All members in good standing are eligible to vote for these three individual local awards. The Banquet committee will determine who is eligible for each and prepare a ballot for each February meeting.
The Protege Award recognizes a member of the chapter who has completed one year of membership in the Association and has paid dues for her second year (her first anniversary date and renewal must be before January 1, 2019). The National recommended criteria are that in the first year the member must have:
* Attended 10 or more meetings
* Participated in an activity to support the Chapter’s growth and perpetuation
* Recruited at least one new member
The Women of the Year candidates for our chapter will be selected by the following criteria:
* Will be a member in good standing for at least 2 years
* Will be a current or past officer or committee chair in our Chapter
* Will have made significant contributions to the Chapter and the community with an emphasis on outstanding achievements and contributions
* The selected Woman of the Year will be designated as the Chair for the following year’s banquet. She will appoint her own committee members.
The Business Associate of the Year is nominated and voted on by our members, at the same time that we are voting on our Women of the Year and Protege of the Year. The Business Associate of the Year represents a business that is committed to the advancement of their employees, support of the local community, and supports our local Rochester Charter Chapter of ABWA mission, which is to bring together businesswomen of diverse occupations and to provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others grow professionally through leadership, education, networking, support, and national recognition. The award is presented at the Annual Banquet which occurs in April of every year. Past recipients have been: HyVee, Canadian Honker Events at Kahler @ Apache, Women’s Shelter, Express Personnel, Hope Lodge, Premier Bank, Rochester Area REALTORS®, to name a few. 2023 Business of the Year is On Track Boutique
