Athena Awards & Annual Dinner

Join Us on August 28th to honor women, girls and community partners at this year’s Girls Inc ATHENA Awards and Annual Dinner.  The event starts at 5:30 pm at the First Bank Kuhlman Center.  Tickets are $75 each or a table can be purchased for $600.

For more information, please contact Melissa Soper at msoper@girlsincwayne.org.

Purchase Tickets Online

This year’s event will honor the following women, girls, and community partners:

Stasia Veramallay has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the ATHENA Leadership Award®. This award honors an outstanding leader who not only excels in their field and gives back to the community but also actively supports and uplifts other women in reaching their leadership potential. Stasia has played a direct and sustained role in helping women and girls develop the skills, confidence, and opportunities needed to reach their full leadership potential. Through her initiative in launching the Wise Women financial education series in partnership with Girls Inc., as well as her 13 years as a Girl Scout leader, Stasia’s work is centered on helping young women grow into strong, capable leaders.

Sarah (Roddy) Herrmann is this year’s recipient of the ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award®. This award highlights emerging women leaders between the ages of 18 and 35 who are making a meaningful impact through their work, creativity, and community involvement. Sarah has demonstrated leadership during plant expansion for Blue Buffalo, serving as a cultural leader who guides both internal teams through cohesive training and external partners through shared learning experiences. Her involvement in activities that expose young girls to manufacturing helps illuminate career paths they may not otherwise see.

The 2026 Girls Inc. Girl of the Year is Taylor Walton. Taylor embodies the Girls Inc. mission of Strong, Smart, & Bold by consistently stepping up to support her peers. She frequently helps younger girls, many of whom look up to her. Taylor is a growing leader, and we look forward to seeing all she accomplishes.

A new award this year is the Girls Inc. Rising Girl of the Year. This award recognizes one of our younger participants who consistently demonstrates kindness, respect, and leadership among her peers. A Rising Girl of the Year exemplifies what it means to be strong, smart, and bold. We are proud to recognize Gwen Tompkins as this year’s Rising Girl of the Year.

This year, we will also honor our Raise the Roof Champion, Whitewater Construction, for their extraordinary partnership during a critical time for our organization. As a trusted member of our facilities subcommittee prior to the storm damage, their team stepped forward in our moment of crisis, donating time, materials, and labor, and working alongside us to stabilize and protect our building from further damage. They also advocated to ensure respectful, collaborative engagement across contractors and insurance partners, helping position Girls Inc. for a strong and thoughtful rebuild.

We are deeply grateful to Whitewater Construction, as well as the many partners, contractors, and community members who have supported our recovery and growth.

“We are proud to celebrate these honorees who truly embody what it means to be strong, smart, and bold—as accomplished leaders, inspiring young women, and committed partners in times of need,” said Tai Muldoon, CEO of Girls Inc. of Wayne County.  

A special thanks to our incredible event partner and Title Sponsor, Wayne Bank. Sponsorship spots are still available. For more information on being a sponsor, email tmuldoon@girlsincwayne.org.

We look forward to celebrating these remarkable ATHENA honorees, Girls of the Year, and our Raise the Roof Champion on August 28