ATHENA Award

She’s a mentor, a strategic planner and an advocate for women and girls in her community, Joanne Kudrna is the 2025 ATHENA Award recipient.

Rick Bauerly, Founder & CEO of Granite Partners, nominated Joanne for the ATHENA award. He says Joanne’s work as a personal and professional mentor makes her an exceptional fit to receive the ATHENA Award. “Joanne exemplifies excellence in her personal, professional, and community work. In her earnest personal work, she has mentored and empowered women and men toward their full leadership potential. In her impactful professional work, Joanne is an expert in organizational strategy, alignment, and execution, and she has guided many for-profit and non-profit boards and management teams in their strategy journeys. In her broad community work, she has served as a volunteer, advisor, donor, and fundraiser for a series of organizations that help make Central Minnesota a great place to live, work, play, and raise a family.”

Joanne Kudrna represents Granite Partners on the GEOTEK and All Flex Boards of Directors. In 20 years of prior work with Granite Partners she served as the Director of Strategy Services, supporting company boards and executive teams through detailed strategic planning processes. In previous roles, Joanne worked as a Marketing Development Manager at Honeywell as well as a Senior Consultant at Venture Allies. Joanne holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Carthage College and a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School. Aside from her professional achievements, she has volunteered her time and talents as a mentor with the Granite Mentoring Initiative and the BIG Partners program, this is a collaboration with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central MN and the St. Cloud School District. Joanne also shares her expertise in strategic planning with various nonprofit organizations and has served on the Women’s Fund.

Janelle Kendall’s journey is one of dedication, leadership, and a relentless drive to make her community stronger and more just. In recognition of her outstanding contributions, Janelle was named the 2024 ATHENA Award recipient—a prestigious honor celebrating women leaders who inspire excellence in both their professional and personal lives.

Janelle’s selection for the ATHENA Award comes as no surprise to those who know her. Her career as the Stearns County Attorney, a position she has held since 2003, is marked by firsts and by meaningful impact. As the first woman to hold this office, she has been a trailblazer, leading with compassion and strength. Under her leadership, public safety initiatives have prioritized the protection of women and girls. She has led efforts to prosecute violent offenders, championed anti-bullying programs in local schools, and played a pivotal role in establishing the Central Minnesota Child Advocacy Center—a safe haven for vulnerable children.

Beyond her professional achievements, Janelle has been a mentor and advocate for women, fostering leadership and empowerment in her workplace and beyond. Today, over half her staff is comprised of women—a testament to her commitment to lifting others as she climbs.

Patti Gartland, the retired President of the Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation and Janelle’s nominator, captured her spirit perfectly:
“Janelle Kendall is a trailblazer, a champion for social justice, a proponent of women’s empowerment, a public safety zealot, and a gifted musician.”

When she’s not making strides in public service, Janelle pours her heart into her music and family. Married for over 35 years, she cherishes time with her husband and children. Her creative side shines as the lead vocalist and guitarist for two local bands, Walter’s Wheelhouse and Janelle Kendall’s The Perfect Storm, both of which frequently energize audiences in the St. Cloud area.

Janelle Kendall’s story is one of resilience, passion, and purpose—a shining example of what it means to live a life dedicated to justice, community, and inspiring others to reach their fullest potential.

Since 2004, Michelle has been the Founder and Owner of Next Monday. Next Monday is an executive coaching company that focuses on personal and professional growth. Michelle says the goal of Next Monday is, “to create a safe, trusting place where people feel valued and uplifted for being the unique person that God created them to be. I want each person to know that they belong, that they are enough, that they are perfectly imperfect, similar yet different, and that women can be in community together building up one another.”
 
With a background in sales and marketing, Michelle started her career selling products at home parties and later went on to accept an entry level marketing position at one of Minnesota’s largest fish wholesalers. Over the next few years, she moved up through the company and went on to lead their sales and marketing team. After 15 years, Michelle realized that she wanted to become a professional coach and she started Next Monday, “because no one starts something new on Tuesday or Friday, right?” says Michelle.
 
Along with her work at Next Monday, Michelle is also a philanthropist. Notably she’s served as a Board Member on the Capital Development Project Committee for the YMCA.
 
Tara Gronhovd, Owner of Align Strategy nominated Michelle for the ATHENA award. She says when Michelle Pape believes in something, she’s all in.
 
“With the St. Cloud Area Family YMCA, Michelle was a board member who passionately believed in the Y’s ability to expand its vision beyond the status quo it had become. She worked tirelessly and stepped out of her comfort zone to become one of the lead fundraisers for the campaign that helped to build our new YMCA…In addition to her work with worthy causes, Michelle is thoughtful about continuing to support women well into the future.”

An ambassador for youth, a mentor to young women, and a woman who is described by her peers as being the heart and soul of the nonprofit to which she’s dedicated her life’s work, Geri Bechtold was selected as the 2022 ATHENA Award recipient.

Currently, Geri is the Vice President of Operations for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota, she started at the Clubs part-time more than 30 years ago and since turned it into her career. She started out as a program manager for the Kennedy location KIDSTOP in the 90s. Later she went on to create the Junior Volunteer Leadership program to help give teens leadership opportunities in her K-6 program. She also launched the St. Joseph Community Evening Outreach Program which helped provide youth a safe place to gather, all while the community was hurting after the kidnapping of Jacob Wetterling. Along with her work at the Boys & Girls Clubs, Geri also supports and partners with the United Way of Central Minnesota on their youth education programs as well as some of the Central Minnesota area school districts. Right now, she is working to launch a program in area schools that will help students who have lost credits during the pandemic, earn them. Geri is also working in the St. Cloud school district to support a program designed to decrease the early learning education gaps among children.