2024 ATHENA Awards Recipients Honored at Annual Ceremony

The Harford Community College Foundation is proud to announce the 2024 ATHENA Awards recipients. Stacey Rebbert, Assistant Vice President for Marketing and Corporate Communications at Harford Mutual Insurance Group, received the 2024 ATHENA Leadership Award. Stacy Guerin, Assistant Vice President of Operations, University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health, received the 2024 ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award. Laurel Bush Family Dentistry was awarded the new ATHENA Organizational Award. The awards presentation was held on March 1 at the Richlin Ballroom in Edgewood, Maryland.

Presented by PK Law, the ATHENA Leadership Awards Breakfast is hosted each year by the Harford Community College Foundation (HCCF). The awards recognize leaders who demonstrate excellence in assisting women in leadership, professional accomplishment, and service to the community.

The 2024 ATHENA Leadership Award recipient, Stacey Rebbert, is a dedicated community champion, directing a substantial portion of her philanthropic efforts toward empowering the next generation of leaders with a specific focus on supporting women’s success. In addition to her work as Assistant Vice President for Marketing & Corporate Communications with Harford Mutual Insurance Group, she currently chairs the Harford County Commission for Women. Stacey is also entering her fifth year as a mentor in Dr. Nancy Grasmick’s Outstanding Young Women Leaders Program at Towson University and lends her mentorship skills to Towson University in Northeastern Maryland’s graduating seniors program. She also proudly serves as a board member for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Harford & Cecil Counties. Stacey has received awards for excellence throughout her career. 

In her capacity as Assistant Vice President of Operations at UM Upper Chesapeake Health, ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award recipient Stacy Guerin has spent the last 18 years serving Harford County’s healthcare needs. Leveraging partnerships and her background in nursing, she led the forensic nursing team to develop a Human Trafficking Protocol, the first of its kind in the University of Maryland Medical System. Additionally, Stacy has served on the executive council of the International Association of Forensic Nurses Maryland-DC Chapter for the past six years, providing learning opportunities and mentorship to women and serving victims of sexual abuse and assault across the state. She volunteers and coordinates build days with Habitat for Humanity and has organized several team events to support SARC (the Sexual Assault/Spouse Abuse Resource Center of Harford County) over the last several years. Stacy also serves on SARC’s executive board.

Laurel Bush Family Dentistry, recipient of the new ATHENA Organizational Award, is a practice built on exceptional patient care and empowering its team. Led by Owner/CEO and 2014 ATHENA Leadership Award recipient Dr. Mary Teddy Wray, Laurel Bush is a champion for women’s empowerment, actively hiring, training, and mentoring female professionals across various dental disciplines. Their patients have voted them the Best of Harford in Dental Practice every year since 2016. Laurel Bush Family Dentistry provided more than 600 pro bono hours through partnerships with the Maryland Foundation of Dentistry and Amway, and generously donated their dental services to organizations like SARC residents and women and children in need.

Kelly Schulz, CEO of the Maryland Tech Council, was the keynote speaker for this year’s event. Schulz most recently served for seven years in Governor Hogan’s administration as the Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Commerce. Prior to that, she was appointed as Secretary of the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.

The annual breakfast event proceeds fund ATHENA Leadership Scholarships. In the last eight years, proceeds from the event have awarded $31,500 in scholarships to 41 deserving Harford Community College students.

HCCF thanks its many event sponsors. PK Law was the presenting sponsor. The Daily Record was the ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award Sponsor. M&T Bank was the ATHENA Organizational Award Sponsor. APGFCU was the Finalist Sponsor. Platinum Sponsors included Beacon Staffing Alternatives, Freedom Federal Credit Union, Harford Bank, Harford Community College, Harford County Public Library, and Laurel Bush Family Dentistry. Gold Sponsors included Bravura Information Technology Systems Inc., Chesapeake Health Education Program, Towson University in Northeastern Maryland, and University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health. Silver Sponsors were The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region; Baltimore Area Council, Boy Scouts of America; Chesapeake Professional Women’s Network; Chesapeake Employers Insurance Company; Elegant Restoration, Inc.; Emerald Builders, Inc.; Frederick Ward Associates; Har-Co Credit Union; Harford County Chamber of Commerce; Klein’s ShopRite of Maryland; Michelle Karczeski, Clerk of the Court; and Wegmans. Bronze Sponsors included Edward Jones – Alysson Krchnavy; Harford County Government; Harford Family House; Hill Tech Solutions; Karen L. Jones, P.A.; MediaWise, Inc.; Palumbo Insurance Associates; Peak Partners; TENAX Technologies, LLC; Vagabond Sandwich Company; and Women’s Giving Circle. The Media Sponsors were HarfordTV and I95 Business. Flowers by Bauers and Greenhouses was the In-Kind Sponsor.

Past ATHENA Leadership Awards recipients include Joan Traub Phillipe (1985), Virginia O’Rourke (1986), Maggie Green (1987), Mary Chance (1988), Harriet Allen (1989), Nora Koontz (1990), Jeannie Quinn (1991), Dahlia Hirsch (1992), Nancy Orr (1993), no program held 1995-2001, Kim Wagner (2002), Pat Donovan (2003), Jane Howe (2004), Deborah Smith Williams (2005), Sheryl Davis Kohl (2006), Karen Green (deceased) (2007), Patricia Scott (2008), Content McLaughlin (2009), Lucie Lehmann (2010), Tamera Rush (2011), Denise Carnaggio (2012), Jayne Klein (2013), Dr. Mary Teddy Wray (2014), Stephanie Hau (2015), Carolyn Evans (2016), Kathy Walsh (2017), Paige Boyle - Young Professional Award (2017), Dr. Lisa Feulner (2018), Brittany Trocher - Young Professional Award (2018), Sharon Jacobs (2019), Jennie Towner - Young Professional Award (2019), Sandra Gallion (2020), Elizabeth Mosser - Young Professional Award (2020), Robin Tomechko (2021), Sara Garbarino - Young Professional Award (2021), Claudine Adams (2022), Sarah Klein - Young Professional Award (2022), Andree M. Mountain-Campbell (2023), and Allison Cuneo - Young Professional Award (2023).