The YWCA of South Hampton Roads recently announced a Suffolk agency leader as one of its Women of Distinction Award honorees.

Clarissa McAdoo, executive director of the Suffolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority, is honored in the government category of the awards. Other honorees are in categories including arts, business, non-profit and volunteerism.

“I was pretty surprised by it,” McAdoo said. “We’ve partnered with the YWCA over the years as an agency, so this is a special honor. I’m humbled by it.”

The 25th annual awards luncheon will be held March 28 at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott, sponsored by Dominion Virginia Power. About 500 people are expected to attend.

“We received a record-breaking number of nominations from all over the South Hampton Roads community this year, and we are truly excited to recognize such a diverse group of women who exemplify our mission in their professional and civic endeavors,” said Ruth T. Jones, YWCA executive director.

The honorees were judged based on a number of criteria, including professional and civic accomplishments, in addition to how the nominees exemplify the values and mission of the YWCA, eliminating racism and empowering women, according to a press release.

McAdoo has been with SRHA since 1996. She grew up in Suffolk and in the Bronx, N.Y., and has also held positions in Portsmouth, Laurel, Md., and Hyattsville, Md. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology/social work from Virginia State University and is a graduate of the Community Development Executive Program at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Other honorees are as follows:

• Arts — Elena Montello, Hope House Foundation
• Business — Pricilla Trinder Roady, William E. Wood Real Estate Company
• Communications — Sandra Parker, WVEC Channel 13 News
• Education — Bonnie Sutton, Access College Foundation
• Finance — Jane Short, U. S. Trust
• Law — Mary Jane Hall, Norfolk Circuit Court
• Medicine — Dr. Michelle Clayton, Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters
• Military — Kathy Nelson, Navy Marine Corps Relief Society
• Non-Profit — Debra Dandridge, Dress For Success
• Science/Technology — Inger Pincus Friedman, Triumph Aerospace
• Volunteerism — Denise Britt and Janice Dildy, Daughters of Life

For more information about the Women of Distinction Awards, or to purchase tickets, visit www.ywca-shr.org or call 625-4248.