Nominations for the 40th ATHENA Leadership Award now accepted
The Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for the organization’s annual ATHENA Leadership Award. 2025 marks the 40th anniversary of the award in the community and, new this year, will be awarded at the first Excellence in Business Leadership Awards Night to be held at the Grand Theater on the evening of Thursday, October 9.
Those who would like to nominate an individual must complete the online nomination form at SurveyMonkey.com/r/577HVMK by 3 p.m. on Friday, August 1. Self-nominations are allowed. Eligible nominees will be contacted to complete an application at the end of the nomination period. Those who are selected as finalists will be recognized at the Excellence in Business Leadership Awards Night.
“Over generations, our community has been blessed with business and community leaders that have made positive impacts to advance the region,” said Dave Eckmann, President and CEO of the Chamber. “The Excellence in Business Awards Night program places intention to recognize and honor the area’s impactful leaders.”
The ATHENA Leadership Award is presented to women or men who are honored for professional excellence, community service and for actively assisting women in their attainment of professional excellence and leadership skills. Jennifer Johnson of Church Mutual Insurance Company SI was named the recipient of the 2024 ATHENA Leadership Award.
Those interested in attending the Excellence in Business Leadership Awards Night can register for the program on WausauChamber.com. Tickets for the event are $75 per person.
The Excellence in Business Leadership Awards Night will celebrate the local business community’s visionary leaders and innovative pioneers with four distinct awards in October. Along with the ATHENA Leadership Award, the event will re-introduce the G. Lane Ware Innovator Award and will debut the Jim McIntyre Cornerstone Award and the Liz Tillisch Heart of the Chamber Award.
The ATHENA Leadership Award’s has been sponsored all 40 years by O’Malley Cadillac Honda. The G. Lane Ware Innovator Award is presented by Ruder Ware, the Jim McIntyre Cornerstone Award is presented by the Greenheck Group. The program is also sponsored at the platinum level by Nicolet National Bank and Northcentral Technical College and at the gold level by M3 Insurance. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available. Contact Kaycee Packard at the Chamber at 715-848-5955 or kpackard@wausauchamber.com to learn more.
For more information, visit WausauChamber.com.
EXPLORE MORE
- Meet the Business EXPO 2025 Best In Show award recipients
- Pair of members honored as 2025 Small Business of the Year Award recipients
- Browse program recordings and more in the Chamber's video library
Blog Posts
U.S. Chamber: One Big Beautiful Bill, Taxes and Tariffs
Recent sweeping legislation includes major tax reform provisions that will have far-reaching implications for small businesses in the years to come.
New Jobs on the Block returns for Businesses, Job Seekers
The North Central Wisconsin Workforce Development Board, along with their workforce partner agencies at the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Forward Service Corporation, CW Solutions and the Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce, will host a unique job fair on the 400 Block in downtown Wausau in September.
The New Networking: Why Strategic Alliances Beat Surface-Level Contacts
Real growth happens when relationships move beyond business card exchanges to shared outcomes. Shift your networking mindset: think long-term, collaborate often, and build with integrity.