Scholarships
and Awards
Women’s Network Scholarships
Greater Missouri Leadership Challenge Scholarship
The Greater Missouri Leadership Challenge meets four times a year in different cities, for three days at a time, with interesting behind-the-scenes learning experiences in each location.
Ron was a Shelter Insurance agent here in Columbia who was very active in the community and the Chamber of Commerce. He truly understood the power of networking and once he discovered what Women’s Network had to offer – he had the courage to become our first male member. Unfortunately, Ron, along with his wife Sharon and three of his four children, were tragically taken from us in a car accident in 1997. In his honor, Women’s Network established a scholarship to fund the tuition to send one Women’s Network member to the Chamber of Commerce Leadership Columbia program.
Criteria for Eligibility
Boone County Resident
Female student of at least sophomore status
GPA of 3.0 or higher
Primary consideration to be given for financial need
Enrolled part or full time at Stephens College, University of Missouri, Columbia College, William Woods University, Central Methodist University, Bryan University or Moberly Area Community College.
Application Instructions
Women’s Network provides a yearly scholarship to one Women’s Network Member to attend the annual Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Visit. The scholarship covers the entire registration fee which covers travel, lodging, transportation and group meals.
Learn more about this year’s Leadership Visit to Tuscaloosa, AL.
Criteria for Eligibility
Women’s Network member
Company must be in good standing with the Chamber of Commerce
Application Instructions
Women’s Network Awards
Debin’s Legacy
Debin Benish started Delta Systems Group at a time when women were not encouraged to venture out on their own, not to mention in a technology field. During her 18 years in business, Debin and her staff trained thousands of people in Mid- Missouri on many different software programs and provided computer network support to hundreds of companies.In addition to achieving great success in her company, Debin was actively involved in the Chamber and Women’s Network. She served on the Chamber Board of Directors, Accreditation Task Force, Business Conference and Showcase Committee, Government Affairs, Education, Leadership Columbia, Women’s Network Business Owners Committee, and Ambassadors.
Debin had a philanthropic heart. She and the Delta Systems staff quietly assisted many charities and non-profits with their technology needs, such as the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri, as she served on countless technology committees and boards. Among the most noteworthy accomplishments are the revolutionizing of the registration process for the biannual MU blood drives by creating the system that is still used to this day to assist in minimizing donor wait times. For all these reasons and her corporate mantra of providing excellent customer service and caring for projects, the Chamber honored Debin and Delta Systems as the 1992 Small Business of the Year and again in 2005 as a Small Business of the Year Finalist.
Nomination Criteria
exhibits leadership in supporting small business
has a record of volunteering in the community
is a mentor to other business women
owns (or is employed by) a Chamber-member business, preferably a Women’s Network member
Past Recipients
2005 Lili Vianello, Visionworks Marketing Communications
2006 Lynda Baumgartner, Stephens College
2007 Melody Parry, Outfront Communications
2008 Kim Trabue, Kimber Media
2009 Rose Ditter,
2010 Karen Miller, Boone County; District 1
2011 Michele Spry, Midway Electric, Inc.
2012 Anne Williams, Job Finders
2013 Mary Ropp, The Bank of Missouri
2014 Susan Hart, Huebert Builders, Inc.
2015 Nancy Fay, Mary Kay Cosmetics – Fay
2016 Nancy Allison, Nancy Allison, Agent – Shelter Agency
2017 Erica Pefferman, Business Times Company
2018 Lindsay Young-Lopez, The Food Bank of Central and NE Missouri
2019 Michele Batye, Dave Griggs Flooring America
The ATHENA Leadership® Model focuses on personal traits of strong, successful leaders. The model captures the spirit and collaborative leadership style often exemplified in women leaders, while also recognizing the importance of traits such as courageous acts and fierce advocacy in the pursuit of excellence.
Women’s Network awarded the first ATHENA Leadership® Award in Columbia, MO in 1995 to Linda Arnold. Since then, the ATHENA International Award committee has annually honored a business leader from the community at the ATHENA International Award luncheon.
