Salt Lake Chamber to honor Covington with 2023 Athena Leadership Award Salt

The Salt Lake Chamber has announced that Amanda Covington, chief corporate affairs officer of the Larry H. Miller Co., will receive its 2023 Athena Leadership Award. The organization’s highest recognition for women in business, the Athena Leadership Award is presented annually to an active member of the Salt Lake Chamber who demonstrates excellence, creativity and initiative in business. Each recipient must also provide valuable service by devoting time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community and assist women in reaching their full leadership potential, the chamber said.

“I am excited to announce Amanda Covington as the Athena Leadership Award recipient,” said Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber. “Her commitment to the community through her professional life and volunteer work is emblematic of what this award stands for, leadership in action. Amanda has been a stalwart ally and wise counselor for many years and possesses the character other leaders can aspire to and model for years to come. The business community and our capital city are better for her service, and we are excited to honor her at this year’s awards ceremony.”

In addition to the Athena Leadership Award, five women will receive Pathfinder Awards at the conference. The Pathfinder Awards are presented annually to community leaders who create new paths promoting the development and recognition of women in business.

The five Pathfinder recipients this year are Lucy Cardenas, president and owner, Red Iguana restaurants; Natalie El-Deiry, director of immigration and new american integration, Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity; Kaitlin Eskelson, president and CEO, Visit Salt Lake; Deneiva Knight, external affairs director, Comcast; and Pauline Ploquin, president and partner, Struck.

The Athena Leadership Award will be presented to Covington at the 47th Annual Women & Business Conference and Athena Awards Luncheon on Nov. 2 at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City.

Before joining the Miller Co., Covington was senior vice president of communications and government relations for Vista Outdoor Inc. She has more than 20 years of experience leading corporate communications and government relations strategies impacting financial communications, crisis communications, domestic and international media/public relations, corporate branding and advertising, digital media, employee relations, public policy and legislation, industry associations and community relations, a chamber release said.

Covington also served as vice president of corporate communications for ATK, an aerospace, defense and commercial products company; and as the assistant commissioner for public affairs at the Utah System of Higher Education. She was also the deputy for communications and a spokesperson for Utah Gov. Olene S. Walker and the director of communications for the Utah Department of Transportation. She has a background in broadcast journalism, working for Utah’s NBC and ABC affiliates.