The Greater Shreveport Chamber Business Development Connection honored Linnea Fayard Allen Thursday as the 2019 ATHENA Leadership Award recipient.
“We are delighted to recognize Linnea Allen as this year’s recipient of the ATHENA Leadership Award,” said Dr. Timothy Magner, president of the Greater Shreveport Chamber. “Linnea says she strives to ‘be the most brilliant color in the box.’ Through her many professional accomplishments, numerous civic engagements and positive contributions to the Shreveport-Bossier community, Linnea’s ‘brilliant color’ embodies the ATHENA Award’s spirit of inspiration, generosity and accomplishment.”
Linnea currently serves as the Cultural Communications Officer/Social Media Director for Origin Bank. She counsels employees in reaching their goals and dreams, directs all social media strategy, and is a founding member of the team that launched a new name/brand project in 2015. She, along with three other employees, created the Project Enrich program, where she serves as the manager/coordinator. This program gives employees up to 20 hours of paid time off per year to volunteer in the community. Linnea was the first woman to lead a local TV news sports team, volunteers countless hours to North Louisiana community theatre organizations, mentors and trains young women through the Miss Louisiana Organization, and has performed nationally and internationally as a singer, emcee, speaker, and commercial spokesperson. She is proud to have graduated with her master’s degree, earning a 4.0 GPA while being a single mother with a full-time job.
Linnea Fayard Allen was selected from among 15 accomplished honorees including: Erica Richard Bryant, Eureka Chitman, Angelique Feaster Evans, Lauren G. Jackson, Pavunae Tiyest Jones, Lisa Janes, K.C. Kilpatrick, Jackie F. LaCour, Martha Segura Nabors, Emily C. Mott, Anna Flores Remick, Jamie Ott Shaw, Britney Burton Spivey, and Lisa Ann Sweeney.
For 29 years, the Greater Shreveport Chamber has awarded the International ATHENA Leadership Award to a woman or man to honor their attainment of the highest level of professional excellence by showing creativity and initiative in their business or profession; to showcase their devotion, time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community in a meaningful way; and to demonstrate how they have opened doors for other women to achieve their full potential. In total, over 450 people from Shreveport-Bossier have been ATHENA honorees, and Ms. Allen is the 51st ATHENA International Award Recipient from our area. Her name will be added to the long list of outstanding professionals from across the globe who have been honored for their dedication to community service, professionalism and female empowerment.
Since the program’s inception in 1982, more than 8,000 exemplary leaders in over 500 communities have received the prestigious ATHENA Leadership Award in the United States, Bermuda, Canada, China, Greece, India, Russia, United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom. By honoring exceptional leaders, the ATHENA Leadership Award Program seeks to inspire others to achieve excellence in their professional and personal lives.
Since its founding in 1910, the mission of the Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce (GSCC) has been to promote economic prosperity, serve as a business advocate, and celebrate the achievements of the Shreveport- Bossier region. With over 1300 members, the GSCC is designated as a 5-Star Accredited Chamber by the US Chamber of Commerce, one of less than 2% of Chambers across the country honored with this distinction.