Ventura County Professional Women’s Network
January - March 2009
VCPWN
Meeting Calendar
Location:
Wedgewood Banquet Center
5880 Olivas Park Dr. Ventura
2nd Thursdays Every Month:
Networking begins at 5:30 p.m.
Dinner, with networking continuing
at 6:30 p.m.
Program begins 7:15,
adjourn 8:45 p.m.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Speaker: Merle DiVita
Yes Virginia, You Will be able to Retire!
Sponsored by Anthony Mitchell of
Coach2You
Thursday, February , 2009
Speaker: Shawn & Linda McCarthy
30 second introductions
Sponsored by Susanne Lammot, MD
Thursday, March 2009
Speaker: Women of Jewlia
Sponsor Tom Swann
VCPWN.org to RSVP
Special Feature:
Wind Beneath My Wings Essays
From the Prez
I
am very pleased to report that we ended 2008
on a high note. Let me highlight some of the
ways:
One of our major objectives has been to
increase our membership, and we have. Many
new members joined VCPWN this year, and
many members renewed. Our Director of
Membership, Jim Nicoll, has a slogan that we
can all follow: “Each member bring one guest to
each meeting.” It’s so simple! Let’s ALL do it,
and keep doing it.
And it’s working. We had over 10 guests at
the November meeting. In addition to members inviting guests, our Director of
Publicity, Barbara Marquis, gets the word out every month through publicity venues
about our upcoming meetings. We received several membership applications after
the November meeting.
One of the goals this Board had to achieve was to overhaul VCPWN’s “technology.”
It was no longer fully effective, and was incurring monthly fees. Several Board
Members formed our “technology team” a few months ago, with the goal of
overhauling VCPWN’s website and directory…. essentially our overall technology.
This was a large undertaking that took a lot of investigating. And what a job they
have done in record time. They were able to cut out the suppliers we were using
that were charging fees, which helped reduce our monthly expenses. Tea Silvestre,
our Focal Points Editor, and Sheila Lowe, our President Elect, were the wizards
that led the technology effort. Alison Balter is finishing up creating a whole new
VCPWN Directory for us. Thank you Team!!!
Another goal was to build up VCPWN’s bank account. Our Director of Finance,
Rita Frayer, has created monthly spreadsheets that give the Board members a clear
picture of our where our finances stand each month, and how we are growing our
bank balance in the savings account. A cheer went up at our last Board meeting
when Rita reported that the entire $1000+ made from the Silent Auction will go
into the savings account!
Speaking of Silent Auctions, again I want to thank Laura Parson for the
extraordinary amount of time and effort she spends on this Special Event for us
each quarter, along with Laureen Lazarro, Phyllis Brown, Lisa Ross, Sue Gary, and
many others. It is a labor of love, what else could it be.
And Rick Taylor of www.uberhost.net has volunteered his time and expertise to
keep the VCPWN web site updated. Thank you Rick!
Our Board has come together as a great working machine, with heart and a CAN DO
ATTITUDE to do what we all decided together needed to be done.
It took a lot of work from all Board members, some of it was not easy, and some
downright difficult. But I am proud to say, and I speak for all the Board members,
that we have done a very good job, and will continue to do so for the remainder of our
terms.
(Personally, speaking as the President of the Board, I am very thankful that the right
people came together exactly at the right time when they were needed, not only to work
hard, but also to make tough decisions. Yes, I am very grateful to you all.)
Carol Powell
Page 2 - Focal Points
Focal Points
is a quarterly
publication of Ventura
County Professional
Women’s Network
YZ
EDITOR
Tea Silvestre: 805.658.8196
[email protected]
Next Issue: April-June 2009
Deadline: Mar. 1, 2009
Please submit all images, stories,
etc. electronically to the editor
NEW MEMBER
PROFILES
Tessa Weeks
ADVERTISING
COORDINATOR
Mary Gabriels
PHOTOGRAPHER
Position Open
(Please contact the Editor)
CONTRIBUTORS
Carol Leish
Jim Nicoll
Laura Parson
Robin Sullivan
Editor’s Letter
Happy New Year! I don’t know when I’ve been so happy to see another new year come into my life. Was 2008
as interesting for you as it was for me?
I know that many of us have endured some crazy things over the last 12 months, and I hope that as you read
through this issue of Focal Points, you’ll take a moment to consider how much support you receive from your
VCPWN sisters and brothers, and what this organization means to you.
The reason I ask you to think about that is because our Board’s term will be coming to end in June and some
new Board members as well as committee volunteers will be sought for service.
If you have the desire to give back to this wonderful organization, please let one of our current board members
know. VCPWN needs you!
Many thanks to all our loyal members for your support and friendship!
September Presentation Re-Cap: “What Makes You Tick?”
by Carol Leish, M.A.
A
ccording to our speaker
Sheila Lowe, an author
(“Poison Pen,” “ Written in
Blood” and more) with many years
of experience as a handwriting
analyst, people sometimes have
preconceived notions about
what she does. People may
assume that it is related to palm
reading or astrology. When
someone once asked her to read
his palm, Sheila asked him to
put his signature at the bottom
of a check.
One of the misconceptions of
handwriting analysis, according
to Sheila is that you can tell someone’s gender or
age from their handwriting. Not so! But what you
CAN tell from handwriting are your moods, as well
as basic drives and motivations. It also shows ego
strength and social attitudes. She also mentioned
that handwriting shows thinking style (logical vs.
intuitive) as well as fears and defenses.
Sheila says, “ We can tell things from handwriting
because handwriting is brain writing. It is a reflection
of experiences that we have had and how we respond
to those experiences.” She mentioned that it also
deals with various needs that we have. These include
the need for love; the
need to create something
wonderful; and, the need
for money/power.
Some of the more
interesting handwriting
samples Sheila showed us
included Donald Trump’s
(showing his need for
power); and, Princess
Di’s (showing her need
for love). Jan - Mar 2009 Page 3
Wind Beneath My Wings Award
T
he winner of this year’s
Wind Beneath My Wings
Award, is Barbara Marquis, who
submitted the following essay.
My nominee for the Wind Beneath My Wings is my wonderful
mother, Miriam Hasen. Some of the things I am about to tell you
may be hard to believe, but I promise you everything is true.
By way of introduction, my mother was born in 1923 in the lower east
side of New York City. She is an identical twin to my Aunt Shirley.
As you can imagine, they grew up during the depression and were
very poor. The twins shared one doll and didn’t have many things.
They attended the Settlement House and learned to sing and tap
dance. They also sang on the radio and danced on the stage. My
grandmother scrimped and saved to feed the twins. My grandparents,
immigrants from Poland, were estranged at times and Grandpa didn’t
work much and wasn’t around to support his family, so they were on
welfare for many years. Recently, my mother told me she said to her
twin sister when they were young, “Let’s not be lazy like Papa. Let’s
always work hard and always have a good life!” As soon as she was
able to work, my mother began to support my grandmother. She was
such a devoted and loving daughter, and subsequently took care of my
grandmother in our home until my grandmother died of breast cancer
in the 1950s.
My parents met during the war and they were married in 1945 when my
dad returned from overseas. They immediately set up housekeeping
and began their little family. I was the oldest, followed by my two
brothers; Steven and Harvey were 11 months apart. My recollection
of family life as a child was that we lived in “Camelot.” Mom did not
work and every day coming home from school I would be met by the
aroma of dinner bubbling on the stove or in the oven. Whether it
was a rich vegetable soup, a pot of chile beans or maybe sweet and
sour stuffed cabbage, the aromas were always mouthwatering. There
would always be classical music on my mother’s vintage Bakelite
kitchen radio, she would usually be ironing and our home was always
clean. Mommy always sang to us when we were children. Her voice
was beautiful and it always brought joy into our home. She sang in
our Temple choir and I remember she put on skits for the PTA and
she also worked at playing the piano at home. She was the center of
our home life and always made sure our family life ran smoothly and
securely and with love.
Life was good and we were your typical American middle-class Ozzie
& Harriet family. That is until 1967. My mother’s doctor discovered
a lump in her breast and scheduled her to have it removed. When
she woke up from the surgery she discovered they had performed a
radical mastectomy, including the removal of lymph nodes under that
arm. As I approached her bedside she was crying, and we embraced,
her first words to me were “Oh my darling, I am so sorry!! I hope this
never happens to you!” I was only 21 at the time and the subject of
breast cancer was very hush-hush and we didn’t know much about it.
I took a leave of absence from work to take care of my mom and our
family. After all, we were all used to a spotless, well-run home, wellbalanced meals every night, and my dad was used to having his boxer
shorts ironed, so I had big shoes to fill.
Mom recovered from her traumatic event and proceeded to get back
into life. I never once heard her say “why me?” Instead, she became the
very first American Cancer Society Reach to Recovery Volunteer. For
many years she visited women in hospitals and at home and helped
them to see that life goes on and you can still lead a normal life. My
God! If I were in her shoes, how would I react? Would I approach this
new experience with grace and dignity like she did? A lesson learned.
She was appointed to the Board of Directors of our local American
Cancer Society Unit. Then she decided she wanted to fit women with
silicone breast prostheses, as this was the protocol du jour. During
the 1970s, my parents opened a darling Victorian decor lingerie shop
called Miriam Hasen’s Lingerie Chest. The specialty was to fit women.
They even sold bathing suits, and my mom painstakingly sewed
pockets for the prosthesis to fit into swimsuits for women. I decided
I wanted to work with her, and together we were trained by a number
of prosthesis companies to fit women. She lovingly mentored me and
taught me the world of life after breast cancer. It was an extremely
rewarding experience and I am so grateful to her for opening this door
to me and showing me how important it is to help others in need. She
taught me by example that giving of yourself is the greatest reward.
This experience has motivated me to work for many years with ACS
with children, and become a wish granter for Make-A-Wish, helping
unfortunate children who are stricken with life-changing illness.
I mentioned earlier that I had two brothers, the operative word being
“had.” My brother Harvey, who was the youngest of the three of us,
was a very smart and talented fellow. He was a member of the Young
Americans and during the late 60s, he traveled the world with them
three times, entertaining the military troops on R and R during the
Vietnam war, all the while maintaining an excellent GPA in college.
In 1970, when Harvey was 21 and a senior in college, one night he was
returning from a Young American trip and tragically fell asleep at the
wheel while driving his car during a migraine attack. His car hit a pole,
Continued on page 9
Page 4 - Focal Points
Read More Wind Beneath My
Wings Essays on Pages 10 & 11
October Presentation Re-Cap:
“How & Why to Green Your Business”
by Carol Leish, M.A.
O
ur speaker, Tea Silvestre, discussed the importance of
being Green in order to make more money and have
more customers. She said, “all the power is in business, and
people who keep the economy going are you and me.” She
knows this from having worked in both government and
non-profits. She now has her own small business, Social
Good Consulting, where she helps businesses improve
profitability by looking at their operations and marketing.
“Sustainability,” according to Tea, includes three things:
profit; social equity (paying attention to people, employees
and vendors); and our planet -- meeting the needs of the
present without taking away from the needs of the future.
By being Green, it is possible to improve profitability in
business, Tea said. She mentioned that the city of Ventura
saved over $4,000 in the first six months they went paperless.
And for a home office, Tea said when she switched to CFL
light bulbs and unplugged all her appliances (when not being
used), her electric bill went down by nearly half. She also
said that if you invest in Greening your home, you could sell
it for approximately 20% more than another home in your
neighborhood (all else being equal).
In the U.S., 25% of the population falls into the LOHAS
(Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) Target Market. In
SoCAL, the numbers could be as high as 40%. This target
market will go out of their way to purchase from businesses
that offer green products or services; so, taking this into
account when you do your marketing is important.
How do you get help? SCE will come out to your home
or office to assess your energy use and help you find ways
to cut back. The city of Ventura also does a free waste
assessment. You can also hire a consultant to help you.
Tea said that in order to go Green, it is important to do
an evaluation of where you are now and then set goals for
improvement. There are many sustainable management
practices you can start to incorporate today. Everything
from reducing the amount of paper you use to walking or
riding your bike to work. (For a complete list, talk to Tea).
In essence, Tea said, “It’s important to reduce, reuse and
recycle. My grandmother would say, ‘Waste not, want not.’
She learned that from the growing up during the Depression,
and it’s still really good advice.” If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If
we don’t grow, we are not really living.
Growth demands a temporary surrender
of security.
~ Gail Sheehy
What would be possible in your
life if you courageously follow
your dreams, trust your intuition,
and pursue your passion?
At Coach2You, we work with women to
clarify their personal and professional
goals and to make the choices and
changes that will create more
fulfillment and achievement in life.
Let us work with you to
accelerate your movement towards
a life that you will LOVE!
Contact Anthony at
805-983-1070 or at
[email protected]
www.coach2you.com
Jan - Mar 2009 Page 5
Meet Our Newest Members
Tom Swan
Tom Swan was born in
Lompoc, CA in 1959. His
father, an electronics engineer
with
General
Electric
Corporation, worked on the
Atlas missile program at
Vandenberg Air Force Base.
He grew up on the central
coast and followed in his
father’s engineering footsteps
before starting his financial
planning career in June of
1987 …mere months before
the Crash of ‘87. This current
financial crisis is reminiscent
of Brer Rabbit in the Briar Patch; there are opportunities galore if
you know where to look. Tom currently maintains financial planning
offices in Ventura and Westlake Village.
Tom and his wife Georganna have lived in Ventura County for 11
years, moving from Santa Barbara to Oxnard where “we could buy so
much more home for our buck.” Tiring of the congestion in Oxnard,
they relocated to Fillmore in an effort to recapture the small-town
atmosphere of their childhood.
When not working, Tom enjoys traveling and has visited several
Western European countries, Costa Rica, New Zealand and
neighboring Mexico and Canada. Of course, traveling in the good ole
USA is fun too, it’s just that if you are going to be on a plane or in a
car for hours, you might as well go somewhere special!
Tom also enjoys playing golf, doing home improvement projects,
spending time with friends and family, and spoiling his twin sevenyear old grandsons. He is grateful for being introduced to VCPWN
because it allows him to make even more friends, and Tom is a firm
believer that one can never have too many friends.
Jeanne Haines
Jeanne Haines has returned to VCPWN after several years’ absence,
and is thrilled to be back in this supportive community. She hails
originally from South Carolina, but much prefers the weather here in
Ventura County where she has resided since 1979. Mother of four,
grandmother of five, she shares her home with her husband, Frank,
and their cat, Ebenezer.
Some of Jeanne’s favorite pastimes include reading, surfing the web,
spoiling the grandkids, taking the cat for walks (he rides in his special
stroller), and traveling the states in her 40-foot motor home. She
looks forward to reacquainting herself with old friends and making
some new ones, and is also interested in volunteer opportunities with
VCPWN.
Brenda Miller
Brenda Miller was born in Elmira, New York in June of 1963. Her
family spent the next 10 years in the North East, living in both New
York and Pennsylvania. For the remainder of Brenda’s school years,
she was raised in Panama City, Florida, known for its beautiful white
beaches.
As a young adult, Brenda enjoyed creative writing, community
service projects and travel. At the age of 21, she moved herself to
sunny southern California, living in San Diego for a short period
before settling in Ventura, where she has lived for the past 22 years.
Her background is in accounting and real estate management/
development, yet she currently works as a corporate accountant for a
group of privately owned businesses in Oxnard.
Brenda is the proud mother of Bailee, her nine-year-old daughter, with
whom she shares a love for music and theatre. She is active within her
daughter’s school, participating in PTA, Girl Scouts and publishing
of the school’s monthly newsletter. In her spare time, Brenda thrives
on being creative with desktop publishing projects, crafts, jewelry and
interior decorating, gardening and surfing the Internet for the latest
information, news and the best online shopping deals.
Though her family remains on the east coast, Ventura is home for
Brenda. The weather, people and opportunities have her convinced
So. Cal. is the best place to be!
When we speak we are afraid our words
will not be heard or welcomed. But when
we are silent, we are still afraid. So it is
better to speak.
~ Audre Lorde
Page 6 - Focal Points
Robin Sullivan
Anthony Mitchell
Robin describes herself as
a born and bred California
Girl. Born in Bakersfield,
she moved to Ventura at two
years of age, and lived there
until she moved to Santa
Paula with her husband,
John, in 1987.
Robin’s first “major” career
was as an escrow officer.
Then in 1980, she and her
husband attended law school
together, graduated in 1984,
and passed the dreaded California Bar. They established the Law
Offices of Sullivan and Sullivan practicing real estate and escrow law.
Robin was also a judge pro tem and a court certified expert witness in
escrow practices.
In 1992, Robin ran for the Santa Paula City Council, won, and served
two four-year terms. During her tenure she also served a term as
Santa Paula’s mayor.
In 2000, politics aside, she felt an artistic bent surfacing, and decided
to take some interior design classes so she could work on her 100-year
old historic home. She fell in love with it, eventually obtaining an
interior design certificate in 2002, an interior design degree in 2003,
and starting her own interior design company the same year …and
the rest is history.
John and Robin just celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary and
plan on another 30 years. In March of 2008, they purchased an
airplane and hangar at Santa Paula Airport and are both learning to
fly—she did her first solo flight on her birthday in August!
After such a varied background, Robin wonders, “What will life bring
next?”
Membership Counts!
Is it possible to be a southern
gentleman without growing up
in the South? Anthony Mitchell
says it is! Born in Jonesboro,
Louisiana, Anthony was raised
in Altadena, California.
Anthony served in the armed
forces in the late 70’s. After
returning from Germany, he
began his journey to complete
his education at Pasadena City
College.
Anthony relocated
to Ventura County to pursue
a position in restaurant
management, and met and married his wife Regina in 1989. He
continued his education at UCSB and the University of LaVerne,
obtaining both his Bachelors and Masters degrees as a working adult.
Anthony entered his 20 year career in human resources management
in 1987. After completing his 20 year HR career in 2007 with
Amgen in Thousand Oaks, Anthony started his own life and business
coaching practice for women, Coach2You.
When he’s not working at his business, Anthony spends time with
youth, and is active both as an Assistant Scoutmaster for his son’s Boy
Scout troop in Camarillo, and as a Referee for an Oxnard AYSO
soccer league. But if you were to ask him what else he might enjoy,
he would answer, “Playing. I don’t spend enough time riding my jet
ski or my mountain bike, or playing with my remote control cars, or
camping and fishing with my son!”
For Tony, his highest goal is to live a ‘generative’ lifestyle, where he uses
his gifts and talents to serve others in his community, while living out
his life purpose.
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to
one’s courage.
~ Anais Nin
D
id you know that when asked why they hadn’t attended a
VCPWN meeting yet, most non-members replied, “Because
I was never asked ”? The best people to do the asking are
current members like you. In fact, each year VCPWN counts
on you to help us grow by encouraging your friends, colleagues
and peers to attend a meeting and then join.
Share your personal and professional experiences with your
colleagues and peers so they can discover the benef its of
VCPWN membership.
Each one, bring one!
Jan - Mar 2009 Page 7
Blow Your Horn!
Did you do something cool? Let us know! Just send a short blurb via e-
More Wind Beneath My Wings
Essay by Laura Parson
mail to [email protected]. We’ll print your submissions
as we have space.
Sheila Lowe’s new forensic handwriting mystery,
Written in Blood, was #8 on the Independent
Mystery Bookseller’s Association Bestsellers
list for October 2008. Sheila just
completed her ‘08 book tour with a
visit to Phoenix, where she spoke
at a library and the Poisoned
Pen bookstore, which seemed
appropriate, given that her first
mystery was titled Poison Pen. She also signed
her mysteries and the re-release of her nonfiction book, Handwriting of the Famous &
Infamous at the Ventura Barnes & Noble this
past December.
Tea Silvestre just launched a new Internet radio show called
“Planet Good” that airs live every week on Thursday afternoon at
3 p.m. You can access the live stream as well as archived podcasts
at blogtalkradio.com/PlanetGood. The show focuses on how to
create and manage profitable, socially conscious businesses. Tea
and guests explore the strategies, leaders and new markets that are
driving the evolution of conscious business. Listen to dialogues
with influential leaders in all walks of business and professional
development. If you want to “do good” both economically AND
environmentally/socially, this show will help you get there.
Carol Powell flew to New York to spend two weeks with family
and friends in New York City, at Sag Harbor in The Hamptons,
and in New Haven, Connecticutt. She’s so lucky! * VCPWN FUNDRAISING!*
We are selling the Entertainment books
for Ventura and Santa Barbara counties
as a fundraiser for VCPWN. Costs for
the book are $20.
Makes a great gift for
clients, friends and family!
U
nconditional love. Unconditional support. Those words describe
my sister, Linda, perfectly. She has always been there for me as I
hope I have always been there for her.
As I constantly remind Linda, she is four years older than I am. Or as I
prefer to tell her, she is older than both fish sticks and Disneyland. As
a kid, I would endure anything to get to play with my big sister. And
these are not empty words. In order to gain admittance to the clubhouse
I needed to get frequent “cootie shots.” This involved placing a leaf on
my arm and jabbing me with a straight pin. Linda says now that she
was doing me a favor by preparing me for my future life as a diabetic.
Gee, thanks Linda!
Linda has taught me many things over the years. When I was four and
she was eight, she started my love affair with books by teaching me to
read. She was a great teacher and it sure put me ahead of the rest of the
kindergarten class.
We shared a room growing up, which I think was much easier on me
than it was on her. I got to worship my teenage sister while she had to
put up with a nosy kid. She solved this once by splitting our room in
two by hanging a blanket down the middle. Unfortunately for me, the
closet and the door were both on her side. But, if I ever felt threatened
or scared, my sister was always there to protect me.
As we grew older, we became closer. Thru the years we lived together
more than once. A proximity that didn’t destroy our friendship. Linda
started a bookkeeping business after she moved to Ventura. soon
followed, figuring that if my sister liked this city so much, it must be a
good one. I worked for a big corporation until 1993 when Linda asked
if I would like to come and work for her. We had a very long talk to
determine if this was a wise move, but we both thought it was worth
the plunge. We’ve now shared an office for 15 years and still the best
of friends. It’s difficult to put into words how wonderful it is to see my
sister daily. Whenever I have a problem or decision to make, I always
get Linda’s views first. And 99% of the time I take her advice.
I know that her support will always be there. When I decided, at the
age of 37, to take up tap dancing, she was all for it. And when I was on
stage for the first time in spandex and sequins she was in the audience
cheering me on with tears in her eyes. And she’s been to every show
since then.
I was so happy to be able to return that support last year when Linda
came to me and said she was considering going go culinary school.
Knowing her lifelong love of cooking, I said “yes, yes, do it!” And it was
my turn to cheer and cry when she was chosen by her fellow students
to be the Executive Chef at their graduation banquet.
When our mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, Linda was on her
boat in Mexico, taking a long 6 month cruise. Not being able to contact
her right away was very difficult, but as soon as she heard the news, she
hopped on a plane and was there to lend her love and support. We are
both very grateful that mom pulled through with flying colors and has
fully recovered.
I know that there will be many times ahead of happiness and sadness,
but with my sister beside me, I know we can conquer anything. Page 8 - Focal Points
Continued from page 4
caught on fire and he was burned to death beyond recognition. My family
was in shock, disbelief, horror and grief. During that same time and for
years after that, my brother Steve had been hospitalized a number of times
for emotional problems. His life experience was the polar opposite of
Harvey. Steve was the sweetest, most generous and loving of the three of
us, and unfortunately he was plagued with middle child syndrome, was in
trouble with the law, had drug use problems and was unable to cope with
normal everyday life. He eventually committed suicide a number of years
later. Once again my family was thrown into shock, horror and grief and
total crises mode. Through it all, mom took care of our family and always
lovingly made sure our home was comfortable and secure. How does a
mother cope with the loss of not just one child but two? My mother
grieved, screamed and cried and then she
went on with her life. I will explain.
every day. How would this feat ever be accomplished without her total
commitment? I will never forget her sacrifices and total willingness to
help us during such a horrible time.
Now mind you, she still does her own housekeeping (and believe me you
could eat off the floor), she cooks from scratch, and even brings us homemade meals, and she’s 85 years old! She is never without a song. She
loves to get dressed up and wear coordinated outfits and loves to adorn
herself with fun jewelry and bright colors. She is totally adorable, fun to
be with and always game for anything, whether it be spur-of-the-moment
shopping, going for a boat ride or just hanging out with us. She loves to
write letters to the newspaper and can discuss any current event. Many is
the time she and I have done the lindy hop and the swing on the kitchen
floor. She decided many years ago that
life is too short to always be crying the
“She played Eliza Doolittle in such a
My parents moved to Ventura County
blues and music is her first love. She
approximately 30 years ago. They
grand manner that even Julie Andrews has survived her true love--my dad, and
purchased a home in Leisure Village
she has suffered the tragic loss of two of
would have been impressed.”
and my mother immediately became
her children. And yet, she chooses to
involved in the Village Players. She had
live her elder years in a way that brings
leading roles in their productions such
joy to others in music. She has a longas Gigi, playing the lead, she was Sister Sarah in Guys and Dolls, she
hair Chihuahua named Honey Girl who she is totally in love with. You
played Chava in Fiddler On the Roof, and I’ll never forget crying with
might just see my mom tooling around Camarillo or Oxnard in her Black
joy in the front row for three performances of My Fair Lady. She played
Rav4. You’ll recognize her car because it has yellow plastic roses affixed
Eliza Doolittle in such a grand manner that even Julie Andrews would
to the roof rack so she can find it in a parking lot. I admire her courage,
have been impressed. She had mastered the Cockney accent and she also
individual thinking, her positive attitude, independence, her willingness
mastered the fine British accent and sang like an angel.
to give of herself to others and her capacity to love despite so many
adversities in life. She gives me unconditional love. I always feel that I am
To this day I still well up when I think of it. She joined a tap dancing group
receiving more than I am giving when I am with her. I am grateful for her
called The Happy Hoofers and they performed for many organizations
love and kindness to me and to my husband, and I always try to show her
in the vicinity. She sang in the Chorale and had many solos. Her most
my love and appreciation. What a lucky lady I am to have such a fabulous
famous solo was “Memories” from the play “Cats.” She also sang “The
mother and a true, loyal and devoted friend for life. She is truly the wind
Wind Beneath My Wings” for many audiences. Eventually, she began
beneath my wings! writing, producing, directing, casting, vocal training in musical comedy
revues and recently she even wrote, directed and starred in a dramatic
short play. To this day, she is still involved in producing short music
reviews, etc. I am so proud of her talent and her willingness to share
herself with the world. She brings so much joy to others when she
performs or participates in a show.
My father, being a World War II Veteran, experienced the D-Day
Invasion, the Battle of the Bulge and he was also one of the first Americans
to liberate a concentration camp in Germany. Needless to say, he did not
come home unscathed from this experience. The effects of the war stayed
with him throughout his adult life and he had a very difficult time late in
life. He was diagnosed with anxiety depression, ventricular taccacardia,
two open-heart surgeries, eventual diabetes, lung cancer and ultimately
kidney failure. Throughout his 30 years of illness, my mother was his
caregiver, his loving and devoted wife, she cooked from scratch for him
and always made sure he had the proper care. I paid very close attention
to the way she was so devoted to my dad. I have promised myself that I
will try to always be a devoted and loving wife to my husband, although
maybe I won’t cook so much from scratch!!
Three years ago, my husband and I were moving from our beautiful ranch
and orchards in Moorpark. The experience of leaving our beloved home
was so emotionally devestating for me that I became ill, and my doctor
ordered that I be removed from this activity or she would hospitalize me.
This meant that my husband had the responsibility of packing up our
home and supervising the move to our new home in Oxnard without my
help. Well, my mother wasn’t having any of that! She instantly stepped
into my shoes and worked by Don’s side every day, washing and packing
all the breakables. She brought Don food for lunch and made sure he ate
Jan - Mar 2009 Page 9
Doing Business With...
The following members got to brag about all the
business they’ve done with fellow members at our last
3 meetings. If you’ve done business with a member
too and don’t see your name here, send us a fabulous
testimonial (via e-mail) and we’ll print the best one
in our next issue.
WOMEN’S EXPO
ventura county
 Sue Gary of Promotional Products USA with
Barbara Marquis of Marquis Interiors
 Shirley Lorraine – Woman of Many
Talents with Carol Leish of Call Me
Capable and Breena Maggio of Creative
 Mar y Sullivan, Attorney at Law
with Mary Ann Zinn
 Mariaemma Pelullo-Willis of The
Power of You Now with Barbara
Marquis of Marquis Interiors
 Lisa Ross of Grand Oaks MBK Senior
Living with Carol Powell of Juice Plus
 Lisa Collier of Custom Embroidery with
Laura Parson of Data Girl and Wendy Ludwig
 Tea Silvestre of Social Good Consulting
with Lisa Collier of Custom Embroidery
March 13-15, 2009
Ventura County Fairgrounds
Celebrate every woman you are
and all that life inspires you to be.
Together, let’s celebrate
the power of WE!
Now Accepting Exhibitor Applications!
20% Early Bird Discount
for applications received by
January 1, 2009
Career – Family – Fitness – Fashion
Health – Well-being & More!
— Space is Limited —
For More Info Call 805.746.0022
or visit
www.WomensExpoVC.net
Page 10 - Focal Points
More Wind Beneath My Wings Essays
By: Sue Gary
By Lisa Collier
T
T
here is a very special person who has been a significant part
of my life for over 28 years. This individual has never stopped
supporting me, even as I have passed through extremely difficult
health challenges creating emotional roller coasters in our lives.
Because of him, I wake up knowing I will get through whatever
roadblocks may pop up that day. Beyond that extraordinary devotion,
this person tolerates being with me close to 24 hours a day as we are
both business partners and life partners.
When I became pregnant, in 1984, it soon became clear I needed
to stay in bed or risk losing our baby. I had no difficulty choosing
bed rest, but I had no clue how difficult that choice truly was, both
physically and emotionally, to both me and to Robert. I felt like
the person quarantined with a deadly disease – cutoff from the
world. Being isolated from work and friends was so much more
debilitating than I had ever imagined. The days crept by. Television
became irritating after the first week. I turned to reading murder
mysteries, but that can only be exciting for the moment. The days
literally dragged by. Robert had to fill in to be my source of all mental
stimulation while he also had to work full time and make sure I had
everything I needed for each day. At 4 AM, Before leaving for work
in the morning, he had to clear the snow off of the long, sloping
driveway, then fix both my breakfast and lunch. He had to pack my
lunch in a cooler, so it could safely sit upstairs in the bedroom with
me until noon. When he got home from work in the evening, after
clearing the driveway of snow for the second time, he had to make
our dinner. I do not know how he survived! On top of all of that, I
was a huge grouch because of my isolation from the world. Going
through three months of this stress was enough to give me a very
deep insight into what those who are homebound for longer periods
must endure. I could not have completed my pregnancy without his
support.
Before my diagnosis of Hashimoto’s Disease (low thyroid), my
emotions were in a total turmoil. Robert stayed by my side as
my steadying force, to be my partner in raising our daughter and
keeping the business running. His encouragement to join a couples
group made a huge difference in our ability to keep focused on the
prize – our relationship. This was not an easy task. I would come
home from work and just sit down and cry for an hour before I
could move on with life.
What can you say about someone who is willing to share all the
household duties as well as loves to cook? He is the best life partner
imaginable.
His support continues to this day in his willingness to work with me,
side by side, in our business. Not many couples are able to survive
the constant sharing and closeness this requires. He is always there
to keep me on track and to be sure we remain focused on what is
important both for our business and in our lives.
Although he has a true dread of flying, he was even willing to spend
almost 11 hours flying each way to my dream city of Paris, so we
could celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary where I chose. That
is a great testimony to his love a support for me.
My husband, Robert, is truly the Wind Beneath My Wings. he convention is to recognize one person who stands above all
others; however I am unable to single-out one; as the following
three have lifted me up and I am a healthier, well balanced person
due to their business advice and friendship over the past year.
The one common denominator is that these three are Active
Participants in Ventura County Professional Women’s Network. An
organization that promotes the professional and personal growth
of Ventura County women through education, mutual support and
sharing of resources.
Our cheerful morning chats get me going. Your bookkeeping skills
and direction have helped my business reach great heights in a short
period of time. Our cribbage game keeps me humble, as you beat
me every time – as it should be – you are the numbers person! And
you help me hone my card skills. Thank you Laura Parson – you are
the wind beneath my wings.
You motivated me to start walking in the mornings three days a
week, which has helped me to not only lose weight, tone up, but to
gain clarity in my thoughts. I now faithfully walk six days a week,
and on many days it is the reason I get out of bed. In addition to the
walking, our conversations have enabled me to quickly implement
changes in business to align it with my personal values. Your
business model: People, Planet and Profit philosophy has made a
dramatic effect on the way we conduct business. Thank you Tea
Silvestre – you are the wind beneath my wings.
We met at VCPWN and when you approached me about working
at Custom Embroidery I wasn’t sure you would like running
embroidery machines. I was wrong! It has been a wonderful year
working with you. All of your skills are an asset and you keep
unveiling new talents. I couldn’t ask for a better person to work
with, you keep the shop going as if it were your own. For this and all
the wonderful ways you have contributed to our year of successful
growth. Thank you Mary Gabriels – you are the wind beneath my
wings.
Three wonderful women; all members of VCPWN, have been the
Wind Beneath My Wings. I am truly grateful to them and all my
other friends at VCPWN. I always say to VCPWN guests and new
members; “I came to VCPWN to network for business, I come every
month for the friendships I have gained and I am grateful.” People usually consider walking on water
or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real
miracle is not to walk either on water or in
thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we
are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even
recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green
leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child -- our
own two eyes. All is a miracle.
~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Jan - Mar 2009 Page 11
Ventura County Professional Women’s Network
Post Office Box 6329 z Oxnard, California 93031
(866)275-4134 z www.vcpwn.org
Save the Date!
Special Champagne and
Dessert Designer’s Delight
Erase the Past...
Fundraising Event with Barbara Marquis and Sue Gary
Susanne Lammot, MD
SusanneL.AgelessWay.com
Anti-Aging Specialist
Sunday afternoon, February 1, 2009
1-888-888-3881
[email protected]
ID #US9632671
Join us for a special tour of the home of Sue and Robert Gary, which has been
delightfully rearranged and redecorated by Barbara Marquis of Marquis Interiors.
Learn how to :
•
Arrange your furniture and furnishings to their most attractive advantage
•
Display collectibles effectively
•
Arrange a picture gallery
•
Enhance your color palette
•
Use the items you already have at home without
spending additional money
Resist the Future
More info to come at our January Meeting
2008-09 Board of Directors
President
Carol Powell
805-443-5900
[email protected]
Director of Finance
Rita Frayer
805-914-9376
[email protected]
Member-at-Large
Laureen Lazzaro
805-708-5944
[email protected]
Immediate Past President
Lisa Ross
805-368-6737
[email protected]
Director of Public Relations
Barbara Marquis
805-796-1946
[email protected]
Director of Special Events
Laura Parson
805-642-8890
[email protected]
President – Elect
Sheila Lowe
805-658-0109
[email protected]
Director of Networking
Alison Balter
805-491-0111
[email protected]
Recording Secretary
Phyllis Brown
805-984-1277
[email protected]
Director of Membership
Jim Nicoll
805-642-1775
[email protected]
Focal Points Editor
Tea Silvestre
805-658-8196
[email protected]
Director of Hospitality
Open