FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 22, 2011

22^nd ANNUAL ATHENA^® LEADERSHIP AWARD

NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

Recipients to be declared at November 4, 2011 luncheon

(BUFFALO, N.Y.) – The 22^nd Annual ATHENA Leadership Award^® will be presented on November 4, 2011, at the Buffalo Niagara Marriott from 12 - 1:30 p.m. The recipient of the award will be an individual in the Buffalo Niagara region who demonstrates support for the goals of female professionals, and provides significant and selfless assistance on their behalf. Eight women were nominated for the prestigious award this year, presented by the Buffalo Niagara Partnership.
The nominees are:

Mary Ann Kresse Executive Community Volunteer

Deborah C. Leous Chief Financial Officer
Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority

Althea Luehrsen Asst. Vice President, Corporate and Foundation Relations
University at Buffalo

Audrey T. Lunt President
A Lunt Design, Inc.

Leslie Madigan Senior Procurement Specialist
Life Technologies

Bonnie A. Redder Partner
Hodgson Russ LLP

Shana Stegner Director of Office Properties
CB Richard Ellis – Buffalo

Connie Vari Exec. Vice President / Chief Operating Officer
Kaleida Health

The ceremony will also award the KPMG ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award^®, which honors an emerging leader who demonstrates excellence, creativity and initiative in their business or profession among other positive qualities. The nine nominees are:

Betsy Bevilacqua Director/Security & Privacy Officer

Independent Health

Christine A. Bonaguide Partner

Hodgson Russ LLP

Carly Hartmans Promotions Manager

The Buffalo News

Uma Hoffmann Consultant, Human Resources

Life Technologies

Katie McKenna Communications and Public Relations Manager

Tops Markets

Renee Mecca Senior Manager of Manufacturing

Life Technologies

Elisabeth Perreault Vice President

Cannon Design

Jennifer Solazzo Project Manager

Life Technologies

Caroline Szydlo Director of Human Resources

Brock, Schechter & Polakoff, LLP

This year’s award luncheon will be held Friday, November 4, 2010 at the Buffalo Niagara Marriott from 12 - 1:30 p.m. Registration and networking will begin at 11:30 a.m. Title sponsor HSBC is joined by presenting sponsors Buffalo Spree, Emedia Studios and Tops Friendly Markets; event sponsors Avalon Document Services, Hodgson Russ LLP, O’Connell & Company, and Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel; and underwriters CB Richard Ellis – Buffalo, FB Displays & Designs, Inc and Independent Health.

More information can be found at www.thepartnership.org/events. Tickets are $60 each, or $600 for a table of eight.

About the Buffalo Niagara Partnership

The Buffalo Niagara Partnership includes nearly 2,200 local employers, working together, for growth and an improved business climate in the region. The Partnership advocates to remove obstacles that impede investment and job growth in the area and offers members products and services to help save money and increase revenue. The Partnership also helps local companies in today’s thriving industry sectors achieve success by providing business development and business intelligence experts, and a variety of programs that improve workforce, productivity, operations, and bottom-line. The Partnership sets itself apart by bringing business people together to grow their network, learn from their peers, develop their career and participate in activism concerning current and future issues facing the business community and the region.

About the Athena Award program
The ATHENA Award^® Program is provided by ATHENA International to encourage the opening of leadership opportunities for women. Locally, the award program is dedicated to promoting and honoring the valuable contributions being made to advance the status of women in the Buffalo Niagara region.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 22, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 22, 2011