Leaders from Mountain View gathered May 13 for a combined celebration of the Chamber of Commerce’s annual ATHENA Awards and Celebration of Leaders Awards.
The chamber each year recognizes exceptional contributions and service to the community by individuals, businesses and organizations. The ATHENA Awards, which honor women leaders, were added to the festivities this year.
Among the honorees were Los Altos resident Jolee Crosson, Mountain View City Councilmember Ellen Kamei and Shoreline Amphitheatre.
Winners and presenters throughout the evening highlighted the city’s commitment to improving the lives of its residents and lifting up the next generation of leaders. Along with nearly all of Mountain View’s council members, attendees included State Sen. Josh Becker, Mountain View Los Altos High School District Superintendent Nellie Meyer, several school board members and representatives from U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo’s and County Supervisor Joe Simitian’s offices.
Jocelyn Baird, winner of the ATHENA Young Professional Award, grew up in Mountain View and previously interned for the Chamber of Commerce. She told the Town Crier that it was “very exciting” to be honored by the city after years of civic engagement as a volunteer and now board member for Community Services Agency, among her other commitments.
“It turns out if you show up to enough events and you connect with the community, you get rewarded,” Baird said.
Baird is waste zero manager at Recology Mountain View, where she works with businesses and commercial real estate managers to improve waste diversion, reducing the amount of waste that goes into landfills in favor of more recycling and composting.
She speaks passionately about diverting trash to recycling or compost, whether it’s making a presentation to a property manager or talking with a chef at a local restaurant about what can and can’t be composted.
Kamei, Mountain View’s mayor in 2021, received the ATHENA Award for Excellence for her work with the city as well as with women’s and Asian American and Pacific Islander advocacy groups throughout her career. When presenting Kamei with her award, chamber member Kathy Thibodeaux said, “Ellen represents the ideals of ATHENA.”
Alongside Kamei and Baird, the chamber honored Community Services Agency executive director and Los Altos resident Tom Myers as Community Champion for his 20 years of service with CSA and Crosson of CSA as Nonprofit Volunteer of the Year.
Accepting his award, Myers said that looking at the next generation, he’s “very optimistic about the future.” Myers listed aid and activism work by the younger members of his family, including one of his nephews, who has already been protested by Westboro Baptist Church, as an inspiration to him.
Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Joan MacDonald also called out the next generation in her acceptance speech, saying that she believes the next generation will accomplish even more than hers did. MacDonald served on both the Mountain View Whisman and MVLA school boards, as well as with Housing Justice and the Community Health Awareness Council.
Dandies Barbershop & Beard Stylist and Shoreline Amphitheater won small and large business of the year awards, respectively.
For a full list of winners, visit chambermv.org/celebration-of-leaders-awards.
