Beth DeLaney honored with annual ATHENA award during chamber event
- Richland Source
- Sep 26, 2025
- 3 min read
MANSFIELD — Spherion Mid Ohio franchise owner Beth DeLaney is good at a lot of things.
Just don’t count accepting awards as one of them.
DeLaney said she was “very honored” on Wednesday to join a group of nearly 40 Richland County women who have received the ATHENA award.
“I think it’s hard to accept a recognition — I’m not really good at that,” DeLaney said.
“But I’m very humbled and this ATHENA award represents very strong women in our community and it’s really big shoes to fill. I look at this list of amazing women who’ve received this award and I’m very honored to be one of them.”
The annual ATHENA award started in 1989 to recognize a local woman with exceptional professional achievements, community service, and dedicated support in empowering women to excel in their careers and leadership roles.
Last year’s ATHENA award winner, Kristine Lindeman, presented DeLaney with the award at the “Evening of Excellence” event hosted by the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development.
“There are many exceptional women in our community who are active and involved in making it a better place,” Lindeman said. “This decision definitely gets harder and harder each year.”
Lindeman said DeLaney received multiple nominations for the award.
“I have personally appreciated Beth’s welcoming leadership style,” she said. “ It has been a privilege to get to serve alongside her.
“I want to say to her family — she loves you deeply. Her team — which she never calls staff — she loves you deeply. It is beyond an honor to be the person to present this award.”
‘She truly is a visionary’ says Spherion Mid Ohio marketing director
Two of DeLaney’s granddaughters — Joslyn, 9, and Raelyn, 6 — were on stage with her as she accepted the award.
“I’m really shocked and I want to thank my team, everyone in the community and my beautiful family,” DeLaney said. “Thank you to my beautiful team.
“Leadership is all about giving opportunities to people within your company and I just thank you.”
Jessica Hiser, director of marketing and advertising for Spherion Mid Ohio, said DeLaney is “truly a visionary and an amazing leader.”
“She never just wants to sign a check or sponsor something,” Hiser said. “She wants us to get plugged in and get involved.
“Faith, family and the future of our community — she makes her decisions and lives each day with those three pillars in mind. She truly is Wonder Woman … We are so lucky to have her in our community.”
The award video honoring DeLaney by DRM Productions also featured Chris Hiner and Randa Payne.
The ATHENA award is sponsored by Park National Bank. Hiner, the bank’s regional president, said DeLaney would be the first person he’d call if he were starting a business.
“She understands how to create a culture where people can be successful around her,” Hiner said.
Randa Payne, general counsel for Adena Corporation, highlighted DeLaney’s leadership of Spherion Mid Ohio and around the community.
“She’s an amazing business person, but also a true natural-born leader,” Payne said.
“She’s been the chair of many boards because people want her to lead them. She gives her time freely. And by doing that, she helps to forward these organizations, as well as set an example.
“She’s kind of all of those things, which I think is hard to find. Especially as a professional woman, I think that that’s what we try to do is find that balance between being tough and taken seriously, but also keeping that warmth. People gravitate to her for that reason.”
