2022 ATHENA Leadership Award Recipient Announced

The Chamber is pleased to announce Maria Montoro Edwards, Ph.D., president & CEO of Maternal and Family Health Services, Inc., as the 2022 ATHENA Leadership Award recipient.

The ATHENA Award, sponsored locally by Michael A. Barbetti LLC Certified Public Accountants, honors an exceptional individual who has achieved excellence in their business or profession, has served the community in a meaningful way, and has assisted women in their attainment of professional goals and leadership skills. Dr. Montoro Edwards embodies these characteristics whole-heartedly.

For more than 25 years Dr. Montoro Edwards has made significant strides as a non-profit and education leader, including success in securing, implementing, and stewarding public and private funding. In 2018, she was instrumental in connecting community partners and securing funding for Healthy MOMS (Maternal Opiate Medical Support) program in support of neonatal abstinence syndrome – which has served more than 100 expectant and new mothers across the region.

At her current role as president of Maternal and Family Health Services, she is unafraid to meet the needs of the community’s most underserved members through innovation. She is currently working to bring new care models to our region for pregnancy and depression. She leads with a focus on equity and inclusion as the organization meets changing community needs and is connecting with staff and community members to find new opportunities to have a positive impact on women, children, and families.

Dr. Montoro Edwards has been involved with more than 25 organizations locally for over 15 years. Currently, she serves on the boards for the Community Intervention Center, NEPA Rainbow Alliance, and Northeast Pennsylvania Nonprofit Community Assistance Center. She was also among those honored at the 2021 IHM Sisters Celebration for her work in the community and is the 2021 recipient of the Women in Philanthropy Margaretta Belin Chamberlin award.

“Dr. Montoro Edwards is no doubt making positive and inspiring advances in the local non-profit sector and to the care of individuals in our community who need it most,” says Bob Durkin, president of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce. “We commend her for the work she has done so far and congratulate her as the 2022 recipient of this prestigious award.”

The ATHENA Award will be presented to Dr. Montoro Edwards at the Chamber’s International Women’s Day Luncheon on March 8, held at Marywood University and sponsored by Honesdale National Bank. Tickets can be purchased here.

The ATHENA Award was first presented in 1982 in Lansing, Michigan and has grown to include presentations to more than 5,000 individuals in hundreds of cities in the United States as well as in Canada, China, Russia and the United Kingdom. The award takes the form of a hand-cast bronze sculpture symbolizing the strength, courage and wisdom of the recipient.

The ATHENA Award® Program is nationally underwritten by General Motors and National City Bank.