ATHENA Leadership Awards

Founded more than 30 years ago, ATHENA International is a women's leadership organization that supports, develops and honors women leaders through its programs.  ATHENA's flagship program, the ATHENA Leadership Award Program, has honored more than 7,000 women leaders from hundreds of cities and eight countries since its inception in 1982. 

The ATHENA Leadership Awards recognize professional excellence,  service to community and assistance to women in attaining professional excellence and leadership skills. The ATHENA Awards highlight what Recipients have accomplished in addition to paving a path for future successes. The ATHENA Award Program inspires others to achieve excellence by honoring exceptional leaders. 

ATHENA Leadership Award 
Award Nominees must meet each of the following three criteria:

• Demonstrates excellence, creativity and initiative in their business or profession 
• Provides valuable service to improve the quality of life for others in their community
• Actively assists women in achieving their full leadership potential 

      Past Recipients Include: 

• 2019 - Ana Wood
• 2020 - Angela Falconetti, Ed.D. 
• 2021 - Stacy Campbell-Domineck 
• 2022 - Martha Santiago, Ed.D.
• 2023 - Libby Chappell
• 2024 - Michelle Ledford
• 2025 - Patricia Uiterwyk

ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award
Young Professional Leadership Nominees are emerging women leaders between 21 and 42 who meet each of the following criteria: 

• Demonstrates excellence, creativity and initiative in her business or profession
• Provides valuable service to improve the quality of life for others in her community 
• Clearly serves as a role model for young women both personally and professionally 

      Past Recipients Include: 

• 2019 - Laura Lear
• 2020 - Brenda Ramirez, Esq. 
• 2021 - Lauren Albaum, Ph.D. 
• 2022 - Ashley Bell Barnett 
• 2023 - Michelle Netwal
• 2024 - Rachel Savinon
• 2025 - Ashley Gibson Barnett

ATHENA Organizational Leadership Award
Recognizes businesses and organizations that support, develop and honor women leaders. Nominees are businesses or organizations that meet the following criteria:

• Creates an organizational culture that encourages women employees to achieve their full leadership potential
• Gives back to the larger community of women and girls by providing and supporting leadership development opportunities and initiatives

      Past Recipients Include:

• 2019 - Top Buttons
• 2020 - The Lunz Group
• 2021 - Junior League of Greater Lakeland
• 2022 - Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine 
• 2023 - Lakeland Regional Health
• 2024 - Marriott Vacations Worldwide

Orlando Health Presents The 2026 ATHENA Leadership Awards Luncheon

Orlando Health Presents The 2026 ATHENA Leadership Awards Luncheon
​Wednesday October 7, 2026
​Bonnet Springs Park
Doors Open 11:30 a.m.
Program Begins Promptly at ​12:00 p.m.

​The ATHENA Awards event recognizes Lakeland women who embody the ATHENA International mission of authenticity, continuous learning, relationship-building, collaboration, courage, advocacy, and community contribution. The program honors nominees and recipients of the ATHENA Leadership Award, ATHENA Young Professional Award, and ATHENA Organizational Leadership Award, celebrating outstanding leadership in business, professional excellence, community service, and support for women's leadership potential.

This event will sell out quickly. Secure your seat at the link below!

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

2026 Keynote Speaker

Heather Cogar
Statewide Director, Community Engagement
Florida Chamber of Commerce

​Heather Cogar serves as the Statewide Director focusing on Engagement and Community Outreach for the Florida Chamber Foundation’s Florida Prosperity Initiative. In her role, Heather leads zip code and county-level efforts to replace childhood poverty with prosperity and self-sufficiency by building strategic “root cause” solutions between business leaders, community organizations, and families in need. Her journey from trauma to transformation reflects her unwavering belief that you can change your future, overcome adversity, and the cycle of generational poverty can actually be broken—one zip code at a time, one family at a time.

Heather’s early childhood was marked by nearly unheard-of hardship and instability. By the age of ten, she endured abuse at home, witnessed her mother’s struggles with addiction, and ultimately entered the foster care system alongside her two siblings. The pain of those years led her down a destructive path—until placement in a life-changing program, Camp E-Nini-Hassee, which gave her the stability, guidance, and second chance she needed. That pivotal time became the turning point in a journey defined by resilience, determination, and purpose.

From there, Heather excelled in high school and, after graduation, attended the police academy, earning the Top Physical Fitness Award. She went on to serve six years as a Deputy Sheriff with the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, where she was honored with the Mandi Warren Richard Rising Star Award at the Pillar Awards Dinner and named one of the community’s Top 40 Under 40. During her time at the Sheriff’s office, she was determined to continue her education and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and Organization.

Eventually becoming a mother, Heather made the decision to leave law enforcement to pursue a career that offered both professional growth and more time with her son. She put herself through real estate school and, through relentless hard work, built a self-made, successful real estate business. Within five years, she became one of the top-producing realtors in her community.

Throughout her career, Heather has remained committed to giving back. She has volunteered for organizations that support struggling children and spoke at events to inspire youth, sharing her story to show that it is possible to overcome hardship and build a better future. Her dream has always been to take that message across Florida, the nation, and eventually the globe—to give hope and encouragement to children who feel hopeless, just as she once did. Her personal story, lived experiences, and triumph allow her to bring a truly unique perspective and approach to the Florida Prosperity Initiative’s work to cut childhood poverty in half by 2030.