Contemplating the topic of this month’s President’s message, the programs that we have had this year keep coming to the forefront of my mind. Engaged membership and purposeful programming are key components to any organization and is serving ours well as evidenced by the increased attendance at our membership meetings and large number of guests, many of whom are prospective members. The Community Action Committee’s excellent presentation on “The Living Wage” in January has been the topic of numerous conversations amongst fellow Athena members. It was informative, thought provoking and left many saying … what more must we do? Thank you to Keri Eisenbeis and her committee for the outstanding program and additional information provided in last month’s newsletter. February’s program, spotlighting six of our own members, is one that we all look forward to as we will learn more about our Athena sisters. What better way to spotlight our accomplished members then in this format and as it is our last membership meeting before membership nomination forms are due on February 16, please bring your prospective members.

The March meeting will be a closed meeting to bring forth a recommendation from the Bylaws
Committee for a membership vote on a proposed bylaw amendment. The 18-member committee’s thoughtful and inclusive process, including significant feedback from our entire membership,has resulted in recommendations that will be fully communicated when the closed meeting is noticed. Please be on the lookout for an email with this information in February.

Our new member spotlight this month is on Carlye Morgan.  As Senior Director for Government Relations at the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, Carlye built consensus among Chamber members in support of Medicaid expansion in the Florida Legislature and other regional priorities, including improving our community’s transportation infrastructure and continued relief for homeowners facing rising premiums for flood insurance. Her work on Medicaid expansion elevated the Greater Tampa Chamber as a leader within the state on this issue. She was a Legislative Assistant and Outreach Director for Congresswoman Kathy Castor and the Community Engagement Manager for Communities for Teaching Excellence. Currently, she provides contract government relations expertise to area organizations and cares for her 8 month-old son. Carlye holds a BA in English from Southern Methodist University and a MA in Public Administration from American University.