Wheeling Chamber To Host First ATHENA Award Luncheon
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The Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce has linked with an international organization that supports, develops and honors women leaders and will host a ceremony honoring local leaders who exemplify that organization's mission.
The chamber will host the first ATHENA Awards luncheon in the Ohio Valley at noon June 9 at the newly renovated Wheeling Park White Palace ballroom. The ATHENA Leadership Award has honored more than 7,000 women leaders from hundreds of cities and eight countries since its inception in 1982. The chamber recently was accepted by ATHENA International as a licensed ATHENA host organization.
Mike Howard, chamber vice president for membership, events and education, had attended ATHENA Leadership Award events in the past, including Washington County, Pennsylvania, and felt such an organization and event would be a wonderful addition to the Ohio Valley.
"You just always notice the class and grace of this event and what it does to honor women in leadership that do a lot for their employers, their communities and their families," he said. "I felt this was something we had to get to the Ohio Valley at some point."
The chamber will take nominations for the award until May 26. Those wishing to nominate someone for the award can contact Laurie Conway, the chamber's director of marketing and communications, at lconway@wheelingchamber.com.
Howard said the process likely will be that five finalists will be selected and featured at the June luncheon, where a winner will then be named. A selection committee will have decided on the winner prior to the luncheon.
The chamber also announced Tuesday that Wesbanco will be the platinum sponor for the event. David Klick, Wesbanco's market president for the Upper Ohio Valley, said the bank was proud to partner with the chamber in this endeavor.
"It goes hand in hand with our corporate values of promoting diversity and women's leadership in the workforce," he said. "We believe that diversity in the workforce promotes great dialogue between businesses in the community."
The Ohio Valley's winner of the ATHENA Leadership Award will be invited to join other winners and leaders at a Regional ATHENA International Women's Leadership Summit of their choice.