Cindy Green-Deutsch named 2022 Athena Award recipient by DeKalb chamber

DeKALB – Cindy Green-Deutsch said she’s overwhelmed to be included as part of a DeKalb program that has honored so many incredible women in the past.

Green-Deutsch was named the 2022 Athena Award recipient Tuesday during the 33rd annual Athena Award reception at Northern Illinois University’s Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center in DeKalb.

As a banking center manager and assistant vice president for Old National Bank, Green-Deutsch told the audience that “I’m humbled to be recognized in a group like this.”

Green-Deutsch credited her family for the support they provided her growing up.

“My sister and I were blessed with strong women to look up to,” she said. “Taking up seats, using their voices, even in a time when it wasn’t common to be a woman there.”

Green-Deutsch also is a board member for Kishwaukee United Way, Voluntary Action Center and the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce. In her spare time, she volunteers as an emergency medical technician with the Shabbona Fire Department.

Letters of support written for Green-Deutsch spoke of a strong work ethic, positive energy and enthusiasm to improve the community.

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Cindy Green-Deutsch (left) leans on her friend Meropi Matarangas as she realizes that she is the 2022 recipient of the Athena Award Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022, during the Athena and Women of Accomplishment Award reception at the Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. (Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.com/Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.co)

Green-Deutsch thanked the DeKalb chamber, Chevrolet, Buick and GMC for sponsoring the Athena Award reception. In her acceptance remarks, she gave a shout out to her bank colleagues and thanked her husband and family for their support.

This year’s Athena Award finalists were Sarah Massier Newby of Oral & Maxillo Facial Surgeons for Northern Illinois, Linh Nguyen of Northern Illinois University’s Chemistry Department, Mary Lynn Buckner of DeKalb District 428 and Alicia Schatteman of Northern Illinois University’s Center for Nonprofit and NGO Studies.

The Athena Award is an international award program that honors women who strive to serve as a mentor or role model for helping women reach their full leadership potential.

Area women were also recognized with this year’s Women of Accomplishment awards Tuesday. The program aims to honor retired local women who continue to be leaders and mentors within the community and exemplify the traits of Athena.

This year’s Woman of Accomplishment honorees were Julia Lamb and Jane Hapeman.

Hapeman retired after working as a registered dietician at Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital in DeKalb for 30 years.

Lamb retired in 2014 after having served as a volunteer and also as a board member for the Northern Illinois University Pick Museum of Anthropology.

Athena Award finalist nominations and letters of support are sent to other chambers of commerce within Illinois that have Athena programs to score and decide each year’s recipient.

Matt Duffy, DeKalb Chamber of Commerce executive director, described the Athena Award reception as “our chance to acknowledge women in our community that do such great things.”

“This is a great honor for the DeKalb chamber to be able to recognize and put these people out front,” Duffy said.

Cindy Green-Deutsch named 2022 Athena Award recipient by DeKalb chamber

Each letter of support for Cindy Green-Deutsch to be named the 2022 Athena Award recipient spoke to “her strong work ethic, unending enthusiasm and positive energy toward bettering our community in many ways.”