Barrington chamber honors outstanding women

A restaurateur, a conservationist, a youth advocate and an animal therapy expert were the honorees Thursday when some of the Northwest suburbs' best and brightest female leaders were feted by the Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber Women's Biz Net hosted its annual Outstanding Women Leaders Awards Luncheon at Biltmore Country Club in North Barrington.

"These four amazing women leaders serve as role models, breaking barriers and setting the bar high for their accomplishments professionally and to the community," chamber President/CEO Suzanne Corr said in an earlier announcement of the winners.

Deborah Rivera, owner of Ambrosia Euro-American Patisserie, received the OWL Award for Professional Excellence. Her restaurant has been serving a daily fresh selection of gourmet pastries, baked goods, confections and beverages to the Barrington area for 30 years.

Melissa Buckley, founding board president of BStrong Together, won the OWL Award for Community Impact. BStrong Together is a community coalition that provides programs and resources to support students, parents and others in raising resilient, responsible and self-sufficient youth.

Jodie Diegel, founder and president of SOUL Harbour Ranch Animal Therapy Program, earned the OWL Award for Nonprofit Leadership. Founded in 2013, SOUL works to promote the unconditional love and healing of the human-animal bond while advocating for animal therapy standards of excellence.

Susan Lenz, executive director of conservation for the Barrington Area Conservation Trust, won the OWL Award for Mentorship and Education. Lenz directs land preservation initiatives and stewardship, and manages land programs and education for the trust, which was formed to preserve open space in the Barrington area.