RES 2026-121 · Agenda item attachment · Sep 14 2026

RES 2026-121 FIRST IN COUNCIL September 14, 2026 City of Cambridge COUNCILLOR SIMMONS WHEREAS: For more than a century, YWCA Cambridge has stood as a pillar of strength, refuge, opportunity, and empowerment, working to ensure that women, young people, and families throughout our community have access to safety, stability, dignity, and the tools they need to thrive; and WHEREAS: Now in its 31st year, YWCA Cambridge’s Tribute to Outstanding Women event has brought the Cambridge community together each year to celebrate the women and young leaders whose service, advocacy, vision, and perseverance have strengthened our city and opened doors for those who follow them; and WHEREAS: The 2026 honorees embody that tradition of leadership, compassion, resilience, and commitment to community, and these are as follows: • Jennifer Fang, whose distinguished work as a corporate attorney has helped innovative life sciences companies advance their work while she has also generously invested her time in mentorship, civic participation, and strengthening access to the arts throughout Cambridge; • Yvonne Gittens, a proud lifelong Cantabrigian whose more than four decades of service at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, together with her longstanding commitment to the Cambridge Community Center and Avenue Baptist Church, reflect a lifetime devoted to education, community, and service; • Jennie Kwo, whose more than twenty years of leadership in Soo Bahk Do has created an inclusive and supportive community where women, girls, and students of all ages can build confidence, resilience, discipline, and strength; • Ayesha M. Wilson, MSW, whose career in human services and public office has been rooted in expanding opportunity for young people and families, advancing affordable housing and early education, and championing social justice and community empowerment throughout Cambridge; and • Neveaha King, this year’s Youth Honoree, whose journey from young artist to mentor and staff member with Hip Hop Transformation demonstrates the power of creativity, service, and lived experience to help other young people discover their own voices, while she continues pursuing a future dedicated to healthcare and public service; and WHEREAS: This year’s Tribute, which shall be held on September 30 at La Fabrica in Central Square, carries forward a tradition that recognizes leadership in all of its forms, from

public service and advocacy to education, business, mentorship, community building, and the determination of young people already working to shape a better future; and WHEREAS: The Tribute to Outstanding Women is also an investment in the continuing work of YWCA Cambridge, with proceeds supporting housing and shelter programs, youth leadership opportunities, and community programming that directly serve more than 650 women, young people, children, and families each year; and WHEREAS: The 2026 honorees remind us that a stronger and more equitable Cambridge is built through countless acts of leadership, courage, generosity, persistence, and care, and through people willing to use their own talents and experiences to create opportunities for others; now therefore be it RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record recognizing Jennifer Fang, Yvonne Gittens, Jennie Kwo, Ayesha M. Wilson, and Neveaha King for being honored at YWCA Cambridge’s 31st Annual Tribute to Outstanding Women, and extends the City’s gratitude to YWCA Cambridge for more than a century of service and for its continuing work to empower women and young people, strengthen families, advance equity, and build a more just and welcoming Cambridge; and be it further RESOLVED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward suitably engrossed copies of this resolution to each of the above-named individuals on behalf of the entire City Council. A true copy; ATTEST:- Paula M. Crane, Interim City Clerk

City of Cambridge Congratulations to Jennifer Fang, Yvonne Gittens, Jennie Kwo, Ayesha M. Wilson, and Neveaha King for being honored at YWCA Cambridge’s 31st Annual Tribute to Outstanding Women.