Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce honors Makepeace

The first woman to be mayor of Colorado Springs was honored April 5 with the 2007 Athena Award, presented by the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce.

Mary Lou Makepeace received the award during the annual Women in Business Conference at The Broadmoor hotel.

The crowd of about 600 people gave a standing ovation to Makepeace as she was announced the winner. She was presented with the award by last year's winner, C.J. Moore, public affairs director for Kaiser Permanente.

Each year, the chamber recognizes an individual for professional accomplishments, community service, mentoring and assisting women to achieve leadership potential.

Also nominated this year were Cindy Aubrey, news director of KOAA- TV; El Paso County Commissioner Sallie Clark; Karin Kovalevsky, vice president of marketing at Air Academy Federal Credit Union; and B.J. Scott, president and CEO of Peak Vista Community Health Centers.

Makepeace, executive director of the Gill Foundation's Gay and Lesbian Fund for Colorado since 2003, administers more than $2.5 million in grants annually to Colorado nonprofit organizations in arts and culture, public broadcasting, healthy families and civic engagement.

She also is an adjunct faculty member for the Center for Creative Leadership and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

"I can think of no better role model for women," Mike Kazmierski, president and CEO of the Colorado Springs Economic Development Corp., wrote in his letter of nomination for the award. "She is a mentor to many and continues to maintain a strong leadership role in our community."

Makepeace, who was elected to City Council in 1985, served as mayor from 1997 to 2003. During her tenure, she faced tough budget cycles, created the Mayor's 100 Teens recognition program, championed downtown revitalization and was at the forefront of the effort to preserve the Monument Creek greenway.

She also served as executive director of Leadership Pikes Peak for 10 years.

There to honor Makepeace were Chamber Board chairman J.D. Dallagher, Master of Ceremonies Lisa Lyden, Rob Quirk, Georgiann Lymberopoulos, Pat Cone, Scott McKibben, Liz Cobb, Gary Burton, Peter Vidmar, John Hollman, Susan Olson, Rita Burns, Mary Cukjati, Mayor Lionel Rivera, Madeleine Mellini, City Manager Lorne Kramer, Marijane Paulsen, Elizabeth Daniels, Paulette Greenberg, Sarah Michel, and Jim and Judy Cara.

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