Laura Strek named 2025 ATHENA Leadership Award recipient
“I’m humbled to receive the ATHENA Award and thankful for the mentors, colleagues and team members who have shaped my journey,” said Strek. “This recognition is really a reflection of the people around me.”
The Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce celebrated 40 years of the ATHENA Award in 2025, making it one of the longest-running and most established ATHENA programs in the country. The ATHENA Leadership Award is presented to women or men in recognition of their professional excellence, community service and for actively assisting women in their attainment of professional excellence and leadership skills. The sponsor of the ATHENA Leadership Award for all 40 years of its existence in Wausau is O’Malley Cadillac Honda.
Photo by Photopoulos Family Photography, LLC
The finalists for the 40th annual ATHENA Leadership Award also included:
- Stephanie Daniels
- Claire Meney
- Tammy Szekeress
- Sherri Waid
Interviews with several of this year's finalists can be found on the Chamber’s YouTube channel.
The event also honored the recipients of three other awards. Ryan Gallagher was honored with the G. Lane Ware Innovator Award sponsored by Ruder Ware LLSC, Dr. Kristine Gilmore received the inaugural James J. McIntyre Cornerstone Award sponsored by the Greenheck Group and Paul LaPree was named the first recipient of the Liz Tillisch Heart of the Chamber Award.
The Excellence in Business Leadership Awards Night is presented by Imperial Industries. The award sponsors are listed above. The platinum sponsors for the event are Ho-Chunk Gaming-Wittenberg, Marathon Cheese Corp, Nicolet National Bank and Northcentral Technical College, the gold sponsors are Jim Kryshak Jewelers, M3 Insurance, Strongbridge Wealth Advisors, The Alliance, Wausau Supply Company and Wausau Tile. The print media sponsor is The Business News and the television sponsor is WAOW/WYOW Television Inc. The decor sponsor is Floral Magic Designs and Gifts LLC.
The Chamber’s next signature event will be held on Wednesday, January 21 as the Women’s Leadership Conference returns for its eleventh year. Registration for this event, which features high-impact speakers and a unique opportunity to build personal and professional networks, is now open on WausauChamber.com.
EXPLORE MORE
- Learn more about the Excellence in Business Leadership Awards Night
- Listen to other Elevated Conversations podcast episodes
- Watch other interviews in the Chamber's video library
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