ROTARY CLUB OF DUBOIS COUNTY ANNOUNCES JODI ROUSTON AS 2024 ATHENA AWARD RECIPIENT

The Rotary Club of Dubois County celebrated its 12th annual ATHENA Leadership Award Banquet on Wednesday, September 18th, at the Huntingburg Event Center in Huntingburg, Indiana. The event, which culminated in the announcement of Jodi Routson as the 2024 recipient of the prestigious ATHENA Leadership Award, is a testament to the inspiring leadership and community spirit that thrives in Dubois County.
In addition to Routson, four other ATHENA Award finalists were honored at the event, showcasing the diverse and inclusive nature of leadership in Dubois County. The finalists, Peggy Amos-Huff, Deb Capps, Tammy Lampert, and Mary Warner, each bring their unique perspectives and contributions to the community.
"We were excited and honored to celebrate all five finalists who all serve as impactful role models in Dubois County," said Rotary Club of Dubois County ATHENA Event Chair, Manda Combs. "This year's recipient, Jodi Routson, is passionate about her community's mental health and wellness. She has dedicated years of her life to addressing critical needs in our community, serving others, and mentoring future female leaders, and she is a great choice for the 2024 ATHENA Leadership Award."
In addition to celebrating the five honorees, the nearly 300 event attendees enjoyed a keynote presentation from Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana's Secretary of Education.
"Dr. Jenner is a dynamic and engaging speaker," said Kenny Speed, Rotary Club of Dubois County President. "We are grateful she found the time to attend our event, helped us celebrate female leaders in Dubois County, and left all in attendance inspired."
The Rotary Club of Dubois County would like to thank its 2024 ATHENA Awards Platinum Level Sponsors: Dentons Bingham Greenebaum, German American Bank, Kimball International, Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center, and Old National Bank.
A portion of the proceeds from this event will benefit the Rotary Club of Dubois County's Community Grants program and a local charity, as named by the ATHENA Award Recipient. This year, Jodi Routson has chosen to benefit the Well Youth Programming at Redemption Christian Church. The Well is for teens in grades 6-12 and is held on Wednesdays during the school year.
Nominations for the 2025 ATHENA Leadership Award will open soon, but community members are encouraged to start thinking now about who they believe deserves to be honored as a strong female leader of Dubois County.
About Jodi Routson
Jodi is described as someone who demonstrates excellent leadership and has spent her career focused on improving the health of others and designing services that address some of the greatest needs facing our community.
Jodi has invested in her education, including earning a Master of Social Work degree and becoming a licensed social worker. She also received leadership training from the Indiana Hospital Association Management Institute as she moved into leadership roles. She later attained her Master of Business Administration to help expand her leadership skills.
Jodi was the first psychiatric social worker hired by Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center, caring for patients in the ER and the inpatient behavioral health unit. She turned that solo role into an eight-person Crisis Intervention Team that provides 24/7 coverage. In her Director of Behavioral Health and Social Work role, she leads the inpatient Behavioral Health Unit, social work services, and the outpatient-based Memorial Counseling Center. Jodi has helped develop and currently leads the social work services provided to the Memorial Family Practice Residency program, which cares for patients and supports resident physicians.
Jodi has been active in her community chairing the Mental Health Committee of the Dubois County Public Health Partnership, working in many volunteer roles at Redemption Christian Church, and coaching and mentoring the Northeast Dubois Youth Softball elementary and middle school girls. As the Mental Health Committee chair, she worked to combine their efforts with the Suicide Prevention Coalition. Jodi worked to make Mental Health First Aid and Youth Mental Health First Aid training available. She was instrumental in developing the website www.duboiscountyresources.org and the Community Response Team. Jodi's calming daily mental health tips during the pandemic brought a sense of reassurance when it was most needed.
About the Rotary Club of Dubois County
The global Rotary mission focuses on seven key areas to maximize impact in the world and our community by addressing the most critical and widespread humanitarian needs. Those key areas are:
Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution
Disease Prevention & Treatment
Water and Sanitation
Maternal and Child Health
Basic Education and Literacy
Economic and Community Development
Environment
The Rotary Club of Dubois County is an active social and service club comprised of dynamic and diverse professionals who make a lasting difference in our community and worldwide. For more information about the club, visit www.duboiscountyrotary.com or find the club on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram.
About the ATHENA Leadership Award
ATHENA was launched in 1982 by Martha Mertz when she realized she was the only female member of her local Chamber of Commerce.
She was convinced her goal to "Create a Balance in Leadership Worldwide" would succeed if women's strengths and contributions were publicly recognized. Since the program's inception, more than 8,000 ATHENA awards have been presented in over 500 regions, representing 48 states and 11 countries.
The ATHENA Leadership Awards Banquet honors women who have achieved the highest level of professional excellence, contribute time and energy to improving the quality of life for others in the community, and actively assist others, particularly women, in realizing their full leadership potential.