Acreage resident Elizabeth Cayson was honored with the 2015 YWCA Grace Dodge Award at YWCA of Palm Beach County’s Purse & Passion luncheon held on Tuesday, June 2 at the Bear Lakes Country Club in West Palm Beach.
The award is presented to a woman in Palm Beach County who has overcome adversity and created opportunities to not only empower herself but also create opportunities for and lead other women toward their own empowerment.
Cayson had to overcome many adversities as a child. Life-long residents of Palm Beach County, she and her four brothers were raised in Pahokee by her father, a Spanish-speaking Cuban immigrant, who worked as a welder at Osceola Farms and the U.S. Sugar Corporation.
Cayson has resided in The Acreage for more than 15 years with her husband, Trevor, a sergeant with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. She is employed by the Health Care District of Palm Beach County as a government relations specialist.
Her accomplishments include organizing annual health fairs in Pahokee, which have received global recognition from Walden University; being instrumental in creating a summer health camp for youth; and mentoring students through Take Stock in Children of Palm Beach County, to name just a few.
In 2010, Cayson shot into the headlines when she rescued a 10- month-old baby left in the middle of a road in Belle Glade. She received recognition for her efforts. U.S. Congressman Alcee Hastings acknowledged her by naming a “Liz Cayson Day” in his district, and the Palm Beach County Safety Council Awarded her with the Traffic Safety Heroism Award.
In 2014, Cayson was appointed by Gov. Rick Scott to the Florida Interagency Coordinating Council for Infants and Toddlers (FICCIT), a statewide board that helps address the needs of children with disabilities.
Cayson serves on numerous boards around the county, including the Palm Beach County Commission’s Citizen Advisory Board on Health & Human Services and Emergency Medical Services. She also works with the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County and is a member of the Pahokee Rotary Club and the Belle Glade Lions Club. She obtained a master’s degree from Palm Beach Atlantic University and is currently a PhD candidate at Walden University.
ABOVE: Acreage resident Elizabeth Cayson (center) with Dena Foman, last year’s award recipient, and Alexcia Cox, president of the YWCA of Palm Beach County.
