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31st Annual ATHENA Awards®

April 5, 2022 at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center

Now accepting ATHENA Award® Nominations in the following categories:

ATHENA Leadership Award®

The ATHENA Leadership Award® honors an exceptional individual who has achieved the highest level of professional excellence, contributed time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community, and actively assisted others—particularly women—in realizing their full leadership potential.

ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award®

The ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award® honors an emerging leader who demonstrates excellence, creativity, and initiative in their business or profession, and serves as a role model for young women personally and professionally.

ATHENA Organizational Award®

The ATHENA Organizational Award® recognizes 2 organizations: One for-profit organization and one non-profit organization that supports, develops, and honors women leaders, inspiring women to achieve their full potential and creating balance in leadership throughout Buffalo Niagara.

Criteria: ATHENA Leadership Award

The ATHENA Leadership Award® honors an exceptional individual who has achieved the highest level of professional excellence, contributes time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community, and actively assists others, particularly women, in realizing their full leadership potential. This award is dedicated to promoting and honoring the valuable contributions being made to advance the status of women in the Buffalo Niagara region.

QUALIFICATIONS:
  • Nominees from all sectors will be considered.
  • Business and leadership achievement, community involvement and support for women professionals must be clearly demonstrated.
  • Previous ATHENA Award® nominees are eligible for re-nomination.
  • Nominees are not required to be a member of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership or be employed by a Partnership member firm.

Criteria: ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award

The ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award® honors an exceptional individual who demonstrates excellence, creativity and initiative in their business or profession; provides valuable service by contributing time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community; and clearly serves as a role model for young women professionally and personally. This award is dedicated to promoting and honoring the valuable contributions being made to advance the status of women in the Buffalo Niagara region.

Please note: Nominees must be under 40 years of age.

QUALIFICATIONS:
  • Nominees from all sectors will be considered.
  • Business and leadership achievement, community involvement, and support for women professionals must be clearly demonstrated.
  • Previous ATHENA Award® nominees are eligible for re-nomination.
  • Nominees are not required to be a member of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership or be employed by a Partnership member firm.

Criteria: ATHENA Organizational Award

ATHENA Organizational Award® nominees are for-profit and non-profit businesses or organizations that meet each of the following criteria:

  • Creates a culture that encourages women employees to achieve their full leadership potential.
  • Gives back to the larger community of women and girls by providing and/or supporting leadership development opportunities and initiatives.
  • Has a minimum of five (5) paid full-time employees that help with the day-to-day functions of the organization.
Note: Nominees from all industry sectors and organization types will be considered. Eligible for the award are for- and non-profit companies from both the public and private sectors.
Nominate
Nominate
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NOMINATION INSTRUCTIONS:

STEP 1 –  Click on the Nominate button above for the appropriate category and fill in the Pre-nomination form.  

STEP 2 – You will then receive an email containing the category-specific Nomination form. Complete this form and follow the submission directions in the email.

*Both steps must be completed for your nominee to be considered. 

The nomination deadline is Jan. 31, 2022.

Questions about the nomination process?  Contact:

About the ATHENA Awards®

The Buffalo Niagara Partnership is the area representative for ATHENA International, a nonprofit that seeks to support, develop, and honor women leaders. The ATHENA Awards® are celebrated around the world in more than 500 communities and 8 countries. Since 1989, the Partnership has been honored to produce the annual ATHENA Awards® Luncheon, at which finalists for the ATHENA Leadership Award®, the ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award®, and the ATHENA Organizational Award® are honored.  Recipients of each award are selected by secret ballot and announced live at the event. 

Become a Sponsor

Tickets on sale soon
Take a look at the 2021 Event

Thank You to our 2022 Annual ATHENA Award® Sponsors

Title Sponsor

 

Presenting Sponsor

seneca-gaming-logo-web
 
 

Finalist Sponsor

 

Official Accounting Sponsor

LM logo final
 

Official Media Sponsor

BuffaloMagazineLogo2020
 
 

Supporting Sponsors

Heather Bellini Photography  |  St. Bonaventure University
Interested in sponsoring the 2022 ATHENA Award® Luncheon? 

Contact: Liz Benkovich, Vice President, Member Engagement & Development

 lbenkovich@thepartnership.org  |  716-868-6866

Take a look at last year's awards

2021 ATHENA Leadership Award® Recipient:

Sujata Yalamanchili
Partner
Hodgson Russ LLP

Read Her Blog

2021 ATHENA Organizational Award®
For-Profit Recipient:
Ernst & Young LLP

Read The Blog

2021 ATHENA Leadership Award® Recipient:

Juweria Dahir
City Planner & External Affairs
Manager
City of Buffalo

Read Her Blog

2021 ATHENA Organizational Award® Non-Profit Recipient:
Girl Scouts of Western New York

Read The Blog

Watch last year’s event

Review last year’s commemorative album