It’s been an amazing year for women and an amazing year for us here at NextTribe. So we put the two of them together and—like chocolate and peanut butter—came up with something extra good. We are proud to present the first ever Our Own Women of the Year. We crowd-sourced and researched to develop this list of amazing women who are Aging Boldly and making major waves in their respective fields. We’re saying every form of “Congrats,” “Huzzah,” and “You go, girl” to these remarkable and inspiring women. Take a peek and tell us who we missed as Women of the Year. 

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Bonus Women of the Year (Because we just can’t stop)

The Change-Makers

We have to cheer on the bold African-American women—whether young, midlife or beyond—who turned out in force for the Alabama senatorial vote this month. At least 96 percent of the state’s black females voted for the Democratic candidate Doug Jones, pushing him into office over Roy Moore, an accused sexual predator. They made their voices heard in record numbers and truly changed the course of history that night in what was a nail-bitingly close race. High-fives all around!

Local Hero 

Since NextTribe is based in Texas, we wanted to honor our Texas roots with a shout-out to the talented, fearless, and dynamic Sherry Wagner, 81. A passionate reader and writer (she established her first library at age 12, and has won multiple awards as an author), she recently donated her 3,700-volume personal library so others can share in her curated collection. Did we mention she has been a planner and development leader for San Antonio’s River Walk, our favorite park, as well as the Dallas Arts District? Or that she has served as consultant to more than 45 cultural institutions? Now we have. Sherry, you are a treasure.

Bold-Faced Lives We Lost

These three women embraced the Age Boldly ethos long before we ever articulated it and were true icons. They died in 2017, but may their legacies live on.

Jane Juska, 84

Have you read A Round-Heeled Woman: My Late-Life Adventures in Sex and Romance? It’s the book by author and writing teacher Juska that received excellent reviews, catapulted her onto Oprah, and let readers “of a certain age” know that craving and having lots of sex and romance were 110 percent acceptable.

Liz Smith, 94

One of the most prominent gossip columnists—or celebrity journalist, as we’d now say—of her generation, Smith was known for her friendly and upbeat portrayal of stars, giving her readers some good escapist glamour.

Mary Tyler Moore, 80

TV’s trail-blazing career girl, Mary Richards, won this spunky actress widespread fame, four Emmy Awards, and the admiration and adulation of pretty much every American woman who turned on a TV in the ‘70s. Moore had plenty of other TV and big-screen credits (she was nominated for an Oscar for Ordinary People), but the Minneapolis single lady is the one who once and forever captured the determination and exuberance of a ground-breaking generation.