Cindy Aubrey

Cindy Fowler - 2010 Athena Award Recipient

The Colorado Springs Chamber has a luncheon every year in conjunction with their Women in Business conference.  At the luncheon,  the chamber honors women who excel in business and community service as well as mentoring women.  In attendance are some of our community’s most impressive women leaders.

On duty and armed with a camera,  I was shooting video at the event.  Traveling from table to table,  I had a particularly great view and got to see just about everyone who came to the lunch.  At each table,  I was saying to myself,  ooh,  there’s her and her and her.  Wow — as a city,  we should be proud of our female “movers and shakers.”  Looking across this giant hall of hundreds of women,   I said to myself,  “hey, we are in pretty good shape if these women are in charge.”

Several of today’s nominees are women I have known or known about for nearly twenty years.  I was glad to see many of them finally getting the recognition they deserve (I think we get into ruts of over-recognizing & honoring the same people in our city).

Among today’s nominees were Diane Price and Sally Clark,  two women who do a lot of work for this city.  Smart and together,  I am glad we have power chicks like these in our midst.  The winner,  however,  is someone who inspires us all. Diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago,  Cindy is a fighter and a survivor.  We have watched Cindy Fowler do amazing things and be strong when something very scary was attacking her body.  A renaissance gal,  she has been a leader in many local organizations and non-profits.  From her work with Newborn Hope to the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo (a place where you’d better be a power chick) she  fits in everywhere and fits the bill for the Athena Award.  High Five to Cindy and all of the other amazing women who were nominated.