BENTON HARBOR — 100 Women Strong, a nonprofit organization that provides emergency funds to Berrien County women, will host its sixth annual Leaders of Distinction luncheon at 11:30 a.m., Oct. 12, at Shadowland on Silver Beach, 333 Broad St., St. Joseph.

Sarah Spoonholtz, chair of the organization, announced they honor Margaret Adams, municipal clerk, entrepreneur, and program manager for the Women’s Business Center at Cornerstone Alliance, as this year’s Leader of Distinction. The keynote speaker will be Norma Tirado, Lakeland HealthCare’s vice president of human resources, information technology, organizational transformation and chief talent and transformation officer.

Honoree Adams brings 20 years of past experience working for the City of Benton Harbor, the last 15 years as the municipal clerk. She is also the co-owner and operator of Adams’ Rib, an event planning and catering business.

Adams has worked for Cornerstone Alliance since 1999 and received the program manager position for the WBC in 2004. In 2006, she was certified as a small business counselor from the Academy of Professional Small Business Consultants at Grand Valley State University.

In 2012, she received the Small Business Administration’s Michigan Women Business Champion of the Year Award. Additionally, she has helped multiple businesses, focusing on female owned and operated, open in southwest Michigan.

Keynote speaker Tirado is Lakeland HealthCare’s vice president of human resources, information technology, organizational transformation, and chief talent and transformation officer. She joined Lakeland on Feb. 1, 2010.

A graduate of Marquette University, Tirado also holds an executive master’s degree in business administration degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in healthcare administration at Central Michigan University.

Professionally she is a member of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, certified in Emotional Intelligence and the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives.

As a community member, she is the president of the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors as well as a board member of Cornerstone Alliance and Executive Committee of the Senior PGA.

In 2015 Norma was selected by the readers of Healthcare IT News as one of the 2015 H.I.T. Men & Women of the year, she has received the Ally of the Year Award from the Outcenter in Benton Harbor, and has led an IT team that has won the most prestigious Healthcare IT Awards in the country: HIMSS7, Davies Award of Excellence and Most Wired.

100 Women Strong is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves women who are not eligible for other community resources. These women are either working or attending school and can receive a one-time grant up to $500 to pay for emergency car repairs, health, utility or other unexpected bills. 100 Women Strong’s intent is to help women stay self-sufficient and keep them from quitting work or school because no emergency funds were available to them in a time of need.