Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero today became the first recipient of the Lizzie Crozier French Women's Leadership Award. The Lizzie was presented to Mayor Rogero at the East Tennessee Women's Leadership Summit in recognition of her ongoing dedication to the principles set out by the Award's namesake.

Like Lizzie French, who was the first woman to address the Tennessee General Assembly and the Tennessee Bar Association, as well as the first woman to run for Knoxville City Council, Mayor Rogero is not only Knoxville's first woman mayor, but also the first mayor of any of Tennessee's four major cities.

The recipient of The Lizzie must demonstrate the following four leadership characteristics that were part of the life of Lizzie Crozier French:

1. An outspoken leader who publicly supports the advancement of women.
2. Demonstrates unwavering courage in the face of difficulty.
3. Works boldly and consistently towards positive and lasting change
4. Supports and empowers other women through her work.

Mayor Rogero has dedicated her career to creating positive and lasting change, from her early days with Ceasar Chavez, to her work with Knoxville's Promise and ultimately with the City of Knoxville creating sustainable change in local neighborhoods. She has served as a role model for women as an outspoken and thoughtful leader during her time as a county commissioner and now as mayor of Knoxville.

Co-chair Wendy Pitts Reeves "Lizzie Crozier French made history for women in East Tennessee. Although it has been a long time coming, Madeline Rogero has continued that tradition by making history herself. What a treat it is to recognize a woman of substance like Madeline Rogero."

More than 200 women attended this year's Summit, which was sponsored by WBIR-TV, B97.5, the Knoxville News Sentinel and Denso. The Summit is an initiative of the Women's Economic Council Foundation, and is co-chaired by Wendy Pitts Reeves and Sharon Hannum.

More information about the summit is available at http://easttnwomensls.wordpress.com or on Facebook at East Tennessee Women's Leadership Summit or Twitter @EastTNWomenLead.