Chamber Announces 28 Athena Award Nominees

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber has announced the 28 nominees for the 2021 Athena Award.

The winner of the award, bestowed annually on a Mahoning Valley woman who demonstrates professional excellence while working to improve the community, will be announced at a dinner May 13 at Waypoint 4180 in Canfield. 

Keynote speaker at the dinner will be Tammy Whitworth, chairman and CEO of Window World.

• The nominees are:
  Danielle Adams, associate content manager, FactSet Research Systems Inc.
• Nicole Alexander, magistrate, Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas, general division.
• Michelle Alleman, director, McKinley Memorial Library.
• Carla Baldwin, judge, Youngstown Municipal Court.
• Mara Banfield, director, Mahoning County Career and Technical Center and superintendent of Valley STEM+ME2 Academy.
• Erin Bishop, health commissioner, city of Youngstown.
• Ruth Bowdish, managing director, On Demand Occupational Medicine.
• Shelly Bradley, customer care center director, AT&T.
• Jacqueline Burley, executive director, Protestant Family Service.
• Heather Craver, director of mental health, Cadence Care Network.
• Valerie Cubon-Bell, associate professor, Kent State University at Trumbull.
• Sara Daugherty, director of operations and economic impact, Brite Energy Innovators.
• Theresa Dellick, judge, Mahoning County Juvenile Court.
• Renee DiSalvo, judge, Youngstown Municipal Court.
• Angela Duskey, chief financial officer, The Muransky Companies.
• Cynthia Marie Fernback, principal, Boardman High School.
• Tricia Ferry, executive vice president of operations, VEC.
• Julie Green, director, Trumbull County Planning Commission.
• Leigh Ann Greene, director, Youngstown Local Office on Minority Health.
• Vicki Haywood Doe, president and CEO, Haywood Doe Consulting Co.
• Stacy Howlett, president and CEO, Howlett Logistics.
• Briana Komara Pridon, co-owner and president, Komara Jewelers.
• Karen Larwin, associate professor at Youngstown State University and owner of REM Consulting.
• Shirley McIntosh, IT field tech, Laboratory Corp. of America and mayor of the Village of West Farmington.
• Dr. Meredythe McNally, Steward Health and owner of EmpowHERment.
• Lisa Resnick, real estate agent, Burgan Real Estate.
• Latisha Weaver Bennett, CEO, La La Love Healthcare.Julia Wike, executive director,The Basement Outreach Ministries.

The Athena Award, now in its 28th year, is presented by the Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber and The Vindicator. It is given to a woman who strives toward the highest level of professional accomplishment in her chosen field while devoting time and energy to the community, and opening doors so that others may follow.

The awards dinner will include a VIP reception for sponsors, nominees and nominators. The cost is $75 per person. Registration will open in April. For information, click HERE.

Whitworth, the keynote speaker, and her husband, Todd, purchased Window World in 2007 from Todd’s father, Leon Whitworth, but a series of personal challenges soon followed.

The following year, their daughter was born premature and spent considerable time in hospitals. In 2010, Todd died at age 40. Two years later, Tammy was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Now a single mother, Tammy has grown Window World to 228 stores in 48 states with annual sales of $400 million.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.