ATHENA Leadership Award Nominations Now Open

The Harford Community College Foundation is pleased to announce that nominations for the annual ATHENA Leadership Awards are now being accepted. The deadline for nominations is December 4. Nominees must accept the nomination and complete the application by December 13.

The ATHENA Leadership Awards, which will be presented on March 7, 2025, at the Water’s Edge Event Center, recognize exemplary leadership by an individual or organization for their excellence in their business or profession, service to the community in a meaningful way and, most importantly, actively assisting women to achieve their full leadership potential. To nominate an individual, business, or organization for one of the ATHENA Leadership Awards, please visit https://go.harford.edu/foundationevents. Nominations are sought throughout the community and finalists are selected by a diverse group of community leaders based on the criteria below.

ATHENA LEADERSHIP AWARD
The ATHENA Leadership Award recognizes an accomplished individual who actively supports women in attaining professional excellence and leadership skills. The ATHENA Award highlights what recipients have accomplished in addition to paving a path for future successes. ATHENA Leadership Award nominees must meet each of the following three criteria:

• Demonstrate professional and personal excellence
• Provide valuable service to improve the quality of life for others in the community
• Actively assist women in realizing their full leadership potential

ATHENA YOUNG PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP AWARD
The ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award celebrates emerging leaders between the ages of 22 and 40 who meet each of the following criteria:

• Demonstrate professional excellence
• Contribute valuable service to improve the quality of life for others in the community
• Clearly serve as a professional and personal role model for women and girls

ATHENA ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP AWARD
The ATHENA Organizational Leadership Award is presented to an organization or business that ignites, amplifies, and celebrates leaders who are women. The award highlights organizations that create a culture of inclusive leadership and create opportunities for women's professional advancement and growth. ATHENA Organizational Leadership nominees are businesses or organizations that meet both of the following criteria:

• Create an organizational culture that encourages women employees to achieve their full leadership potential
• Give back to the larger community of women and girls by providing and/or supporting leadership development opportunities and initiatives

Founded over 30 years ago, ATHENA International is a women’s leadership organization that supports, develops, and honors women leaders through the programs it administers. ATHENA’s flagship program, the ATHENA Leadership Award Program, has honored over 7,000 women leaders from hundreds of cities and eight countries since its inception in 1982. The program is facilitated locally by the Harford Community College Foundation, a licensed ATHENA host organization.

If you have any questions regarding the ATHENA Leadership Awards or the ATHENA Leadership Awards Breakfast, contact Jen Palinkas, jpalinkas@harford.edu or 443-412-2428.