HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-10-01 Lisa Van Dusen ATHENA Award
Lisa Van Dusen – ATHENA Leadership Award 2024
WHEREAS, Lisa Van Dusen is being honored with a 2024 ATHENA Leadership Award, which recognizes exceptional
women leaders who demonstrate the highest levels of professional excellence, give back to their communities and, most importantly, assist other women in realizing their full leadership potential. The Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce annually bestows the award to the change-makers and trailblazers who open doors of leadership and opportunity for women in communities across the globe; and
WHEREAS, Lisa’s work in media and communication has demonstrated a dedication to civic engagement, community, and change making. This passion started early in Lisa’s career, when she served as an editor for her high school newspaper and as a newspaper reporter and commercial radio station worker at Brown University. Her work since has continued to emphasize community and change while leveraging her insights in the fields of communications and arts; and WHEREAS, Lisa joined the Cable Communications Cooperative of Palo Alto, directing sales and marketing and spearheading the effort to set up the co-op as a city franchise. Lisa then joined the Palo Alto Weekly. Throughout her nearly 20 years at the Weekly, Lisa focused on the paper’s sales and marketing. She initiated substantial changes that contributed
to the paper’s success, including hosting all content online (making the Palo Alto Weekly the first newspaper to do so) and creating segments still in use today; and
WHEREAS, Lisa subsequently worked for a variety of community focused organizations including the Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund, WXR Fund, Wave One, and Leadership Palo Alto. Lisa also created a video interview series called First Person, which highlighted various Silicon Valley changemakers; and WHEREAS, for the last four years, Lisa has continued her dedication to community change via her work for the Palo Alto Community Fund, first as an Executive Director and later as Strategic Advisor. The Community Fund channels fundraising to local organizations in Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, and Menlo Park. Lisa’s impact in this role includes launching the COVID-19 relief fund, which awarded $1.175 million to local non-profits; and
WHEREAS, Lisa’s dedication to professional excellence, leadership, and community empowerment is clear through her professional achievements.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Greer Stone, Mayor of the City of Palo Alto, on behalf of the entire City Council, do hereby
commend Lisa Van Dusen for her exceptional leadership and congratulate her as a 2024 ATHENA Award honoree. Presented: October 1, 2024
______________________________ Greer Stone
Mayor
Proclamation