Local women show outstanding service to community
Fourteen local women were recently recognized at the 23rd annual ATHENA Awards. Patricia Wyatt and Pamela Latrice Pero were selected from fourteen and awarded the coveted ATHENA honor Nov. 7 at the ceremony and luncheon held at the Shreveport Convention Center, sponsored by the Bossier Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce Business Development Connection.
The ATHENA Awards recognizes and applauds those in the community who show a high level of professional excellence in their career, is dedicated to serving others in the city and help improve the quality of life for those around them.
Patricia Wyatt, a professor and retired program director for business administration at Bossier Parish Community College, was the Bossier City ATHENA recipient. She served on staff for 25 years both on campus and via teaching online classes. She also served for 15 years as the Bossier Parish Chief Examiner for the General Equivalency Diploma, which gave her the opportunity to help more than 3,750 Bossier Parish residents earn their GED. “I was so pleased that I was nominated because I am an educator,” Wyatt said. “Since the award focuses on businesswomen, I was overwhelmed that a teacher like me was on the list of nominees. The nomination itself was a huge honor.” Wyatt’s service to Bossier Parish extends beyond her work with BPCC, as it also includes volunteering and serving alongside other organizations and causes such as the Bossier Arts Council and the Bossier City Mayor’s Commission for Women.
“I always tried to be a role model for my students. How could I tell adult students that they could make a difference in their community or their future careers if I did not try to do that myself?” Wyatt said. “I wanted to motivate my students to do their best because they set goals they cared about and worked hard to achieve them. They needed to observe enthusiasm and energy in me if they were going to develop those worthwhile characteristics in themselves.” Pamela Latrice Pero, founder/CEO of The Pamela Pero Real Estate Team, was the Shreveport ATHENA award recipient. She began her career in 1991, when she began investing in the City of Shreveport-Bossier Residential and Commercial Real Estate to rent and resell. Being one of the top 5 percent in production and growing strong, Pero has seen great success through the programs she offers her clients. But career isn’t all she’s about. Pero claims her number one commitment and inspiration every day is a love for people – helping others have their needs met and assisting them in accomplishing their dreams.
“Winning the ATHENA Award made me realize that every act of kindness we display to others will be rewarded and that nothing we do no matter how small it may seem is ever insignificant,” Pero said. Pero said she loves being involved and getting her hands dirty for a cause. She’s the founder of Integrity and Grace Enterprise, Integrity Contractors, 2 Fish and 5 Loaves Inner City Feeding Program, Warm Your Heart Coat Drive, and Kingdom Fit Health and Wellness Program. She’s also actively served for the last several years on the Agent Leadership Council with Keller Williams Realty which consists of the top 20 percent agent body in the market center.
Pero’s motto is to serve her local community with respect, and give back to create a domino effect. “We were all placed here by God for a specific purpose,” Pero said. “I believe we all have a level of service to offer each other.”
–Betsy St. Amant
Search: The Forum and City Life
