The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber and partner The Vindicator will honor 28 women at the 28th annual Athena Award Dinner on May 14 at Waypoint 4180 in Canfield. The Valley's Athena Award program, lauded by the Athena International as one of the largest in the U.S., honors area business and professional women who have demonstrated excellence in their chosen career, provided leadership in the community and mentored or contributed to the growth of other professional women.

Dr. Amy Acton, director of Health for the Ohio Department of Health, will join in our celebration of this year's nominees as she keynotes the dinner event. The Youngstown native was appointed to her current position by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine in February 2019 and has more than 30 years of experience in medical practice, government and community service, healthcare policy and advocacy, academic and nonprofit administration and more. During the current COVID-19 crisis, Dr. Acton has become a hero for the people of Ohio for her leadership, calm demeanor and thoughtful words. In fact, a fan club page that was created for her on Facebook has now garnered nearly 90,000 members and grows exponentially each day.

Also during the dinner event, the recipient of the $1,500 Athena Scholarship, created in 2017 through a partnership with the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, will be announced. The scholarship fund, a component fund of the CFMV, will further the goals of the Athena mission and promote education. The recipient of the Athena Scholarship will have demonstrated initiative and excellence in her educational or work pursuits, a proven record of community involvement and service and commitment to, and experience in, mentoring others.

For the eighth year, Anthem will also present supplementary scholarships in the amount of $1,250 each to two additional applicants.

The event, sponsored by Huntington Bank, opens with a cocktail reception (cash bar) at 5:30pm, followed by the dinner and program at 6:15pm. Cost of the dinner is $75 per person. Registration for the event will open in April, pending orders governing COVID-19 at that time. If the event is unable to move forward in May, the Chamber will reschedule later this year. Please be sure to check the Events page at regionalchamber.com or the Chamber's social media pages for updates; or feel free to call Chelsea Pascarella, events coordinator, at 330-744-2131.

The Athena Award nominees for 2020 are:

• Danielle Adams  //  Associate Content Manager, FactSet Research Systems, Inc.
• Nicole Alexander  //  Magistrate, Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas, General Division
• Michelle Alleman  //  Library Director, McKinley Memorial Library
• Carla Baldwin  //  Judge, Youngstown Municipal Court
• Mara Banfield  //  Director, Mahoning County Career and Technical Center; Valley STEM Superintendent, Valley STEM + ME2 Academy
• Erin Bishop  //  Health Commissioner, Youngstown City Health District
• Ruth Bowdish  //  Director of Training and Development, On Demand
• Shelly Bradley  //  Customer Care Center Director, AT&T
• Jacqueline Burley  //  Executive Director, Protestant Family Service
• Heather Craver  //  Director of Mental Health, Cadence Care Network
• Dr. 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  //  Partner, HD Davis CPAs
• Cynthia Marie Fernback  //  Principal, Boardman High School
• Tricia Ferry  //  Executive Vice President, Operations, VEC
• Julie Green  //  Director, Trumbull County Planning Commission
• Leigh Ann Greene //  Director, Youngstown Local Office on Minority Health, Youngstown City Health District
• Dr. Vicki Haywood Doe  //  President/CEO, Haywood Doe Consulting Co., LLC DBA Vicki Doe Fitness
• Stacy Howlett  //  President/CEO, Howlett Logistics
• Brianna Komara Pridon  //  Co-Owner/President, Komara Jewelers
• Dr. Karen Larwin  //  Associate Professor, Youngstown State University; Owner, REM Consulting
• Shirley McIntosh  //  IT Field Tech, Laboratory Corporation of America; Mayor, Village of West Farmington
• Dr. Meredythe McNally  //  Gastroenterology Consultant, Gastroenterology Center of Salem; Owner, EmpowHERment
• Lisa Resnick  //  Realtor, Burgan Real Estate
• LaTisha Weaver Bennett  //  CEO, La La Love Healthcare
• Julia Wike  //  Executive Director, The Basement Outreach Ministries