The Joliet Chamber of Commerce and the Council for Working Women announced last week that Will County businesswoman Diane Habiger would be the 2016 recipient of the ATHENA Award.
Habiger will be the 29th recipient of the award, which she’ll be presented at a Sept. 14 luncheon at Mistwood Golf Club. The ATHENA Award Program was developed in 1982 to honor exceptional female or male leaders who demonstrate the highest levels of professional excellence, give back to their communities, and actively assist women in realizing their full leadership potential.
Habiger is the co-owner of Lincolnshire Properties, which leases apartments in Plainfield and conventional office space in Joliet, Plainfield and Naperville. She and her husband, Bill, also own Lincolnshire Business Center in Joliet.
“As a true community leader, Diane has been instrumental to the advancement of women in the Joliet region,” the chamber stated in a release announcing the award. “She has been a driving force in the recruitment of women into the Rotary Club of Joliet, the Joliet Catholic Academy Board of Directors, and Board of Trustees at the University of St. Francis.
“Diane assisted on a committee appointed by a Supreme Court Justice that resulted in the appointment of two female candidates, often assists women that have been out of the workforce with their resume and letters of recommendation, and has urged many to participate in the Community Leadership School sponsored by the chamber.”
Citing her own experience, Habiger said she knows that many women need encouragement when returning to the workforce after an absence due to child rearing or other factors.
“Women need to believe in themselves and their capabilities,” said Habiger, who added that she found that encouragement in the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce.
Working on various committees at the Chamber and becoming active in the planning of Community Leadership School put her in the company of local leaders who became role models and encouraged community service. Habiger stated that the chamber gave her the opportunity to learn how to contribute and become active in various educational and social causes.
“Diane fully embodies the spirit of the ATHENA Award and is a tremendous asset to her community,” the chamber added. “She has paved the way for other women to follow in her footsteps and realize their full potential.”