Chamber Foundation announces 2016 ATHENA Honorees

The Chamber Foundation, Inc., is excited to announce its 2016 ATHENA International honorees. Chosen by a selection committee composed of the past three years’ honorees, these individuals demonstrated strengths in career excellence and leadership, community volunteer involvement and willingness to serve as a mentor – especially to women in the business community.

The honorees are:

• Gloria Cukar, MidHudson Regional Hospital
• Dr. Pamela Edington, Dutchess Community College
• Renée Fillette Ph.D, Astor Services for Children & Families
• Lauren Gillett, Chazen Companies
• Krista Jones, Sparrow's Nest
• Cynthia Keller, The Culinary Institute of America
• Kelly Lyndgaard, Unshattered
• Ruth Mahoney, KeyBank
• Maj. Kathleen Sileno, Air National Guard
• Catherine Spratt, MidHudson Regional Hospital
• Bettina "GOLD" Wilkerson, Real Skills Network

The ATHENA Award Reception will be from 5-8 p.m. on Thursday, November 17 and will feature a keynote address from Jane Bryant Quinn, a nationally known financial journalist, before the ATHENA award is officially presented to one of the individuals, who will represent the Hudson Valley at a regional ATHENA conference.

Our presenting sponsor is MidHudson Regional Hospital; the gold sponsors are KeyBank and IBM; the silver sponsors include The Arc of Dutchess, Dutchess Community College, LCS Companies, M&T Bank, and Tompkins Mahopac Bank; the supporting sponsor is Fortress Financial Advisory; and our media sponsor is The Daily Voice.

A private VIP reception, sponsored by DCH Wappingers Falls Toyota, will be held on Thursday, November 3 at Mariapolis Luminosa in Hyde Park.

Now in its 11th year here in the Hudson Valley, the ATHENA Award is given to a member of the community who best embodies the ATHENA Leadership Model, which focuses on the 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 courageous acts and fierce advocacy in pursuit of excellence. Lara Litchfield-Kimber, Executive Director of the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum, was the Hudson Valley’s most recent ATHENA Award recipient.
 
Tickets for the ATHENA Awards Reception on November 17 are available to the public at a cost of $60 per person. For more information, contact Chelsea at (845) 454-1700, ext. 1000 or email chelsea@dcrcoc.org