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Awards

Woman of Distinction Award

The Woman of Distinction award is given annually to recognize a woman who has demonstrated exceptional leadership through her professional endeavors, community involvement, and commitment to social responsibility. Through her leadership, this recipient drives meaningful change and creates a lasting impact by uplifting and empowering others.

The 2026 Woman of Distinction award will be presented at the Cobb Chamber Marquee Monday event on Monday, June 8, celebrating the transformative power of inclusive leadership in building a stronger community.

  1. Have not been a previous recipient of the Woman of Distinction Award.
  2. Have a minimum of 5 years history of promoting or supporting women in the workplace, not exclusive to Cobb.
  3. Must currently live or work in Cobb County.
  4. Must be members of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce.
  5. Must meet the membership qualifications for Cobb Executive Women (CEW). Membership in CEW is not required.
  6. Nominations must come from a CEW member, Chamber member, or community member (no self-nominations).
  7. Current Steering Committee members are not eligible for nomination.

Cobb Executive Women (CEW) membership is available to women whose organizations are Cobb Chamber members. CEW defines prospective members as individuals in one of following categories: 

  • Corporate Executives: Women who manage budgets and teams (if appropriate for your industry) and who have significant company-wide impact in at least one functional area, such as sales, marketing, or finance.
  • Business Owners: Women whose full-time role is running businesses registered with the secretary of state and have a valid business license, if required. Owners of multi-level marketing businesses are ineligible.
  • Nonprofit and Government Executives: Women who lead nonprofit and government teams and manage organization budgets as their full-time endeavors.
  • Judicial System and Government Employees: Women in managerial and leadership roles who manage a staff and a budget.

 

For more information, contact Rebecca Chadwick at 770-859-2368 or rchadwick@cobbchamber.org.

Award Sponsor

CEW Yearlong Presenting Sponsor

Congratulations to the 2025 Award Winner

Congratulations to Nurdan Cornelius for winning the 2025 Woman of Distinction Award!

The Cobb Chamber’s Cobb Executive Women (CEW) today named the winner of the 2025 Woman of Distinction Award at the Chamber’s June Marquee Monday event: Nurdan Cornelius, recently retired Director of Consumer Marketing at Cobb EMC. Cornelius’ remarkable leadership and unwavering dedication to her profession and community have set a sterling example for women in business.

The Woman of Distinction award is given annually to recognize a woman who has demonstrated exceptional leadership through her professional endeavors, community involvement and social responsibility.

Recently retiring from Cobb EMC, Cornelius served the organization for over 20 years while also dedicating decades to civic and nonprofit causes across Cobb County. Known for her strategic vision and compassionate leadership, she led initiatives that transformed member engagement at Cobb EMC, including the mobile app, Energy Network incentive program, and EV Experience.

Beyond her professional achievements, Cornelius has been a tireless advocate for the community. She has been a driving force behind the Barbara Hickey Children’s Fund and Operation Warmth since their inception. Together, these efforts have provided more than 1 million diapers and 10,000+ winter coats to families in need throughout Cobb County. Her community leadership includes both current and past board service with organizations such as YWCA (now LiveSafe Resources), the Cobb County Safety Village, and the Davis Direction Foundation.

Cornelius is a graduate of Leadership Cobb, Class of 2007, and Honorary Commanders, Class of 2008, further demonstrating her longstanding commitment to civic leadership and community development.

Originally from Istanbul, Turkey, Cornelius brings a global perspective to her work and a deep commitment to uplifting underserved communities. A champion for women, she has mentored countless emerging leaders, encouraging them to pursue advanced education and step into leadership roles.

Past Award Winners

2014 – Shan Cooper, Lockheed Martin

2015 – Judge Mary Staley, Cobb County Superior Court

2016 – Dr. Yolanda Graham, Devereux Georgia Treatment Network

2017 – Tracy Styf, Town Center Community Improvement District

2018 – Holly Tuchman, Executive Director of liveSAFE Resources

2019 – Allison Giddens, Director of Operations at Win-Tech Inc.

2020 – Kim Gresh, President of S.A. White Oil Company

2021 – Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, Cobb County Government

2022 – Shari Martin, CEO of Cobb Community Foundation

2023 – Stacey Chapman, Vice President of CROFT

2024 – Rhonda Jacobson, Vice President and Co-Owner, Cumberland Diamond Exchange

2025 – Nurdan Cornelius, Director of Consumer Marketing, Cobb EMC

Bill Kinney, Marietta Daily Journal

1991 – Ed Baker, Atlanta Business Chronicle

1992 – Ron Francis, Charter Bank

1993 – Gen. Terry Whitnell, Dobbins Air Reserve Base

1994 – Don Robertson, The Walker School

1995 – Bill Byrne, Cobb County Commission

1996 – Eleanor Davis, Crawford & Company

1997 – Shelia Buckner, Cobb County Government

1998 – Tom Hill, WellStar Health System

1999 – Gwynn Ross, Galleria Specialty Mall

2000 – Sheila Blake, WellStar Health System

2001 – Larry E. Collier, SunTrust Bank

2002 – William P. Kane, Dobbins Air Reserve Base

2003 – Ron R. Koger, Southern Polytechnic State University

2004 – Brent Brown, Chesley Brown International

2005 – Dr. Harlon Crimm, Chattahoochee Technical College

2006 – Dr. Lisa Rossbacher, Southern Polytechnic State University

2007 – Joe Daniell, United Community Bank (ret.)

2008 – Fred Bentley, Jr., Bentley, Bentley & Bentley

2009 – Bonnie Cole, United Way of Metro Atlanta

2010 – Sam Olens, Sam Olens for Attorney General

2011 – Jeri Barr, Center for Family Resources

2012 – Lisa Crossman, Cobb & Douglas Public Health

2013 – Kathy Schwaig, Kennesaw State University