Athena Erie presents awards to honor, support female leaders of today and tomorrow
Dana Massing
Erie Times-News
Women and men might have different leadership styles, but one local leader believes that when they join forces, the most success can follow.
"I do think when men and women work together, we get our best results," said Linda Stevenson, founder and managing director of Athena Erie.
She said she wouldn't want just male leaders or just female leaders but added that the desired balance hasn't been achieved yet. That's why Athena Erie continues to offer programs locally to support, develop and honor the leadership of women. One such program occurred earlier this month when local Athena Awards were presented. Erie County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper received the 2021 Erie Athena Leadership Award. Gannon University student Kathryn Dickey received the 2021 Athena Young Professional Award.
Stevenson, a retired banking executive, said she introduced Athena to Erie in 2000. She said Athena Erie is licensed through the nonprofit Athena International organization, which has a mission to support, develop and honor the leadership of women and strives to create balance in leadership worldwide.
Athena Leadership Awards have been given out to more than 8,000 recipients in 48 states and 11 countries, according to the Athena International website.
This was the 13th time that an Athena Leadership Award was presented in Erie. The award is given out every other year, with a leadership luncheon taking place in even years. Two of the 13 award recipients have been men.
From 2019:Andrea Jeffress receives Athena Erie award
The award recognizes an individual, female or male, who contributes to the community, demonstrates professional excellence and helps women become great leaders, Stevenson said. She said the award is also a way to emphasize the importance of female leadership to the community. An Athena committee selects each recipient.
"We stay away from politicians typically," Stevenson said.
But she said the group had good reasons this time for selecting Dahlkemper, who will finish her second four-year term as county executive in January. Dahlkemper didn't seek a third term.
Leaving office:Erie County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper won't seek 3rd term
Stevenson said Dahlkemper, a Democrat who represented Pennsylvania's 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2009 to 2011, is an amazing role model who is committed to the well-being of women and children.
"She's a woman of integrity and that's why she was really honored by Athena," Stevenson said.
Her organization, however, doesn't only want to recognize the leaders of today, but also to highlight female leaders of the future. That's why Athena Erie opts to give its Young Professional Award to college students, Stevenson said.
"We're counting on them to step up," she said. "We need them to be ready."
Honoring them is a way to introduce young women to Athena and to the community, she said.
Each of the four local colleges — Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Gannon University, Mercyhurst University and Penn State Behrend — nominated a student for the award.
"The decision is extremely difficult," Stevenson said about selecting the winner. "These young women are just amazing.
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Gannon's Dickey, who is the seventh local Young Professional Award recipient, is a social work major and student in the school's Honors Program. She serves as president of the Gannon University Social Work Club and painted a mural of a Willow Tree in the Honors Center, representing the ability of the Honors Program to bend and adapt during challenging times like COVID-19, according to information from Athena Erie. Dickey has performed social justice-related poetry at Gannon, was the first student member invited to serve on Gannon's Mental Well-Being initiative and brought the first open-mic style event to the Erie campus on the topic of mental health.
Dickey and Dahlkemper were recognized Oct. 13 at an event at the Ambassador Center.
The keynote speaker was Pam Parker, a project manager at the Erie County Historical Society-Hagen History Center in Erie. Parker was formerly a staff writer and copy editor for the Erie Times-News.
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The celebration was hosted by Athena Erie and Athena PowerLink, the business mentoring program designed to increase the growth and profitability of female-owned businesses.
PowerLink is one of several programs that fall under the Athena Erie umbrella and that are available to the Erie community.
"There's so many options," Stevenson said.
She encouraged anyone who would like to learn more to visit www.athenaerie.org.
Contact Dana Massing at dmassing@timesnews.com. Follow her on Twitter @ETNmassing.
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