Chamber releases ATHENA award nominees

Staff report

BOARDMAN

The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber has named 20 area professional women as nominees for the 22nd Annual ATHENA Award, to be presented at a special award dinner May 22 at Mr. Anthony’s Banquet Center, 7440 South Ave.

The award recognizes area business and professional women who have distinguished themselves in terms of professional achievement, community service and support for professional women.

The 2014 ATHENA nominees are: Carol Beard, nurse manager and treasurer of the board at Midlothian Free Health Clinic Inc.; Danielle Cantrell, vice president and retail banking manager at Cortland Banks; Heather Chunn, senior development officer at Youngstown State University Foundation; Robyn Darocha, COO of Associated School Employees Credit Union; Mary Beth Earnheardt, executive director of the Society for College Journalists; Susan Filipovich, assistant team leader at Keller Williams Chervenic Realty; Lori A. Fitzgerald of Excellence in Dentistry in Canfield; Dollaine Rose Holmes, family self-sufficiency specialist for public housing at the Youngstown Metropolitan Housing Authority; and Maureen Horvath, fitness director at YMCA of Youngstown’s Central Branch.

Other nominees are: Dr. Julie Knapp, owner and director of Knapp Center for Childhood Development; Claudia Kovach, vice president of City Machine Technologies; Renee McConnell, associate director of programs at the Rich Center for Autism; Alicia Miller, associate managing director of retail marketing at Talmer Bank and Trust; Stacy Oaks, general assembly group leader and production trial coordinator at the GM Lordstown complex; Carole O’Brien, director of education at the Butler Institute of American Art; Kera Thompson, regional director of surgical business and financial management at Humility of Mary Health Partners; Marisa Volpini, broker at Real Living Volpini Realty Group; Judge Cheryl Waite of the 7th District Court of Appeals; Holly Welch, curriculum supervisor at Choffin Career and Technical Center; and Patricia Welch, owner and director of Hitchcock Woods Early Learning Center and Lincoln Learning Center.

Diana Tremblay, vice president of global business services at General Motors, is the keynote speaker for the event.

Dinner invitations will be sent out soon. Reservations are required and can be obtained by going to www.regionalchamber.com and clicking on the “upcoming events” tab.

The event is co-sponsored by the chamber, The Vindicator and Vindy.com. The local Athena Award program is among the top five Athena programs in the U.S.