Each year, the Burlington County Women’s Advisory Council seeks nominations for its annual Outstanding Women of Burlington County Awards. They look for women who have made significant contributions to their chosen field and have demonstrated support of other women in their communities.
Winners are chosen from several areas of service, including mentorship, volunteerism, education, community service, corporate leadership and advocacy, diversity and inclusion and law.
They are honored at the annual Outstanding Women of Burlington County Awards Dinner, this year, being held on June 11 at the Merion in Cinnaminson.
The winning nominations were recently announced by Burlington County Freeholder Felicia Hopson.
“Every year, it is such an honor to recognize the outstanding women in Burlington County that contribute so much to our community through their selfless dedication to others, inspiring leadership and achievements,” said Hopson.
Among the women selected for the award this year was Burlington Township resident Lisa Bundgarden, who was selected for her service in the areas of diversity and inclusion.
Her nomination came as a complete surprise to her. As a social worker, serving and advocating for others is a part of her job, it is something that comes naturally to her and not something she expects to be recognized for.
Being a member of the Burlington Township Board of Education, Bundgarden receives a lot of mail from various county agencies. A letter from the Burlington County Women’s Advisory Council informing her that she had been nominated by fellow board member Susan Eichmann and was selected for the award almost went unnoticed. It wasn’t until her husband congratulated her that she heard the news.
“I actually thought it was a joke,” said Bundgarden
In addition to the fact that she has devoted her life to helping others, her nomination was due in part to her resilience in the face of some crushing hardships.
Rachel, her first child, was born with a 7q35 deletion, a diagnosis that can indicate severe mental and physical disabilities and a life expectancy of less than two years. Bundgarden put her career on hold to take on the role of caretaker for her child.
“I was still a social worker, but I had one client,” said Bundgarden.
As she grew, Rachel defied all odds and expectations. She learned to walk, communicate using a speech assistant device and sign language and discovered a passion for riding horses through an equine therapy program before she passed away in 2010 at 11 years old.
Bundgarden didn’t let the tragedy of losing a child spell the end of what she considers her calling. In fact, it served as a life lesson she carries with her to this day.
“I try to be kind and inclusive to everyone I meet. I learned the hard way that everyone has a story and it’s important that you don’t make judgments,” said Bundgarden. “A lot of my personal desire to give back to the community as well as my personal strength actually comes from surviving the loss of my daughter.”
Inspired by her daughter’s positive response to equine therapy, Bundgarden started the Scatter Sunshine Foundation in 2011. Her mission through the foundation is to raise funds to sponsor young children with special needs to ride horses, allowing them a chance to overcome their physical and cognitive challenges and realize their full potential.
The foundation continues its work to this day, having raised over $58,000 to date, and has helped provide horseback therapy scholarships to approximately 50 children with special needs.
Seeing through hardships and not giving up are themes Bundgarden has tried to pass on to her sons. When her first run for a seat on the board of education was unsuccessful, she decided to turn it into a teachable moment and lead by example.
“I wanted to teach them a lesson, that if you really want something, don’t just give up because you didn’t succeed the first time. So I ran a second time,” said Bundgarden. “I think it’s important for men and women, but especially women, that they make sure if they set their mind to something that they don’t give up and they make it a goal and push forward until they achieve that goal.”
The annual Outstanding Women of Burlington County Awards Dinner will be held Tuesday, June 11, at 5:30 p.m. at the Merion in Cinnaminson. Tickets are $75 each and can be purchased online at eventbrite.com.
