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City employee group Willow honors Joan Thompson, Debbie Martin and Clara Luper legacy at Women’s History Month kickoff
Summary
At a Willow kickoff event marking Women’s History Month, city employees honored local leaders Joan Thompson and Debbie Martin, and Reverend Dr. Lee E. Cooper Jr. highlighted the Clara Luper sit-in memorial and the role of everyday leadership.
Bridget Shinn, a lieutenant with the police department and the incoming chair of Willow, opened the group’s 2026 Women’s History Month kickoff, describing Willow as “a resource group committed to supporting, developing, and connecting women and allies to achieve both career and personal success.”
The event honored two long-serving local officials: Joan Thompson, credited with leading the 1994 modernization of the city’s solid waste operations that introduced 90-gallon automated carts, one-person collection trucks, a scheduled bulk-waste program and curbside recycling, and Debbie Martin, recognized for more than five decades of city service including work alongside multiple mayors,…
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