Chamber News Release

November 26, 2024 (ROCHESTER, NY) - Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the finalists for its 2025 ATHENA International Award®, 2025 ATHENA International Young Professional Award®, and 2025 ATHENA International Organizational Award®. These internationally recognized awards will be presented at a ceremony on Thursday, February 13th at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center.

Greater Rochester Chamber, in partnership with its Women’s Council affiliate, has been presenting the ATHENA Awards, designed to honor and empower Greater Rochester’s female leaders in business since 1987. The ATHENA International Award is given annually to a professional female leader who has demonstrated significant achievements in business, community service, and the professional advancement of women.

The 2025 ATHENA International Award finalists in the Greater Rochester, NY area are:

• Heather Ayers, Vice President, Business Development, First American Equipment Finance
• Dr. DeAnna R. Burt-Nanna, President, Monroe Community College
• Ana Paula Cupertino, Vice-chair of Transforming-culture with Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity in Surgery / Associate Director Wilmot Cancer Institute Community Outreach and Engagement / Research Director of Surgical Health Outcomes and Reaching for Equity, University of Rochester Medical Center - Department of Surgery and Wilmot Cancer Institute
• Lindsay Gozzi-Theobald, President & Chief Executive Officer, East House Corporation
• Kimberly Jones, President and CEO, Butler/Till
• Susan G. Kavanagh, President, TechRochester
• Nadege J. Oluipke, Executive Director, Recruiting Lead, JPMorganChase
• Audrey Patrone Peartree, Partner / Wills Trusts & Estates Group Co-Leader, Harris Beach PLLC
• Cheryl Stein (Nelan), CEO/President, CMIT Solutions of Rochester
• Amy Storey, President, Keuka College
• Marcy Tiberio, Owner, Professional Notary Services, Inc.
• Thalia Wright, Commissioner, Monroe County Department of Human Services

The ATHENA International Young Professional Award recognizes emerging female leaders in the 30- to 45-year-old range who demonstrate excellence, creativity, and initiative in their business or profession and serve as a role model for young women both personally and professionally. 

The 2025 ATHENA International Young Professional Award finalists are: 

• Dr. Candice Patrice Baldwin, Chief of Staff, Office of the President, Monroe Community College
• Melissa Daminski, Vice President, Engineering, L3Harris Technologies
• Jillian Dunbar, Partner, Phillips Lytle LLP
• Flossie Hall, CEO, Stella Foundation
• Jenny L. Holmes, Partner, Deputy Leader, Cybersecurity & Privacy Team, Nixon Peabody LLP
• Claire Labrosa, Executive Director, Horizons at Harley
• Jennifer Lake, President & CEO, Goodwill of the Finger Lakes
• Tricia Marsherall, Founder & President, Marsherall Partners, LLC
• Yversha Roman, Director of CASH and Strategic Partnerships, The Empire Justice Center
• Jennifer Sahrle, Executive Director, St. Joseph’s Neighborhood Center
• Jennifer Schauerman, Partner, Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP
• Christie Torruella Smith, Associate Vice President of University Admissions and Enrollment, Nazareth University

The ATHENA International Organizational Award goes to a woman-owned or woman-led business or organization that creates a culture encouraging women employees to achieve their full leadership potential and supports leadership development opportunities for women and girls in the community. 

The 2025 ATHENA International Organizational Award finalists are: 

• Lifespan of Greater Rochester, Inc.
• Oak Orchard Health
• USC Builds
• Zea Proukou PLLC

Bob Duffy, President & CEO, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, said, “Congratulations to our 27 outstanding finalists — each of these women and teams epitomizes the ATHENA leadership model. We are inspired by their tireless efforts to build a better Greater Rochester region for all women through their work, advocacy, and community service. We look forward to joining our members, partners, sponsors, and the broader Greater Rochester community on Thursday, February 13th to celebrate and thank them for their leadership.”

For more information about the ATHENA International Awards, please contact Events Director, Susan George at Susan.George@GreaterRochesterChamber.com. 

Sponsorship opportunities are available for the ATHENA Awards Celebration in February. To learn more about how you can showcase your brand in front of Greater Rochester’s top women in business, please see here. Event registration is also open; tickets are available for purchase online here.