2026 Washington County ATHENA Leadership Award Recipient & ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award Recipient Announced

Last Updated on Thursday, 28 May 2026 22:56

The Washington County Chamber of Commerce announced Leanna Spada, Mon Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce, as the 2026 Washington County ATHENA Leadership Award Recipient.

Leanna Spada is the 2026 Washington County ATHENA Leadership Award recipient.

The 2026 ATHENA Award was presented during a lunch on Friday, May 8, 2026 at the Hilton Garden Inn Pittsburgh/Southpointe and was attended by more than 350 business and community leaders. The 2026 Finalists also included:

Lori Mesta, WesBanco
Genevieve Peters, Dress for Success Pittsburgh
Amy Podgurski-Gough, UPMC Washington Teen Outreach, Academy for Adolescent Health
Jamie Coleman-Price, AHN Canonsburg Hospital

According to Jeff Kotula, President of the chamber, the ATHENA Award is an internationally recognized award that honors women’s leadership within our business and civic communities. Mr. Kotula stated, “The award promotes leadership by honoring exceptional individuals in the community who contribute in significant ways to the achievements of women and women’s leadership efforts. As Ms. Spada and the four finalists demonstrated, we are very fortunate that Washington County’s businesswomen are leading and being acknowledged for their positive impacts in Washington County.”

The ATHENA Award recipient and finalists are selected by the following criteria: Have achieved the highest level of professional excellence; contribute time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community and actively assist others, particularly women, in realizing their full leadership potential.

Celebrating its 23^rd year in Washington County, the annual ATHENA Award event is presented by Dollar Bank and hosted by the Washington County Chamber of Commerce. The Washington County Chamber of Commerce also announced the recipient of the Diana Irey Vaughan ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award as Aliesha Walz, Washington County Community Foundation. The award honors emerging leaders who demonstrate excellence, creativity, and initiative in their business or profession. The recipients provide valuable services by contributing time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community, and, most importantly, serve as role models for young women personally and professionally.

For more information, please contact the Washington County Chamber of Commerce at 724.225.3010.