Athena Award recipients share credit for achievements
Ashley Hershberger, left, received the Young Professional Athena Award, and Kim Sayers was selected as this year’s Athena Award recipient at a December awards dinner held by the Wayne County Women’s Network at the Shisler Conference Center in Wooster.
The Wayne County Women’s Network hosted a December awards dinner at the Shisler Conference Center at CFAES Wooster to honor the 2024 Athena Award recipients.
Kim Sayers, director of business training and educational services at Ohio State University in Wooster, was selected as this year’s Athena Award recipient while Ashley Hershberger, recreation manager for the City of Wooster, received the Young Professional Athena Award.
The Athena Award is an international award that honors individuals in local communities who have demonstrated excellence and creativity in their careers, improved quality of life for community, and for active assistance of women, explained Lynn Moomaw, a past Athena Award winner.
Both of this year’s winners not only met all the criteria, but also shared an acknowledgment that they alone cannot be credited for their achievements.
“It’s not about me,” Sayers said. “This is such a humbling experience for me. There are so many people who are doing good in our community. For me to be singled out for this, it feels overwhelming because there are so many other people.”
“Something I keep coming back to is the women who have made an impactful difference in my career and my life,” Hershberger said. “This is something I want to focus on and how the community has shaped me — the partnerships. It’s not necessarily what I do, but what the people around me do and how I can collaborate with those people and make things better for the community.”
Sayers: A life serving others
In her acceptance speech, Sayers said her mother was her first role model around a life of service to others. She shared a comical example of her mother’s hatred for chickens, but her mother would still help a neighbor care for their chickens if asked.
When asked about her current role in workforce training and professional development, Sayers said, “When we say workforce development, there are so many different descriptions of that. The audience I most often work with is with business and industry and doing training and development for a particular company, for their workforce.”
Sayers clearly enjoys her current role. “I didn’t expect to be with the same organization in the same place for 35 years,” she said.
While Sayers has a long resume of organizations with which she has volunteered, there was one that stood out. “One of the highlights of my professional career was being nominated and asked to serve as president of Rotary Club of Wooster,” she said.
Sayers had the misfortune of leading the Rotary Club during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many members were not yet used to virtual meetings, but she managed to build community among members during an otherwise challenging time.
“As an international organization, Rotary has several different pillars of priority areas they focus on,” Sayers said. “My preference and priority is local. I want to have an impact where I live.”
Hershberger: Lead by example
“Something my grandma said to me a long time ago, and I don’t know who said the (original) quote, ‘The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion,’” Hershberger said. “I am the oldest grandchild on both sides of the family. (It was always) make sure you are setting an example. You have to be aware that I am representing my community and my family.”
Hershberger found that empowering and was more than willing to step up to the challenge. Fast forward to when she was a student at Ashland University.
After selecting sports management as her major, Hershberger, who had been coaching her younger sister’s Parks & Rec basketball team at the Gault, approached Chuck Malta, the longtime recreation manager at the City of Wooster. Impressed by her leadership and perseverance, Malta brought her on as an intern, which led to a full-time role in 2007 and an impactful career in recreation since.
Similar to Sayers, Hershberger has an extensive track record of volunteering with nonprofits. For Hershberger, volunteering for the Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce has been among the most meaningful to her in terms of service to her community.
Chamber President Samira Zimmerly expressed her gratitude for Hershberger’s efforts during the awards dinner.
“Ashley is the sort of person who raises her hand when something needs to be done. She doesn’t wait for an invitation,” Zimmerly said. “She steps up. Her warmth, kindness and infectious energy make everyone feel seen and valued.”
The Athena Awards are a way to recognize the traits that are valued in the community.
“That which gets recognized will be repeated in the future,” said Cindy Biggs, also a former Athena Award recipient.