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LANSING, MI – The Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce (LRCC) proudly hosted the ATHENA WIN Evening of Empowerment on Thursday, September 25, 2025, at the Crowne Plaza Lansing West. The event brought together community members for an evening of inspiration and recognition, boasting a networking cocktail hour, dinner, and a program highlighting the power of collaboration and community leadership.

This year’s program featured a lineup of powerful speakers, including Ashlee R. Willis, CTA, Founder & CEO of Michigan Premier Events and 2025 Chair of the Evening of Empowerment; Jane Mitchell, Owner of Jungle Jane Promotions and 2024 ATHENA Leadership Award recipient; Chivon Kloepfer, News Anchor at WLNS; Andrea Burns, Senior Vice President and Chief Underwriting Officer at AF Group; Carmen Flores, Owner & CEO of Kohler Expos; and Amy McNamara, Vice President of Commercial Banking at Mercantile Bank and 2025 ATHENA Win Board Chair.

The celebration also featured a keynote presentation from award-winning television and film producer, creative entrepreneur, and changemaker Jenny Feterovich, who shared powerful insights drawn from her personal journey, emphasizing that true meaning often emerges only after action and reflection. “Feel the fear, but do it anyway,” Feterovich told the audience, reminding them that with courage and persistence, anything is possible.


“The ATHENA WIN Evening of Empowerment continues to be one of the most inspiring evenings of the year,” said Sarah Bakken, Talent Development Manager for the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce. “We are proud to honor women leaders whose work is driving positive change in our community, promoting equity and opportunity, and encouraging the next generation of leaders to rise and thrive.”

During the program, several special announcements were made, including the dates for the ATHENA Lansing Leadership Celebration, which will be held on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. at the Lansing Center. Also announced were the 2025 ATHENA Leadership Award recipient, Rebecca Bahar-Cook, CEO of Capitol Fundraising Associates, and the 2026 ATHENA PowerLink® recipient, Lillian Werbin, CEO & Co-Owner of Elderly Instruments. In addition, former WLNS-TV6 News Anchor and 2006 ATHENA Award recipient Sheri Jones will serve as emcee.


The ATHENA Leadership Award honors individuals who achieve the highest levels of professional excellence and pave paths for other women to follow. The ATHENA PowerLink® Award is part of a mentoring program dedicated to elevating women entrepreneurs to achieve greater success.


For more information, visit LansingChamber.org

About the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce:

The Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce works to help businesses connect, grow, and thrive. For nearly 125 years, the Chamber has served as the voice of the Greater Lansing business community. More information about the Chamber and its programs and services can be found online at lansingchamber.org