Kelly Clauss Honored with 2021 ATHENA Award

By Kris Norton

Huntingburg – Thursday night at the Huntingburg Event Center, Kelly Clauss was named the 2021 Dubois County ATHENA Award winner.

The ATHENA Program, a non-profit that seeks to support, develop, and honor women leaders returned to an in-person banquet after last year’s Dubois County Award was dedicated to “The Essential Worker”.

Dubois County Chamber of Commerce Director Becky Hickman, former Executive Vice President of Kimball International Norma Kress, Founder of Girls on the Run of Southwest Indiana Sarah Leonard, Senior Account Manager of Feeding America Somula (Sam) Schwoeppe, and Memorial Hospital Director of Corporate Compliance Marsha Shephard were among this year’s nominees. As soon as Clauss heard her own name called, she said, she quickly looked to her fellow nominees in the indescribable moments afterwards.

“I really can’t even describe that because, honest to goodness, when there’s a slate of nominees as strong as these other five candidates, I just viewed myself as one of the candidates,” Clauss said. “To hear my name called out loud, it took my breath away.”

Once at the podium, Clauss told the story of one of her first careers: basketball. An inductee into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015 for her career at Vincennes Rivet High School and Vincennes University, her story was an insight into her upbringing, said ATHENA Chairperson Julie Duchess.

“I told Kelly tonight I was really glad that she shared that story about basketball,” Duchess said. “I know it was difficult because he father has passed, but what a wonderful story of learning and perseverance.”

As Chairperson, Duchess had the opportunity to personally inform the nominees of their selection in what would turn out to be a tight race.

According to Duchess, Clauss ended up winning by a single point.