On Nov. 11, City Councilmember Emily Strab (Ward 2) won the first-ever Maryland Catholic Woman of the Year award, presented by the Maryland Catholic Women’s Conference (MCWC). This year’s conference was held in Severna Park and drew over 600 participants, according to the conference website. According to an MCWC press release, “Emily Strab’s selection as the 2023 Maryland Catholic Woman of the Year exemplifies the values of faith, hope, and love in action.” 

Strab was elected to the city council in 2022, and her current term expires in 2025. She is the office and enrollment administrator for St. Jerome Institute, in D.C., where she is also a music educator. Strab is a former board member of the Life & Times and of the board that initiated the Montessori program at St. Jerome Academy.