Know a community member who makes a major positive impact in women’s lives as well as the community as a whole? There’s one week left to nominate them for the prestigious ATHENA Award.
The Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce and Girls Inc. of Owensboro Daviess County are accepting nominations for the 27th annual ATHENA Award. The deadline
The award honors someone within the community “who has generously assisted women in attaining their full leadership potential; personifies the highest level of professional excellence; and has devoted time and energy to the community in a meaningful way,” according to a release.
The deadline for submitting nominations is January 3. Nomination forms may be obtained by contacting Girls Inc. at 270-684-7833 or online at chamber.owensboro.com.
According to the release, the award recipient must meet each of the following criteria:
- Actively assisted women in realizing their full leadership potential
- Demonstrated excellence, creativity, and initiative in their business or profession
- Provided valuable service by contributing time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community.
The release details eligibility as follows:
- Both females and males are eligible for consideration.
- The nominee must live, work, or influence the Owensboro-Daviess County community.
- Past ATHENA Award recipients are not eligible for nomination. However, past nominees may be nominated again.
- There is no age qualification for nomination or consideration.
- Nominees do not need to be actively employed to be considered.
- Award candidates may not nominate himself or herself.
- Current or past affiliation with Girls Inc., the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce or award sponsors is not a prerequisite for consideration or given undue weight in the selection process.
- No staff member of Girls Inc. or the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce or award committee member is eligible for consideration during their active tenure.
- No posthumous awards will be given except for the possibility of a person who died within the current year of the award.
Due to the growing interest in the award and the number of nominees, the judging process is changing from past years. Nominations will be received and nominees will be asked to complete a questionnaire that details their accomplishments and impact. The responses will be sent to an outside panel that will select up to eight finalists for consideration. Those finalists will then be announced and considered by a separate panel to select the recipient of the award. Members of both panels are from outside the community and have no knowledge of the nominees other than the information provided by the nominee.
The award program and luncheon is scheduled for March 19, 2025, at the Owensboro Convention Center.
ATHENA International was founded in 1982 as a nonprofit seeking to support, develop, and honor women leaders. Locally, in 1999 Girls Inc. and the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce “began a focused and collaborative effort, embracing the ATHENA vision to recognize and celebrate not only the contributions of women but more importantly those individuals who opened doors and enabled other women to be self-sufficient and to reach their full potential,” according to a release.
They began giving out an annual ATHENA award that year. In 2017, the annual award program expanded its reach to include the Legacy Award, which posthumously honors individuals who had that same profound impact on the community and women. Girls Inc. partners with the Owensboro Chapter of AAUW in naming the Legacy Award recipient.
“We are grateful for the partnership with the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, our sponsors, and supporters which allow us to celebrate leaders who have positively impacted the lives of women in our community,” said Tish Correa Osborne, Girls Inc. CEO. “ The mission of Girls Inc. is to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold, preparing our next generation of female leaders. The Athena Awards aligns perfectly with our mission and we are delighted to host the event.”
