Meet Our 2021 Athena® Award Recipient: Kathi Bankes!
Our 2021 Athena® Award will be presented to an amazing individual who has put our community first in all that she does, and has made it a point to mentor other women in attaining their full potential and growing and developing professionally. Let's meet our 2021 Athena® Award recipient: Kathi Bankes, Director of Catering and Special Events at Culinary Creations by Metz & Ruth's Chris SteakHouse!
A native of Carbondale, Kathi Bankes has spent most of her life living and working in northeastern PA. Currently, she serves as the Private Dining and Special Events Manager for Ruth’s Chris SteakHouse at Mohegan Sun Pocono and Director of Catering and Special Events for Culinary Creations by Metz. In this dual role, Kathi has had the distinct pleasure of creating memorable experiences and moments for her guests and clients and has forged countless relationships that have impacted her charitable work in the community.
After moving to Luzerne County in 1999, Kathi became involved with the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce. Since that time, she has held numerous leadership and committee roles with the Greater Wyoming Valley Area YMCA, American Heart Association, Dinners for Kids, Northeast Sight Services, American Red Cross, Wyoming Valley Children’s Association, and Back Mountain Chamber of Commerce. In 2019, the Times Leader named Kathi to their Distinctive Women Series, and in 2016 she was named the Volunteer of the Year by the former Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce.
Prior to her current positions, Kathi was the General Manager of Lucky’s SportsHouse and Bar Manager of TGI Friday’s Wilkes-Barre. She also held roles with Genetti’s Best Western, Falcone Beverage, and Nestle/General Mills.
During her downtime, Kathi enjoys spending time with her family, including her husband Dave, her three adult children, John Baldino, Shauna Baldino, and Kelsey Tyson, and her five grandchildren, Brady, Meryn, Caroline, Sawyer, and soon-to-born Luca, who bring her more joy than they will ever know. She enjoys visiting local wineries and breweries and cooking at home for immediate and extended family and friends.
Kathi’s greatest pleasure, outside of her family, is having the opportunity to mentor young adults in Luzerne County and helping others to reach their fullest potential.
Join us for an EPIC night on June 8th to safely celebrate Kathi and all of our incredible honorees! This year's event, which is presented by Fidelity Bank, will take place at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza, which has 17,000 square feet of socially distant space for attendees to safely enjoy an exciting program, featuring live entertainment during the awards from a variety of local talent. After the program, join us outdoors for even more live entertainment, from Bret Alexander & Friends, refreshments, and activities at our after-party. Limited tickets are available, so reserve your spot today! We also have a virtual ticket option for those who would like to tune into the fun from the comfort of their homes or offices. Click here to register and get more information!
.jpg)
A native of Carbondale, Kathi Bankes has spent most of her life living and working in northeastern PA. Currently, she serves as the Private Dining and Special Events Manager for Ruth’s Chris SteakHouse at Mohegan Sun Pocono and Director of Catering and Special Events for Culinary Creations by Metz. In this dual role, Kathi has had the distinct pleasure of creating memorable experiences and moments for her guests and clients and has forged countless relationships that have impacted her charitable work in the community.
After moving to Luzerne County in 1999, Kathi became involved with the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce. Since that time, she has held numerous leadership and committee roles with the Greater Wyoming Valley Area YMCA, American Heart Association, Dinners for Kids, Northeast Sight Services, American Red Cross, Wyoming Valley Children’s Association, and Back Mountain Chamber of Commerce. In 2019, the Times Leader named Kathi to their Distinctive Women Series, and in 2016 she was named the Volunteer of the Year by the former Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce.
Prior to her current positions, Kathi was the General Manager of Lucky’s SportsHouse and Bar Manager of TGI Friday’s Wilkes-Barre. She also held roles with Genetti’s Best Western, Falcone Beverage, and Nestle/General Mills.
During her downtime, Kathi enjoys spending time with her family, including her husband Dave, her three adult children, John Baldino, Shauna Baldino, and Kelsey Tyson, and her five grandchildren, Brady, Meryn, Caroline, Sawyer, and soon-to-born Luca, who bring her more joy than they will ever know. She enjoys visiting local wineries and breweries and cooking at home for immediate and extended family and friends.
Kathi’s greatest pleasure, outside of her family, is having the opportunity to mentor young adults in Luzerne County and helping others to reach their fullest potential.
Join us for an EPIC night on June 8th to safely celebrate Kathi and all of our incredible honorees! This year's event, which is presented by Fidelity Bank, will take place at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza, which has 17,000 square feet of socially distant space for attendees to safely enjoy an exciting program, featuring live entertainment during the awards from a variety of local talent. After the program, join us outdoors for even more live entertainment, from Bret Alexander & Friends, refreshments, and activities at our after-party. Limited tickets are available, so reserve your spot today! We also have a virtual ticket option for those who would like to tune into the fun from the comfort of their homes or offices. Click here to register and get more information!
Images
Powered By GrowthZone