Philly Chamber honors UPS executive Rosemary Turner

The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce has delivered its annual Paradigm Award honors to a businesswoman who knows all about delivery.

Waiters at the awards luncheon Thursday wore the brown uniforms of UPS drivers at the request of this year’s award recipient, Rosemary Turner.

The award honors women who have distinguished themselves in the business community. Turner herself began as a delivery drver before rising to president of the UPS Chesapeake District.

“Hopefully it lets every woman know out there that if I can do it, you can do it. That also is what has been my experience through the mentors that I have had,” says Turner, who mentors young women.

Commerce board member and former Paradigm-recipient Reneé Amoore says the chamber’s traditional William Penn Award for an outstanding businessperson has usually gone to men.

The Paradigm Award “is exclusively for women to say how important these women are as CEOs, what they do, how they mentor to people, how they connect other people together to make a difference,” Amoore said.

Turner received $25,000 with the award to give to charities of her choice, matched by UPS. Her selections included Girard College, Philadelphia Academy and the Bright Hope Baptist Church’s Youth Foundation.

Scholarships also were presented to nine women working full time for chamber businesses to put toward their undergraduate degrees.