Ashley Carpenter, left, executive director of the Upper Ohio Valley Sexual Assault Help Center in Wheeling, congratulates Janet Kowalski of Wheeling, who received the Visionary Voice Award at the West Virginia Sexual Assault and Stalking Symposium on March 27 at Stonewall Resort. (Photo Provided)

The West Virginia Foundation for Rape and Information Services has named Janet Kowalski of Wheeling winner of the 2025 Visionary Voice Award.

Kowalski, who retired in December as a child advocate at the Upper Ohio Valley Sexual Assault Help Center, accepted the award during the West Virginia Sexual Assault and Stalking Symposium organized by FRIS on March 27 at Stonewall Resort.

FRIS chooses one person each year for the award, which is a National Sexual Violence Resource Center initiative to recognize one person or group from each state during National Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April.

The award “recognize(s) the creativity and hard work of individuals around the country who have demonstrated outstanding work to end sexual violence,” states the National Sexual Violence Resource Center website.

As a child advocate, Kowalski used her voice to provide trauma-informed counseling and supports to children impacted by sexual violence. She walked beside children and families during the entire judicial process and worked with community agencies to improve the systems designed to protect and uplift vulnerable children.

At the symposium, Kowalski shared with over 200 participants a creed she learned while a Jaycee in St. Clairsville in the 1970s: “Service to humanity is the best work of life. So press on.”

Kowalski is familiar with service and perseverance. She continued serving children at SAHC through several changes in leadership during her 12 years, at one point relying on board members and FRIS state coordinator Nancy Hoffman to help keep the nonprofit agency open during some difficult times.

“Janet’s impact on our agency, the families we serve and the broader community is immeasurable,” Ashley Carpenter, SAHC executive director, said. “She has been a steady, compassionate force for children navigating unimaginable trauma. Her work has left a lasting mark, and we are incredibly grateful for her years of dedication.”

In her acceptance speech at Stonewall, she said: “I loved my 12 years there (at SAHC). I loved what I did. I loved the people that I worked with, and I loved the kids, and I loved the families. No matter how hard it ever got, there was never a day I woke up and said, ‘Geez, I don’t want to go to work today’ — never one day.”

“Her career has been a testament to her steadfast belief in the resilience of survivors and her commitment to creating a brighter future for them,” Nancy Hoffman, FRIS state coordinator, said when presenting the award to Kowalski. “Janet’s expertise in trauma-informed care and her empathetic approach made her an invaluable resource for countless families.”

In addition to the Visionary Voice Award, Kowalski was a 2016 recipient of the Deborah Doleski Allen Champion of Children Award given annually by the Ohio County Family Resource Network and its Partners in Prevention Team.

Kowalski has attended the annual FRIS symposium with her Sexual Assault Help Center colleagues many times and always admired the Visionary Voice recipient. This year, she was the one they were applauding. She thanked Hoffman, Carpenter and her family for their support.

Before ending with her Jaycees quote, she thanked and encouraged participants.

“You are all so strong and so brave and care so much. We need you, and the children need you, and the parents need you. … You are a gift to the people that you serve.”

Kowalski lives in Warwood with her husband, Jim, and their dog, Daisy. She has one son, Clay Bethel, and two daughters, Luann Stull and Betsy Bethel-McFarland. She plans to spend her retirement reading, volunteering, traveling and spending time with family.