Announcing the 2026 ATHENA on the Lakeshore Award Finalists
Muskegon, MI – The Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce and The Chamber of Commerce Grand Haven, Spring Lake, Ferrysburg are pleased to announce the 2026 Lakeshore ATHENA Award Finalists and the 2026 Lakeshore ATHENA Young Professional Award Finalists. Celebrating its 21st year, the Lakeshore ATHENA awards are presented annually to recognize outstanding women along the West Michigan Lakeshore who have demonstrated excellence in their business or profession, provided valuable service by devoting time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in their community, assisted women in reaching their full potential, and exhibit the spirit of regional collaboration. This year, six ATHENA Finalists and five Young Professional Finalists have been selected.
2026 Lakeshore ATHENA Award Finalists
Carla Flanders, CMF Marketing
Jeanette Hoyer, Goodwill Industries of West Michigan
Brenda Jacobs, CPA, Brickley DeLong
Jennifer Johnson, Lake Michigan Credit Union (LMCU)
Tamica Savage, MillerKnoll
Jamie Sowa, Baker College of Muskegon
2026 Lakeshore ATHENA Young Professional Award Finalists
Brittany Beck, Sula Haus LLC
Stephanie Cwiklinski, Tri-Cities Credit Union
Karen Kekelik, Kekelik Law
Cece Riley, Hackley Community Care
Marisela Sierra, Navarro’s Mexican Take-Out
The award recipients will be announced and honored at the ATHENA on the Lakeshore Award Luncheon on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at Trillium Catering and Event Center. This year’s keynote speaker is Shelby Bytwerk, recipient of the 2024 Lakeshore ATHENA Award. Shelby currently serves as Director of Operations at Mainsite for MillerKnoll, where she has held several leadership roles in manufacturing and operations. A dedicated advocate for advancing women in the workplace, she serves on the Leadership Team of MillerKnoll’s Women’s Equity Group and is a Global Ambassador for the MillerKnoll Foundation. In addition, she leads a mentoring program through Inforum’s ManufacturingNEXT that has supported more than 80 women across 20 West Michigan manufacturing companies. Shelby also serves her community as a board member for The Chamber of Commerce Grand Haven, Spring Lake, Ferrysburg.
Reservations for the ATHENA on the Lakeshore luncheon can be made by visiting grandhavenchamber.org or by calling The Chamber of Commerce Grand Haven, Spring Lake, Ferrysburg at 616-842-4910.
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About ATHENA International – ATHENA International is a catalyst for developing diverse, transformative leaders worldwide through experiential programs that ignite, amplify and celebrate girls, women and allies —from young scholars to seasoned professionals. At the heart of everything we do are the Eight Principles of Enlightened Leadership™ (ATHENA Leadership Model®): Live Authentically, Learn Constantly, Build Relationships, Foster Collaboration, Act Courageously, Advocate Fiercely, Give Back and Celebrate. ATHENA is driven to bring empathy based, compassionate, and inclusive leadership culture to the workplace, educational institutions, and individuals.
In our pursuit of creating positive change, we empower women entrepreneurs to achieve new heights of success through ATHENA PowerLink®, an innovative mentorship program connecting selected entrepreneurs with a tailored advisory board to support the growth of their businesses. For over four decades, we have recognized exceptional women and pioneering leaders with ATHENA Leadership Awards on global, national, and community levels. Our impact extends to nearly 8,000 award recipients who stand as change-makers and trailblazers, opening doors of leadership opportunities for girls and women in communities worldwide.
About the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce – The Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce is the premier business membership organization on the Lakeshore. The Chamber represents approximately 1250 businesses and organizations, of every size and type, all over West Michigan. The Chamber has been working for 126 years to sustain an environment for business success, through community leadership, promotion, inclusive business advocacy and valued member services. Learn more at www.muskegon.org
About the Chamber of Commerce Grand Haven, Spring Lake, Ferrysburg – The Chamber of Commerce Grand Haven, Spring Lake, Ferrysburg has been serving businesses for 125 years since 1899. Through their vision of empowering businesses and building communities, the Chamber provides hyper local support, connections, and solutions for economic and business growth within Northwest Ottawa County.