NEW YORK CITY: The League of Professional Theatre Women (LPTW) has named Donna Walker-Kuhne the inaugural recipient of the Rachel Crothers Leadership Award. Walker-Kuhne, the founder and CEO of Walker Communications, will be celebrated at the LPTW Leadership Luncheon on June 27 in New York City.

“We are very excited by the opportunity the League has now to award a theatre woman who brings her gifts and talents to bear in addressing a national or local cause or issue affecting our fellow citizens and everyday Americans,” said Yvette Heyliger, the co-vice president of programming at LPTW.

The Rachel Crothers Leadership Award honors the legacy of Rachel Crothers, a playwright and director who led a group of seven theatre women in the establishment the American Theatre Wing in 1917. The organization, best known for creating the Tony Awards, started as a service organization providing war relief for soldiers in World War I. The award is given to a theatre woman who has distinguished herself in exemplary service and sacrifice for a common cause.

“We’ve cultivated new generations of cultural ambassadors who now see the arts as a necessary element for their lives,” said Walker-Kuhne in a statement. “Most important, our work has proven that the arts are a bridge for cultivating understanding, fostering dialogue, bridging divides, and opening the door for people to share a transformative experience.”