Contents
Features
Committee Updates
Forum News
From the President
Sally Stetson recaps a year full of accomplishments and events for the Forum.
This has been a very busy year for Forum committees! There were so many accomplishments, it's difficult to name them all. In this column, I'd like to highlight a few of those achievements.
Given our phenomenal growth as an organization, we took a look "in house" this year. One of the things we found necessary this year was evaluating our bylaws, which had not been revised since 1997 and needed to be updated. Currently, they have been revised to allow for succession planning and to avoid any potential conflicts of interest. We also finalized our three-year strategic plan, updated the Forum directory, and hired a public relations consultant for our 25th anniversary celebration.
Under the direction of Sharon Smith, we created a Sponsorship Committee, which has made substantial progress. Through some thoughtful planning and a formal strategy, we will be able to secure sponsorship for our events, therefore allowing the organization to fund existing and new initiatives going forward.
I'm impressed by the commitment of all of our committees. Executive Suites, led by Lila Booth and Katie O'Brien, has worked diligently to increase the number of women on boards of public companies. Media Dialogue, headed by Donna Brennan and Susan Jaffe, continues their efforts to encourage the media to use the Forum as a source of experts. Membership, chaired by Karen Kaufman, clarified the membership guidelines this year. Programs, co-chaired by Sonia Madison and Emmy Miller, coordinated an outstanding array of programs this past year. The Communications Committee, under Marian Marchese, has worked to address issues and clarify policies on how the Forum communicates with members, including tying together all the elements of The Forum's "look," including the logo and descriptive paragraphs. Kyra McGrath and the Visibility Committee has taken every opportunity to heighten the level of recognition and impact of the Forum in the Greater Philadelphia region, and they have developed a brochure for the organization. The Women, Policy and Politics Committee, headed by Molly Raphael, is exploring ways to increase the awareness of political issues and opportunities for our members.
And, of course, there is the 25th Anniversary Committee, led by Marian Marchese, who has been committed to orchestrating a splendid program on November 13, along with many other events to celebrate this Forum milestone.
I personally served on several committees and was able to develop relationships as well as friendships with so many interesting members. Based on my own experiences, I urge new or existing members to take a more active role in our organization. Volunteering for a committee is an excellent way not only to support the organization but also to get back something in return. I'm sure all of our committee chairs and members would agree! -Sally Stetson
ARAMARK's Nancy Peterson Receives 2002 Forum Award
The Forum awarded Nancy Peterson, ARAMARK Assistant General Counsel, its annual Forum Award at the Annual Meeting in June. Peterson is responsible for advising the firm's management and senior executives on the legal aspects of its business in the sports and entertainment arenas. She is a member of the American Corporate Counsel Association and the Philadelphia Bar Association and is active in numerous volunteer activities supporting both the legal profession and the community. The Forum Award includes a scholarship to support the recipient's further leadership development and training. Peterson, who has applied for admission to Philadelphia's Leadership, Inc. program, intends to use the Forum scholarship to fund her desire to mobilize people in the private sector to work on behalf of our community.
COMMITTEE UPDATES
NEWS 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION HAPPENING SOON...
The Forum's 25th anniversary Celebration will take place on November 13 at the Kimmel Center of the Performing Arts. All of the subcommittees have been working diligently on the many different aspects of this event, including the Words of Wisdom boxes and the menu. Also, Chairperson Marian Marchese says the Committee is pleased with the positive response it has received from major corporations in the city regarding sponsorship of this major event. "We're meeting on a regular basis to make sure this is an exciting and memorable event for our members," Marian says.
A REMINDER FROM THE VISIBILITY COMMITTEE...
Please be sure to include the Forum on your resume and mention your Forum membership where possible, when being interviewed for an article or introduced to a group.
FORUM BOOK CLUB...
Several Forum members have expressed an interest in forming a Book Club. If you're interested in joining or leading this group, please e-mail the Forum office.
EXECUTIVE SUITES COMMITTEE...
Three Forum women have gained seats on corporate boards: Christine Murphy to Sovereign Bank's board; Lynn Nowicki, Oskar Huber; and Lynda Barness, Commerce Bancorp. The Committee continues its ongoing research relationship with Fox School of Business, Temple University. Professor Monica Zimmernan is directing this research effort. The Executive Suites Committee intends to produce an annual report on the status of women on corporate boards and will expand this research to include women in executive suites. Vicki Kramer leads a committee on research and strategy for action, which has defined a protocol that includes which companies they intend to target and how. Jane Pepper, along with Robert Reid, CEO, First Union Bank, co-chair our CEO Advisory Council. This group had its initial meeting and is inviting others to join the group. The council is a key resource for us as we encourage corporate leaders to add women to their boards. We had a very successful, well-attended board training program for members. We also maintain a database of interested Forum members, and this database is made available to facilitate executive searches. -Lila Booth and Katie O'Brien, Committee Chairs
WOMEN, POLICY AND POLITICS...
The Committee continues to work on responding to members' needs for information about "political-type" issues, with a goal to making information available on the Forum's web site. Soon a list of nonpartisan web site links will be posted. Recently, in anticipation of the November election, we alerted members to the IssuesPa link. We are beginning to assemble information about statewide boards and commissions. Members have expressed an interest in serving on these influential boards. The Committee held a successful program in January on "Women in Office." Future programs include one that examines the link between business and professional success and business savvy. There are Forum members who believe their business success is greater because they have been able to negotiate the political landscape. The Committee meets regularly and is looking for new members. -Molly Raphael, Cmmittee Chair
Forum Welcomes New Board Members
The Forum welcomes two new members to its Board of Directors.
Patricia Coulter is President and CEO of the Urban League of Philadelphia. She has been with the Urban League for nearly 6 months and has been a Forum member for five years. Irene Horstmann Hannan is Director, Women's Business Advisory Service, First Union National Bank. She has been with the bank for ten years and has been a member of the Forum for nearly two years.
AUTUMN BAYLES, Principal Consultant, PWC Consulting, 600 Lee Rd., Ste. 200, Wayne, PA 19087, 610-517-2518.
KAREN BLACK, ESQ., Director, Metropolitan Philadelphia Policy Center, 1700 Market St., Phila., PA 19103, 215-563-3643, x15.
KATHRYN DAVIS, Chief Operating Officer, CGI Consulting Group, 200 Chesterfield Parkway, Malvern, PA 19426, 610-889-9100.
M. TERESA GAVIGAN, Director, Human Resources, Sunoco, 1801 Market St., Phila., PA 19103, 215-977-3747.
NAOMI GRABEL, Managing Director, The Wilma Theater, 208 Market St., Phila., PA 19106, 215-893-9456.
JANE HOFFER, CEO, Prescient Systems, 1247 Ward Ave., West Chester, PA 19380, 610-719-1600, x308.
LINDA MANFREDONIA, ESQ., Senior Vice President/Managing Director, PNC Advisors, PNC Bank, 1600 Market St., 7th fl., Phila., PA 19101, 215-585-5670.
MARGARET MCCAUSLAND, Partner, Blank Rome Comisky & McCauley, One Logan Square, Phila., PA 19103, 215-569-5548.
PATRICIA MCCROSSAN, Director of Marketing, Glenmede Trust Company, 1650 Market St., Ste. 1200, Phila., PA 19103, 215-419-6784.
PATRICIA OWENS, Senior Vice President, The Bryn Mawr Trust Company, 10 S. Bryn Mawr Ave., Bryn Mawr, PA 19010, 610-581-4770.
CAROL PARSSINEN, PH.D., Senior Vice President, The Franklin Institute, Center for Innovation in Science Learning, 222 N. 20th St., Phila., PA 19103, 215-448-2197.
RONA SEBASTIAN, Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, University of the Arts, 320 S. Broad St., Phila., PA 19102, 215-717-6149.
MELONEASE SHAW, Executive Vice President, PRWT Services, 1617 JFK Blvd., Phila., PA 19103, 215-569-8810.
PATRICIA WELLENBACH, Executive Director, The Wellness Community of Philadelphia, Suzanne Morgan Center Ridgeland Mansion, Chamounix Dr., West Fairmount Park, Phila., PA 19131, 215-879-7733.
Speeches/Publications
MARJORIE BRODY, President, Brody Communications, tells us her newest book, Help! Was That a Career Limiting Move?, received a rave review in the June/July issue of OfficePro Magazine. Also, the July 2002 issue of The Effective Customer Service Manager newsletter featured Marjorie's column, "Avoid These 12 Etiquette Flubs."
MONA DOYLE, The Consumer Network, orchestrated an onstage focus group and a presentation called "To Brand or Not to Brand" at the International Deli, Dairy Bakery Association meeting in June.
SUZANNE FAIRLIE, President, ProSearch, held a panel discussion, "Learn How Headhunters Steal Your Best Employees," at a meeting of the Society for Human Resource Management, participated in the panel "Breaking Down Barriers: Redefining the Engineering Workforce" sponsored by The Eastern Technology Council, and was part of the panel "Big Billers" at a meeting of The Mid-Atlantic Association of Personnel Consultants. She also appeared on NBC Channel 10 news discussing hiring trends in the Philadelphia area and wrote an article entitled "How to Hire the Right People" for the March issue of Smart Business Now.
PAMELA GODWIN, President, Change Partners, delivered two speeches: "Generation Rap: Perspectives on the Multigenerational Workforce" at the Women's Outreach Seminar, Carnegie Mellon University, and "The Choice to Lead" at the Babcock Graduate School of Management, Wake Forest University.
IVY SILVER, Principal, Commonwealth Consulting Group, was a panelist for the release of The Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia's 2002 Compensation and Benefits Survey. She was later heard on WHYY Marketplace for her evaluation of the current benefits environment for nonprofit organizations.
SALLY STETSON, President, Salveson Stetson Group, moderated a panel with DEBBIE FRETZ, President, Sunoco Logistics Partners, at a Wharton Leadership Conference in June. The focus of their roundtable dialogue was "Women Leading in All Directions." Also on the panel was Nancy Sundheim, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Sunoco Logistics Partners.
Awards
CHRIS COX, Creative Director and Managing Partner, The Communications Group, tells us the agency has received four national Telly awards for client television commercials, as well as three honors from the 19th Annual Healthcare Advertising Awards for client marketing and advertising material.
TINA HANSEN-TURTON, Executive Director, National Nursing Centers Consortium, has received the following awards: American Academy of Nurse Practitioner State Award for Excellence and the University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing, Health Annex for Leadership Award.
GAIL HARRITY, COO, Philadelphia Museum of Art;LYNN NOWICKI, CEO, MessageLink; and SISTER MARY SCULLION, Executive Director, Project H.O.M.E., have been awarded Eisenhower Fellowships for 2002.
PAGE MORAHAN, Founding Director, Center for Leadership in Academic Medicine, received the first Woman in Medicine Award from the Women's Medical College.
LYNN NOWICKI; IVY SILVER; and JOIE SMITH, Managing Director, The Touchstone Partnership, were awarded the Appreciation Pin from Girl Scouts of Southeastern Pennsylvania at its annual Adult Recognition reception. Also, Joie and Ivy are proud to report that the Abington Arts Center, where Joie serves as Board Secretary and Ivy as Chairman of the Board, received the Arts Management Excellence Award from The Arts and Business Council. The award is given to an outstanding arts group that has achieved managerial strength, community impact, and artistic excellence.
LINDA ROSANIO, the STAR Group, tells us her agency was honored with the "Best in Print" award at the 2002 Philly Gold Awards, presented by ADV Magazine. "Best in Print" was awarded to the agency for its "One Toe, Just Deux It Gravity" campaign developed for the Pennsylvania Ballet. Business Moves/News
PATRICIA COULTER has joined the Urban League of Philadelphia, Inc., as President and CEO.
JULIET GOODFRIEND retired from Strategic Marketing Corporation in May. She now heads The Good*Friend Group and Foundation, providing consulting resources for entrepreneurial and community enterpriess. She is also President of the Bryn Mawr Theater Film Institute, which is planning a nonprofit art film theater and film class venue in Bryn Mawr.
RALF RUNDGREN GRAVES, Principal, ASTRION, tells us her company developed and implemented one-month individually tailored training/internship programs in the Philadelphia area for seven professionals from Palestine. The project was sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development to assist in the economic and social development of the WestBank/Gaza Region.
DIANA MOY KELLY has joined the Access Group, Inc., a not-for-profit provider of student loans, as its Vice President of Portfolio Management.
CHARISSE LILLIE has been named Chairwoman of the Litigation Department, Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll. Also, Charisse received the Take the Lead Award from the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Pennsylvania, was honored by the Episcopal Church Women of th House of Prayer Episcopal Church, named to the Women's Hall of Fame by the Southwest Belmont Community Association, and chosen as Mother of the Year by the Mary Mason Community Foundation.
SONIA MADISON has been appointed as Regional Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in Region III, based in Philadelphia. CMS is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that administers Medicare, Medicaid, and the State Children's Health Insurance Program.
M. SHAWN PUCCIO has joined Saint-Gobain Corporation as the company's Vice President, Internal Control Services. She was previously a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers. SUZANNE ROWLAND is now Vice President and General Manager of the Architectural and Functional Coating Business, Rohm & Haas.
JOAN WEINMAN SCHWARTZ has been promoted from Assistant General Counsel to Associate General Counsel of Teleflex.
VICKI SOLOT launched FIRST PERSON, a Festival of Memoir in the Arts. The festival featured authors and artists who came from as far as New Zealand to present and discuss their works of art, based on personal memoirs and firsthand experiences.
Appointments/Elections
SHIRLEY BONNEM, Consultant, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, has been elected to the Board of Trustees of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia.
BOBBI GOHN, Vice President, Deutsche Bank, has assumed the role of Chair, the Pepper Society of the Free Library of Philadelphia.
EMMY MILLER, President, Liberty Business Strategies Ltd., has been appointed to the board for The World Affairs Council of Philadelphia.
KATHERINE O'NEILL, President, O'Neill Associates, has been elected Chair of the Board, Merion Mercy Academy. Also, she received the Chief Financial Officer of the Year Award from the New Jersey Technology Council.
MOLLY RAPHAEL, Consultant, has been appointed to the Medicare Oversight Board of HGS Administrators, a subsidiary of Highmark Insurance Company, and to the Executive Committee, Maternity Care Coalition. She also delivered two speeches: "Workforce Issues in Prison Healthcare" to the Georgia Department of Corrections and "Prenatal Health Promotion Programs in Managed Care" to the Four State-Northeast Regional Perinatal Health Conference. In addition, Molly's co-authored article "States Try a Variety of Approaches to Insure the Uninsured" was published in Stateline, a publication of the Center for National Policy.
CARO ROCK, Associate Publisher, Main Line Life newspaper, has been nominated for the Board of the Lower Merion Conservancy. Also, Caro has completed her three-year term as Chair, the Pepper Society of the Free Library of Philadelphia.
LILLIAN SWANSON, Readers' Advocate, The Philadelphia Inquirer, was named to the board of directors, the Organization of News Ombudsmen.
New Business
JACQUELINE BUHN has founded a real estate company, Athenian Properties, which focuses on property development and management. Athenian is also working with Women's Campaign International on a project to redevelop Thomas Mansion in Fairmount Park as WCI's new world headquarters.
FRANCINE CARB, President, Markitects, reports that the company has been named public relations agency of record for Parelec, a Princeton-based manufacturer of conductive inks and pastes for the electronics industry, and for Fujirebio Diagnostics, an oncology diagnostics company.
Personal News
TERRY GILLEN, COO, National Community Capital Association, has been awarded a Fellowship to Harvard University's Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government.
EILEEN HEISMAN, President, National Philanthropic Trust, is a member of the third Wharton Fellow class, a new Wharton program for mid-career executives from around the world.