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Congratulations to Audra Caplan, Director, Harford County Public Library, for her ATHENA Award nomination and to Lucie Snodgrass, Chair, Harford County Public Library Board of Trustees, for being presented with the ATHENA Award! Audra and Lucie were recognized at the 9th Annual Women's Leadership Reception & ATHENA Award Presentation on Friday, March 12, 2010 at the Richlin Ballroom in Edgewood.

ABOUT THE ATHENA

The ATHENA Award, presented by the Small Business Development Center's Women's Business Assistance Program, recognizes a woman excelling in her profession, serving the community and actively assisting women in their realization of professional excellence and leadership skills. The award highlights the recipient's accomplishments, in addition to paving a path for future successes. By honoring exceptional leaders, the ATHENA Award program seeks to inspire others to achieve excellence.

Nominations are solicited from across the county; finalists are chosen by a selection committee and an ATHENA sculpture is awarded to an exceptional individual in the community who meets the specific criteria listed. The ATHENA Award Program celebrates the potential of all women as valued members and leaders of the community and recognizes those who support women as well as honors individuals who strive toward the highest levels of professional accomplishment - women and men who excel in their chosen field, have devoted time and energy to their community in a meaningful way and who open paths so that others may follow.

ATHENA recipients must meet each of three specific criteria:

• Assisting women in reaching their full leadership potential
• Demonstrating excellence, creativity, and initiative in her business or profession
• Providing valuable service by devoting time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community

AUDRA CAPLAN

Director, Harford County Public Library
Audra Caplan believes all of us have the potential to be leaders and that good leaders create an environment where people in any position have an opportunity to lead, work in a team atmosphere, feel free to offer suggestions, take initiative, and challenge the status quo for the purpose of improving service or making a difference. Great organizations depend on great staff. Audra has learned never to settle for mediocrity - in the people that are hired or the service that is delivered.

As a leader, you should have a great passion for the work you do. Always being dedicated to serving youth, that passion has led to leadership positions at the state and national levels.

Being very lucky to have great mentors at every pivotal point in her career, she strives to reciprocate as much as possible.

LUCIE SNODGRASS

State Director, US Senator Barbara Mikulski
Lucie's leadership style is best summed up in four words: respect, collaborate, challenge and empower. She strongly believes that people do their best work when they feel valued and respected; when they are included in planning, decision making and implementation at the appropriate levels; and when they are challenged and empowered to use their skills and knowledge to help build and strengthen their organization or business.

Whether someone's job is packing boxes or designing rockets, every employee needs to know that what he or she does is important - and that others depend on them to perform at a high level.

That's how she tries to lead. Leadership is not about making yourself strong; it is about making everyone on your team stronger so that your mission is served and your goals are met.

As a woman in a senior management position, Lucie looks for opportunities to mentor, to encourage and to promote good employees that may have been previously overlooked or neglected in their organization; oftentimes, those employees are women, people with disabilities and people of color.

In sum, as a leader she strives to model the very characteristics that she looks for and tries to instill in everyone that she works with.