Kathy Lehne, CEO / Owner of Sun Coast Resources, LLC, has been named among the honorees to be recognized at the 2015 Women in Energy Leadership Awards.

When someone mentions executives in the energy industry, a female executive is probably not the first image that pops into your mind.

That stigma doesn’t ring true in Houston, where there are hundreds of women in executive positions at energy companies of all sizes. Hence, Houston Business Journal’s first-ever Women in Energy Leadership Awards were born to honor these accomplished and deserving professionals.

A panel of judges have selected HBJ’s inaugural Women in Energy Leadership honorees. The 26 women were judged on their career achievement in energy, contribution to company success, community involvement and leadership.

Applicants had to be based in the Houston area and employed in a leadership position at an energy company.

The judging panel included Crystal Ashby, former executive vice president of government and public affairs for BP; John Hofmeister, former president of Shell Oil Co. who is on numerous boards, including Lufkin Industries; Becky Klein, principal at Klein Energy LLC and chair of Power Across Texas; Katie Mehnert, the founder and CEO of Pink Petro; and Peggy Montana, who just retired as CEO of Shell Midstream Partners. Judges recused from voting on an executive if there was a conflict of interest.

The women will be honored at an event on Oct. 20 at the Houstonian Hotel and in a special section of HBJ on Oct. 23.

Click here to see the full article from the Houston Business Journal.