In honor of Penn State Great Valley’s Diamonds of the Decades Alumni Awards, coinciding with the campus' 60th anniversary, 12 constituents were recognised showing appreciation for its staff, faculty, alumni, students and friends who have made a lasting impact and/or achieved considerable success.
Norheim belonged to the class of 2007 and 2009 and earned her MSIS and MBA from Great Valley, and has served on both the BS Engineering, Multidisciplinary Engineering Design (MDE) IPAC and the Great Valley Advisory Board.
“I am truly honored to receive the Diamond of the Decades Award, especially given its significance in commemorating Penn State Great Valley’s 60th Anniversary. Being recognized as a recipient of this award is truly humbling and meaningful to me,” she said.
The entrepreneur also received the 2024 ATHENA Award at the 2024 Women2Women Conference & Expo, recognizing her professional excellence, community service and for actively assisting women in their attainment of professional excellence and leadership skills.
Norheim was presented the 40th ATHENA Award by 2023 award recipient Adelle Schade. Presented by the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance to leaders spanning various professional sectors, recipients were selected by a diverse group of community leaders that make up the Selection Committee.
Norheim has served as American Crane's President and CEO since the passing of her father and mentor, Oddvar Norheim, in 2021. Through her leadership and dedication, she has solidified the company's legacy in the industry with initiates such as the Innovation Lab and GRIT Matters company culture transformation.
“I am so honored to be the recipient of the 2024 ATHENA Award. Giving back to my community and helping women achieve their goals is such a big part of my life. I am so excited to be the 40th recipient of this award," said Norheim.
Recipients can choose to represent a non-profit organization and Norheim chose the Ready.Set. READ initiative managed by the United Way, asking attendees at the conference to bring books to donate to the Hoist Up! Book Drive.
The business leader has also received the 2023 Vistage Leadership Award. Guided by her philosophy of embodying both a "Gardener and Viking," she has fostered a culture of growth and support among her team, resulting in employee turnover rates well below the industry average.
One of her proudest accomplishments is the reboot of American Crane's company culture and the creation of the company mantra, GRIT Matters: Perseverance, Heart & Integrity. This reboot of their vision, mission and values has solidified the legacy of Norheim's father, founder of American Crane, while fostering the company's growth, development, and future success.
As a member of Vistage since 2018, Norheim says her most valuable investment in the company has been Vistage itself. Dedicating effort to her personal growth has helped her to develop as a leader and overcome the complicated challenges that come with running a business. Vistage has enabled her to elevate her leadership skills and grow the company to what it is today. Her commitment to fostering growth extends to her employees as well. She has extended Vistage to her leadership team and other staff, to help enhance their skills and nurture their development as leaders throughout the company.
One of the best pieces of advice she has learned throughout her journey is that we do not multitask, we single task. As a business owner and leader, Norheim constantly faces many tasks demanding her attention.
"That concept changed my whole idea that it is no longer time management but instead it is attention management," she said. Practising this has helped her determine how she manages her focus and time to ensure things get done on time and with excellence.
