The 17th annual Grande Dames Tea, hosted by Pace Center for Girls, Lee, and presented by David and Kellie Urban, is set to take place from 1 to 3 p.m. on Thursday, April 24, at Broadway Palm in Fort Myers. This year’s honorees will include Ruby Hendley, Gail McClure and Donna Sublett.
Pace’s Grande Dames Tea honors women who exemplify the organization’s guiding principles and have made a significant impact through their roles in business, community and philanthropy. The inspirational event recognizes the unique perspectives and powerful insights that these women have gained throughout their life journeys, and the importance of passing this knowledge along to future generations. With the event’s theme, “The Wisdom of Time – Honoring the Female Spirit,” honorees will share their wisdom during a Q&A session led by the young women of Pace. Guests will also enjoy special performances by the Pace girls and prize drawings featuring an array of packages from local businesses.
“Year after year, our Grande Dames Tea provides us the opportunity to spotlight the journeys and contributions of three local women,” said Jenny Cellitti, executive director of Pace Center for Girls, Lee. “This year, we are excited to inspire our Pace girls and community as we listen to uplifting and aspirational stories of Grande Dames Ruby, Gail and Donna, who have made a lasting impact on the world around them.”
Ruby Hendley is the longest-serving nurse in Lee Health’s history, having devoted her life to her community since graduating from Edison College’s nursing school in 1976. She began her career when Lee Health operated only one hospital. Now 78 years old, Hendley continues to care for those in the community, despite encountering challenges early in her career. Starting as a nurse’s aide at the end of the civil rights movement, Hendley faced a period of discrimination from both patients and doctors while on the job. After a brief retirement in 2020, she now works part-time in the Peri-Anesthesia Care Unit, while sharing her 56 years of wisdom to younger generations and advocating for health initiatives beyond the hospital’s walls.
Gail McClure, Ph.D., is a distinguished consultant at the Collaboratory, specializing in organizational change and developing and deploying philanthropic resources. Previously, she dedicated 20 years serving as a vice president on the executive leadership team at the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, overseeing domestic and international programs. McClure has also been a faculty member at the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul Campus, focused on international development, and held the position of vice president for rural programs in Africa, Asia and Latin America at the Academy for Educational Development in Washington, D.C. Additionally, McClure has been a consultant to the National Science Foundation, the Council on Foundations, The European Foundation Centre and various universities in South Africa.
Donna Sublett is a dedicated sports enthusiast who passionately supports the men’s and women’s basketball teams at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU). A Missouri native and Louisiana State University graduate, she and her late husband, Jim, dedicated themselves to supporting players by providing athletic scholarships and funding. Since losing her husband, Sublett has continued to honor his memory through her support for FGCU, including a $1 million donation for renovations to the Sublett Family Strength and Conditioning Center in 2020, and a recent commitment of an additional $1.5 million for athletic enhancements, including a new scoreboard for the tennis complex. In 2024, Sublett was recognized as an honorary letterwinner, the highest honor for a non-FGCU athlete. The university continues to honor her and her husband’s legacy with the annual Jim and Donna Sublett Award, which recognizes outstanding contributors to FGCU’s men’s basketball.
The 17th annual Grande Dames Tea is co-chaired by Laurie Moore and Holly Wilson. Sponsorship opportunities are available, including Golden Teacup sponsor for $7,500, Silver Teacup sponsor for $5,000, Fascinator sponsor for $2,500, Silver Teaspoon sponsor for $1,500 and in-kind sponsorships.
Proceeds from the event benefit Pace Lee and its strength-based programs that guide Pace girls in finding their voice and achieving their potential. Programs are based on the belief that all girls and young women should be uniquely cared for, supported and encouraged to become the best versions of themselves through a path of healing and recovery.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit PaceCenter.org/Locations/Florida/Lee/2025-Grande-Dames-Tea or call 239-425-2366.
About Pace Center for Girls, Lee
Pace Center for Girls, Lee envisions a world where all girls and young women are safe, have economic security and an equal opportunity to use their voice and achieve their potential. Founded in 1985, Pace provides free year-round middle and high school academics, case management, counseling, and life skills development in a safe and supportive environment that recognizes and deals with past trauma and builds upon girls’ individual strengths. Dedicated to meeting the social, emotional, and education needs of girls, Pace has a successful and proven program model that has changed the life trajectory of more than 40,000 girls and is recognized as one of the nation’s leading advocates for girls in need. For more information on Pace Center for Girls, Lee, call 239-425-2366 or visit www.pacecenter.org/locations/lee.
