Posted August 2007

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee -- The Chamber is seeking nominations for the Chattanooga Nautilus Awards, which celebrate the strength, leadership and courage in women. The awards honor organizations and individuals providing or advocating for increased opportunities for women of all ages.

Nominations are due by September 7.

Developed by Chamber staff and volunteers, the Nautilus Awards include the Navigator of Entrepreneurship award, the Lightkeeper Award and the Pearl of Promise Award.

The ATHENA Award will also be presented during the Annual Nautilus Awards Luncheon set for October 26 at the Chattanoogan Hotel.

The Navigator for Entrepreneurship is presented to a Hamilton County-based, female-owned business that is a member-investor of the Chamber. The business should have been operating for at least three years but not more than ten years.

The Navigator for Entrepreneurship "steers" her way in life by instituting at the workplace best practices for women. She should possess a trailblazing spirit of entrepreneurship while serving as an inspiration to women.

The Lightkeeper may be a woman or a man who has made significant contributions to the issues affecting women and/or girls through grassroots efforts. The recipient will demonstrate that everyone has something to contribute and may have even overcome adversity in her/his life. Just as a lightkeeper has an important job in maintaining a lighthouse, The Lightkeeper Award recipient will be a person who keeps her/his company or organization operating smoothly and efficiently but hasn’t received much public recognition.

The Pearl of Promise will be presented to a junior or senior female in high school who demonstrates a strong scholastic aptitude in science and math. The recipient must posses a defined career goal, be a positive influence among peers, and have strong leadership skills. The recipient will receive a $2500 scholarship.

The ATHENA Award recognizes a woman or man demonstrating professional excellence and community service while actively assisting women in their attainment of professional excellence and leadership skills. Nominations are solicited throughout the community and then judged by diverse business people and community leaders. The award honors exceptional leaders and in doing so inspires others to achieve excellence.

The ATHENA Foundation administers ATHENA programs worldwide from its Chicago headquarters, promoting ATHENA philosophies and values in the workplace, business community, and communities as a whole. The annual award program has grown to include hundreds of cities and has recognized more than 3,500 individuals.

The name of the awards derives from the chambered nautilus, the sea snail or mollusk that forms chambers as it grows. Once a chamber becomes too small for the mollusk, it builds a new, larger chamber and seals off the old. This is repeated throughout the mollusk’s life, resulting in the spiral shape of the shell.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, who wrote the famed Chambered Nautilus poem, "saw the growth of the mollusk and spiral shell as a representation of the intellectual growth of humans. Holmes believed that "eventually, humans outgrow their protective shells completely and discard them when they are no longer necessary."

To make a nomination visit www.chattanoogachamber.com and click on "Nominations and Surveys." For more information about the event and the awards call 423-763-4366 or email ckelly@chattanoogachamber.com.