Montgomery County 359th District Court Judge Kathleen Hamilton was named the 2023 Athena-award winner by the Conroe Lake Conroe Chamber of Commerce.
The chamber hosted the group’s annual awards luncheon at Margaritaville Lake Resort Friday.
ON YOURCONROENEWS.COM: Abbott waiver would allow Conroe ISD to continue its virtual school through 2025
More than 500 attendees donned summer white for the event that annually honors women in leadership.
When Hamilton came up to accept the award, the petite judge who is used to wearing a long black robe, joked the hardest part about getting ready was finding a white dress.
The leadership award is presented to a Montgomery County woman who has achieved the highest level of professional excellence, contributes time and energy to improve the quality of life for others, and actively assists women and girls in realizing their full potential.
The award is a part of an international business program that recognizes female leaders.
Hamilton was among three finalists for the award. The other finalists were Ann Snyder and Sonya Brazeal. Twenty three women total were nominated for the award.
Hamilton was elected in 2002 and today presides over the highest levels of offenses. In the evenings she also conducts four specialty courts for DWI, drugs, juveniles with a drug issue and a veteran’s court.
She said some of the women who have influenced her the most have come from her courtroom.
“To look at them you see no courage and no resilience until you hear them. It’s the woman, the girlfriend or mother who has left years of family violence, it’s the U.S. Army vet who didn’t realize the prejudice she would receive from others in uniform and finally it’s the tiniest of voices speaking from the witness stand to the 12 strangers seated in a jury box, telling them the secrets of what happens when her mommy is gone while sitting just six feet away is the stepfather who has done these things to her. I have heard from all of these people,” she said.
She told those gathered the honor Friday was quite shocking.
“I’m looking out at a sea of leadership. If (the award is about) courage and leadership, that’s in every one of you,” she said. “Each and every one of you is a part of this award and I thank you for all that you do. This award belongs to all of you.”
When she’s not on the bench she’s also a board member for the Dispute Resolution Center of Montgomery County and she’s a passionate supporter of the arts in Conroe.
ON YOURCONROENEWS.COM: Montgomery ISD finds interim replacement for superintendent who left to lead a national organization
Featured speakers included Traci Costa, President and CEO of Athena International. In 2023, she’s traveled all over the world speaking to women leaders and getting to know them on a personal level.
She said the Athena award was founded in 1982 by Martha Mayhood Mertz when she was told women are not leaders.
“She obviously felt otherwise. She believed that if women were recognized for their leadership accomplishments that they could not longer be dismissed and the award was created,” she said.
The award has been presented in Montgomery County since 2018.
The keynote speaker was activist Erin Brockovich who became a household name in 2000 when Julia Roberts won an Oscar for portraying Brockovich in a movie depicting her legal battles against Pacific Gas and Electric Company on behalf of the town of Hinkley, California.
Brockovich’s message was one of “sticktoitiveness” to the audience because it was a message instilled in her by her journalist mother. Her passion for the environment came from her father who was a pipeline engineer.
She combined those qualities to work on many environmental issues across the world and today she and her team continue to work on environmental projects.
She told those gathered that their super hero is within.
“We’re so busy trying to motivate and guide others. We need to bring that home. How do we recognize, honor and embrace ourselves,” she said. “The realization is you don’t need a super hero. You don’t need a superman or Prince Charming because the hero is looking back at you in the mirror. It’s you and we’ve forgotten the power of us.”
See the Conroe Chamber’s website for more about the award.
