YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Dionne Dowdy-Lacey, co-founder and executive director of United Returning Citizens, will be honored as Woman of the Year by the Youngstown Business & Professional Women.
The event, being held during National Business Women’s Week, will take place Oct. 21 at The Lake Club in Poland.
With a decade of experience in reentry work, Dowdy-Lacey has dedicated her career to supporting and uplifting her community. She has played a crucial role in assisting more than 17,000 individuals in the Mahoning Valley, helping them build self-sufficient lives despite the barriers they face. United Returning Citizens offers various services, including workforce training and employment placement, development and financial literacy skills and alternative holistic mental health support.
Dowdy-Lacey has served on multiple boards and was board president at Legal Aid. She has also held positions with the YWCA, League of Women Voters, Association of Professional Funders and Legal Services Corp. In 2024, she was the keynote speaker for the Legal Services Corp.’s America’s Partners for Equal Justice 50th Anniversary Gala in Washington, D.C.
Dowdy-Lacey has received many honors, including the Action Humanitarian Award, Woman Warriors Award, Outstanding Woman of the Year Award, Gem of the Valley, Women’s Hall of Fame, Compassion Over Cages Award and the APF Covid Heroes Award.
In 2024, she was recognized by the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber as the Non-Profit Professional of the Year and was acknowledged with the Raymond John Wean Foundation Vanguard of the Valley Community Impact Honorary Mention for its 75th anniversary. This year, Dowdy-Lacey was honored as the recipient of the 33 WYTV Hometown Hero Award and was a nominee for the Regional Chamber’s Athena Award.
Proceeds from the October event will fund scholarships that help provide assistance to deserving women who are pursuing higher education in the greater Youngstown area. Tickets are $75. For more information and to purchase tickets, click HERE.
Pictured at top: From left are Gina DeGenova, president of Youngstown Business & Professional Women; Dionne Dowdy-Lacey, 2025 Woman of the Year; and Dee McFarland, Woman of the Year chair.