This Richland woman’s ‘heart of a servant’ earned her the MLK Spirit Award

Chauné Fitzgerald is a busy woman.

She’s a Richland business owner and a world-traveler, spending nearly 10 years working at the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants styling contestants.

But it’s her years of helping Tri-City women and children that earned her this year’s Columbia Basin College Martin Luther King Jr. Spirit Award.

She’ll be honored at a ceremony at 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 20, starting the MLK statute outside the T Building on the Pasco campus.

The prize is given each year to someone who exemplifies King’s work in equality and social justice and whose contributions to society reflect his spirit, philosophy and teachings.

Letters nominating Fitzgerald pointed to her years leading Women of Wisdom Tri-Cities, a service group to bring together children and parents from across the Tri-Cities through a series of events. She’s also participated in The Links, Junior Achievement, Emerge and Toastmasters.

“She has a gift of serving and welcoming all cultures,” one of the nomination letters said. “Chauné believes in uplifting people of all walks of life and helping improve their economic and social status.”

Fitzgerald shares King’s desire to serve people in need and bring them together. And both had a deep love of Christian ministry.

“I am a person who believes we should all be servants. And we should serve from our heart,” she told the Herald.

Community volunteer, ministry

Fitzgerald’s community service and Christian faith are intertwined.

She grew up as the daughter of a service member who brought her mother from Chicago to Atlanta.

“My mother had me in church since I was a little baby and I grew up in the church,” she said. “Just watching my mother, how she gave of herself and spent hours of her day in church. It’s just a way of life. You get up and you go to church.”

Her faith stayed with her as she grew up and after getting her master’s in business administration from Troy University in Alabama. She went on to spend two years earning a master’s in divinity at Calvary Bible Institute in Georgia.

“A lot of people don’t know I went to seminary,” she said.

Shortly after becoming an ordained minister, she and her husband, Eric, moved to Richland for his work at Hanford.

She opened her business on The Parkway, Salon Remedi, and began leading Covenant Life Ministry.

And while the ministry later closed part of it became the seed for the Women of Wisdom Tri-Cities.

She didn’t want to give up serving, so she formed the nonprofit to focus on developing women in leadership.

“Women come, and they do what their talents and gifts are,” she said. “We help each other. Iron sharpens iron. ... It’s a diverse group. We come together to do good for others.”

The organization gives its members the chance to do what they enjoy so they can help others, and offers options for members to grow, as well, Fitzgerald said.

They organize four events a year, including a Youth Unity Skate Night. It brings children and teens to the Rollarena Skating Center in Richland each February for a night of free skating and pizza.

In the summer, the group holds the Community Back to School Cookout, where children in need can get school supplies. Last year they partnered with HAPO Community Credit Union.

“Several nonprofits are invited yearly. I feel like that is something that is important because this cookout invites other nonprofits so the community can access their resources,” she said. “So when people come to get school supplies, not only do they get school supplies ... they also get a chance to see who they can go to if they need help.”

Women of Wisdom also has a literacy and reading program called WOW RTW (read, think, write). They alternate their focus between women and children.

“We’ve done book clubs. We’ve done speech contests,” she said.

The Mother, Daughter and Friend Tea in May helps pay for the events. The fundraiser at the Three Rivers Convention Center is in its fifth year. It features a brunch and fashion show aimed at building self-esteem.

Fitzgerald also funds student scholarships to Toastmasters, which helps with communication, public speaking and leadership skills. She also is the local district’s public relations leader.

Finding the time

In addition to running her Richland business, Salon Remedi, the master cosmetologist travels for Farouk Systems hair care products.

In December, Fitzgerald was part of a team of 15 hairstylists at the Miss Universe contest. She spent 14 days in Atlanta, including styling 2019’s Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi of South Africa.

Back home, Fitzgerald also runs an empowerment closet for women who need clothes as they head back into the workforce and was recently picked to be part of the myTRI 2030 inclusion council.

Together with a 13-year-old daughter, Micah, Fitzgerald and her husband also have three adult children between them.

She manages it all with the help of meticulous scheduling, she said.

“If I see something and I can try to make a difference, that’s what I’m going to do,” she said. “The people around here, they know me for that and they know if you tell me, then I’ll be there.”

It’s a calling to be a servant for the community, she said.