LEWISTON, Idaho – Retired educator Colleen Mahoney (left) of Lewiston and Lewis-Clark State College’s Dean of Community Programs and Governmental Relations Kathy Martin (below, left) are the two recipients of the college’s Women Leadership Awards, it was recently announced.
LCSC started the women’s leadership awards this year and the two winners were announced as part of the Women’s Leadership Conference last week at the LCSC Center for Arts & History. The conference is part of the Women’s History Month celebration at the college.
The LCSC Women’s Leadership Award honors those who exemplify leadership in their field of expertise or work place, serve as a role model to other women and girls, who give back to and are respected in the community, and who advocate for positive change to close the leadership gap for women. The winners are chosen by a selection committee consisting of community leaders and LCSC personnel.
LCSC plans to make the awards an annual event with one award going to a female who works on the LCSC campus and the other going to a female in the Lewis-Clark Valley area.
Mahoney will be presented with her award on Saturday, March 17, at 11:15 a.m. at the LCSC Center for Arts & History, located at 415 Main St. in Lewiston. The presentation will take place during the closing artist reception for the Regional Art & Design Faculty exhibit at the Center.
Mahoney grew up in southern Idaho and taught for a year in Honolulu and San Francisco, before moving to Salt Lake City to teach. She married Dean Mahoney and continued to teach until they had children. When the children were older and after the family moved to Lewiston, Mahoney returned to LCSC to bring her teaching credentials up to date. She then worked for the Lewiston School District as a substitute teacher.
Mahoney is known for her involvement and civic activism in the community. She served on the Idaho State Board of Education where she was chair, and also served on the local YWCA board, the Nez Perce County Human Rights Commission, the Lewiston Library Board and Capital Campaign, and was state president of the Hospital Auxiliary/Volunteer organization.
At LCSC, she has served on the Foundation Board for many years and has been a long-time member of the LCSC women’s basketball scholarship club. She also served as chair of the annual LCSC Art Auction.
In their nomination letter, daughters Judy and Nancy Mahoney wrote “Our Mom believes in service, as well as being a generous donor. She recognizes the value in being connected with people … Our earliest memories of her include her involvement in the community. She was always trying to make the world a better place for everyone.”
Martin joined LCSC in 1995 as the director for Distance Learning and has served as Dean for Community Programs since 2001, and for Governmental Relations since 2012. She is responsible for overseeing directors of eLearning Services (formerly Distance Learning), Outreach Centers in Coeur d'Alene, Grangeville and Orofino, Summer School & Special Programs, Continuing Education & Community Events, AmeriCorps and Service Learning, Center for Arts & History, and the Region II Idaho Small Business Development Center.
Among the many committees she has served on at LCSC, Martin chaired the Professional Staff Organization for two years and received the Professional Staff of the Year award in 2002. She also served three years as chair for the Compensation Review Committee and chair for the Instructional Calendar Committee.
She was the 2006 chairman of the board for the Lewiston Chamber of Commerce and continues to serve on the board as ex-officio for LCSC. She chaired the chamber’s Governmental Affairs Committee for seven years and she continues to be an active member. Martin participates in numerous collaborative activities and events to benefit community organizations. Her professional organizational memberships include University Professional Continuing Education Association and Association for Continuing Higher Education.
A Lewiston native, Kathy and her husband, Randy, returned to Lewiston in 1995 after a 23-year absence. Randy chaired and taught in the Business Division at LCSC before his retirement last year.