Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation Selects Maggie Haywood and Nancy Lilly As Pulse Award Recipients for 13th Annual Celebration of Women Event

January 22, 2018

The Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation has announced that Maggie Haywood and Nancy Lilly have been selected to receive the organization’s Pulse Award, given each year to recognize outstanding Sonoma Valley women who have made significant contributions to the community through their volunteerism, community involvement and philanthropy.

Haywood and Lilly will be honored at the Foundation’s 13th annual Celebration of Women luncheon on Thursday, May 10, 2018, beginning at 11:00 a.m. at Hanna Boys Center in Sonoma.  Proceeds from the event benefit women’s health and wellness programs at Sonoma Valley Hospital, including Project Pink which funds mammograms for uninsured women each October. 

“Our two honorees this year exemplify the generous and strong community spirit that makes the Sonoma Valley such a special place,” said Dave Pier, Executive Director of the Hospital Foundation. “Both Maggie and Nancy are being honored to recognize their long-term volunteer engagement in the community and the tremendous impact they have had through their efforts. We are delighted to be able to recognize them for their many achievements.”

Tickets for the luncheon are available at the Foundation’s website, www.svhfoundation.com, as is more information on the event. Tickets cost $125. To make a donation in honor of any of the honorees or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Julia Cervone at 707.935.5331 or jcervone@sonomavalleyhospital.org.

“The Hospital Foundation is grateful to the community for supporting its programs and this event,” notes Pier. “We are fortunate this year to have Harriet Derwingson and Nana Howell providing leadership as co-chairs for Celebration of Women 2018.” 

About This Year’s Honorees

In 1989 Maggie Haywood moved to Sonoma with a lifelong commitment to building healthy communities.  She volunteered with and then became a director of the Sonoma Ecology Center.  As co-chair of the Sonoma Overlook Trail Task Force, she managed the construction of the trail and later served as President of the Board of the Sonoma Ecology Center. 

Maggie chaired the Elman Grant for the Sonoma Valley Fund, and more recently, her volunteer efforts included serving on the Board of Directors of the Sonoma Land Trust and as a member of the Basin Advisory Panel (water sustainability in Sonoma Valley).  During this time, Maggie supported Sonoma Valley Hospital by serving on several successful parcel tax committees and on the committee to pass Measure P in 2008, the measure that raised bond money for the Health Care District to begin the Emergency Department and Surgery Center project.  Maggie also served as a co-chair for the 2015 Celebration of Women Event.

Maggie lives in Sonoma with her husband, Peter Haywood, and enjoys being outside and in the great landscapes of Sonoma County: hiking, biking, gardening and spending time with her friends and family.

Nancy Donnell Lilly lives on the family ranch in Sonoma that her father bought in 1940, grows wine grapes and olives, and produces a small quantity of Extra Virgin olive oil which she sells to select markets in the Bay Area. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Audubon Canyon Ranch and is a docent at the Bouverie Preserve, and last year finished her second three-year term on the Board of the Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation.  She is a donor to many of the nonprofits in Sonoma Valley and Sonoma County, and has generously supported the Hospital, including through the Emergency Department campaign. 

Nancy is an avid cook and gardener and enjoys active travel with her husband, Tony.  Her son, Alec Stefansky is owner of Uncommon Brewers, a craft brew business in Santa Cruz; and her daughter, Carrie Huisman, is currently living in The Netherlands with her husband and works for Pax for Peace, a Dutch-based human rights organization.