Meet the 2026 ATHENA Award Recipients

On September 11, the Pittsburgh Technology Council hosted the 2026 ATHENA Awards Program of Greater Pittsburgh at the Westin Convention Center Pittsburgh Hotel.

The Greater Pittsburgh ATHENA Award and ATHENA Young Professional Award recognizes exceptional women who demonstrate excellence in their profession, contribute to their community, and help other women and girls to succeed through mentorship.

ATHENA AWARD RECIPIENT

Laura Freedman

Senior Vice President Wealth Management, Southpointe Wealth Management of Raymond James

Laura Freedman is the Senior Vice President of Wealth Management at Southpointe Wealth Management of Raymond James. A former Fortune 500 human resources executive and consultant to CEOs and senior leadership teams, she brings a distinctive perspective that combines finance, business strategy, and executive coaching.

Today, Laura partners with accomplished individuals and families who value trusted relationships, thoughtful planning, and a disciplined approach to investing. Drawing on decades of experience advising leaders through career transitions, compensation decisions, organizational change, and business growth, she provides strategic guidance on financial and life decisions. Laura is passionate about creating advancement opportunities for diverse women and girls and believes meaningful progress requires intentionality and accountability.

She is a co-founder and board director of the Pittsburgh Women's Alliance and the founder and host of Gratitude & Grit, a community where women connect, share wisdom, and invest in one another's success. Her community leadership includes service on the boards of St. Clair Hospital and St. Clair Health, as well as the Executive Committee of Women United of the United Way.

She previously served as Board Chair of Girls Inc. Pittsburgh and President of the University of Pittsburgh Katz Alumnae Council. Laura earned her MBA from the University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business and is a Certified Executive Coach. An avid athlete and former Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor and instructor, Laura enjoys reading, horseback riding, and spending time with her husband, Phil, their four children, and six grandchildren.

FINALISTS:

Michelle Buczkowski

Chief Commercial Officer, Eos Energy Enterprises

Michelle Buczkowski is driven by a belief she has spent her career proving: the role of a leader is to create momentum for people, organizations, and markets.

When talent, strategy, and opportunity are aligned, momentum builds, and that momentum transforms careers and organizations and moves entire industries forward. For nearly 20 years, Michelle has dedicated her career to creating it. Michelle joined Eos Energy Enterprises in 2024, bringing extensive experience driving workforce, business, commercial, and organizational transformation across highly regulated and operationally complex industries.

Known for seeing opportunity in people, partnerships, and markets before others do, she has a rare ability to turn that opportunity into action, connecting strategy to execution and building the momentum that accelerates growth. Throughout her career in Pittsburgh, Michelle has created momentum at moments of significant change and market transformation.

She helped position CONSOL Energy to capitalize on the Marcellus Shale natural gas boom, built leadership and workforce programs that prepared organizations for emerging industries, architected a multi-year roadmap that brought PNC's "Talent-Focused Culture" to life, and, as Managing Director of Human Resources at Duquesne Light Company, partnered with union leadership and executive teams to transform culture and strengthen the business. But Michelle's impact has never stopped at the walls of the organizations she serves. For two decades, she has brought together employers, educators, workforce organizations, community partners, and government leaders around a shared goal: building the partnerships and people that fuel regional economic growth.

Jennifer Ploskina

Chief Development Officer, Auberle

Jennifer Ploskina is a wife, mother, community leader, and advocate who has dedicated her life to creating positive change. From an early age, she believed that hard work, persistence, confidence, and the support of others could make seemingly impossible goals achievable.

A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Jennifer earned a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering in 1997 while serving in leadership and volunteer roles throughout high school and college. Her professional career began with Cutler-Hammer (now Eaton Corporation) in 1997 as part of its Technical Sales and Marketing Leadership Development Program. Over a combined 17 years, she advanced through a variety of leadership positions in sales, marketing, and operations, building a reputation for collaborative leadership, results-driven execution, and a passion for developing people and teams.

Jennifer later pursued executive leadership opportunities in sales and marketing, culminating in her role as Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing at Matthews International. Throughout her nearly three-decade career, she has embraced continuous learning, ambitious goals, and new challenges.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Jennifer has devoted significant time to community service. She has served on the boards of Pittsburgh Cares, The Salvation Army, and Auberle, while also leading volunteer initiatives and supporting community engagement programs.

Her commitment to addressing domestic violence and sexual assault led her to complete advocate training with Domestic Violence Services of Southwestern Pennsylvania, which began her long-term focus on violence prevention and victim support. At age 50, Jennifer chose to dedicate her career fully to nonprofit service and became Chief Development Officer at Auberle, a human services organization serving thousands of Pennsylvanians.

Her relationship with Auberle spans nearly two decades as a volunteer, board member, and now staff leader. Jennifer credits her success to the love and support of her family, friends, and colleagues, especially her husband David, their children, her parents, and her sister.

Bethanie Stein

Segment President of Pharmacy, Humana Inc.

Bethanie Stein is Segment President of Pharmacy for Humana Inc., where she is responsible for the strategic growth and profit-and-loss ownership of Humana’s three pharmacy businesses: Humana Pharmacy Solutions, the company’s pharmacy benefit manager; CenterWell Home Delivery Pharmacy; and CenterWell Specialty Pharmacy.

Together, these businesses represent more than $60 billion in annual revenue. Bethanie began her career at Humana as a pharmacy resident and advanced to president in 14 years, holding several pharmacy leadership roles with responsibility for profit-and-loss management, operational excellence, and long-term growth strategy across disruptive pharmacy channels. Bethanie earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.

She serves on the university’s pharmacy school board, helping advance its strategic direction and shape the next generation of pharmacists. Bethanie’s philanthropic work focuses on pharmacy and health care.

She serves on the board of directors for DomaniRx, a cloud-based technology platform built in partnership with Elevance Health and SS&C. She also serves on the boards of The Humana Foundation, the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association and The Center for Organ Recovery & Education, or CORE, one of 57 federally designated organ procurement organizations.

In addition, Bethanie co-founded Holiday Meals Pittsburgh, a local nonprofit addressing food insecurity in western Pennsylvania.

LaDawn Yesho

Chief Risk Officer, S&T Bank

LaDawn Yesho serves as S&T Bank’s Chief Risk Officer with nearly 30 years of experience in the heavily regulated financial services industry. She oversees S&T’s Enterprise Risk Management Program, Compliance, Credit Risk Review, Security, and Risk Management Programs including Corporate Insurance, Model Risk Management, Policy Administration, Regulatory Relations, and Third-Party Risk Management.

She is also the executive sponsor for S&T’s Caregivers Employee Resource Group, fostering an inclusive environment for employees balancing career and caregiving responsibilities. Before her Chief Risk Officer role, she served as Chief Audit Executive and Assistant Corporate Secretary. Prior to joining S&T Bank in May 2009, she was a vice president and financial manager for PNC Financial Services Group, primarily responsible for managing the SOX financial program. Earlier in her career, LaDawn was an Audit Senior Manager at Ernst & Young, LLP, specializing in financial services and serving as a women's diversity champion, assurance quality reviewer, and national training instructor.

LaDawn is also devoted to her community and professional leadership. She works closely with the Southwestern PA United Way where she serves on the Women United Executive Committee and its local operating board. LaDawn organized the first and ongoing “Attitude of Gratitude” pilgrimage for PICPA members to volunteer at the local food bank the day before Thanksgiving.

She served as the statewide PICPA Professional Ethics Committee chairperson and is a PICPA Southwestern Chapter past president. She also served as a PICPA state council member focusing on the strategic direction of the organization. LaDawn was awarded the Champion For Women Award from the Pennsylvania Bankers Association. This award is given to a seasoned professional who, through personal commitment, application and dedication, is invested in the success of others and fosters growth to ensure women maximize their potential.

LaDawn was also awarded the PICPA Women to Watch award honoring women who enhance the accounting profession through professional growth, professional success, and leadership development of colleagues. She is also a recipient of the PICPA Southwestern Chapter Volunteer Award for her contributions to the chapter and community.

Additionally, LaDawn was honored as one of PA Business Central's Women Making a Difference. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh where she earned a dual degree in accounting and finance. LaDawn is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Certification in Risk Management Assurance.

ATHENA YOUNG PROFESSIONAL AWARD RECIPIENT

Julia Wheeler

Marketing Professional, Equipment and Controls Inc.

Julia Wheeler believes leadership is measured not by titles, but by the lives we impact along the way.

Throughout her career, volunteer work, and personal pursuits, she has sought opportunities to build community, encourage others, and lead with purpose. Julia is a marketing professional who enjoys transforming complex ideas into meaningful stories that connect people and inspire action.

Across industries ranging from technology to industrial automation, she has embraced new challenges, led initiatives with creativity and curiosity, and built a career centered on continuous learning and collaboration.

Service has always been at the heart of Julia’s leadership. She has mentored through Big Brothers Big Sisters, served as President of Women in High Performance Computing Pittsburgh and as Social Media Chair for the Society of Women Engineers Pittsburgh Chapter, volunteered with organizations including UPMC Children’s Hospital, local homeless shelters, and her church, and spent more than eight years teaching group fitness classes, helping people build confidence and pursue healthier lives.

An avid marathon runner, Julia embraces endurance sports for the joy of the challenge and the opportunity to continually push beyond her own expectations. Living with a heart condition and asthma has strengthened her belief that limitations do not define a person’s future. She has used her passion for running to support causes close to her heart, raising funds for the British Heart Foundation during the Paris Marathon and for the Respiratory Health Association through the Chicago Marathon.

For Julia, every finish line is an opportunity to inspire others, advocate for healthier communities, and demonstrate that resilience is built one step at a time. A summa cum laude graduate of Mississippi State University and MBA graduate of the University of South Florida, Julia believes the most meaningful leaders are those who create opportunities for others to grow, serve with humility, and leave every community stronger than they found it. She is honored to be recognized as an ATHENA Young Professional Award finalist and remains committed to leading with purpose, compassion, and resilience.

FINALISTS:

Abby Gibbons

Cybersecurity Professional, BNY

Abby Gibbons is a cybersecurity professional at BNY, where she works on an identity and access management platform securing more than 60,000 users across the firm.

Her path into technology was anything but traditional. It began in competitive athletics as a Division I volleyball player, continued in business, and eventually led to cybersecurity, where she found that solving complex problems under pressure felt a lot like competition. That athletic foundation shaped more than her work ethic. It taught her what real teamwork looks like, how leadership shows up quietly as often as it does loudly, and how much can be accomplished when you are genuinely invested in the people around you succeeding.

Those lessons have followed her from the court into every role she has held since. At BNY, Abby serves as the Pittsburgh chapter's WE Male Ally lead through the firm's Women in Engineering group, where she built the local allyship program from the ground up by developing a newsletter, an ally guide, and a pledge program designed to give colleagues practical, concrete ways to advocate for gender equity rather than engaging with it only in the abstract.

She also helps run firmwide Women in Engineering hackathons and Capture the Flag events, creating hands-on technical experiences where women can build real skills, challenge themselves, and walk away with confidence earned, not given.

Her community work extends beyond BNY through partnerships with RedChair Pittsburgh and GetWITIT. Abby's commitment to women's causes traces back to her years coaching girls' volleyball, where she recognized in her players the same self-doubt she had carried as an athlete herself.

That recognition, and the responsibility she felt in response to it, has never left her. She believes that the most meaningful work is not telling women they belong, but building the spaces where they can prove it to themselves. Outside of work, Abby values both community and quiet: the relationships that ground her and the stillness that helps her show up fully for them.

She is a 2026 Young Professional ATHENA Award nominee, a recognition she holds not as a solo achievement but as a reflection of every coach, mentor, colleague, friend, and family member who made room for her along the way, and a reminder of her responsibility to do the same for someone else.

Kayley Szymanski

Senior Project Manager, UPMC

Kayley Szymanski is a project management leader working at the intersection of people, process, and technology to drive clinical care and customer service innovation through human-centric, scalable solutions.

She is currently a Senior Project Manager at UPMC, a world-renowned healthcare provider and insurer, where she drives the end-to-end planning, resource allocation, and quality control of complex projects to deliver every initiative on time, within scope, and under budget. Leveraging her Duquesne University background in political science and psychology, Kayley infuses every initiative with a people-first approach rooted in humanistic psychology.

With over eight years of experience in project management, her impact is especially evident in her ability to manage scale without losing connection and results. Recently, Kayley led UPMC's 65,000+ workstation End User Device Program for an enterprise Epic migration, successfully delivering Wave 1 across 35 hospitals and 250+ clinical sites with under 10% device-related hardware IT tickets while keeping Wave 2 on track for its 2026 go-live. Driven by a commitment to the broader community, Kayley is also the Head Forensics, Speech, and Debate Coach for Pine-Richland High School.

She stepped up as the new program leader following the previous coach's retirement, sustaining a competitive forensics legacy that engages middle and high school students in rigorous weekday speech and debate practices for Saturday tournaments from October through March.

Under her leadership, the team achieved four years of continuous growth, culminating in consecutive state accolades and, this past March, a first-place Mid-Size School Overall Sweepstakes win at the Pennsylvania High School Speech League State Tournament. Beyond her full-time job and coaching duties, Kayley and her golden retriever, Comet, serve as a certified pet therapy team at UPMC Passavant McCandless, providing weekly comfort to patients and staff.

Their seamless partnership brings a golden ray of sunshine to people's lives and retrieves happiness through comfort, love, and positive support. In her personal time, Kayley enjoys exploring new places and staying active alongside her husband, family, and dogs.

Check out pictures from the event.