Jen Nordstrom and Cindy Payne honored the Athena Awards.
The Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce’s 36th Annual Meeting and Athena Awards brought together over 500 business leaders at the High Country Conference Centre on February 21st. The business gathering included a fireside chat with Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs and an informative speech by John Gartin, Director of Career Development at Northern Arizona University. The Athena Awards concluded the programme, which also includes recognition of Chamber of Commerce recipients and volunteers over the past year.
Stateside Chat with Gov. Hobbs
Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Julie Pastrick hosted a fireplace chat with Governor Hobbs, who answered questions about Northern Arizona. “We need to address the issue of out-of-state investors buying units,” Hobbs said regarding affordable housing. She recommended that the state return control to the local community to regulate this practice.
When asked about childcare, she said: “Childcare is a problem for employers. It’s a problem for families. We knew that we needed to get the employer involved as part of the solution,” so she proposed Bright Futures AZ, a childcare program that is equally cost-supported by employers, states and families.
“As governor of a border nation, I know (border security) is a top priority for Arizonans. That’s not a partisan issue,” Hobbs said. She said she has awarded more than $100 million for joint border security efforts with local law enforcement. “Task Force Safe (Stops the Fentanyl Epidemic in Arizona) keeps 9,000,000 fentanyl pills from and outside of Arizona,” she added.
Other attractive fireplace orientation discussion topics include education funding measures set to expire on June 30, 2025. It focuses on the Semiconductor and Electric Vehicle Business segment. Healthcare (“probably one of the things that keep me the most at night,” Hobbs said, and forest health.
Guest speaker: AI 2025
In his helpful speech, NAU’s Director of Career Development, John Gartin declared, “I will not lose my job to AI, especially here in Flagstaff.” He encouraged businessmen to “use AI now” and showed how to implement AI and generated AI in their daily workflows. He instructed attendees at the annual meeting to follow up on the video they made for the Chamber of Commerce at www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0mjbi9yxdu.
Green Business of the Year
Chamber’s Flagstaff Green Business Award recognizes local businesses with outstanding environmental initiatives. This year’s candidates included the American Motor Hotel, which is implementing energy reduction and water conservation initiatives.
Habitat for Humanity has also been recognized for its efforts to restore Coconino’s sustainable building program and repurpose landfill efforts, as well as building an Energy Star-certified home.
Mountain Line was another prominent candidate recognized for its green infrastructure development and the designation of money received from the new Downtown Connection Center Coconino Sustainable Building Program. Additionally, Mountain Line has implemented an electric bus fleet, which further contributes to environmental qualifications.
Nackard Pepsi has been praised for its recycling and waste reduction initiative that bypassed the backhaul of over 317,834 pounds of material and more than 15,000 pounds of food waste from the Grand Canyon South Rim.
The toasted owl cafe was also a competitor thanks to its upcycling and environmentally friendly practices.
The Flagstaff Green Business Award, announced by the Desert Financial Credit Union, was ultimately awarded to Nackard Pepsi for its significant environmental impact, highlighting the company’s commitment to reducing waste and promoting sustainability in its operations.
Athena Prize
The Athena Awards program is a global initiative aimed at enabling women to reach leadership potential and promote a balance of leadership across the community. At Flagstaff, these awards celebrate local female business leaders who excel professionally, contributed to the community and helped other women advance in their careers.
The Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce presents these awards in three categories each year. This structure allows you to recognize women who are excellent in a variety of professional domains and career stages.
By highlighting the diverse outcomes of these categories, the Athena Awards are designed to promote an environment that emphasizes leadership growth and civic engagement. The program highlights the significant impact of women in the business world and encourages ongoing progress towards gender balance in leadership roles.
The candidates were brought to the stage and introduced by the sector. Public Sector Candidate: Maggie Colletti, IDB Design. Christine Farr, Coldwell Banker Northland; Ellen Jimenez, Embassy Suites. SUK LOWMAN, Restoration Forest Products. Jennifer Nordstrom, Jen Nordstrom Financial Services. Amanda Stephenson, Nestle Purina. After the drum roll, Pastrick presented the award to Jennifer Nordstrom.
Private sector Athena candidates included Sue Brown of Coconino County. Cody Half moon, Lowell Observatory. CindyPain, Cancer Support Community North Arizona. Nicole Tuchsherer, Nau; Tashaville, Northern Arizona Dementia Alliance for Alzheimer’s Disease/Angel’s Care Home Health. Amy Waltz, Ph.D., NAU Ecological Restoration Institute; Stephanie Washington, Flagstaff Unified School District. The Athena Award was sent to Cindy Payne.
Both Young Professional/Shining Star emerging leaders, Kimberguttiers, Flagstaff Bluff and Sarahemstra Bluff at Coconino Community College were awarded.
Volunteer recognition
It is worth noting that after Pastrick’s welcome, former Flagstaff mayor Coral Evans, who represents the office of U.S. Senator Mark Kelly, led the group on a pledge of loyalty. Chamber of Commerce officials later celebrated outstanding volunteers from the past year at events sponsored by APS and others. Randon Cupp, the new Chamber of Commerce Committee chair, who is the regional president of Foothills Bank, has confirmed at Keeper Shakimement the chairs near Warner Nursery and Landscape’s Misty Warner chair. Ellen Zimenez of Embassy Suites by Hilton Flagstaff has accepted this year’s Ambassador Award. Mary West of Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise received the Chamber Champion Accolade.
Other notable guests included General Kornsul of Mexico’s Jorge Mendoza Jescas and President Buu van Naiglen, an officer at the Consulate General of Mexico’s Geraldo Valenzuela Buerna. FBN
Stacey Wittig, fbn
Stacey Wittig: Cindy Payne with the Cancer Support Community Northern Arizona has been awarded the Athena Award in the Public Sector. Jennifer Nordstrom’s treasurer Jennifer Nordstrom received the Flagstaff Athena Award in the Private Sector on Friday, February 21st.
