Rear Row - L-R - Stephanie Sharp, Maureen Baker Meyer, Joan Prittie, Lanie Lessard, Quittis Smith-Luna, Shannon Walsh Howell Middle Row L-R Dr. Flora Tydings, Stella Sailors, Barbara Sims, Clothilda Barnett Front Row L-R LuAnn Brown, Florence Schwartz, Ba

On Thursday, December 1, the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business Council presented the nominees for the 2006 ATHENA Award. The presentation of nominees is the focus of the annual Lynne Smith Luncheon held each year in honor of Ms Smith, a successful Athens business woman and community leader.

This year’s nominees are Clothilda Barnett, Program Administrator, Hancock Community Development Corp.; LuAnn Brown, Career and Professional Coach, Careers That Fit; Nancy Denson, Tax Commissioner, Athens-Clarke County; Barbara Dooley, Radio Talk Show Host, Motivational Speaker and Realtor; Dr. Sherrie Ford, Chairperson, Power Partners Inc.; Shannon Walsh Howell, CEO, Walsh Publishing; Lanie Lessard, Owner, Lessard Design Associates, Quittis Smith-Luna, President & Ceo, N.E. Georgia Temporary Service; Maureen Baker Meyer, Director of Sales, The Classic Center; Joan Prittie, Executive Director, Project Safe; Stella Sailors, Director, Catholic Social Services; Florence Schwartz, Case Manager, Barrow County DFACS; Stephanie Sharp, President, Plexus Web Creations; Barbara Sims, Recruitment Coordinator, All God’s Children Special Needs Adoption Agency; Dr. Flora Tydings, President, Athens Technical College.

The 2006 ATHENA Award recipient will be announced on January 24, 2006 at the Annual Meeting of the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce.

The ATHENS Foundation was started in 1980 by Martha Mayhood Mertz, a Board member of the Lansing, Michigan Chamber of Commerce to recognize and incorporate women in to leadership positions in the Chamber. The first award was presented in 1982 and since than has been presented to thousands of women (and men) throughout the world.

The Athens Area Chamber of Commerce currently has 6 women sitting on its 15 member Board of Directors including its 2005 Board Chairperson, Annette Nelson, CPA.