About ATHENA

The inspiration for the ATHENA program originated in Lansing, Michigan in 1980, when Martha Mayhood Mertz, owner of Mayhood/Mertz Realtors Inc. was asked to serve on the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

At that time, not only was she the only working woman serving on the Board, but in the 75-year history of presenting community awards, the Chamber had only once honored a woman.

The time had come to bring into focus the outstanding professional and business women in the nation and incorporate them into leadership positions. Through the "voice of business," women could participate in guiding and shaping the future. An award was created to recognize excellence and honor achievement, service, and assistance to women in business.

The ATHENA spirit was born.

ATHENA, named for the Greek goddess of wisdom, now consists of a National ATHENA Society, which is a nationwide network of local Society members, Chamber representatives, sponsors, and friends, that works to expand the ATHENA program, create leadership initiatives, link resources, and establish local mentoring and scholarship programs.

Today, every state in the nation is host to a local ATHENA Society and there are even societies in Canada and Russia.

"The National ATHENA Foundation appreciates the outstanding efforts of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce to create leadership opportunities for women. We applaud your commitment to ATHENA programs and look forward to continuing our partnership."
Carolyn Madden, Executive Director of the National ATHENA Foundation

The Anchorage ATHENA Society is an Anchorage Chamber of Commerce program that works year-round to encourage the potential of all women as valued members and leaders of the business community.

Members of the Society, which are both male and female, are nominated by the community and their peers, and are accepted into the Society based on their business accomplishment, community service, and dedication to promoting women in business.

The Society currently has more than 140 members, running the gamut from local business owners to an Air Force squadron leader.

This Society gives its members the opportunity to pass on their legacy of excellence in the business world to the women who follow and to receive the recognition they deserve for their commitment to women in business.

"Working with the Anchorage ATHENA Society has been an honor and a privilege. Our latest project is the ATHENA PowerLink program recently started in Anchorage to help strengthen women-owned businesses by offering them business advice in accounting, marketing, banking, and other areas. We want success stories from women-owned businesses."
Fay Von Gemmingen, Anchorage ATHENA Society member

In the past, the Society’s main focus had been to annually present the ATHENA Award to a local member for his or her work toward accomplishing the mission of the Society.

The first of such awards was given in Anchorage to Dr. Joyce Murphy in 1988.

Following a long gap, the ATHENA Award was not given again until 1995 when it was presented to past ATHENA Society chair, Eleanor Andrews of The Andrews Group. As part of receiving this award, Eleanor received the annual scholarship to attend the National ATHENA Conference and made a personal commitment from then on to attend the conference every year with the Award recipient. It was on one of such conference visits that Eleanor made moves to instigate the Anchorage ATHENA Society.

After tireless commitment from many volunteers, this Society has grown to offer not only the ATHENA Award but also additional programs and scholarships that support the Society’s mission of encouraging women’s potential in business.

Today, the ATHENA Society is truly a proponent of its mission. From women starting out, to young women, to those breaking through, ATHENA gives to all.

In 2001, the Society became home to the ATHENA PowerLink program, which "links" a woman-owned business with a panel of unpaid advisors who agree to help the business achieve its goals. This program is aimed at helping those businesses that need a little help to grow.

2001 marked the second year that the Society provided a scholarship to a high school female to attend Camp $tart-Up. The two-week camp is aimed at teaching young women to become entrepreneurs and businesswomen. Through activities and role playing, the young women get to experience first hand the challenges and opportunities of running your own business.

The Society also supports the Anchorage YWCA Women$fund program, by annually providing two deserving graduates of the program with a one-year Anchorage Chamber membership and 10 complimentary lunches at the weekly Chamber "Make It Monday" Forums.

As the ATHENA Society is a program of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, the Anchorage Chamber remains very supportive of both the Society and its programs. By providing deserving YWCA Women$fund graduates with a membership, the Anchorage Chamber is able to bestow a great opportunity to network, gain exposure, and learn more about the local business environment onto a new business owner.

"The Women$fund organization exemplifies many of the goals of the ATHENA Society. This is an excellent opportunity to reward women that are struggling to start their own business and to help women to see the value in networking, exposure, and professional development for their business."
April Jensen, Past President of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce

Nationwide, chambers of commerce are not the only sponsors of local ATHENA programs. Businesses choose to sponsor ATHENA because of the valuable benefits the Society provides to their communities. Participation in the Society sends a clear message that your organization or business is dedicated to improving the quality of your community by identifying and honoring its leaders – both men and women.

"This is one of the best and most positive partnerships I have ever done. The people I have worked with are truly the best of the best and the cream of the crop. My sponsorship of this program has always come back to me three fold." 
Rick Morrison, Owner of EERO Volkswagen/Saturn of Anchorage

The Society also annually presents the ATHENA Award for dedication to promoting women in business and to developing our community at the ATHENA Society Luncheon, held every spring. New members of the Society, friends, and sponsors are also recognized for their contributions.

In 2001, the Anchorage ATHENA Society published 2,000 copies of its first annual directory. It is now an annual tradition; designed as a reference tool to promote the Society, its members, and the sponsors who support its mission, the directory will be distributed at the ATHENA luncheon and throughout the Anchorage community.

"We wanted to create a lasting reference for ATHENA Society members and potential members to promote the programs and accomplishments of the Society and make the members more visible to their community, thus thanking them for their contributions. Creating this directory was a way for us to fulfill our mission and to raise both women in business and women promoting women to a new level."
Jan Fredericks, State Director of Alaska Small Business Development Center – a partnership program of UAA and the U.S. Small Business Administration.