Investing in EMERGING LEADERS

The Dottie Lamm Leadership Award

About Dottie Lamm

Former First Lady of Colorado Dottie Lamm is a legendary leader and activist. She was also a founding mother of The Women’s Foundation of Colorado, making her mark as the first board chair. In 1987, we created the Dottie Lamm Leadership Award to honor her commitment to advancing opportunities for women throughout the state of Colorado.

The first Dottie Lamm Leadership Award was granted in 1988 and has been awarded annually to up-and-coming Colorado community leaders.

2026 Award Applications  

Check back here in the spring of 2026 for application information regarding the 2026 Dottie Lamm Leadership Award.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible, candidates must:

• Be aged 16 -21 years old
• Live in Colorado
• Identify as a woman
• Demonstrate leadership in the community
• Be available to give an in-person speech to approximately 2,000 people at our 2026 Annual Luncheon held at The Colorado Convention Center.
• Provide a valid social security number or taxpayer I.D. to accept the $2,500 award (if selected)

Questions?

If you have questions about the Dottie Lamm Leadership Award or volunteering as an application reviewer, please contact Elva Escobedo, events manager, at elvae@wfco.org. 

Meet Our 2025 Dottie Lamm Leadership Award Winner

Meet Naomi! 

Every year the Dottie Lamm Leadership Award honors a young woman’s commitment to advancing and accelerating opportunities for women across the state. We celebrate her resilience and leadership on her own path to economic security.

We are thrilled that Naomi Tamajong from Aurora is the recipient of the 2025 Dottie Lamm Leadership Award! An advocate for gender and racial equity inside and outside of the classroom, member of seven clubs (and president of two), Naomi embodies the spirit of leadership and advocacy that the Dottie Lamm Leadership Award celebrates.

Naomi's spirit of leadership and unwavering determination is truly inspiring. As she said in her acceptance speech, "The thing about being a leader is... if we’re all at the shore, who’s going to carry the boats? " We couldn't agree more, and we applaud her outstanding perseverance and commitment to community.

Congratulations, Naomi!