Athena

2009 ATHENA Geneva Award

September 10, 2009

A dinner to recognize nominees and present the award is being planned for September 10, 2009 at Club 86.  The Chamber is proud to have Mike Barnard Auto Group as the founding sponsor of our very successful ATHENA Geneva, supporting the program since 2005.

Past Recipients of the Athena Geneva Award include:

  • 2008 Lara Turbide
  • 2007 Lucile Mallard
  • 2006 Jane McCaffrey
  • 2005 Nancee Scott

Established in 1982, the prestigious ATHENA award is given annually to women in communities around the United States to recognize leaders who demonstrate excellence, creativity, and initiative in their business or profession, while also assisting women to reach their full leadership potential.  

The following information is from the ATHENA International website:

MISSION

Supporting, developing and honoring women leaders
Inspiring women to achieve their full potential
Creating balance in leadership worldwide

ATHENA’S UNIQUE POSITION IS BASED ON...

ATHENA LEADERSHIP MODEL

The ATHENA Leadership Model is unique in that it focuses on personal traits of strong, successful leaders. It captures the spirit and collaborative leadership style often exemplified in women leaders, while also recognizing the importance of traits such as courageous acts and fierce advocacy in the pursuit of excellence. The ATHENA Leadership Model tenets include Authentic Self, Celebration and Joy, Collaboration, Courageous Acts, Fierce Advocacy, Giving Back, Learning and Relationships, and provide a model for 21st Century leadership.

ATHENA AWARD

The ATHENA Award is represented by an original bronze and marble sculpture inspired by the goddess of Greek mythology known for her strength, courage, wisdom and enlightenment—qualities embodied in the ATHENA leadership model. The Award is unique in both scope---local, national and international---and the ATHENA mission upon which it is based. The ATHENA Award is presented to a woman ---or man--- who is honored for professional excellence, community service and for actively assisting women in their attainment of professional excellence and leadership skills.

THE ATHENA AWARD is presented annually by chambers of commerce, women’s organizations and universities. The award is established through local host organizations in partnership with ATHENA International’s national underwriters, local businesses and individual sponsors. 

Nominations are solicited and an ATHENA sculpture is awarded to an individual in the community who meets specific criteria listed below. 

Since the program’s inception in 1982 more than 5000 awards have been presented in over 500 communities in the United States, Canada, China, Russia, the United Arab Emirates and most recently the United Kingdom. By honoring exceptional leaders, the ATHENA Award® Program seeks to inspire others to achieve excellence in their professional and personal lives.

THE CRITERIA

ATHENA Award Recipients are individuals who 

  • Demonstrate excellence, creativity, and initiative in their 
    business or profession.  
  • Provide valuable service by contributing time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community.  
  • Actively assist women in realizing their full leadership potential.  

THE BENEFITS

Involvement with the ATHENA Award® Program benefits your organization and your community

  • Your organization and community provide an environment where women’s accomplishments and contributions are valued.  
  • Recognizing outstanding individuals in your community clearly defines role models for others to emulate.  
  • Affiliation with an international network of women and men who work together to create leadership opportunities for women and encourages the empowerment of women leaders.  
  • Sizable attendance at award events by community and business leaders promotes positive relations and networking opportunities.   
  • Substantial media coverage results in exposure for sponsoring businesses and organizations.

HISTORY

Back in the early 80’s, ATHENA International’s founder, Martha Mertz was asked to serve on the Board of Directors of the Lansing Michigan Regional Chamber of Commerce. After finding herself to be the only business woman serving on the Board and discovering that her Chamber had only once honored a woman, Martha quickly recognized that the Chamber’s boardroom did not reflect the reality of the community. Martha worked with her Chamber to recognize the leadership of outstanding professional and business women in the community and advocated to provide opportunities for them to move into leadership positions. The first ATHENA Award was presented in 1982—and the ATHENA spirit was born.

“When the world is ready for a new vision, a new reality, a deeper kind of knowing, the voice will rise to articulate that. And others will embrace it. Sometimes the message comes in the form of a statement that captures the essence of an idea and ignites the imagination of a group, a nation, the world—

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free

We hold these truths to be self evident that all women are created equal

I have a dream

Martha’s initial action, based on a concept seeking to achieve a balance in the faces and voices of leadership, gave rise to ATHENA International. Think about Rosa Parks, who from the authenticity of her core, refused once again, to go to the back of the bus. Consider Mother Theresa who expressed her leadership by the touch of her hand, by the healing of her voice, by the power of her presence—always giving hope. These are but two examples, albeit great examples, of women’s ways of leading that have changed the world.” (Excerpt from Martha’s opening remarks at the 2005 International ATHENA Leadership Conference in Chicago.) 

Martha’s small, seemingly insignificant action was based upon a concept seeking to achieve a balance in the faces and voices of leadership, which gave rise to ATHENA International. 

What is honored in a country will be cultivated there 
(Plato)

This concept led to the idea of acknowledging and honoring those quiet leaders, mostly women, whose efforts were adding immensely to the fabric of their communities while they remained unacknowledged and not visible as leaders. The ATHENA Award® was created to raise up one outstanding role model each year in a community to put a familiar face and voice to the idea of a leader. After 2½ decades of fierce advocacy on behalf of women leaders, ATHENA celebrates a global reach as this message resonates around the world.