SitemapIf you desired to trace the steps that led to Gina Govojdean winning a highly prestigious award, the journey would begin with her father and mother’s early, loving influence on her.
“They shaped who I became as a person. My parents never shied away from things just because they were difficult,” Govojdean, of Austintown, said about her late parents, John and Donna Govojdean, both of whom she lost at a young age.
Even though her parents, both of whom she described as selfless, dealt with financial and other hardships during their daughter’s younger years, they always stressed the importance of their only child getting a solid education as well as making an indelible mark on others while working to improve their lives, she said.
For fulfilling that wish list and more, Govojdean received the 2026 ATHENA Award during the 33rd annual ATHENA Awards banquet and gala Thursday evening at Waypoint 4180.
Sponsoring the gathering, at which an estimated 650 friends, family members, supporters and others attended, were The Vindicator and the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber.
Govojdean, vice president of sales and supply with Howmet Aerospace’s Niles Operations plant, was among the 30 nominees for the award, which recognizes and honors women who strive toward the highest levels of professional achievement, excel in their chosen fields, have dedicated time and energy to their communities in meaningful ways, inspire and uplift people and open doors that allow others to follow in their paths.
To those ends, she joined Howmet Aerospace in 2012, which was then Alcoa Inc. after having earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. Over a 10-year period, Govojdean moved through procurement operations and global leadership roles, and in 2018, she was one of the youngest procurement leaders at Howmet Aerospace.
Today, Howmet’s Niles Operations is a 600-employee unionized company that produces advanced titanium products for the global aerospace and defense industries.
Govojdean, who also is a volunteer field director for the Horatio Alger Association and promotes scholarship opportunities for students who have risen above great adversity, said that mentoring others is another top priority. She also has worked to ensure women in manufacturing — often considered a male-dominated industry — not only have a place at the table, but have their voices heard and receive opportunities to strengthen the industry.
“I am committed to creating real pathways and breaking barriers so women are not the exception, but the standard — driving innovation and redefining the future,” she has said.
In her remarks following the revelation that she was this year’s award recipient, Govojdean wasted no time shining the spotlight on the other nominees for their achievements.
“We have these incredible women who are doing amazing things,” she said.
She also noted that women make up about 30% of the manufacturing sector, with a lower percentage of them in leadership roles.
“Gina Govojdean stands out because she has stepped into roles where women have historically been underrepresented, and excelled while lifting others,” Kim Calvert, the Regional Chamber’s executive vice president of membership events and MarComm, said.
This year’s other 29 nominees were:
* Amanda Banner, vice president and senior trust adviser for Huntington National Bank.
* Amber Bodrick, chief operating officer, QUICKmed Urgent Care.
* Lauren Butka, medical director, Executive Computer Management Solutions Inc.
* Valarie Campbell, chief financial officer, Covelli Enterprises Inc.
* Beth Kotwis Carmichael, chief executive officer, Trumbull County Tourism Bureau.
* Tina Chance, resource development director, United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley.
* Jamie Demain, director of volunteer and visitor services, Akron Children’s Hospital.
* Amanda Moran, marketing director, Window World PennOhio.
* Aspasia Lyras-Bernacki, co-owner, Penguin City Brewing Co.
* Luann Maynard, senior director of development, Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley.
* Heather McCowin, director of nursing practice, chief nursing officer, Mercy Health-Youngstown, St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital.
* Melinda Miletta-Miller, CEO, Bolt Construction Inc.
* Alicia Miller, senior vice president, segment marketing leader, WesBanco.
* Julie Needs, executive director, Sustainable Opportunities Development Center.
* Markisha Parker, owner, Parker Family Urban Farms LLC and executive director, Farm Family Alliance Inc.
* Erin Phemester, chief experience officer, the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County.
* Dorothy Powell, owner and baker, Ginger Bread Bakery.
* Megan Roberts, chief operating officer, HD Growth Patterns.
* Amy Less Shope, managing partner and financial adviser Lehner Shope Wealth Group; founder and director, Dylan’s House.
* Crystal Siembida Boggs, president, Siembida and Boggs Philanthropic Foundation; event manager, GCXC Racing.
* Tiffany Sokol, housing director, Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp.
To read the full article from The Vindicator, click here.