The Triangle East Chamber of Commerce is proud to celebrate professional leadership at their second annual ATHENA Leadership Award Banquet. \; The Chamber Women'\;s Business Network (CWBN) will host a dinner in their honor on Tuesday\, October 29 at Hinnant Family Vineyards. Join us as we recognize our award nominees and present the 2019 \;award. \;
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\n2019 \;ATHENA Leadership Award Nominees
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\nAnnette Atkinson\, \;Marketing Director\, Huebner Family McDonald&rsquo\;s\, Garner
\nDonna Bailey-Taylor\, \;President &\; CEO\, Johnston County Visitors Bureau\, Smithfield
\nSamantha Bureau-Johnson\, \;VP\, Enterprise Process Solutions &\; PMO at Blue Cross NC\, Durham
\nShanna Capps\, \;General Manager\, \;Johnston Now \;magazine\, Four Oaks
\nJessica Davis\, \;Chief Curator &\; Owner\, Curated &\; Company\, Smithfield
\nTara Dunn\, \;Owner\, Memory Lane Frame Studio\, Smithfield
\nDr. Johna Lee Faulconer\, \;Associate Professor\, East Carolina University\, Greenville
\nKay Johnson\, \;Executive Director\, Harbor\, Inc.\, Smithfield
\nCorina Knott\, \;Account Executive\, Interstate Outdoor\, Inc.\, Selma
\nSarah Elizabeth Lagasse\, \;Sales Manager\, Johnston County Visitors Bureau\, Smithfield
\nMelissa Godwin Overton\, \;Owner/Consultant\, Medical Training.Me\, Smithfield
\nDr. Marilyn Pearson\, \;Health Director\, Johnston County Public Health Department\, Smithfield
\nLillian &ldquo\;Cookie&rdquo\; Pope\, \;Commissioner\, Johnston County Board of Commission\, Smithfield
\nPam Tripp\, \;CEO\, CommWell Health\, Newton Grove
\nKelly Wallace\, \;Vice President &\; COO\, Triangle East Chamber of Commerce\, Smithfield
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\nKeynote Speaker
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\nBeth Wood\, \;CPA
\nNorth Carolina State Auditor
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\nBeth Wood is a Certified Public Accountant in her third term as North Carolina&rsquo\;s elected State Auditor. She is a long-time public servant with nearly 25 years of auditing experience\, having worked in the Auditor&rsquo\;s Office for nearly 10 years before her election in 2008 and also in the State Treasurer&rsquo\;s Office.
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\nBefore that\, she worked for several companies in the private sector. She is the first woman elected State Auditor in North Carolina.
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\nThrough her work as State Auditor\, Beth has helped strengthen and improve state government. Audit teams across the state watch every area of state government for potential savings and smart use of taxpayer dollars. The office has focused particularly on healthcare spending and contracting practices that favored vendors at the expense of taxpayers. As a result\, audits published by OSA during her tenure have identified millions of dollars of potential savings.
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\nAdditionally\, the office is following up on prior audits\, evaluating the use of best practices by state agencies\, and working to attract and retain highly skilled auditors.