THE VINDICATOR, YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO

THE VINDICATOR, YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO
By CYNTHIA VINARSKY
VINDICATOR BUSINESS WRITER
BOARDMAN -- Eugenia C. Atkinson, the woman who reeled in a multimillion dollar federal grant this year to rebuild a section of Youngstown's North Side, was the recipient Thursday of the 2003 ATHENA Award.
Atkinson, executive director of the Youngstown Metropolitan Housing Authority, was chosen from among 35 nominees for the award given annually to recognize an outstanding Mahoning Valley woman. It was the largest number of nominees in the local contest's 11-year history.
More than 850 attended the awards dinner at Mr. Anthony's Banquet Center, also a record-breaking number for the event sponsored by The Vindicator and the regional chamber. Maureen Midgley, plant manager of General Motors Lordstown Assembly, was keynote speaker.
Acceptance speech
Accepting the award, Atkinson praised her fellow nominees, her family and her staff.
"To the other 34 nominees, let me say thank you for letting me represent you in the year ahead," she said. "We did not come to this place in our lives by ourselves. It is on the backs of those who love us and who support us that we do what we do."
Joining YMHA in 1986 as an administrative assistant, she advanced through the ranks of the housing and social support agency. She served as administrative coordinator, then director of human resources, then deputy executive director, finally taking over as executive director in June 2000.
In March, under her leadership, YMHA was awarded a $19.75 million Hope VI grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, one of 28 awarded nationwide and the second largest.
"I promise you, you will see a new North Side," she told the ATHENA crowd in a reference to the grant. "You will be very proud of the work we do."
Midgley's address
In her keynote address, Midgley talked about the importance of recognizing women for their successes as a way to assure that their progress toward equality in the workplace can continue. "It is not meant to divide men and women, or to disadvantage men or to diminish their accomplishments," she said.
She said girls need to see "mirrors" in the community, women in leadership roles whom they can emulate.
The GM manager told about her own daughter's experience several years ago as the only girl in an all-male car model building class. Midgley was attempting unsuccessfully to encourage the child to stick it out in the class -- but when the teacher turned out to be a young, vivacious female teacher, the little girl warmed up immediately.
Midgley argued that it's just as important, however, for parents to encourage their boys to be nurturing as it is to encourage their girls to be aggressive and competitive. She said sports are an excellent tool for teaching lessons that correlate to business, like how to win and lose and how to work with people you don't like.
She concluded: "Now is the time for women to lead, not over men, not in spite of men, but with them, side by side."
About the award
Founded in Lansing, Mich., in 1980, the ATHENA Award program is now in 350 cities around the world. Recipients are selected on the basis of their business and professional achievements, community service and their support and mentorship of other women.
Locally, the program has recognized more than 300 women as nominees and recipients.
vinarsky@vindy.com