The chair of the Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C^®) Board of Trustees will be recognized as a Girl Scouts of North East Ohio Woman of Distinction.

Helen Forbes Fields, J.D., a dedicated trustee, will be honored during the upcoming 13^th annual Women of Distinction Awards Event on May 16. This award is presented to an individual who goes above and beyond to make the community a better place.

“I am both proud and humbled to receive this recognition,” Forbes Fields said. “My parents instilled an example of tireless advocacy, and throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to speak and work on issues of equity and equality for women.”

Forbes Fields has served on the Tri-C Board of Trustees since 2015. She currently serves as the president of the YWCA Greater Cleveland and was previously the executive vice president and general counsel for the United Way of Greater Cleveland. Before her nonprofit leadership roles, she spent more than 30 years practicing law with Forbes, Fields & Associates.

A graduate of Leadership Cleveland’s Class of 1994, Forbes Fields is also a trustee for the Cleveland Museum of Art and was recognized by Crain’s Cleveland Businessas a 2019 Notable Woman in Nonprofit.

Forbes Fields graduated cum laude from Spelman College in 1981 with a B.A. in political science and received her J.D. in 1984 from the Howard University School of Law.

“Trustee Forbes Fields embodies everything that this award recognizes,” said Michael A. Baston, president of Tri-C. “She carries the torch that lights the way toward an equitable community.”

The Women of Distinction Awards, established in 2012, embody the core values of the Girl Scouts and are recognized as positive role models.