Martha Gruender, Tallahassee Democrat
Updated Mon, May 11, 2026 at 8:26 PM UTC
The Historic Capitol steps were overflowing as the capital city welcomed another top class of 30 women and young women for the 2026 Women You Need to Know honors with a group photo on March 10.
This year marks a milestone 20th year of the Tallahassee Democrat honoring outstanding women during Women’s History Month.
Since 2006, it adds up to a total of 560 names recognizing Tallahassee’s powerhouse contributors to community well-being. These public servants, mothers and sisters, caregivers and students all have a little something extra to teach us.
Maria Mead, one of Tallahassee’s 25 Women You Need to Know for 2026, was unable to make the group photo.
Get to know the diverse group of entrepreneurs, attorneys, volunteers and scientists as we roll out profiles of this year’s achievers starting March 16 in the TLH Life section. Until then, here’s a roll call of 30 names.
Tallahassee history: Meet 530 Women You Need to Know: A complete history
25 Women You Need to Know
Susan Aarons, banking solutions advisor, Vice President, Colony Bank
Susie Caplowe, retired, Supervisor of Elections Office; Tallahassee Veterans Legal Collaborative
Alicia Crew, retired director of Campus Recreation at Florida State University
Brittney Jones, founder and Chief Experience Officer, Touched by a Rose Events
Camille Lewis, County Extension Director and 4-H Agent, UF/IFAS Extension, Jefferson County
Taylore Maxey, Director of Media and Public Relations, Florida Chamber of Commerce
Christina Omran, Deputy Communications Director, Florida Department of Health
Amy Thorn, JD MPH COO and data scientist, Knowli Data Science
Melissa Wright, accredited wealth management advisor, Capital City Bank
5 Young Women to Watch
The 25 Women You Need to Know and 5 Young Women to Watch class of 2026
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: 25 Women for 2026: Get to know Tallahassee’s 30 new honorees