Greenville Water Presented ATHENA Organizational Leadership Award

The Greenville Chamber recently presented Greenville Water with the 2018 ATHENA Organizational Leadership Award for its commitment to increasing the positive impact of women’s leadership in our community. The fifth annual award was presented at the Chamber’s seventh annual ATHENA Leadership Symposium sponsored by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina in November.

Greenville Water is a not-for-profit water utility serving customers throughout the region. Their mission is to provide quality water and a sustainable future for Upstate South Carolina. Greenville Water consistently works to create an organizational culture that encourages women employees to achieve their full leadership potential while delivering upon this mission.

Greenville Water was presented the award for their excellence in and commitment to recruiting, developing, retaining and advancing women employees, as well as supporting women in the broader community. Twenty-two percent of Greenville Water’s employees are women and these women have made valuable contributions at all levels within the organization. This is made especially impressive when considering the industry is highly dependent on science and engineering and nationally, STEM-related careers have traditionally been dominated by men. Six of the 13 departments at Greenville Water are led by women. Greenville Water makes an intentional effort to provide supports for female leaders by providing benefits such as a robust tuition reimbursement program or a mobile mammography unit during the annual health fair. Greenville Water excels at retaining women leaders and encourages mentorship throughout the organization.

Greenville Water also actively supports women outside of company walls. Under the direction of the Commission and CEO, David H. Bereskin, Greenville Water distributes community contributions through direct funding and volunteerism. The organization actively supports community events that have a positive impact on the quality of life in greater Greenville and has supported the United Way of Greenville County for over twenty years with targeted programs for domestic violence assistance, adult literacy and financial stability.

According to David H. Bereskin, “Greenville Water is proud to receive the 2018 ATHENA Organizational Leadership Award. We are committed to empowering women to grow professionally and personally within our organization by offering a robust tuition reimbursement program, mentoring and leadership training. Through these endeavors, we have received exceptional returns on our investment. These wonderful women leaders provide the framework for Greenville Water in providing stellar water service to over 500,000 people in the greater Greenville community.”

Prepared by the Greenville Chamber of Commerce.