Photo by Mark Layman
The Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce will celebrate women in community leadership at the area’s 13th ATHENA Awards Banquet on May 15.
In her role as office manager at the Chamber, award recipient Charlotte Akers is intimately involved with leadership in the community. She emphasizes the significance of women leaders mentoring other women.
“That piece of it is so very important,” she says. “Are you bringing someone, a woman, along with you and showing her what it takes?”
This year’s event is sponsored by OhioHealth and will be held at Ohio University, Pickerington Center. The theme is “Inspiring YOU to Make a Difference.” Two additional awards will be given: the Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce Emerging ATHENA Award, for young women in professional leadership, and the Youth ATHENA Award. Teachers and administrators from local schools nominate candidates for the youth award.
Criteria for award recipients revolve around level of leadership and mentoring, says Chamber President Theresa Byers. The selection committee is comprised of past recipients. Byers also sits on the committee.
“However,” she says, “I don’t know that I would vote. They are the ones who have received that honor, and they are the ones who have the honor of selecting the next recipient.”
Anyone in the community who exemplifies the ATHENA principles is eligible for the award, Byers says.
“The award winner is someone who is not just successful in business, but who gives back to the community,” says 2002 award recipient Marian Reitano. “She – or he, since men are now eligible, too – is someone who mentors women, who sees something special in a woman and shows her that she can do it; she can achieve.”
Twelve recipients have been honored since 1998, when the Pickerington Chamber of Commerce received a license for the event. Former Chamber President Helen Mayle was the first recipient. She was followed by Joyce Bushman in 1999, Akers in 2000, Barbara Freeman in 2001, Reitano in 2002, Debbie Marullo in 2003 and Leigh Atkinson in 2004.
No additional ATHENA Awards were given in Pickerington until 2010, when ATHENA International Founder Martha Mayhood Mertz, a Michigan businesswoman, visited to speak. R.G. Barry sponsored workshops held at Ohio University’s Pickerington Center and a dinner at Hickory Lakes. Dr. Karen Matia received the award, and ATHENA returned to the community.
Since then, four more women have received the award. In 2011, Jodi Wilson was recognized for her outstanding work as Diley Ridge Medical Center site administrator. Candice Thomas-Maddox – communications professor, mentor and adviser at Ohio University – received the award in 2012. Suellen Goldsberry was selected in 2013 for her contributions to the community through her work at the Pickerington Public Library. Last year, former Pickerington Mayor Rita Ricketts was the ATHENA Award recipient.
Related: First female mayor of Pickerington helped her community grow
The awards ceremony takes place at the ATHENA Banquet, which follows a morning of leadership development workshops. The recipient receives a trophy along with the honor of being recognized for her leadership contributions.
ATHENA Awards are stated to be given to recipients, not winners. This language is specifically used to emphasize the nature of ATHENA, which is cooperative rather than competitive. Mertz’s vision for ATHENA is one of women in leadership working together, not only lifting up one another, but also serving businesses, charities and communities.
“It is one of the most inspiring events I have ever attended,” Byers says.
Mertz founded ATHENA International in 1982 when she was the only female on her local chamber of commerce board of directors. Her work led her to observe that women’s
collaborative, creative leadership styles enrich organizations and communities. She realized that women have much that is valuable to bring to the leadership community and that women in leadership roles needed to be recognized, encouraged and commended.
Mertz created the ATHENA Award around the principles of the ATHENA Leadership Model: Live Authentically, Learn Constantly, Advocate Fiercely, Act Courageously, Foster Collaboration, Build Relationships, Give Back and Celebrate.
In her book, Becoming ATHENA: Eight Principles of Enlightened Leadership, Mertz wrote, “Pressing into the 21st Century, the promise is so great. My generation of mothers, aunts and sisters have found our voices of leadership; we now recognize how effective our ways are, whether in the board room, the back room or the living room.”
Today, ATHENA has grown to include recognition, training and mentoring programs in more than 500 U.S. cities and eight foreign countries. Local community members continue to nominate candidates who excel in their fields, give back to the community and help raise up female leaders.
Men who demonstrate the ATHENA principles are also eligible, as this illustrates ATHENA’s emphasis on collaboration and mutual assistance in leadership. Chambers of commerce, women’s organizations and universities present the annual award. ATHENA Award programs are underwritten by ATHENA International, local businesses and individual sponsors.
Community members who wish to nominate candidates can do so by submitting forms that are available from the Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce office or by contacting Byers at 614-837-1958 or theresa@pickeringtonchamber.com.
Brenda Layman is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at ssole@cityscenemediagroup.com.
