Leadership in a community can take shape in a bank branch, a congressional office or a high school. Stockton’s 2026 ATHENA honorees bring those different settings together, recognizing service at several stages of life and work.
Mary-Elizabeth Eberhardt, Tiffany Dobson and Claire Carroll will be honored at the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce’s annual ATHENA Awards Luncheon on Thursday, November 19, at Stockton Golf & Country Club.
The three awards place professional accomplishment alongside a broader question: how does a person use opportunity to help others develop their own?
Mary-Elizabeth Eberhardt: Building Opportunity Through Institutions
Eberhardt, the ATHENA Leadership Award recipient, is vice president and director of community banking at Bank of Stockton. The Chamber’s recipient profile describes a career combining banking, employee development and civic service.
Among the examples is the Universal Banker Program she launched in 2015 to broaden employees’ skills and create opportunities to advance. The Chamber also credits her with directing the administration of nearly 4,000 Paycheck Protection Program loans during the pandemic, with 88 percent supporting small businesses.
Her work extends into higher education. A University of the Pacific graduate, she most recently chaired its Board of Regents. The Chamber highlights her role in helping secure board approval for Pacific’s planned School of Medicine, as well as her longstanding involvement with the Children’s Museum of Stockton.
Those examples show leadership working through institutions that touch different parts of local life: employment, education, business and opportunities for children. They also connect the award’s emphasis on mentorship with specific efforts to help other people move forward.
Tiffany Dobson: Connecting People and Resources
Dobson, the ATHENA Young Professional Award recipient, serves as deputy district director for Congressman Josh Harder. The Chamber’s profile of her work emphasizes relationships among constituents, nonprofit organizations, government agencies and community groups.
Before joining the congressional office, she worked as postsecondary access and completion manager for Stockton Scholars, supporting young people pursuing higher education.
Her volunteer work includes leading the annual Little Library Crawl as social action committee chair for the Stockton Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. The effort brings books into neighborhoods across several local communities.
The Chamber also identifies her advocacy for urban agriculture and small family farms, neighborhood involvement and mentorship of young women, including interns. Together, those activities connect public service with work residents may encounter closer to home.
Claire Carroll: Recognizing Youth Leadership
Carroll, identified by the Chamber as a Sierra High School student, is the 2026 ATHENA Youth Leadership Award recipient. The Chamber announced that she learned of the honor on October 11.
The youth award recognizes leaders age 18 and younger who strengthen the voices of women and girls and help create inclusive, collaborative environments. Its place alongside the other honors makes room for leadership that begins before a professional career.
For students watching the awards, the youth category offers a place in the same conversation as experienced community leaders. It recognizes that helping others and taking responsibility for a shared community can begin while someone is still in school.
A Stockton Tradition Across Generations
According to the Chamber’s awards history, Stockton presented its first ATHENA Award in 1986. The local Young Professional honor followed in 2010, and the Youth Leadership Award was introduced in 2024.
That progression gives this year’s gathering a broad perspective. It recognizes sustained work, emerging professional service and the contributions of young people within the same community conversation.
Tickets require prepaid reservations. Readers should use the Chamber’s current registration page to check availability or contact Ximena Aguilar Arroyo at (209) 292-8426 with questions.
Event Details
- Event: 39th Annual ATHENA Awards Luncheon
- Date: Thursday, November 19, 2026
- Time: 11 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
- Location: Stockton Golf & Country Club, 3800 W. Country Club Boulevard, Stockton, CA 95204
- Admission: $75 per person; prepaid reservations required
- Organizer: Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce
- More Information: Official luncheon details and registration
By honoring service at different stages of life, the luncheon offers Stockton a chance to recognize both the work already strengthening the community and the people who will help carry it forward.