Maui Economic Development Board President and CEO Jeanne Skog is one of about a dozen women nationwide to win recognition from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), according to a May 5 news release from Nishikawa & Associates.

Here’s how that news release explained the honor:

According to EDA, we’re at an interesting moment in history for women. The debate about “having it all” or “leaning in” versus “opting out” dominates conversations about women’s contributions to the working world. So much is made about how women balance their career and family (or their decision to forgo one or the other), but less is said about the contributions they make to their organizations. EDA took a moment to highlight several prominent female leaders for their accomplishments.

Skog has helped develop the High Tech Maui program, as well as the Focus Maui Nui “community visioning program” and the MPowerMaui process on energy. She’s also launched the Women in Technology program, which “prepare[s] women, girls and other underrepresented minorities for emerging careers founded on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM),” according to the news release. That program now serves 45,000 students, teachers and companies across Hawaii.

Last November, Suzanne Kayian profiled Skog–who has been working in some way with or for MEDB since 1984–for Mauitime. Click here to read that story.

Photo courtesy Nishikawai & Associates