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The Athena Award recognizes those that assist women in realizing their potential, demonstrate excellence, creativity and initiative in their business or profession, and provide valuable service by contributing time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community.

Zinner & Co. LLP actively supports the Athena Awards, as we did at the 2010 Athena Award Breakfast on May 5. We would also like to acknowledge here in this blog the finalists, each of whom have achievements too long to list and have dedicated time and effort to community service.

Thank you to each of the finalists for being inspirational examples:

    • Virginia Albanese, CEO, FedEx Custom Critical, Inc.
    • Daisy Alford-Smith, Ph.D., CEO, Girl Scouts of North East Ohio
    • Judge Brenda Burnham Unruh, Summit county Court of Common Pleas
    • Carl Heiss Jenkins, Coach, U.S. Figure Skating Association & Professional Skaters' Association
    • Judi Hill, Retired Educator, Akron Public Schools
    • Ann Klotz, Head of Laurel School
    • Deborah Read, Partner, Thompson Hine LLP
    • Eileen Saffran, Founder & Executive Director, The Gathering Place
    • Rachel Talton, CEO, Synergy marketing Strategy & Research, Inc.
    • Mary Verdi-Fletcher, President & Founding Artistic Director,
      The Dancing Wheels Company & School.

 

Posted by Courtney Ockenden

In having the opportunity to attend the breakfast recognizing the Athena Award finalists, I was anticipating an inspirational morning; and I experienced just that. I had heard from other co-workers who had attended the event in the past that they always left with an overwhelming feeling of insignificance and pure exhaustion by what the finalists have accomplished. While I can certainly understand those sentiments, I left that breakfast with a sense of empowerment and pride.

Granted, I may not have lived up to my civic duty, built a business with my bare hands or sat on any boards in my lifetime, but I was in the presence of people who did just that, without breaking a sweat. To listen to each of the finalists talk about their journeys, their passions, their victories and struggles, it was an eye-opener to the realm of possibilities that exist out there. Not only are this year's finalists self-starters and successful business women, but they are wives, mothers, mentors, and volunteers. How they fit it all into 24 hours is beyond me, but they do.

In speaking with most of the finalists that morning, I have to admit I was intimidated, but certainly intrigued. It's easy to look at each of them and say, Good for you! I know I could never do that! But could I? Sometimes it's so easy to see the finish line and end result of all these accomplishments and it seems an impossible task, but they all started somewhere. They all started with a dream and a vision. Maybe it was following a career path that they were passionate about. Maybe it was helping others who were in more need than themselves. Maybe it was nothing more than finding out what made each of them tick, and ACTING. If there is one common denominator among all the finalists, it would be NO FEAR. Certainly not an attribute I readily possess, but practice makes perfect, I guess.

If there is a lesson that I took away from this event, it would be to seek to be extraordinary. Seek to find passion. Seek to make a difference. While it may seem like a daunting task, perhaps it's the baby steps that count. Maybe I won't ever live up to the expectations set by these women, but maybe it doesn't have to be all or nothing.

We can all find victories in the small things, being the best parent you can be, striving to get a promotion at work, volunteering at the local animal shelter. So wake up each morning with a purpose; find the things that make you happy and that make you proud, and celebrate THAT everyday. It's so easy to get caught up in the mundane daily necessities and going through the motions, that it can be difficult to break out of that mold. But after being in the company of these remarkable women, I definitely have the spark to discover more; to dig deeper and challenge myself; to look at the bigger picture sometimes. Who knows what I might find.

To all the finalists: Congratulations! You truly evoke dedication, motivation, and significance! We can all strive to be so great!