KC Chamber set to honor steward of economic inclusion with its 2024 ATHENA award
September 3, 2024 | Startland News Staff
Transformational leadership guides Qiana Thomason’s purpose, officials with the KC Chamber said, detailing the Health Forward Foundation executive’s commitment to health equity through strategic community investments and policy influence through seasoned social capital.
Thomason is set to be honored 5 p.m. Oct. 16 at Starlight Theatre during the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 ATHENA Leadership Award ceremony. The reception also will celebrate Kamera Meaney, director of advocacy and government relations for University Health, as the ATHENA Young Professional.
Click here for more event details.
“The ATHENA Award is about championing women in business and the community,” said Lindsay Jarquio, director of leadership development for the KC Chamber. “This is an opportunity to honor exceptional women like Qiana Thomason and Kamera Meaney, who unlock the potential of others and drive progress in critical issues.”
“The ATHENA Award celebrates those who lead the way in empowering women throughout the Kansas City region to rise, lead and inspire the future,” she continued.
The prestigious honor is presented annually to a woman (or man) who stands out in professional excellence, community service, and actively helps women in their attainment of professional excellence and leadership skills, according to the KC Chamber.
Click here to learn more about past ATHENA recipients.
As president and CEO of Health Forward Foundation, Thomason guides the $1 billion 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, the KC Chamber said in a release.
Click here for more on Qiana Thomason’s background and previous awards.
Kamera Meaney, University Health
University Health’s Meaney works strategically 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, the KC Chamber said, noting Meaney is a graduate of the Centurions Leadership Program and a current participant in the Missouri Chamber’s Leadership Missouri.
She serves on the UMKC Alumni board and was a past board president of Nurture KC as well as the Centurions Alumni Board.
RELATED: Nurture KC partners with Prospect KC in fight against hunger in Kansas City’s urban core
Featured Business
2024 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Mr K finalists: Diversity is a strength, but the vibes defining these Top 10 businesses don’t stop there
Yes, 80 percent of the finalists for this year’s Small Business of the Year Award are ventures run by women, Karen Crnkovich acknowledged, but it’s not just their owners’ gender that put them in the top-tier of contenders for the coveted “Mr. K” honor. “There are eight really brilliant, smart ladies on the stage,” said…
Sober, safe travels: The only thing off the menu for these luxury bookings is alcohol
A Kansas City woman’s travel business is taking flight with plans to offer budding adventurers a world of rejuvenating vacationing, luxury, and wellness — all with an alcohol-free itinerary. “I’m blending my two passions together: sobriety and travel,” said Michelle Plante. “I wanted to create a space for women to get together, connect, and have…
Recipe for empathy: These students prepared hundreds of protein-packed, free meals for their food-insecure peers
High school students in the Kansas City area are doing their part to stamp out food insecurity one recipe at a time, Tamara Weber shared. Kids Feeding Kids — a sister program of Pete’s Garden, both founded by Weber — partners with high school FACS and CTE culinary classes to teach students about critical topics…
PopBookings rallies as KC startup looks for its own key hires: ‘We’re back in a big, big way’
After dialing back its event staffing platform’s operations during the pandemic, Kansas City-grown PopBookings is back online in the Midwest — ramping up hiring as it works toward a Series A funding round by year’s end. “Kansas City has a real nurturing feel to it. And this community is why I believe we’ll have our…