Washington, DC - American Mothers Inc. ® has named the state Mother of the Year® and Mother of Achievement honorees for 2017.  Jenay Sherman from McKinney, Texas has been selected to represent the state of Texas.  She will serve as an ambassador for mothers across the country and will be recognized at an annual national conference in Washington DC from April 23-25, 2017, where the National Mother of the Year will be named.

American Mothers Inc. ® is celebrating its 82nd year of nationally honoring motherhood, educating on issues impacting mothers and children at home, at work, and in the world.  American Mothers recognizes the contributions and commitment to family and community that moms exhibit on a daily basis.

Jenay was selected from nominees from across the state as Texas Mother of the Year because she excels in her role as a mother and as a community leader.   Jenay Sherman is a mother of four young boys, all under the age of eight years old. Jenay was born in Bloomington, Indiana, and attend Ohio University where she received a B.S. in Communications. After teaching Leadership at Indiana University, she went on to the University of Dayton to earn her M.A. in Communications. When her husband’s job moved the family from Ohio to Texas, Jenay stayed home with her four young boys, teaching Public Speaking at multiple campuses of Collin College, and providing marketing services for small businesses. During this time, she also started a popular parenting blog, became a featured writer for Scary Mommy (a leading mommy web community), and published a children’s book in an effort to introduce both black and special need’s characters to mainstream fiction. In 2016, she began teaching Leadership at Lovejoy High School, and served as the JV Cheer coach at the school. She was honored to receive a Teacher Appreciation recognition from one of her students as a teacher who had made a profound impact in their life. Jenay, and her husband Willie, live with their four boys in McKinney, TX.

“Every year we are amazed by the passion our “moms” have for being a mother and improving the lives of those around them,” says Dianne Callister, President of American Mothers. “It’s inspiring to see so many women who embody the selfless, caring spirit of motherhood and who are using that maternal energy to make the world a better place.”

Mother of the Year® nominees qualify for the honor by having one or more children and being amazing in their role as mom. Nominees for Mother of Achievement should be an individual who has made a significant contribution to improve the lives of mothers and children in her community and/or the nation but she does not need to have children to qualify.

The public is invited to nominate their favorite “mom” annually from Mother’s Day to November 15 at http://www.americanmothers.org/nomination-form.