The Greater Waco Chamber is pleased to announce the 2023 ATHENA Leadership Award® Finalists. These four women exemplify the qualities ATHENA International and the Leading Waco Women Series strive to highlight. Our finalists will be recognized during the upcoming Leading Waco Women Serving Summit on Tuesday, Nov. 7 at Baylor University’s new Hurd Welcome Center. They will participate in a panel and then one of the four finalists will be selected to receive the prestigious 2023 ATHENA Leadership Award®.
The four finalists are:
- Christy De Leon, TFNB Your Bank for Life
- Dr. Peaches Henry, Waco-McLennan County NAACP
- Leah Stewart, The Olive Branch
- Chief Sheryl Victorian, Waco Police Department
The Serving Summit will conclude the 2023 Leading Waco Women Series. The program will also include a keynote presentation from Felecia Mulkey, Baylor University’s 11-time National Championship Acrobatics and Tumbling coach.
The ATHENA Leadership Award® was first presented in 1982 in Lansing, Michigan and has grown to include presentations to more than 5,000 individuals in hundreds of cities in the United States as well as in Canada, China, Russia and the United Kingdom. The award takes the form of a hand-cast bronze sculpture symbolizing the strength, courage and wisdom of the recipient. The spirit of the ATHENA Leadership Award® Program is captured in a quotation from Plato: “What is honored in a country will be cultivated there.” By honoring exceptional leaders, others will be encouraged to excel.
Leading Waco Women was created to celebrate, empower and develop female leaders in the Greater Waco area. Presenting sponsor for Leading Waco Women is Ascension Providence.