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Alisa Griffin (2010 Richmond Area ABWA
Council Chair): The American
Business Women’s Association has been in Richmond for almost
40 years. We are pleased to recognize the longest serving
active members for each of our local groups. When I call
your name, please come forward to receive a recognition
certificate from our national president:
Mary Mickle, Mary McLeod
Bethune Chapter, 27 years
Joan Rogers, Maggie L. Walker
Chapter, 29 years
Edna Wright, Virginia Randolph, 30 years
Roxann Saultz-Dikteruk, River City
Express Network, 32 years
Virginia Getz, Cavalier Chapter, 39 years
Irene Bates, James River Chapter, 39 years
Marianne Lawrence (2010 Richmond Area ABWA
Council Communications Officer): Each
year, ABWA chapters and networks emphasize the outstanding
achievements and contributions of their members by electing
a Woman of the Year. It is an honor to introduce to you this
year’s very special women:
Wanda K. Shea, Cavalier Chapter. Wanda
is a Clerk II with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Joan R. Rogers, Maggie L. Walker Chapter. Joan is retired.
Rita P. Edwards, Mary McLeod Bethune Chapter. Rita is a
Financial Banker with Wells Fargo.
Mary Foley, River City Express Network. Mary is the Woman in
Charge at Bodacious Ventures.
Rheba G. Gwaltney, Virginia Randolph Chapter. Rheba is a
Single Family Housing Specialist with
the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Congratulations to all of you! From this
group, the Council names the Richmond Woman of the Year. A
bit later in the program, we’ll tell you who that is.
Earlier this evening, I told you about the
ABWA Top Ten Business Women program. Each chapter and
network in the Association has the opportunity to nominate a
member to the national Top Ten. Candidates are judged on
criteria established by ABWA national headquarters and are
asked to answer a number of questions about their personal
goals, ABWA experience, formal education, career
accomplishments and community involvement.
Two Richmond members were nominated to the 2011 Top Ten:
Cavalier Chapter’s Beatrice E. Burton, Senior
Accounting Analyst at Tredegar Film Products Corporation and
Trina B. Willard, a member of River City
Express Network, and Principal, Knowledge Advisory Group.
Congratulations!
Griffin:
In 1989 the Friendship,
Leadership and Scholarship awards were established and in
1993 we added the Richmond Woman of the Year award. The
Richmond Council Awards will be presented by Barbara
Pedersen, ABWA District IV Vice President and Doris Brown,
American Business Woman of ABWA.
The Friendship
Award recipient will be introduced by Alethia Holmes of
James River Chapter.
Alethia Holmes (ABW Day Planning
Committee): Friendship in ABWA is
women supporting women and the mutual respect that
transcends job, age, and other boundaries. It is taking a
genuine interest in one another and providing understanding,
encouragement and a helping hand whenever needed. Friendship
is a bridge built of trust, openness, understanding,
respect, care, approval and love.
The Friendship Award is presented to the ABWA
member who most exemplifies the meaning of friendship in
ABWA. The 2010 Friendship Award goes to:
Muriel Doretha Wimberly of Maggie L. Walker Chapter
Muriel is an Office Associate III with the
Richmond Public Schools. She has been a member of ABWA and
the Maggie L. Walker Chapter since 1991.
In 1991, her first year of membership, she
served as Newsletter Editor for her chapter – a position she
held until 2002! She has served in many offices and
committee chairs and was selected her chapter’s Woman of the
Year in 1994 and 2005.
Muriel has served in leadership positions on
the Richmond ABWA Area Council, the 2004 ABWA National
Convention in Richmond and the 2007 District Conference in
Norfolk.
Her nominators for this award say she clearly
exemplifies the qualities of friendship. She finds it easy
to link her family, friends and associates to the places
that will strengthen others around her. She is trustworthy
and encourages others to do their best and be their best.
She is open and accepting to diversity, respectful and
understanding of others.
She has been actively involved with the
National, Virginia, and Richmond Education Associations. Her
caring and compassion is exemplified by her service as a
volunteer and mentor for the Virginia Special Olympics.
Congratulations Muriel!
Brenda Spell will introduce this year’s
Leadership Award recipient.
Brenda Spell (Richmond Area ABWA Council
Financial Officer):
Leaders have a vision and are
able to communicate that vision to others and to act to
bring it about. Leaders are friendly, decisive, and have
good management skills. An effective leader inspires others
to take action and promotes productive change. She has a
strong desire to achieve, and at the same time, she takes
the time to be a mentor and to groom her successors. The
Leadership Award is presented to the business woman who most
represents these qualities of leadership.
The 2010 Leadership award is presented to:
Cindy Ashwell Mims, River City Express Network
Cindy is Executive Director of NeighborWorks
Resource Group, a private, non-profit organization created
specifically to present opportunities for low and moderate
income families preparing to purchase affordable homes and
to strengthen communities in Richmond and central Virginia.
Cindy also is a Realtor, affiliated with River City Blues
Realty.
Since joining ABWA in 1987, Cindy has served
in many roles. She was one of the founding members of River
City Express Network in 2001 and currently serves as their
Vice President of Finance.
In 1996 she was elected to the ABWA national
board of directors as District IV Vice President.
She was named to the 2002 Top Ten Business
Women of ABWA and she co-chaired the 2004 ABWA national
convention in Richmond.
Cindy has been an ABWA and community leader
for most of her adult life. She has served on the boards of
Virginia Supportive Housing, Housing Opportunities Made
Equal, the Richmond Economic Development Corporation and the
Board of Commissioners for the Richmond Redevelopment and
Housing Authority.
From the beginning of her membership in ABWA,
she has never been one who sits on the sidelines, letting
others do the work. As a team leader, she is enthusiastic
and supportive. She knows how to bring team members
together, yet not smother them. She is not afraid to “rock
the boat” when necessary for her team’s success and she
bridges differences with grace and a sense of humor.
Her fellow ABWA members, business colleagues
and community leaders all agree that this Leadership Award
is most appropriate to honor her years of service to her
association and her community.
Congratulations, Cindy!
Beatrice E. Burton will introduce the
recipient of the Scholarship Award.
Beatrice E. Burton (Richmond Area ABWA
Council Vice Chair):
ABWA is devoted to the
advancement of business women. In addition to the millions
of dollars contributed for scholarships for women seeking to
further their education, ABWA provides opportunities for its
members to learn and develop important business skills.
ABWA chapters provide learning experiences
for members and others in the community. The Scholarship
Award is given to the business woman who has done an
outstanding job of helping others learn by providing career
direction and serving as a mentor, guide and teacher.
The 2010 Scholarship Award goes to:
Brenda Gail Spell, Cavalier
Chapter
A member of ABWA and Cavalier Chapter since
1999, Brenda is an Acquisition Specialist with the
Department of Defense’s Defense Supply Center Richmond. In
that role, she buys parts for the aviation war
fighter.
As a Cavalier Chapter member, Brenda has
served several terms as Membership Chair and Professional
Development Chair. She was the Director of Recruitment for
the 2007 ABWA District Conference. She serves her community
as a member of the Young Women’s Christian League, Alpha
Kappa Alpha Sorority and the Mt Tabor Baptist Church.
She receives this Scholarship Award for her
continuing passion to help others learn. She holds a Master
of Education degree and helps provide guidance to parents of
young children regarding their education and higher
education direction to adults.
She believes learning is a lifelong
experience and is a firm believer that you can never learn
too much!
Congratulations, Brenda!
Griffin:
To commemorate Richmond’s 15th
anniversary celebration of ABW Day, the Richmond STAR awards
were established in 2000. Each year five business categories
are selected for the awards. This year’s award winners are
honored for outstanding achievement in The Arts, Education,
Law, Media, and Small Business Management.
National President Casey Coven and National
Vice President Pam Carvell will present the Richmond STAR
awards.
The 2010 Richmond STAR for
the Arts is Christy S. Coleman.
Christy Coleman is President of the American
Civil Was Center at Historic Tredegar. The Center is the
nation’s first museum to explore the war’s causes, course
and legacies from Union, Confederate and African-American
perspectives.
As President, Ms. Coleman is responsible for
the strategic vision, planning, direction and execution of
the museum’s mission. This involves cultivation and
stewardship of a variety of relationships with visitors,
scholars, stakeholders, elected officials, opinion leaders,
business leaders and donors.
Ms. Coleman was raised in Williamsburg and
received her BA in Independent Studies and her Master of
Arts in Museum Studies from Hampton University. She is a
member of the American Association of Museums, the African
American Association of Museums and the National Council for
Public History.
During her short 2-year tenure at the Civil
War Center, visitation has increased nearly 20%,
contributions have rebounded following the worst of the
recession, and strategic initiatives are being finalized and
will be publically launched in the near future.
Ladies and gentlemen, please help me
congratulate Christy Coleman, Richmond’s 2010 STAR for the
Arts!
Lawrence: Dr.
Darlene L. Currie is the 2010 Richmond STAR for Education.
As Director of Professional Development for
the Richmond Public Schools, Dr. Currie collaborates with
all departments to assess employee training needs and to
support their professional and educational development. She
coordinates individual, on site and division wide
professional development and works closely with local and
national universities and organizations to provide training.
Dr. Currie coordinates the year-long mentor
teacher program for new teachers, ensuring that state
federal training requirements are met and accurately
reported. This high quality program has resulted in strong
new teacher retention.
Dr. Currie received her Bachelor of Science
in Education from Ohio University, her Masters of Education
from the University of Pittsburgh, and her Doctorate of
Education from the University of Southern California.
She is a member of the Scholarship and
Standards Committee of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and a
member of First Baptist Church.
Dr. Currie says that becoming an effective
and compassionate teacher will always be her biggest career
success. In her words, “There is no greater reward than
watching someone, a young student or an adult learner,
embrace the content being delivered and using the
information for a greater good for their life. … I believe
passionately and profoundly that helping someone learn and
supporting their learning and development is my personal and
professional mandate.”
Congratulations, Dr. Darlene Currie, 2010
Richmond Education STAR.
Griffin:
Lara Dresser is the 2010 Richmond STAR for
the Law.
Ms. Dresser is the Law Librarian at the
Richmond Public Law Library. The Library endeavors to
provide high quality legal reference services to the general
public, members of the legal profession, and public
officials such as judges, public defenders and prosecutors.
Ms. Dresser’s responsibilities include
assisting the general public, government agency employees,
the judiciary, legal professionals and library staff with
legal information services. She manages all collection
development for the law library, teaches legal research
classes and maintains the library’s resources and updates
the catalog. She prepares statistical reports, revises and
maintains the law library website and manages all
operational issues of the library.
Ms. Dresser attended the University of Oregon
where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in
Psychology and the University of Washington, where she
earned her Masters of Library and Information Science. She
received her law degree from the Southwestern University
School of Law.
She has developed an interest in
rock-climbing and mountaineering “late in life” (her words,
not mine!) and hopes to have the mental and physical
discipline and strength to pursue these interests. She
encourages others to pursue their goals and interests – no
matter what age they are or what stage of life.
Congratulations, Lara Dresser, 2010 Richmond
Law STAR!
Lawrence: Melissa
Perdue is the 2010 Richmond Media STAR.
Melissa Perdue is Assistant Director of
Public Affairs at the Virginia Department of Social
Services, supporting a system of approximately 11,000 social
services employees.
She has more than 20 years of experience in
public affairs and media relations. As Assistant Director at
VDSS, she develops and implements state and local public
affairs campaigns, including social media, and educational
outreach programs. She also coordinates local and national
media relation campaigns, media buys, and conducts research
for VDSS.
Ms. Perdue attended Virginia Commonwealth
University, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and
certifications as a Fundraising Executive and a Planned
Giving Specialist.
She says her biggest career success to date
is her involvement with the Act on Poverty Initiative. She
coordinated the task force for the summit, coordinating
public meetings to gain input and suggestions to address the
issue of poverty across the Commonwealth. The event was
picked up by national and international media and was seen
as far away as India.
Ms. Perdue says she will continue her
professional development to learn new ways to do public
relations and public affairs and to be able to influence and
mentor others.
Congratulations, Melissa Perdue, 2010
Richmond STAR for Media!
Griffin:
The 2010 Richmond STAR for Small
Business Management is Sharvette Mitchell.
As the owner of Mitchell Productions, a
company created to provide economical and stylish online
marketing solutions, Sharvette Mitchell creates effective
websites and online marketing tools that assist authors,
artists, small businesses, ministries and non-profits with
showcasing their organization or products and services to
the world. Mitchell Productions also provides facilitation
and guest speaker services for conferences and seminars.
On a weekly basis, Sharvette can be heard
live on “The Sharvette Mitchell Radio Show” which broadcasts
on www.BlogTalkRadio.com. The goal of her show is to
motivate, excite and influence.
In addition to Mitchell Productions and her
radio show, Ms. Mitchell has been employed with Capital One
Bank for 17 years. Her current role as a Learning Consultant
in Capital One University allows her to work with various
associates form the Corporate Compliance Division in the
area of training development and project/process management.
She holds a Marketing degree from Virginia Commonwealth
University.
In her spare time, she volunteers at New
Jerusalem International Christian Ministries as the lead
Ministry Affairs Coordinator.
We’re pleased to honor Sharvette Mitchell as
the 2010 Richmond Small Business Management STAR.
Congratulations to all our 2010 Richmond
STARs.
Earlier in
tonight’s program, you met the 2010 Richmond chapter and
network Women of the Year.
From this impressive group of women, our
judges had the difficult task of selecting the Richmond Area
Council Woman of the Year. The award will be presented by
Barbara Pedersen and Doris Brown.
The 2010 Richmond Woman of the Year is Mary
Foley of River City Express Network.
Mary Foley says she has been trying to
increase her sanity, confidence and fun ever since her
freshman year as an engineering student at Virginia Tech.
During a 10 year career at AOL she thrived on
the company’s intense hyper-growth, being promoted four
times and becoming the company’s first head of Corporate
Training. She survived six layoffs, a difficult marriage,
and bumped her head on the glass ceiling, even though she’s
only 5’ 2” tall.
Not satisfied to settle, Mary reached deep
inside to find the inner courage - the bodaciousness - to
reinvent her life. That decision set her on a path where she
has never looked back.
She went on to earn a Master’s degree in
Organization Development, became co-owner of the human
resources company, started her own company Bodacious!
Ventures, and wrote her first book, all by the age of 36.
Today, Mary is the author of three books, a
popular national speaker, and the co-host of the Girlfriend
We Gotta Talk! radio show. Instead of solving engineering
problems she offers women practical, fresh, fun advice to
empower their lives, thrive on change, and bodaciously lead
themselves and others.
Her latest book, Live Like Your Nail Color,
Even If You Have Naked Nails became an instant Amazon
category bestseller in Beauty and Fashion, Self-Esteem, and
Success. You could say Mary went from math to manicures.
Mary has been a member of River City Express
Network since 2006. She has worked with the Biz Fair
Committee and has chaired the Community Partnerships
Committee for two years. She has attended several district
and national ABWA conferences and has taken her show on the
road, speaking to ABWA groups across the country.
Last year, Mary produced a promotional CD
about River City Express Network, along with a special nail
color “River City Red”!
Mary is an enthusiastic and committed member
of ABWA and RCEN. We are pleased to honor her as our 2010
Richmond Woman of the Year! |
