Skog Recognized Earns National Recognition for Leadership

Jeanne Skog. Courtesy photo.

By Maui Now Staff

Jeanne Unemori Skog, president and CEO of Maui Economic Development Board Inc., has been recognized by the US Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration as one of the country’s prominent female leaders for her accomplishments within her organization and community.

The EDA states that the country is “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.

Much is said 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 this opportunity to highlight several prominent female leaders for their accomplishments.

Skog is MEDB’s most long-term executive, tracing her affiliation with the organization back to 1984. She spearheaded development of the High Tech Maui program, which focuses on growing innovation sectors in Maui County.

Today, Maui County’s technology sectors employ over 2,700 residents.

Skog also initiated the groundbreaking Focus Maui Nui community visioning program, and more recently, the MPowerMaui community conversation process on energy.

To support the workforce’s innovation needs, Skog launched the Women In Technology program to prepare females and other underrepresented minorities for emerging careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

The WIT program now serves 45,000 students, teachers and businesses statewide.

Skog has received several recognitions and awards–SBA US Small Business Administration’s Women in Business Advocate of the Year Award; Stephen L. Jackstadt Award, Hawaiʻi Council on Economic Education; Hoʻokele Award (for nonprofit leadership), Hawaiʻi Community Foundation/Gerbode Foundation; and U. Commerce & Trade Research Institute 2015 Excellence Award to Maui Economic Development Board.

In 2011, President Barack Obama appointed Skog to the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars that recognizes and honors some of our nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors.

Other women highlighted by EDA included Linda Mysliwy Conlin, president of the World Trade Center of Greater Phildelphia; Jacqueline Davis-Wellington, executive vice president and COO of St. Louis Economic Development Partnership; Tiffany Wilson Karp, executive director of Global Center for Medical Innovation; Temetry Lindsey, president and CEO of Inland Behaviorial and Health Services Inc.; Jane Muir, director of the Florida Innovation Hub at the University of Florida; Diane Peters-Nguyen, Chaminade University’s vice president for institutional advancement; Jennifer Skjellum, president and owner of Runtime Computing Solutions LLC; Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, executive director of West Angeles Community Development Corporation; Esperanza Colio Warren, Community & Economic Development manager for the County of Imperial, California; and Dora Westerlund, president and CEO of the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation.

As the only federal government agency focused exclusively on economic development, the US Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration plays a critical role in fostering regional economic development efforts in communities across the nation. Through strategic investments that foster job creation and attract private investment, EDA supports development in economically distressed areas of the US.

For more information on EDA, go online.