Thirteen women were recognized Thursday night for their leadership, service, and impact at the Ontario County Chamber’s 40th annual ATHENA Awards.
The sold-out event drew more than 330 people to Finger Lakes Community College, where attendees celebrated this year’s honorees with music, dinner, and a showcase of community stories.
Top honors for Harris and Ballatori
The 2025 ATHENA Award went to Jennifer Harris, an instructional coach at Geneva City School District and adjunct professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and FLCC. She’s also co-founder and assistant director of Thrive to Survive, a nonprofit supporting adults with cancer.
Maureen Ballatori, founder and CEO of Agency 29, received the ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award. She was recognized for her work as a business leader and advocate for local entrepreneurship.
Honorees span education, healthcare, small business, and more
The full list of ATHENA honorees includes:
- Dr. Molly Branch Shill, Shill Cares Foundation
- Denise Chaapel, Sweet Expressions & Downtown Canandaigua BID
- Jennifer Harris
- Heather Rickett, F.F. Thompson Foundation Inc.
- Michelle Robbins, Finger Lakes Community College
- Linda Werts, Called to Care
ATHENA Young Professional Leadership honorees:
- Maureen Ballatori
- Meghan Bowman, Highland Hospital
- Laurali Deats, Freedom Boat Club of Rochester & Finger Lakes / Seager Marine
- Dani Hines, The Spot
- Anne Piorkowski, Resilience Bakery
- Andrea Shaffer, SERVPRO of Victor/Canandaigua
- Allison Shannon, SWBR
Food drive adds community impact
In addition to the awards, attendees supported a community food drive organized by Leadership Ontario alumni. Hundreds of items and thousands of dollars in donations were collected for local food pantries — with the drive continuing through November 20 at the Chamber office in Canandaigua.
The event was supported by major sponsors including the Sands Family Foundation, Canandaigua National Bank, Five Star Bank, FLCC, UR Medicine Thompson Health, and others.
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