GREAT FALLS — Three women have been named Judy Martz Women in Leadership Award winners by the Montana Chamber of Commerce.
The award memorializes former Gov. Judy Martz, Montana’s first female governor.
Martz passed away in October 2017 after serving as governor from 2001 to 2005.
This is the first year the Montana Chamber of Commerce has given out this award.
The three recipients of the award are Lindsey Hanna of Bozeman, Jennifer Buscher of Helena and Heather Palermo of Great Falls.
Each winner will receive a total of $5,000 from the Chamber’s Judy Martz Women in Leadership Fund.
Heather is currently the lifelong learning director at Great Falls College Montana State University.
She will use the funds to help pay for a week-long extensive program at Oxford University.
The program is called “Women Transforming Leadership,” and it will take place this October.
The program will have up to 50 different women in it from around the world, and it involves empowering women.
Heather said, “One of the reasons I applied for it is I really believe in helping other women figure out what they want to do and how to empower them and help them with leadership. A lot of what I do is leadership and helping not just women, but our entire community, I’m hoping I get some skills that I can bring back and help here in Great Falls.”
Heather is very active with women’s issues in the community through Powerhouse Montana in Great Falls and with the American Association for Women in Community Colleges (AAWCC) on campus.
Hanna will use the funds to attend the Athena Park Conference in Montana and to launch a Women Techmakers chapter in Bozeman.
Jennifer, who works at Shodair Children’s Hospital, will receive fund to become a Brene Brown “Dare to Lead” Certified Facilitator.
The three winners will be recognized at the Governor’s Cup Golf Tournament Sandbaggers Reception on August 1. This is an event hosted by the Montana Chamber Foundation.
