Martha Mayhood Mertz
Founder ATHENA International
Martha
Mertz is the Founder of ATHENA International (formerly ATHENA
Foundation); a non-profit organization that seeks to support, develop
and honor women leaders, inspire women to reach their full potential,
and create balance in leadership worldwide.
Ms. Mertz served as
President of the ATHENA Foundation from its inception in 1982 to May
1999. As a spokeswoman for ATHENA she has carried the message that women
are leaders around the globe.
In 2000 she worked as a project
designer and facilitator of Global Links to instruct college students at
Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates on the ATHENA Leadership
Model. In May 2004, Ms. Mertz, led a group representing ATHENA to China
to participate in an unprecedented women’s conference developing
collaborative opportunities and connections on issues of importance to
women.
Martha attended inaugural ATHENA Award events in
Rotherham, England, in March 2005 and in Mumbai, India in October 2006,
where she presented the first ATHENA Award to a European woman and
Indian woman respectively.
Martha Mayhood Mertz is author of the Spring 2009 book Becoming ATHENA: Eight Principles of Enlightened Leadership.
Ms.
Mertz gives presentations on women and leadership, serves as a
spokesperson at ATHENA Award events, is a permanent member of the ATHENA
International Board of Directors and continues to be a voice for
balanced leadership worldwide.
In addition to her role with
ATHENA, Martha is a successful real estate entrepreneur and is president
and owner of Mayhood/Mertz Investment, Inc. She actively served her
local community of Lansing, MI through her position as founding partner
in several development/management partnerships in the Lansing area, as
president of the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce and in leadership
positions for many other organizations.
Ms. Mertz has received
numerous awards including induction into Enterprising Women’s Hall of
Fame, 2006; the Visionary Award from Office Depot, 2004; the Vassilissa
Award in Moscow, Russia; and the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce's
ATHENA Award. She was honored as one of the top 25 Women Business Owners
in Michigan by NAWBO and was selected as the Michigan Women-In-Business
Advocate by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Martha
received her B.A. in Women’s Studies and Psychology from Michigan State
University. She currently resides in Sedona, AZ with her husband, Dr.
Edward Ingraham.
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