The Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce announces the selection of Joelle Gomez of the Women Center – Youth & Family Services as its 2014 ATHENA Award recipient and Shelby Riley of Central California Safety Council as the 2014 ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award recipient.

The ATHENA Awards will be presented to both winners at the annual ATHENA Luncheon on November 20th at 11:30am at the Stockton Golf and Country Club, 3800 Country Club Blvd.

Gomez is the Chief Executive of the Women’s Center of San Joaquin County with Family and Youth Services, now known as Women’s Center – Youth and Family Services (WCYFS). The agency offers services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and to homeless and at-risk youth.

During the past year, WCYFS has provided counseling, shelter, advocacy, parenting and crisis intervention services to over 21,600 women, children, youth, and men. Gomez strategically identifies partners, forms alliances, and fosters positive change. Her dedication to the professional development of WCYFS staff enables them to perform at their very best. She offers opportunities for leadership training and encourages employees to explore their own potential.

Currently, Gomez oversees a staff of 75 people and a $4 million budget. She even secured substantial funding and support to establish a new shelter for domestic violence survivors in Tracy that opened September 9th.

Shelby Riley is the Director of Training and Program Development at the Central California Safety Council. She has developed a step-by-step process for training, monitoring and mentoring those under her supervision to provide the support and guidance needed to allow them to grow and achieve. She leads a team between 8 and 10 counselors and instructors and interviews, hires, trains, monitors, and mentors them to achieve their highest level of excellence and to meet the council’s high expectation levels for employee performance.

Riley holds certification for a Registered Addiction Specialist II, and Specialist Certifications in Women’s Treatment and Co-Occurring Disorders. In 2013 she was 1 of only 5 supervisors nationwide to receive the 2013 Excellence in Supervision Award. She is a Leadership Stockton Class of 2014 graduate, a program of the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce and has an extreme passion for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

She uses her skills as a counselor to provide invaluable support to recruit and prepare victims to one day share their stories in hopes of preventing future victims and works as a Victim Advocate for MADD.

Tickets for this high-profile event are $40 and are available by calling the Greater Stockton Chamber of Chamber at 209. 547.2770.

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