www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday October 25, 2008 - 19 Message from ATHENA Co-Chairs On October 29th we will gather once again to honour our ATHENA Award nominees and to celebrate this year's ATHENA Oakville recipient. Our Gala Chair will be Lorraine McMullen from Celebrations Event Planning and we are thrilled to have as our Guest Speaker, Marina Nemet, author of Prisoner of Tehran, who will share her amazing story of courage and hope. In addition to the ATHENA Oakville Award, we will present a $1500 scholarship to assist a mature Sheridan student who exemplifies the leadership qualities associated with ATHENA. We will also present scholarships to aspiring women carpenters from the `Women in Skilled Trades' program. Selecting the individual recipients in each category is no small feat given the high calibre of nominees. This has been an exciting year of transition for ATHENA Oakville. We stand in awe of our past chair Diana Saulez and salute her for the gift of time, effort and passion to ATHENA Oakville. A big thank you to the many wonderful volunteers for their time and dedication and a very special thanks to our Steering Committee who have worked tirelessly in this year of transition. To all we celebrate your dedication and commitment to ATHENA Oakville! Welcome to ATHENA The ATHENA Award program was started over 25 years ago when Martha Mayhood Mertz found herself to be the only woman on the board of her local chamber. She knew this did not represent the important leadership role that women play in the community and she established an award program that honoured individuals who mentored women and fostered their leadership potential. Today, over 6,000 awards have been presented across North America and more recently in China, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Inspired by the stories of the individuals who have received the ATHENA Award, the ATHENA Foundation surveyed the recipients to develop a leadership framework which would define the core concepts and elements of leadership. The ATHENA Leadership Model articulates a philosophy of leadership that advocates for leadership from the heart and head. Eight key tenets were identified that exemplify a dynamic practice of leadership. It should be noted that none of these tenets are exclusive to women and are available to all. Like the base of the ATHENA Sculpture, ATHENA leaders have a strong sense of self. They know who they are, operate from a clear set of values and from that foundation are able to lead and inspire others. Relationships are important to them and they recognize and respect the talents of others and have a collaborative operating style. Standing firm in the midst of uncertainty, these leaders act with integrity and have the courage to speak the truth, test relationships and confront traditional thinking. Unstoppable forces for good, ATHENA leaders are fierce advocates. Recognizing that something needs to be done, they ignite the passion in themselves and others. People are drawn to their "careism, " generosity of spirit and giving back is integral to all they do. Recognizing the value of lifelong learning, they are both the teacher and learner, demonstrating both a willingness to listen and heed advice. And last but by no means least, ATHENA leaders celebrate life with exuberance and optimism. They recognize the limitless possibilities of life. This model bolsters the increasing attention being paid to mentoring and coaching as developmental tools to leadership and forms the basis for fresh dialogue about the ways we must lead for the next century. RON GALL & LINDA STALKER Athena Oakville Co-Chairs psychotherapist samia malik-noor individuals · couples 905-616-3758 · depression · anxiety · addictions · bereavement · trauma oakville 603 argus road (5 minutes from go Station) · eating disorders · relationships · dislocation · low self-esteem · personal development toronto 715 · 717 bloor street west (bloor and christie) Proud Sponsor of the Athena Awards smalik_noor@hotmail.com Quality Service Price Vision Source Office of Dr. Ronald Gall · Illuminated LED Signs · Large Format Printing · Window Graphics · 3-D Lettering & Signs · Vehicle Graphics · Graphic Design · A-Frames · Directional & Parking Signs · Banners · Trade Show Displays · Construction Signs · Awnings Congratulations to all Nominees our goall is Your One Stop Sign Shopping Centre 1200 Speers Road, Unit #23, Oakville 905.338.7446 www.aboutsigns.ca