28th Annual ATHENA Awards program celebrates Women’s History Month
The Nashville ATHENA Leadership Awards Program announces its 2018 award recipients tonight at City Winery. Nancy Corley was honored with the 2018 ATHENA Award, and Emily Passini received the Young Professional Leadership Award. Corley is among 20 ATHENA nominees selected this year by middle Tennessee organizations and associations, and Passini represents a class of 18 Young Professional Award nominees.
“Tonight is such a very special night for our nominees. Each of these women are incredibly gifted and undoubtedly represent all the characteristics of the Goddess Athena,” says ATHENA Chair Roxianne Bethune. “Corley and Passini are exemplary women who have achieved great success in their careers and gone above and beyond to serve their communities. Andrea and I congratulate each of our recipients and our 38 nominees for their dedication and inspiration. It’s been a true honor to chair this amazing program!”
Corley is an attorney and partner at Corley Henard Lyle Langford PLC. Her passion to help women have voices and choices shows through her work representing domestic violence victims as well as activism. Nominated by Women’s Political Collaborative of Tennessee, Corley supports and volunteers with Salvus Center, A Step Ahead, Children are People, PATHS, Tennessee Lawyers Association of Women, Tennessee Lawyers Association for Women, League of Women Voters and Hendersonville Women’s Club.
Nominated by the Women’s Political Collaborative of Tennessee, Emily is a partner at Greenlight Media Strategies, a woman-owned and operated political consulting firm located in Nashville, Brooklyn, and Washington D.C. With nearly two decades of experience in campaign management, coalition building and grassroots advocacy, Emily is a past Tennessee House Democratic Caucus Director, served as a Political Director of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee in Washington D.C. and worked on former Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen’s administration. She is a member of the organizing committee that launched Emerge Tennessee – the 17th state affiliate of Emerge America, she is currently serving as the Board Chair. Emily also serves on the Women’s Political Collaborative of Tennessee Board of Directors.
ATHENA continues to be a premier program, powered by CABLE. The annual event is organized and sponsored through the collaborative efforts of local women’s organizations in partnership with local businesses, corporations, and individual sponsors, unlike other cities, which rely upon their local Chamber of Commerce.
The ATHENA Awards Program honors business and professional women for their career success, service to community and encouragement of women. This year’s ATHENA nominees include:
Cara Aaron
Marci Butler-Holt
Elaine Boyd
Judge Sheila Calloway
Theresa Carl
Olivia Cloud
Nancy Corley
Kelly Dixon
Kimberly Estep
Toni Fitzgerald
Honorable Brenda Gilmore
Cindee Gold
Bridgette Long Hickey
Patricia James
Carla Jarrell
Judy Spencer
Deanna Steele
Honorable Aleta Trauger
Belva Weathersby
Gail Carr Williams
ATHENA also provides the unique opportunity to feature rising women in the community who use their vision and persistence to excel, while reaching out and opening the way for others. This year’s ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award nominees include:
Jennifer Bennett
Keena Brown-Alexander
Veronica Clark
Katherine Daniels
Tracy DeTomasi
Kristen Heggie
Tassany Henderson
Jaleesa Johnson
Sabrina Knowlton
Dr. Shanell L. McGoy
Michelle Myers
Emily Passini
Erin Palmer Polly
Anca Pop
Nekasha Pratt
Angela Reeves
Dr. Ama Arthur Rowe
Corissa Wiest
Launched in 1993 through the support of the Patrons Society and local sponsors, the ATHENA Scholarship Program awards middle Tennessee high school females and young women, both traditional and non-traditional, scholarships for continuing their education. This year ATHENA presented $10,000 in scholarships to eight deserving students, who include:
Madison Bridges
Vasudhasri Devarasetty
Constance Fonseca
Allison Higginbotham
Kristi Maisha
Sophia Taylor
Hannah Turpen
Marley Wisby
Roxianne Bethune, founder and principal of Alliance Synergy Group, serves as the 2018 ATHENA chair with the support of co-chair Andrea Perry, attorney at Bone McAllester Norton PLLC.
”Roxianne and I are honored to be involved with this organization and program,” says Perry. “This program would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors, committee members, CABLE and nominating organizations. I look forward to chairing the 2018 awards program, and celebrating another incredible class of women leaders.”.