With a standing ovation and more than a few tears in the room, Beth Steele accepted the 2025 ATHENA Award on Wednesday during the annual Girls Inc. Luncheon. The award recognized her decades-long commitment to empowering women, leading with compassion, and transforming healthcare in western Kentucky.
“When I look at the list of past recipients and fellow nominees, I see a constellation of women who have not only excelled in their fields but have also dedicated themselves to lifting others,” Steele said. “To be counted among them is incredibly humbling.”
Steele, Chief Operating Officer at Owensboro Health, was recognized for her outstanding professional achievements and her dedication to mentoring others — particularly women in healthcare leadership. Known for her collaborative leadership style and genuine warmth, she has left a lasting mark on both her field and the community she now calls home.
Her tenure at Owensboro Health includes leading a 5-year strategic plan, developing a shared governance model for nurses, and playing a pivotal role in launching Brescia University’s new Physician Assistant program. She also helped secure critical funding to expand scholarship opportunities for aspiring healthcare professionals and has worked to elevate women’s voices in boardrooms and beyond.
“This award isn’t just a recognition of individual achievement,” Steele said. “It’s a testament to the power of mentorship, advocacy, and the collective strength of women supporting women.”
Steele was one of several honorees at Wednesday’s luncheon. Girls Inc., in partnership with the Owensboro Chapter of AAUW, posthumously named Mary Hale Dean the 2025 Legacy Award recipient. Dean, who helped found Owensboro’s public library in the early 1900s, was remembered as a trailblazer for women’s education and civic engagement.
Impact 100 Owensboro also received the Girls Inc. Award of Excellence for its 20 years of collective giving, which has resulted in more than $4.3 million in grants to local nonprofits and the creation of a youth mentoring program for young women.
Steele closed her remarks with a call to action for continued support of women and girls.
“True leadership isn’t about climbing the ladder alone,” she said. “It’s about reaching back and pulling others up with you. When women thrive and succeed, so does our world.”
