The ATHENA Leadership Award is inspired by the goddess of Greek mythology known for her strength, courage, wisdom, and enlightenment. The ATHENA Leadership Award is presented to individuals honored for professional excellence, community service, and for actively assisting women in their attainment of professional excellence and leadership skills. The ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award is a natural extension of the ATHENA Leadership Award and is presented to emerging leaders across professional sectors for exemplary leadership. The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce is honored to continue presenting the ATHENA Awards in Greater Kansas City.
Congratulations to the 2024 ATHENA and Young ATHENA Honorees!!
2024 ATHENA Honoree | Qiana Thomason
As President and CEO of
Health Forward Foundation, Thomason guides the $1B foundation in stewarding diverse capital investments, leadership in public policy, and institutional social capital that fosters health and economic inclusion throughout the Kansas City region. Her transformational leadership has positioned Health Forward as a national model. Qiana was recognized by the national Business Journal’s BizWomen’s 2022 inaugural listing of women making an impact in their local business communities. She was also honored by the Urban League of Greater Kansas City with its 2024 Difference Maker award, Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey with the 2022 Race, Place, and Diversity award and Kansas City University with an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters.
2024 Young ATHENA Honoree | Kamera Meaney
Meaney serves as the Director of Advocacy and Government Relations at
University Health where she strategically works to eliminate health disparities and improve health outcomes for underinvested communities through policy creation and lobbying efforts. She is also committed to the betterment of the community and all of those within it. Kamera is a graduate of the Centurions Leadership Program, a current participant in the Missouri Chamber’s Leadership Missouri, and was recognized as a 2024 NextGen Leader by the KC Business Journal. Currently she serves on the UMKC Alumni board and past board president of Nurture KC as well as the Centurions Alumni Board. She also serves as a board member of America’s Essential Hospitals national PAC Board.
Thank you to our 2024 ATHENA Awards Reception Sponsors!
Our Presenting Sponsors are
KPMG, and
UMB.
Our Service Sponsors are
Black & Veatch,
CBIZ/MHM,
Children’s Mercy,
Fleishman Hillard,
Hallmark,
HNTB,
JE Dunn Construction,
McCownGordon Construction,
Slalom,
Southwest Airlines,
State Street,
T-Mobile.
Our Emerging Sponsors are
Accenture,
AdventHealth,
Arvest Bank,
Blue Cross and Blue Shields of Kansas City,
Country Club Bank,
ECCO Select,
Garmin,
Grant Thornton,
Henderson Engineers,
Kansas City Current,
Kansas City National Security Campus, managed by Honeywell FM&T, Mazuma Credit Union,
Netsmart,
Port KC,
Shook Hardy & Bacon,
The University of Kansas Health System,
TREKK Design Group.
Our Venue Partner is
Starlight Theatre.