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Reward recognizes her work through challenges

By MARY JANE PARK
Published May 22, 2005

As the couple decided to move to St. Petersburg so that J.P. Creignou could pursue his passion, competing in paralympic sailing, Christin Creignou wondered whether their new hometown had a Junior League.

It did, and the league honored her with its Mailande Holland Barton Award on Tuesday evening in a ceremony at the Lyceum. The late Mrs. Barton was the founding president of the St. Petersburg League.

J.P. Creignou, whose sailing team won a bronze medal in the Paralympic Games in Athens last year, represented his wife, who is being treated for cancer and didn't feel well enough to attend.

Colleen Russo, a former president of the league, told those attending that Christin Creignou was active in the Palo Alto, Calif., league and a co-founder of a media task force that won an international league award for its video about homeless teens. The show aired on public television.

Mrs. Creignou transferred in 2001 and immediately became co-chairwoman of a committee commemorating the 70th anniversary of the St. Petersburg league and the centennial of the international organization. It was a crash course in local lore: The volunteers assembled and organized a daunting array of material for an exhibit presented at the St. Petersburg Museum of History in 2002.

Since then, she has served on the boards of directors of the Junior League and of Great Explorations, the children's museum, helping both with strategic planning.

Tampa Bay 211 and the United Way of Tampa Bay awarded her the Michael A. Zagorc Award in 2004, recognizing her volunteerism performed during physical challenges.

In California, Mrs. Creignou worked in Hollywood as a video editor and production manager, was founder and chief executive of a California production company that served high-tech industry research and development efforts, wrote for technical publications, and served on industry technical standards committees.

She chaired the telecommunications school at San Jose State University and was a founding associate of a management consulting firm that specialized in business plan development, strategic planning and process design.

Mrs. Creignou has fought breast and ovarian cancer for nearly 16 years and has spoken to numerous organizations about early detection, treatment and awareness.

The Junior League also recognized former president Ginny Sexton, a longtime volunteer with numerous community organizations that include the league, the University of South Florida St. Petersburg's support group Town and Gown, and All Children's Hospital, where her husband, Dennis, was chief executive.

She received the Virginia Lazzara Award, presented annually to sustaining members of the league. The late Mrs. Lazzara was an active volunteer with the league and the YWCA, whose emergency shelter is named for her. Connie Smith, incoming president of the league's sustaining members, made the presentation.

Retiring president Jane Graves paid tribute to her mother, longtime league member Betty Jane Johnson, and to another former president, Murray Beairsto. Mrs. Beairsto, Great Explorations' executive director, and her family plan to move to Springfield, Mo., in August.

It was an emotional evening on many levels, and Mrs. Graves demonstrated an acupressure maneuver Mrs. Beairsto once taught her; it's designed to keep people from crying. She pressed the soft tissue between her thumb and index finger, but the tears came anyway.

Jillian Doyle will lead the league next year.

Even before the second round of vodka martinis, people were wearing lamp shades at the Zodiac Group's spring party May 13. The Friday night Future's So Bright bash drew more than 200 revelers to the Bank on Central Avenue for an evening to benefit the Salvador Dali Museum.

Tampa Bay area artists including Joe Griffin, Mary Klein, Besty Orbe Lester, Allen Loyd, Van Phrasavath, Frank Strunk III, Susan Supper and Jorge Vidal took basic lamp covers and decorated them to a fare-thee-well, and models circulated through the crowd at the bar to give the crowd a closer look at some of the creations. Nancy Cervenka's featured coils of celluloid film; others were industrial in nature or romantic or kitschy.

Auction proceeds were split between the artists and the museum.

Salvador Dali's own Zodiac Group was an even dozen patrons, who supported the Surrealist icon for a month each. The museum's group is a young professionals organization.

Steering committee members Rep DeLoach and Tammy Hagenoff headed a volunteer group that put together the party and included Laurel DeLoach, Loyd, Thaddeus Root and Dirk Armstrong.

Partygoers were diverse in age and ethnicity and included deejay Anda Mara, Wendi and Marshall Stevens, Chris Allen, Susan Armstrong, Joe Mazzara, Chris Fraser, Katherine Franckle, Marti Galloway, Kevin Brady, Carrie Johnson, Simone Bennett, Kerry O'Reilly, Debbie Harris, Adam Newman, Jon Quigley, Sandra and Rich Stoffels, Vinny Batiato, Hal Freedman and Willi Rudowski, Barbara Zaccaria, James Raulerson and Natasha Nickodem.

Stolichnaya Vodka and tbt* magazine were additional sponsors for the event, which featured food from Mazzaro's Italian Market.

The Woman's Service League, which raises money through its annual Fashion Show and Promenade, is accepting grant applications from organizations that serve Pinellas County.

To be eligible, nonprofits must be listed under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue code.

Additional information and applications can be received by calling 392-4500 or 866-0202. The deadline for applications is July 31.

On-the-Towners take note: As you read this, I'm on vacation, returning June 6.

Event planners already are confirming dates for 2005-2006 social and charitable events. Please send information for the annual Social Calendar (including sponsoring group, date, time, venue address, ticket price and publishable phone number) to me at one of the addresses below. The deadline for submissions is July 31.

Saturday

A DOGGONE GOOD TIME: Junior League of St. Petersburg event includes valet parking, club admission, buffet, race program, taxes and gratuity. 7-10 p.m. Derby Club at Derby Lane, 10490 Gandy Blvd. N, St Petersburg. $30. 895-5018.

Mary Jane Park can be reached at 727 893-8267; fax (727) 893-8675; e-mail park@sptimes.com P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731.

[Last modified May 22, 2005, 01:06:16]