TABLE OF CONTENTS

FROM THE PRESIDENT, Elva Bankins
FROM THE COMMITTEES
LEADERSHIP BLUEPRINT 2010
THE FORUM AWARD FOR EMERGING WOMEN LEADERS
PEARLS OF WISDOM
MEMBER NEWS
OTHER FORUM ANNOUNCEMENTS

FROM THE PRESIDENT, Elva Bankins

It is hard to believe that we are ending another year at The Forum. And, what a year it is has been! Last year at this time, we were celebrating our 30^th Anniversary. As I look over the past year, it is hard to believe what our Committee Chairs, Committee members and The Forum’s Board have accomplished. 

A big “Thank You” goes out to everyone who assisted us in making our year such a success.  Here are a few highlights from the past year and a peek into what is ahead in the upcoming year. 

This year at The Forum, our Strategic Marketing Committee delivered a state-of-the-art website, complete with rotating pictures of our members, member profiles, updates on upcoming events at The Forum, narratives on each committee, and a way to communicate with each other online. The response to our leadership breakfast last September was so enormous that the Program Committee decided to change our venue to the Wanamaker Tea room this year. The cultural event for members of The Forum and their guests was the highly acclaimed Frida Kahlo exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

One of our newest committees, the Public Sector Leadership Committee has held a series of standing-room-only breakfast meetings featuring our most prominent leaders, starting with Michael Nutter’s Ethics Team and additional meetings that feature conversations with a regional political leader. Our Membership Committee accepted approximately 40 new members into the organization since September 2007, increasing our membership to over 300 women of influence in the Philadelphia area.

The Leadership Conference held in May was rated a huge success by those who attended. Our Leadership Conference Committee did an outstanding job of attracting local and national thought leaders from various industries. There were well over 200 attendees. Kudos and congratulations goes out to this committee for delivering a fabulous event. 

Many of our members asked for smaller venues in order for you to get to know additional Forum members. To that end, Affinity Groups and events are starting to flourish, thanks to our Engagement Committee members. Our Mentoring Program was extremely successful this year and is seeking additional mentors for the upcoming year. 

It’s been a very good year! Thank you to our Sponsors and the Sponsorship Committee who enabled us to continue to provide the many venues to serve our members. Look for ongoing activities to include networking at local area Meet the Forum breakfasts and dinners on our website. The Executive Suites Committee has already started working on our “Women on Boards Report” for 2009.

I am humbled to serve as The Forum’s President for another year, and I am equally pleased to work with such a wonderful group of stellar women. To those who are leaving the Board this year, I want to thank them for their commitments and tireless years of service to The Forum and its members. For those who are new to the Board and those Board members who will serve for another year, I welcome your energy and creative ideas. This year will be one of strategic advancements and liaisons that strengthen our mission. We will seek to provide more direction and set the path for the future of The Forum organizations and its members. 

Have a wonderful summer! Our Leadership Breakfast in October features a keynote speaker, Anne Stevens, CEO of Carpenter Technology who has a fascinating story to tell. Thank you to all of our members, our sponsors and our Philadelphia community for your continuing support of The Forum. 

I look forward to chatting with you online or seeing you at an upcoming Forum event.

Did you know that there is now an online section dedicated to Committee Updates? For example, to learn more about The Executive Suites Committee. Make sure you are logged into the site with your Forum password, and take a look at the subheadings for each committee in the left-hand column. All Forum members are able to view committee members, upcoming agendas and meeting minutes. Abbreviated Committee Updates for the spring quarter follows:

The Engagement Committee, co-led by Lesley Mallow Wendell and Afaf I. Meleis, is heading up the development of Affinity Groups. Forum members interested in forming a new affinity group are invited to contact the Engagement Committee for assistance in starting a group. There are two active affinity groups currently—one on financial topics and one on books. “Food and Finance,” led by Rachel Cohen (rachel_cohen@ml.com), is a great way to connect with Forum members in an environment that’s both relaxed and financially informative. For non-fiction book lovers, there is also a “Dinner and a Book” group coordinated by Shawn Hayashi (Shawn@TheProfessionalDevelopmentGroup.com).  See the Announcements section below for more details.

The Forum Mentoring Program completed its second very successful cycle. Nineteen Forum Mentors, Facilitators and Mentees celebrated this milestone in the home of Judy Spires on January 10, 2008. All Mentoring Program participants were presented with a special certificate recognizing their participation in the program. Mentees were also invited to The Forum’s Leadership Retreat, as part of the plan to stay in touch with Program “graduates.” The Mentoring Committee continues to enhance the program. In the next round of mentoring, Mentoring Circles will be an added feature as well as one-on-one mentoring. Mentoring Circles will set the stage for more peer coaching and networking, in addition to the relationship with one of The Forum members as a mentor. Please contact Nila Betof (nbetof@verizon.net) with interest in the program.

Program Committee members look forward to building on the success of this year’s events including the Frida Kahlo exhibit and the Leadership Conference, with an exciting array of Forum Signature Events, Forum Forays (formerly known as affinity events), Meet the Forum Gatherings and next year’s Leadership Conference. Save the date for Beach Day on July 31st at Jackie Shulman’s house in Margate. This day, along with The Forum’s breakfasts and dinners, provides time for camaraderie with other remarkable women who are Forum members. The Program Committee invites your input in planning upcoming events. Please email Stefanie Fine (stefanie.fine@jevs.org) with your thoughts and ideas, or with interest in joining the committee.

PUBLIC SECTOR LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE

The Public Sector Leadership (PSL) Committee hosted Donna Cooper, Governor Rendell's top policy advisor, at its March breakfast briefing.  Ms. Cooper provided a candid look at local and state politics and encouraged Forum members to get to know the Philadelphia delegation better.  State Representative Josh Shapiro was the featured guest at the May breakfast briefing.  In between briefings, PSL Committee members are helping to stay in touch with past speakers and to engage in other outreach to forge a closer relationship between Forum members and the region's most influential policy makers.  If you are interested in getting involved with this work, please contact PSL Chairs Melissa Weiler Gerber (mweilergerber@womensway.org) or Carmen Paris (carmen.paris@phila.gov). 

 

LEADERSHIP BLUEPRINT 2010

The Forum of Executive Women laid the foundation for “the future of leadership” during its two-day conference, Leadership Blueprint 2010, held at the Hyatt at Penn’s Landing. On May 15 and 16, 2008, Forum members and their guests exchanged forward-thinking ideas with nationally recognized thought leaders, including Comcast’s Executive Vice President David L. Cohen, Esq., Channel 10 News Anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah, and Author Suzanne Braun Levine, among other prominent speakers. More than 200 attendees engaged in the progressive dialogue to create a leadership blueprint for future regional, professional and personal development.

The conference kicked off on a Thursday evening with a keynote address by civic leader David Cohen on the topic of “A New Day in Philadelphia: Leading the Way.” As Chair-Elect of the Board of Directors of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, Cohen urged women leaders to join him in shaping Philadelphia’s future and set the stage for big-picture thinking about leadership. Over breakfast the following day, Renee Chenault-Fattah led “A Conversation with Trailblazers: The Power in Choice” with The Honorable Marjorie O. Rendell, Judge, United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit and Susan Taylor, M.D., Director, Society Hill Dermatology. The conference continued with smaller breakout sessions throughout Friday morning and wrapped up with a general session over lunch by Suzanne Brown Levine, former editor of Ms. Magazine and author of Inventing the Rest of our Lives: Women in Second Adulthood. Nationally known as an authority on women, media matters and family issues, Levine ended with a more personal take on leadership, discussing “The Power in the Second Act.”

Forum member participation abounded in the mid-morning breakout sessions, which were designed to get women talking about key tactics needed in leadership today. From managing crisis to encouraging diversity, conference attendees discussed the importance of skillful maneuvering within increasingly complex organizations during the first set of sessions entitled “Life Cycle of a Crisis” and “Diversity: Acknowledging and Meeting Challenges to Leadership.” Responding appropriately to the media emerged as a critical skill in crisis management, while moving beyond political correctness surfaced as an important lesson for leveraging diversity to build meaningful relationships. As moderator of the diversity session, Mailee Walker pointed out that “leaders face increasing scrutiny to say the right thing, because their position makes them so visible.” How a leader communicates under sensitive situations is a large determinant in one’s leadership success.

Another leadership theme emerged in the second set of breakout sessions, “The Importance of Peripheral Vision for Fostering Innovation” and “Bridging the Millennium/Rock n Roll Generation Gap.” Leaders must anticipate environmental changes and evolve as new generations enter the workforce. “With so much uncertainty and risk than ever before, leaders need to think creatively about adapting their businesses,” says Forum member Patricia J. Owens, Chief Strategy Officer, Decision Strategies International, Inc. As Wharton fellow Dr. Roch Parayre alluded to in his presentation about innovation, Darwinian’s principles about survival-of-the-fittest are always at work. Leaders must ask the right questions, or they will no longer be asked the questions that leaders are meant to answer. For example, “asking Millenials how Facebook works helped Forum members answer the questions they had not yet asked…How does the new technology apply to business?...And how can we better understand our own children?” explains moderator Maryellen Lamb, who interacts daily with Millenials through her work at The Wharton School. Leaders always need to be forward-thinking and looking for new opportunities.

The Leadership Blueprint 2010 Committee surveyed attendees after the event and received overwhelmingly positive feedback. 84% of survey respondents agreed that the conference provided the opportunity to grow their professional network. But what specifically made this conference so successful? Beyond featuring prominent speakers, it allowed for a new level of interactivity—conversations reached a higher plane in a room full of Forum members, rather than strangers. Patricia Wellenbach, who chaired the planning committee, comments “what stood out for me was the sense of very candid sharing among the speakers and the attendees. It was personal, there was a lot of interaction, and the conversations were substantive and had great impact.” The sense of openness and genuine sharing of ideas was cited by several attendees as the best aspect of the conference. Suzanne Braun Levine, closing guest speaker and leading author, suggests that the aura of Leadership Blueprint 2010 was unique to this group of women. In her words, “So many conferences are interchangeable. The Forum’s was fresh and thought-provoking and thereby conveyed the inclusive, supportive, and innovative spirit of the whole organization.”

Pictured here (starting top left corner, moving left to right): Dr. Susan Taylor and Renee Chenault-Fattah; Leadership Blueprint Binder; Leading sponsor representatives Mary Austen (Tierney Communications) and Karen Buchholz (Comcast) at breakfast; and The Honorable Marjorie O. Rendell.

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The Forum of Executive Women gratefully acknowledges the companies and the people who supported our Leadership Conference:

LEADERSHIP BLUEPRINT 2010 PLANNING COMMITTEE

Patricia D. Wellenbach, Chair; Mary Stengel Austen; Terry D’Alessandro; Stefanie K. Fine; Vicki W. Kramer; Denise C. Marbach; Loraine A. McLellan; Jacqueline Shulman; Milissa M. Tadeo; Sharon S. Hardy, Executive Director; Patty Barr Russo, Conference Coordinator

Special Thanks to Susan Baltake, Jane Barr Pino & Associates, Roberta Murrell & Hyatt Regency Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing, Kate Hine & PSAV Presentation Services, Carl Alan Creations and Douglas Bovitt Photographer, for their contributions to the success of our Leadership Conference.

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The Forum Award for Emerging Women Leaders

Chipo M. Jolibois, currently a patent attorney with Flaster/Greenberg P.C., was presented with The 2008 Forum Award for Emerging Women Leaders at the Annual Meeting on June 17, 2008. Selected on the basis of her professional accomplishments and her community engagement, Ms. Jolibois represents the kind of leadership talent that The Forum seeks to retain in this region and encourages to participate in a broader role as a leader and mentor in the community. As the winner, she receives a scholarship, funded by The Forum Foundation, to a leadership development program and is invited to attend Forum of Executive Women programs throughout the year.

Chipo’s personal story begins in Zimbabwe, where she left at the age of 17 to pursue an undergraduate education in chemical engineering at Drexel University. After only one year at Drexel, her department advisor recommended her to Rohm and Haas for the company’s Minority Chemical Engineering Scholarship, which she was awarded. Upon graduation, she accepted a position at Rohm and Haas where she rose in level quickly and was recognized as a leader. While working full time, Chipo attended law school at night, graduating on time despite giving birth twice during that period. She also passed the Pennsylvania and New Jersey bar examinations and the patent bar examination – each the first time.

The Forum Award is selected annually by a committee of Forum members and previous award winners. This year’s Forum Award Committee, led by Melissa Weiler Gerber, made two small but noteworthy changes to the award—one to the name itself and one to the selection criteria. The award title has been lengthened with an italicized descriptor (The Forum Award for Emerging Women Leaders) to highlight the significance of the designation. In addition, the award is now presented to a woman with a minimum of five years and maximum of eight years professional experience versus the previous requirement of seven through ten years experience.

Ms. Jolibois is the 10^th Annual Forum Award winner. Melissa Weiler Gerber, previous award recipient and now Forum member, comments, "It has been a privilege to chair this committee for the last several years, and to witness the wealth of emerging women leaders our region boasts.  As a former Forum Award winner, I can attest to the value of the leadership training and the networking that accompany this award.  I trust I speak for all Forum members in saying how much we look forward to welcoming Chipo to Forum events over the course of the year and truly supporting her leadership development." Last year’s award recipient, Mailee Walker, is equally enthusiastic about Chipo’s selection and plans to create a new welcome breakfast, so that past award recipients may offer tips on making the most of her experience with The Forum.

Funding for the 2008 Forum Award has been provided by The Forum Foundation, which also funded last year’s award.  Established in 2004 by The Forum of Executive Women as a separate non-profit §501(c)(3) organization, The Forum Foundation supports initiatives that—like the Forum Award—promote the advancement of all women leaders in the Greater Philadelphia region. Ms. Jolibois, who finds time to serve her community and mentor women both inside and outside her profession, can be counted among a tiny number of women and minority patent attorneys in the United States.

We asked Forum members: “As a woman who has risen in your organization, what advice would you give women in leadership positions? How does you leadership style enable you to influence action and motivate those around you? What characteristics have you observed in successful leaders?” They answered:

Autumn Bayles: “If you want to do something or be considered for an opportunity, simply raise your hand and volunteer to do it. You can go places you never thought you could by volunteering to help, rather than asking or staying silent.”

Gail Bubenick, Ph.D.,Psy.D.: “From what the most recent business books tell us, it is the age of the right brainer.  Fortunately, many women have a natural dominance in the functions of the right brain: (1) strategic thinking, which includes seeing the big picture, visioning, seeing patterns, analogies, etc., and (2) stellar expressive capabilities which can forge relationships. Let's be proud of our strengths and use them. Partnering with those who are left brain dominant is a great way to put the whole brain to work!”

Judith Coche, Ph.D., who teaches leadership in the department of psychiatry at Penn: "Leadership is taking the lead" 

Jane M. Downey: “Go where you are guided; Do not be afraid to be different; Do your Homework!”

Stefanie Fine: “At JEVS Human Services, one of our core principles is ‘leadership at all levels.’ I use a leadership style that reflects this; searching out opportunities that enable staff to lead, practicing inclusive decision making, and emphasizing reward and recognition.  At the same time, as women in leadership, we need to be prepared to make tough decisions including being sure that you have great staff in jobs that are a good fit.”  

Paulette A. Gabriel: “As women, we understand the paradox of diversity and inclusiveness; building communities that nourish the positive spirit in a diverse set of employees, while maintaining a shared focus is part of our DNA as women.”  

Lori A. Greenawalt: “Our highest expectation of our people should be that they continually learn, and our recognition needs to be that their perspective is limited to the experiences they have encountered.”

Grace Migliaccio: “Don't ever forget that no matter where your career goes or what you've achieved, no matter how you measure success or how big the dogs are that you run with, that you are a WOMAN and that a woman, or women, helped you get there. Whether you had an extraordinary woman as a mentor or boss, a mother who inspired you to achieve your potential, or women who forged career paths to make the road a little (or a lot) smoother for you, you benefitted from their legacy. Now it's your turn to pay the favor forward: leave a legacy that helps a woman (or women!). As Madeleine Albright says, ‘There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help each other. A woman with power must understand that, in actuality, her role is to help others. For a woman who wants to be at the center of power, she must understand that her power is actually maximized by encouraging more women to participate in the system.’ ”

Audrey R. Johnson Thornton, President, American Women’s Heritage Society: “Visionary leadership is expressed through a mission dedicated to education in history preservation exhibits at Belmont Mansion. This leadership style values dignity, determination and pride. This is the same style that helps people work together, commit to positive change, and become successful leaders…”

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ABOUT THE FORUM’S 2008-2009 Board of Directors

The Forum of Executive Women’s Officers for the upcoming year are: Elva L. Bankins, as President; Ellen Toplin as Vice President; Terry D’Alessandro as Secretary; and Autumn Bayles as Treasurer. Members of the 2008-2009 Board of Directors include: Nila G. Betof; Karen D. Buchholz; Stefanie K. Fine; Melissa Weiler Gerber; Rosalyn J. McPherson; Grace Migliaccio; Carmen I. Paris; Gloria V. Rabinowitz; Lori F. Reiner; Tara L. Weiner; Lesley Mallow Wendell; and Lisa P. Young.

More about “Food and Finance” Affinity Group

The “Food and Finance” Affinity Group has typically met for just-over-an-hour-long lunch, usually on the first Wednesday of each month at CHOPS, 401 City Avenue—an easy-to-access location with free valet parking. Typically 10-12 Forum Members attend and meet around a square table in a private room, which allows everyone to participate freely.  The group is planning a special evening on August 5th hosted outdoors at Rachel's home. Discussions begin with macro level economic and political events, and then drill down to the effects on an individual investor.  Each member contributes to the discussion in her own way and shares their personal experiences to make it both fun and interesting.  

The topics are decided by group interest.  Recent ones include: “How to Best Invest in Today’s Current Economic Environment”, “Protecting your Financial Identity” and “Positives and Negatives for a Weak Dollar.” Members with all levels of knowledge are welcomed.  Some of the members of the group include…Francine Carb, Maureen Breakiron-Evans, Stephanie Fine, Jane Firth, Karen Kaufman, Andrea Kramer, Linda McAleer, Carol Orobono, Bonnie Perry and Lynn Warshaw with a total of 20 on our list. If interested please email Rachel Cohen at rachel_cohen@ml.com or call her at 610-220-1751 and ask to be included on the email distribution list, so that you may be informed about future lunch or dinner discussions. New topic discussion ideas are also welcomed. 

More about “Dinner and a Book” Affinity Group

The “Dinner and a Book” group meets the second Wednesday of each month at a restaurant in the Philadelphia suburbs. Discussion of the most recent book, Three Cups of Tea, took place at the Drafting Room in Spring House, starting at 6pm on June 11, 2008.

The group’s first book was Never Eat Alone (at Astor Place in Lansdale), and the second was The Girls Who Went Away (at The William Penn Inn in North Wales). The discussions were lively and full of self-reflection and sharing. One of the group’s members, Anna DiDio, led the discussion of The Girl Who Went Away, because of the book’s personal relevance to her—she has an adopted daughter from South America. Some of the women in the group included Lynda Barness, Randee Janisewski, Pam Davis, Kathleen Owens, Carol Barbour, among several others. Currently, there are over twenty people on the distribution list, and anyone is invited to join. If interested, please send an email to Shawn@TheProfessionalDevelopmentGroup.com or call Shawn at 215-588-1188, so she may give you details about the next book and location.

 

Forum members are encouraged to view the on-line Message Boards (in order to view, please make sure that you are logged onto the website first). The Message Boards are a great place to share Job Postings and Member News, among other topics of choice. They are easy to read, post information, and/or start your own message board. The Forum also asks for your help in posting any articles you may see about the demand for women on corporate boards through our Media Watch message board. 

The Forum office will be sending the membership an e-mail shortly, asking you to complete the Update Member Profile section in The Forum’s on-line Member Directory. Enhancing the current directory was one of The Forum’s goals this year. The updated directory will offer members the ability to search the various data fields, providing them the opportunity to learn more about one another, build new collegial relationships, and network more efficiently and effectively. It will also be used by Forum committees to reach out to members as various board positions and service opportunities arise. The New Data Categories are as Follows: Current Business Structure; Degree Type; Forum Committee Membership; Core Competencies; International Experience; Education (types of degrees, universities attended, certifications held); and Senior Management Experience; Board Experience (public, private-for profit, non-profit). The updated directory will be ready for view on The Forum Web site in early September 2008.  

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Stay in-the-know about the recent accomplishments of Forum Members. The Forum of Executive Women collects your news about board appointments, awards/honors, publications/speeches, and other business/personal news. For regular Member Updates between newsletter releases, please visit the Message Boards on The Forum’s website

Lynn R. Axelroth, Partner, Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, was appointed to a three-year term on the Board of Governors of The American College of Construction Lawyers (ACCL). ACCL is the premier organization for construction lawyers, composed of the top one percent of attorneys practicing construction law in the U.S. 

Lynn Clarke (formerly Nowicki), CEO of Metrokitchen.com, is one of 10 "board-ready" women selected by The Board of Directors Network (Atlanta), aligned with our shared mission to achieve public board positions.

Tine Hansen-Turton, Executive Director of the National Nursing Centers Consortium and Convenient Care Association, was elected Chairperson of the Caring People Alliance (CPA).  Arlene Bell who heads up the CPA is also a Forum Member.

Gail Kass, President/CEO, Presbyterian Foundation for Philadelphia/NewCourtland Elder Services, has become a trustee on the board of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She also sits on the Student Life Committee. 

Suzanne S. Mayes, Esq., Member of Cozen O’Connor, was recently elected to the Board of Directors of Mount Saint Joseph Academy, an all girls private Catholic school in Flourtown, PA, of which she is an alumna.

Patricia B. Miller, CEO for Nobel Learning Communities, Inc., has been appointed to the Board of Directors of PathWaysPA, a social services non-profit agency that serves low-income women, children and families as they move from poverty to career development and self-sufficiency. 

Suzanne B. Rowland, Managing Director, Energy & Environmental Enterprices, Inc. was elected to the Board of Directors of LB Foster (NASDAQ: FSTR), Pittsburgh PA. 

Nina Segre,Esq., Partner, Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads, LLP, was recently elected to the Council of the Dorchester Condominium. She was also recently appointed to the Board of the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation.

Milissa M. Tadeo, Senior Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, was recently asked to serve on the Villanova Business School Dean's Advisory Board.  

Daniela Holt Voith, AIA, LEED AP, Voith and Mactavish, Architects, was recently appointed to the Philadelphia Zoning Code Commission by Mayor Michael Nutter. She had previously served on the Architectural Advisory Committee of the Philadelphia Historical Commission (2004-2007) and Team Pennsylvania Foundation Board (2003-2006).

Ilene Wasserman, Founder and Principal, ICW Consulting Group, has been selected to serve on the Board of Governors of the Center for Creative Leadership.

Kathleen D. Wilkinson (Partner-Philadelphia) of Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker, LLP, has been elected Secretary of the Philadelphia Bar Association. In other news, Wilkinson was reappointed by Governor Edward G. Rendell to the Interbranch Commission for Gender, Racial, and Ethnic Fairness. Her new term extends until January 2011.

 

AWARDS AND HONORS

Autumn Bayles, SVP Strategic Operations, Tasty Baking Company, received the “Pennsylvania’s Best 50 Women in Business” award in May 2008.

Jane M. Downey, ARM, M. Ed., President, Clarity Concepts, Inc., received the Outstanding Educator Award from the Insurance Society of Philadelphia. This award, from ISOP’s board, is given to faculty members who have contributed significantly to continuing education programs. As a risk and leadership expert, Jane has run private workshops for clients of Aon and EHD as well as classes in Risk Management and Directors & Officers Liability Insurance.

JoAnne Fischer, Executive Director, Maternity Care Coalition, was honored by the Bryn Mawr College School of Social Work with a Social Research Alumna Achievement Award. She was also awarded one of two scholarships from the Harvard Business School Club of Philadelphia as part of the Social Enterprise Initiative. The scholarship sends local nonprofit executives to a course in Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management at the Harvard Business School this summer.

Abbe F. Fletman, shareholder at Flaster/Greenberg, was recently named one of "25 Women of the Year" Lawyers in Pennsylvania by the Legal Intelligencer and Pennsylvania Law Weekly. She also serves as the 2007-08 co-chairwoman of the Woman Advocate Committee of the American Bar Association, a committee that supports women litigators.

Gloria Guard, President of People’s Emergency Center (PEC), received the Distinguished Leadership Award from the Community College of Philadelphia, and she was selected by the Greater Philadelphia Leadership Exchange to participate in its Atlanta Leadership Program. In addition, PEC has been selected as the Lead Agency in the Sustainable Communities effort in West Philadelphia.

Randee Janiszewski, PhD. LUTCF, Business Owner, Janiszewski State Farm Insurance, was invited to Hollywood, Florida in early May to celebrate her office's achievement of State Farm's Chairman's Circle. Only the top agents across the country receive this honor each year, and this was Randee's third qualification.  

Linda J. McAleer, President and Founder of The Melior Group, was recently presented with The Leadership Award from WOMEN’S WAY. The Leadership Award is given to an individual or entity in the region with an exemplary record of involvement with women's issues and a commitment to the mission and goals of WOMEN’S WAY.

Afaf I. Meleis, Margaret Bond Simon Dean of Nursing and Professor of Nursing and Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, has been chosen as the 2008 Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFN) International Distinguished Leadership award recipient based on her outstanding work in the global healthcare community. She has also recently been awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Medicine degree from Linköping University in Sweden for her contributions to its faculty and the University. 

Bonnie Perry, President/Consumer Psychologist, Bonita L. Perry Associates, received the 2008 Harriton Heroes Award for her volunteer contributions to the Harriton High School community. This included coaching the high school's debate team for ten years and taking the team to the State Championship finals this year.

Gaytana Pino, President of Paper And Ribbon Supply Co., was recently invited to a reception hosted by Governor Corzine for the 2008 NJBIZ top 50 women in Business at the Governor's Mansion in Princeton.  Pino is also the Chair of the Cherry Hill Zoning Board, the Chair of the MassMutual Women's Advisory Board, and the Chair of the Cherry Hill Arts Board.  Paper And Ribbon Supply Co., a National Distributor of Computer Supplies, Paper, Ribbon, Ink jet and Toner, headquartered in Cherry Hill, NJ, is celebrating its 25 year Anniversary.

Sherrie R. Savett, Chair of Berger & Montague’s Securities Litigation Department, was one of “25 Women of the Year” honored by The Legal Intelligencer and Pennsylvania Law Weekly. Describing Savett as “a prominent figure nationally,” the article notes that “recent cases have only raised her stature.”

Kathleen D. Wilkinson (Partner-Philadelphia) of Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker, LLP, is the 2008 recipient of the Anne X. Alpern Award from the Pennsylvania Bar Association. She was also recently named one of "25 Women of the Year" Lawyers in Pennsylvania by the Legal Intelligencer and Pennsylvania Law Weekly.

Barbara Eisner, M.A., M.C.P., President, Leading Impact, Inc., moderated a region-wide panel in April for Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association for women in science who have transitioned into leadership, entitled “From the Bench to the Boardroom”.  She was also quoted for leadership development advice in an article on career development in PharmaVoice magazine in March.

Paulette Gabriel, President, Key Leadership Initiatives, has been asked to speak at Temple University, Penn State University and for the Philadelphia Society for Human Resources Management on Authentic Leadership, a report on the findings of her three-year research study on the connection between personal transformations and transformational leadership.

Pamela Godwin, President, Change Partners, Inc., was recently a featured speaker at the following events: The Conference Board’s 2008 Women’s Leadership Conference in New York on April 3-4 as a panelist for New Strategies for Change with Toni Maureen Breakiron-Evans and Roxanne Douglas; and Southern Vermont College 2007-2008 Lecture Series, The Choice to Lead in Changing Times on April 7, 2008.

Cathy L. Greenberg, PhD., Founding and Managing Partner of h2c (Healthy Companies, Happy People), continues to speak nationally and internationally on the "new science of happiness.” She will be the keynote speaker at the 10th Annual Linkage Women's Summit this November in San Francisco with over 700 attendees, and on board the Celebrity and Crystal Cruise lines throughout 2008. Her work is now featured on two of the most popular networking sites for women: w2wlink.com; and "fwm” (findingwhatmatters.com), founded by former star from The Apprentice, Carolyn Kepcher (and Co.).  She encourages you to visit these sites to meet wonderful women from all over the world with 42M members globally.

Lori Greenawalt, Partner at KPMG, was a speaker at the Working Mother’s 4 Genz 4 Biz Summit Creating Cross Generation Workability in NYC in May. She also participated in the Simmon’s School of Management Leadership Conference for Women in Boston earlier this month and as a sponsor organization had an opportunity to meet with the closing conference speaker, Gloria Estefan. Finally, Lori recently completed her fourth annual trip to Peru as a volunteer with Medical Ministry International (www.mmint.org).  

Anne Sceia Klein, President of Anne Klein Communications Group, LLC, spoke about "Managing Crisis Communications" at the 10^th annual New Jersey Emergency Preparedness Association (NJEPA) Conference on May 9 at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, NJ.

Kyra McGrath and Lorraine Koc, led a panel discussion on “Defining Success” at the 9^th Annual DuPont Conference on Women and the Practice of Law on April 9, 2008 in Wilmington, Delaware.  

Dr. Karol M. Wasylyshyn, President of Leadership Development Forum, has been invited to submit an article to the juried journal, Consulting Psychology, published by the American Psychological Association.  Her article, “Behind-the-Door: Leader Vignettes in Poetic Form”, will be included in a special issue on the topic of leadership development due in the first quarter of 2009. She was also invited to give a lecture, entitled, “Executive Minds: Behind-the-Curtain,” in the Advanced Management Program at The Wharton School.

Mary Stengel Austen, President/CEO, Tierney Communications, announces that her agency held its bi-annual Gallery Night on May 7th, showcasing the works of artists from the Bridgette Mayer Gallery. Tierney Communications made a $2,500 contribution to The Big Pitch, an organization dedicated to promoting diversity within Philadelphia's advertising community by offering high school students six weeks of after-school programs at local agencies.

Gail Bubenick, Ph.D.,Psy.D., CEO, SIERRA Communications, Inc., reports that her company has the following new contracts: the development of strategic thinking capabilities as they are applied to work transformation with a large pharma company; strategic planning to increase employee engagement with a major hospital system; and training of technical employees in how to be consultants for an IT company.

Page S. Morahan, Ph.D., Co-Director, Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM), Drexel University College of Medicine, reports that ELAM’s positive impact on leadership behaviors and career progression has been documented in the article “Evaluating a leadership program: A comparative, longitudinal study to assess the impact of the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Program for Women,” published in May in the journal Academic Medicine. ELAM participants scored higher on 15 of 16 leadership indicators. Differences were statistically significant for 12 indicators.

Robin Neifield, CEO, NetPlus Marketing, announces that NetPlus has won Philadelphia AMA’s Marketer of the Year award for the second consecutive year. NetPlus has partnered with Armstrong Floors and Phillips Seafood, and is launching an innovative, interactive new Web site for the Broadway show A Tale of Two Cities opening at the Hirschfeld Theater in September.

Patricia J. Owens joined Decision Strategies International as Chief Strategy Officer in the fall of 2007.  Decision Strategies International (DSI) provides strategic consulting and executive education services to Fortune 500 companies around the world.  Patti was also recently named to this year’s list of Pennsylvania’s Best Women in Business.

Lori F. Reiner, CPA, Partner, Goldenberg Rosenthal, LLP, announces that, effective July 1, 2008, her firm, Goldenberg Rosenthal LLP, is combining with Amper, Politziner & Mattia, CPAs, a large regional accounting firm with offices throughout New Jersey and New York . The combination creates a Top 25 accounting firm with 84 partners, 600 total employees and annual revenues of $113 million. The name of the combined firm will be Amper, Politziner & Mattia.

Lesley Mallow Wendell, President Rosewood Consulting Group, completed training in January on several SchellingPoint software tools.  She is now certified to deliver consulting services using SchellingPoint's Human Coordination Technology to help clients sustain alignment around a variety of business processes. Rosewood Consulting Group was recently selected by First Person Arts to provide capacity building consulting services through a grant from The Philadelphia Foundation. 

Lynn Clarke (formerly Nowicki) was married on May 17 to Roger Clarke in Greenwich, CT. She will be living there and in Atlanta where her business, www.metrokitchen.com, is headquartered.

Melissa Weiler Gerber, Executive Director of WOMEN’S WAY (WW), is gathering roughly 75-100 community activists and leaders from a wide range of greater Philadelphia region non-profits serving women, girls and families for the WOMEN’S WAY 4th Annual Women’s Issues Summit on June 30, 2008. Findings from the event will help WW develop funding priorities for the upcoming two cycles of its Community Women’s Fund, and guide its education and advocacy agenda for the next year. For the spring 2008 cycle, WW distributed $209,904 in grants to 17 Philadelphia area nonprofit organizations.

Cathy Greenberg’s new book, What Happy Working Mothers Know, is now under development. She invites Forum members to contact her via email (cathy@h2cleadership.com) if interested in sharing personal stories or being interviewed for the book. 

Lorraine Koc, Vice President and General Counsel, DebShops Inc., is on the planning committee of the Fourth Annual Women Lawyers General Counsel Institute of the National Association of Women Lawyers ® (NAWL) scheduled for November 6-7, 2008 in New York City, featuring nationally prominent lawyers and business leaders in a program designed to help top in-house women lawyers build professional and managerial skills. The conference features Jan Crawford Greenburg, ABC News Legal Correspondence and author of Supreme Conflict: The Inside Story, and sessions on “Building Constituencies Inside the Company and Out” and “Women as Leaders,” co-sponsored by Catalyst for Women.

Nancy Moses and Susan Jaffe are among the seven women who recently launched WOMEN FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION, a giving circle dedicated to improving the lives of regional women, girls and families. Their pooled donations will be used to underwrite the "Turning Point Prize," given annually to a young social entrepreneur—a student enrolled in a higher education institution—whose project promises to bring a fresh approach to a time-worn problem or emerging issue. The Giving Circle is operating through a donor-advised fund of WOMEN's WAY. Some slots are available, so if you would like to consider joining, please email nancy@nancymoses.com to learn more. 

Mariska K. Bogle
Director of Strategic Planning and Business Development
The Philadelphia Tribune
520 South 16^th Street
Philadelphia, PA  19146
Phone:  215-893-5751
Email:  planning@phila-tribune.com

Jan R. Figueira
CEO
Girls Incorporated of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey
1315 Walnut Street, Suite 1400
Philadelphia, PA  19107
Phone:  215-735-7775
Fax:  215-735-7898
Email:  JFigueira@girlsincpa-nj.org

Holly Flanagan
Senior Director of Strategic Alliances
Barclays Bank
100 South West Street
Wilmington, DE  19801
Phone:  302-255-8048
Fax: 302-255-8160
Email:  hflanagan@barclaycardus.com

Julia A. Haller, M.D.
Ophthalmologist-in-Chief
Wills Eye Institute
840 Walnut Street, Suite 1510
Philadelphia, PA  19107
Phone: 215-928-3073
Email: jhaller@willseye.org

Lisa R. Jacobs
Partner
Pepper Hamilton LLP
3000 Two Logan Square
18^th & Arch Streets
Philadelphia, PA  19103
Phone:  610-520-1151
Fax:  484-380-3761
Email:  jacobsl@pepperlaw.com

Melanie Johnson
Communications Director
Office of the City Representative
1515 Arch Street, 12^th Floor
Philadelphia, PA  19102
Phone:  215-683-2062
Fax:  215-683-2099
Email:  melanie.johnson@phila.gov

Audrey R. Johnson-Thornton
President
American Women’s Heritage Society
2000 Belmont Mansion Drive
Philadelphia, PA  19131
Phone: 215-878-8844
Fax:  215-878-9439
Email:  bthorn1653@aol.com

Theresa M. Larivee
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Fox Chase Cancer Center
333 Cottman Avenue
Philadelphia, PA  19111
Phone:  215-646-5937
Email:  TMLarivee@optonline.net

Mary Ludford
Vice President, Customer Operations
PECO Energy
2301 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19109
Phone:  215-841-5436
Fax:  215-841-5432
Email:  mary.ludford@exeloncorp.com

Gina Merritt-Epps, Esq.
Associate General Counsel & Assistant Secretary
South Jersey Industries
1 South Jersey Plaza
Folsom, NJ  08037
Phone:  609-567-4000 x 4151
Fax:  609-561-7130
Email:  gmerritt@sjindustries.com

Anne Papageorge
Vice President, Facilities and Real Estate Services
University of Pennsylvania
3101 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA  19104
Phone:  215-299-1244
Email:  annepa@upenn.edu

Patricia Weeks
Weeks Consulting
100 Forest Road
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone: 856-234-4744
Fax: 856-234-3036
Email: patweeks@comcast.net

Ellen C. Wolf
Senior Vice President and CFO
American Water
1025 Laurel Oak Road
Voorhees, NJ  08043
Phone:  856-346-8304
Fax:  856-346-8330
Email:  Ellen.Wolf@amwater.com

Please share any comments and/or news with Amy Hibler, newsletter editor, at amyhibler@alumni.upenn.edu.