where she was integral.”
As an organization under Jackie’s leadership, IOME has been active with the YWCA Pekin Early Childhood book drive, Theresa Tracy Trot to raise funds for research of pancreatic cancer, Tazewell County Veterans’ Assistance food drives, along with toy drives and other fundraisers. She continues to guide IOME to expand its footprint and awareness of our company and our trade throughout the community, especially with students through career fairs and other student engagements.
Outside of work, Jackie enjoys her family and her rescue dog, loves disc golf, and is extremely crafty, coming up with ideas or making fun gifts for the parties and events IOME hosts for its employees. Jackie has also actively participated with Petroleum Equipment Institute and Female Integrator Mastermind, a networking and support group.
Jackie, your company admires and values you for all your contributions to their business and to your community. The YWCA agrees and is happy to award you with the 2026 Business Award. Congratulations.
Community Service
Judy Davis
Recipients of the Community Service Award include women who are professionals and/or volunteers in government, public service, politics, and/or community action. This year’s winner of the Community Service Award is Judy Davis.
The Moose Lodge of Pekin nominated Judy for the Community Service Award for her dedication to the Pekin Moose and to Mooseheart and Moosehaven, as well as to many other Pekin community organizations.
Let’s begin with the Pekin Moose Lodge. It is part of the Moose fraternity, an international organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of children, seniors, and communities through charitable efforts and social connections. Members join together to foster a sense of camaraderie while celebrating life and making a positive impact in their local areas. Judy became a member of Women of the Moose in 1965 and has spent 61 years serving her community. Her commitment, dedication, and steadfast work ethic are admired by all members, who aspire to follow her example. Her strong belief in the mission led her to enroll approximately 650 new members. Just this past Saturday at a Moose event, she signed up six more.
Judy also deeply believes in the Moose’s mission to support Mooseheart, a 1000-acre campus and home for children and teens, from infancy through high school, in northern Illinois. Mooseheart cares for youth whose families are unable, for a wide variety of reasons, to care for them. The nominators from the Moose say that they could not begin to count the number of fundraisers Judy has organized to support Mooseheart.
Judy has also contributed to the Pekin area in countless ways. She called bingo at a local nursing home for 35 years, organized Moose Family walkers for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s for 12 years, and collected fleece blankets for the Children’s Home in Peoria. Other organizations that have benefited from her commitment are the Salvation Army, Center for Prevention of Abuse, TAPS animal shelter, the Pekin Library, ALS United, and too many others to name.
It is fitting that Judy Davis was honored as the first female recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Illinois Moose Association in 2014. Judy, your dedication to the Moose, the children of Mooseheart, and countless charitable organizations in our community make you an outstanding example of a selfless, dedicated servant who makes so many lives better. The YWCA is honored to award you the 2026 Community Service Award. Congratulations.
Outstanding Employee
Susan Jones
The Outstanding Employee Award is given to a woman who is constantly looking for ways to improve herself and contribute more to her organization or company. This year, the Outstanding Employee Award goes to Susan Jones.
Susan is the Technology Manager at Pekin Insurance. Within Pekin Insurance, Susan is a passionate advocate for innovation. She plays a key role in fostering a culture of creativity within IT by organizing Innovation Days four times a year, encouraging teams to explore new ideas and apply their skills in forward- thinking ways. Her leadership style is approachable and supportive, creating an environment where team members feel safe and empowered, especially evident in how she successfully guided a group of business analysts through a recent organizational transition into the IT department.
Susan also demonstrates a strong commitment to the community through her leadership and service. She currently serves on the R. David Tebben Leadership Academy Committee through the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce, representing Pekin Insurance as a sponsor. As a graduate of this program, Susan now helps advance its mission: to identify, inform, and develop emerging and established leaders by exposing them to the realities, opportunities, and challenges within the local community. In this role, she collaborates with fellow committee members to plan and execute the annual Leadership Academy, including coordinating 10 classroom sessions, 10 field experiences, recruiting speakers, and supporting program facilitation and the graduation event.
Susan also serves on the board of directors for Nitsch Theatre Arts, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creativity and arts education, further reflecting her investment in enriching the community.
Beyond her professional and community contributions, Susan is also a dedicated mother who invests significant time supporting her daughter and her activities.
Susan, for your creative, innovative leadership at Pekin Insurance, your contributions to the Tebben Leadership Academy, and your dedication to theater arts, your colleagues at Pekin Insurance believe you are an outstanding employee. The YWCA agrees, and we congratulate you on receiving the 2026 Outstanding Employee Award. Congratulations.
