Williams’s win was announced at the second annual wINC Recognition Luncheon

ATASCADERO — The Springhill Suites by Marriott event space was filled to the brim with women from all over the county, with a few men sprinkled in here and there, to celebrate the three finalists for The Atascadero Chamber of Commerce’s Women of Influence North County (wINC) at the second Annual wINC Recognition Luncheon. The lunch started at 11:30 a.m., and the fun continued for two hours before the 2024 wINC was officially announced.

“Thank you so much for attending the Women of Influence North County Luncheon. So excited to be here, and I’m very honored to be our emcee for the day, but more importantly, I’m very overwhelmed by the energy in the room. The people in the room,” said the afternoon’s Emcee Loreli Cappel. 

The whole of the Atascadero City Council was in attendance, including Councilmembers Heather Newsom, Mark Dariz, and Charles Bourbeau; Major Pro Tem Susan Funk; and Major Heather Moreno. Cappel thanked them all for being there and thanked the wINC voting committee, which, with a blind voting system, chose the three finalists: Young Won, Yessenia Echevarria, and Elissa Williams. This year, 35 women were nominated by members of the community who wrote heartfelt entries about each and every one of them.

During the festivities, Lee Perkins from the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Tech Trek spoke. The program sends local seventh-grade girls to a week-long camp led by women in science, technology, engineering, math, and all forms of STEM. The camp costs $1,200 per girl attending, but their families only pay $50.

“This year, proceeds from the wINC Recognition Luncheon will go to support AAUW’s Tech Trek,” Perkins stated. “So your contributions will support scholarships for 2025, furthering the achievement of girls in education.”

The luncheon’s lineup was stacked with inspiring female speakers who showed up to share their knowledge, encouragement, and good vibes with the audience. Cindy Wittstrom, who wrote the book “When the Brakes Fail,” was the guest speaker. Both her speech and her book were about her own struggles with mental health disorders. Rachel Wyley from Culture Kinesis was back for a second year and gave a touching talk on answering when your soul calls you to do something. Raechelle Bowlay spoke about the importance of wINC. Julz Muya of Make Music and Thrive closed out the lunch with a song called “Who I Am,” which she dedicated to all the people in the room.

Near the end of the program, all three wINC nominees were called to the stage and were interviewed by Cappel as part of a panel. Questions were asked that allowed the audience to get to know all three women on a deeper level while also learning what they do for the community.

Won is the CEO of Angels Group Home, where she provides a supportive and safe place for residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Echevarria founded Mujeres de Accion (Women of Action), a grassroots organization that supports and guides the local Latina community. Williams is the owner and a broker at Remax Success in Templeton. She also started Success Charities, which helps local community members often.

“I’ve gotten to know these nominees now, and I feel a very strong theme is that they are all very strong women of faith, and this is kind of a hero’s journey none of them set out to embark on, and they’re very humble and almost too shy to be up here. Because they can’t imagine that someone would bother and notice the amazing work they’re doing, but the work that they’re doing is life-changing. It’s elevating our region and doing things behind the scenes that nobody evenknows,” said Cappel.

After the panel, last year’s wINC, El Camino Homeless Organization (ECHO) CEO Wendy Lewis, announced the recipient of Woman of Influence North County 2024.

“I have the honor of opening this envelope and sharing who is this year’s recipient. The 2024 Woman of Influence North County. Drum roll, please,” stated Lewis before opening the envelope. “I have the pleasure of announcing one of the most amazing human women I have ever met. I would love to welcome Elissa Williams.”

Williams made her way to the stage, overflowing with emotion and shock after hearing her name called. 

“Yes, I am surprised because I’ve gotten to know these two other women, and it’s an incredible honor to be in front of you. I’ve always been in the background, lifting my people up. Lifting the community up,” said Williams from the podium. “So what does success mean to me right now? Thank you. That means I can do more good work. That means that I will continue to do the good work.”

Williams will also be recognized at the Atascadero Chamber Annual Awards Dinner and Gala on April 5,

2025.

Featured Image: (From left) Emcee Loreli Cappel interviews the 2024 wINC finalists Young Won, Yessenia Echevarria, and Elissa Williams during the 2nd Annual wINC Recognition Luncheon. Photo by Rick Evans