Yuma ATHENA Awards honor Wendy Lobeck McKay, celebrate women leaders

Wendy Lobeck McKay’s more than 40 years in Yuma’s agriculture business and her service on the Yuma Humane Society board put her at the center of Thursday’s ATHENA Awards, where five women were recognized for the kind of leadership that shapes both business and civic life in Yuma County.

McKay received the 2026 award at the Yuma gathering, where the other nominees were Nancy Turner Blitz, Emilia Cortez-Sharkey, Dr. Danielle Muñoz and Wendy Steward. The slate reflected how broad the county’s leadership network has become, stretching from agriculture and higher education to public affairs, nonprofit work and community service.

For Yuma County, the honor is not just ceremonial. The Yuma County Chamber of Commerce says the ATHENA Award recognizes women who have reached excellence in their profession, devoted meaningful time and energy to the community and helped other women achieve their potential. ATHENA International describes the program as one that honors professional excellence, community service and active support for women’s leadership development. The award began in 1982 in Lansing, Michigan, and is now celebrated in more than 600 communities around the world. The Yuma County Chamber has served as the local licensee for more than 30 years.

McKay’s background made her selection especially resonant in a county where agriculture remains central to the economy and where board service often extends leadership beyond a single profession. Her work in agriculture over four decades, paired with her role on the Yuma Humane Society board, tied business experience to direct community involvement.

The other nominees also pointed to the range of local leadership being honored. Nancy Turner Blitz is listed by the Education Foundation of Yuma County as a retired professor who taught English as a Second Language at Arizona Western College until Aug. 1, 2020. Emilia Cortez-Sharkey is described by the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area as a bilingual public affairs professional and nonprofit-government liaison with more than 15 years of leadership experience. Alongside them were Muñoz and Steward, adding to a field that reached across the county’s civic and professional sectors.

McKay also underscored the volunteer side of the award, encouraging people to find organizations that fit their interests and devote time where it can matter most. That message lands in a county where nonprofits and service groups depend on volunteers to keep programs moving.

The 2026 recognition followed Arizona Western College’s 2025 announcement that Biridiana Martinez received Yuma County’s ATHENA Award, showing that the chamber’s annual honor continues to spotlight women whose work influences how Yuma County lives, works and serves.