Bennett honored as SIFE Outstanding Woman in Business

Lucy Bennett, owner of The Bakery in downtown Seward, Neb., was honored with the Outstanding Woman in Business award at a Concordia luncheon on Wednesday, Feb. 15. This ninth-annual event recognized the achievements of female business professionals in the greater Seward community. The luncheon is sponsored by Concordia’s Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) organization and Concordia Foundation, Nebraska.

Bennett, who has owned The Bakery since her father-in-law retired from the business in 1981, says she enjoys operating a business in a small town. “You get to know the customers on a daily basis, to know them by name. You come to know what they like,” she said.

As Bennett humbly accepted her award, she said she felt she didn’t really deserve the recognition for “just showing up for work every night.”

“[For Lucy], the past 30 years have involved a great deal of hard work and sacrifice,” said junior Megan Heiser, SIFE member, who helped organize the event. “Lucy deserves to be rewarded for her hard work and dedication.”

SIFE president Andrea Gaide echoed Heiser’s sentiments. In her introduction of Bennett at the luncheon, Gaide said, “We honor Lucy for her passion, her accomplishments and her kolacky.”

Recipients of the Outstanding Woman in Business award are chosen each year based on their level of community involvement, their influence on the Seward community and their positive influence on the role of women in business. They must have been in business for at least ten years.