There was no question that when Colette Jenkins decided to start a nonprofit whose purpose is to help women impacted by the horrors of multiple sclerosis, breast cancer and heart disease reclaim their self-esteem she would name the organization Chosen to Conquer.

That name, Jenkins insists, is an apt description of her newfound purpose in life.

"I was chosen by God to conquer this disease, to conquer MS," Jenkins, who started the nonprofit in 2008, said. "And I think seeing is believing.  If someone looks in the mirror and sees MS, then they are MS. Chosen to Conquer is a way to empower women to again be a whole person, to be all they can be."

Jenkins' efforts so impressed a special committee with the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce, her organization was named the chamber's 2011 Nonprofit of the Year.