Real Women -- Real Careers

ATHENA Awards Announced in Erie PA for Leadership

2011-10-08T06:42:00.016-04:00

Congratulations to Colleen Moore Mezler, owner of Moore Research Services Inc., who was honored at a luncheon held on October 7, 2011 as the recepient of the 2011 ATHENA Leadership Award in Erie, PA, USA.

The award for leadership is given in Erie each year to an individual who demonstrates excellence, creativity and initiative in her business or profession and actively helps women achieve their leadership potential.

Colleen was honored at a luncheon held at the Bel-Aire Clarion Hotel and Conference Center in Erie.

Colleen has been with Moore Research Services, Inc. since 1987 and has managed hundreds of research projects in all aspects of the firm from interviewing to client management. She currently oversees all aspects of the company’s day-to-day operations.

She has been recognized with other awards and honors. In 2008 she earned her Professional Researchers Certification and 2009 was awarded the Distinguished Service Award from the Marketing Research Association. In 2010, Colleen received the Small Business Administration Western Pennsylvania Women-Owned Business of the Year.

She is currently serving a three year term as a director on the ATHENA International board of directors, a founding member of the ATHENA Leadership Circle and last month participated in the regional "Go for the GREEN" conference in Orlando, Florida.

Her business was selected as a 2009 ATHENA PowerLink recepient. In 2010, Moore Research was recognized as a finalist for the Erie County Economic Development Corporation Employer of the Year.

Past recepients of the ATHENA Award in Erie include:

Susan K. Breon, Center For eBusiness & Advanced IT

Tina Donikowski, GE Transportation

Tom Kennedy, Professional Development Associates Inc.

Kathleen A. Scheppner, American Tinning and Galvanizing Company

Linda Stevenson, PNC Bank

Richard Wachter, CPA, DeMarco Wachter & Co.

Susan Wellman, Ophelia Project

The 2011 Young Professional ATHENA Award in Erie went to Catherine Franks, a student at Penn State the Behrend College.

For more informational about the awards program at the international organization, visit the website.

Akron ATHENA International Leadership Awards 2011 event

2011-05-06T08:01:00.003-04:00

Akron ATHENA Leadership Award Recipients (from left:)

2003 Norma Rist
2011 Julia Hall, CPA, BCG & Co.- ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award
2007 Theresa Carter
2011 Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer, Summit County Court of Common Pleas
2010 Daisy Alford-Smith, Ph.D
2009 Jacqueline Silas-Butler, Esq.
2005 Debra Adams Simmons
2008 Ilene Shapiro

ATHENA International honors, supports and develops women leaders. Last night over 400 people gathered to honor and celebrate the achievements of the ATHENA International Leadership Award finalists and recipients for the Cleveland and Akron areas.

2011 ATHENA Leadership Award Finalists from Akron:

Tracy L. Carter, MHSA
Summa Health System

Judge Carla Moore
Ninth District Court of Appeals

Kathy L. Stafford, Ph.D.
Akron General Medical Center

Bernett L. Williams
Akron Children's Hospital

The 2011 Cleveland Recipient was Peter A. DeMarco, Meaden & Moore, Ltd. and the 2011 Cleveland ATHENA Award finalists were:
Mary-Alice Frank, American Red Cross of Greater Cleveland
Debra J. Horn, Meyers, Roman, Friedburg & Lewis
Barbara Kakiris, Qinetic North America, Inc./ NASA Glenn Research Center
Michelle Sheehan, Reminger Co., LPA

The ATHENA Young Professional Award was presented to Anne marie M. Grassi, Executive Director, Open Doors Academy.

How to Break Into Video Production

2011-03-24T07:05:00.006-04:00

An interview with Montrose Video owner, Deborah Shapiro, about how she got started, where the industry is going and how you can get into video production.by Monica Baird via the Akronist.

Japanese Earthquake: Find a Person

2011-03-22T09:16:00.001-04:00

The last entry in this publication was the day of the earthquake. Since then, this tool has become available to help to find people.

Congratulations to the 2011 Akron ATHENA International Award Finalists

2011-03-11T15:56:00.011-05:00

Congratulations to the 2011 Akron Young Professional Award Recipient and 2011 Akron ATHENA International Award Finalists!

This prestigious award is bestowed upon someone who has attained and embodies the highest level of professional excellence in her/his business or profession, has devoted time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community and actively assists women in realizing their leadership potential.

From left:

2011 ATHENA International Young Professional Award in Akron

Julia Hall, CPA, MT, BCG & Company

2011 ATHENA International Award Finalists for Akron:

Judge Carla Moore, Judge, Ninth District Court of Appeals
Tracy L. Carter MHSA. System Director, Government Affairs and Health Policy, Summa Health System
Kathy L. Stafford, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Strategy, Marketing and Communications, Akron General Medical Center
Bernett L. Williams, Vice President of External Relations, Akron Children's Hospital
Judge Elinore March Stormer, Judge, Summit County Court of Common Pleas

Register now for the 2011 awards banquet on Thursday May 5 at 5:30 by clicking on this link and then on the RSVP on the far right on the navigation bar. It will be an inspirational evening when the two young professional award recipients are honored and all the Cleveland and Akron Finalists are recognized the the two Recipients are announced.

Special thanks to the host: Inside Business Magazine

And thanks to the sponsors:
PNC Bank

Zinner and Co.

Meaden & Moore

Junior League of Cleveland

The Women's Journal

March is Women's History Month

2011-03-07T07:53:00.002-05:00

March is Women's History Month. Here are 50 Fascinating Facts about Women in History.

Many of the facts I was aware of, but was surprised that 60% of the degrees go to women and that 71% of the women with small children work outside the home. I assume they are measuring only the United States.

The 25 Most Difficult Jobs in the World

2011-02-07T09:45:00.001-05:00

Maybe you're looking into changing careers or finding a new job. If so, you'll want to check out this post from CareerOverview: The 25 Most Difficult Jobs in the World!

What's the Difference Between a Career and a Job?

2010-09-28T06:25:00.003-04:00

I'm curious to see what you describe the difference between a job and a career is.

Career:
a series of jobs in the same field
Jobs you like
different job titles in the same industry?

Job:
Something you dislike to do...as in "it's just a job"
When you're working for the paycheck, not for the experience.

What's your definition of the difference between a Real Career and Just a Job?

Estimating Salaries

2010-09-09T05:58:00.004-04:00

Salary Estimates
How much does a certain job pay? The Department of Labor has a helpful salary scale that is set up by city and state for all the various jobs and careers with starting, mid and high levels of salary.

How Do You Stand Out in Your Field?

2010-08-16T06:05:00.000-04:00

Are You a Stand Out?
Standing out in a Sea of Sameness

The intent of this page is to give college students a head start on their careers. While there is unquestionable value in the links and resources here, the biggest bang for the buck comes from those who have lived the college experience, graduated and are out there in the world moving forward. If this description fits you, consider offering a few sentences of advice to those who aspire to be just like you

Check out this Facebook Page for interesting content in Standing Out in the Sea of Sameness.

Job Hunting for a Dream Job/Career in PR, Social Media or Marketing? Tips here.

2010-07-11T09:00:00.004-04:00

Don't you just love this graphic image from Marketing Zen?

Marketing Zen is a professional digital marketing agency in Texas that has a wonderful blog post that offers 13 Tips to Land your Dream Job in PR, Social Media and Marketing.

I love #6 - build a portfolio and # 12 - Create a business card for job hunt.

To read all 13 click thru on 13 Ways to Land your Dream Internship in Marketing, PR, and Social Media

ATHENA International Honors Women Leaders in Northeast Ohio with Cleveland Akron Awards Ceremony on Wednesday

2010-07-02T17:44:00.011-04:00

Shown at right, Deborah Read from Thompson Hine, the Cleveland area 2010 ATHENA International Leadership Award Recipient, was honored at the event sponsored and hosted by Inside Business Magazine.

The photo above includes (from left) Norma Rist, the Past Chair of ATHENA International with Daisy Alford-Smith, the Executive Director of the Girl Scouts of North East Ohio and the Akron area 2010 ATHENA International Leadership Award Recipient and Dianne Dinkel, ATHENA International President/CEO.

Congratulations to all the Northeast Ohio 2010 ATHENA International Leadership Award Finalists

Virginia Albanese
FedEx Custom Critical, Inc.

Judge Brenda Burnham Unruh
Summit County Court of Common Pleas

Carol Heiss Jenkins
U.S. Figure Skating Association &
Professional Skaters' Association

Judi Hill
Retired Educator, Akron Public Schools

Ann V. Klotz
Laurel School

Eileen Saffran
The Gathering Place

Rachel Y. Talton, D.M.
Synergy Marketing Strategy & Research, Inc.

Mary Verdi-Fletcher
The Dancing Wheels Company & School

Congratulations to the 2010 ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award Recipients

Danielle J. Kimmel, CPA
Bober, Markey, Fedorovich & Co.

Charity Ewanko
Chartreuse, Inc.

KPMG is the International Underwriter for ATHENA International and the National Sponsor of the ATHENA Young Professional Award.

Interviewing Fashion Advice for Women

2010-06-13T16:01:00.004-04:00

From a medical student's blog on how to get a job as a doctor.

Fashion Tips for Women

So you’re gonna be a doctor? Better start dressing like one… here are some tips to help you put together a look for the interview season:

1. Wear a suit. This is the safest and most appropriate choice for an interview. The skirt vs. pants debate rages on; however, what really matters is that you find a professional, tailored suit that fits you well. Your suit should be lined on the inside (both jacket and skirt/pants). Unlined suits show every last wrinkle and undergarment line. Not so classy. Some other gems from the Interview Trail

Why are Women Owned Businesses Smaller?

2010-05-20T05:48:00.002-04:00

The Wall Street Journal looks at the size of Women Owned Businesses. Why don't they grow their business as large as the businesses owned by men?

4 Reasons in this article: 1)goals, Access to 2)capital 3)markets and 4)networks... and what to do about it.

Using Social Media to Land a Job

2010-03-18T05:42:00.004-04:00

If you're a job hunter, you should be using some form of social media for your job hunting.

Perhaps your resume and skill summary is posted on LinkedIn?
Maybe you've tweeted your intentions on Twitter?
Or even created a portfolio on a Facebook Photo Album?

This last month Laura Gainor successfully used SlideShare.net to woo, court and land her next employer with a visual resume and creative use of social media that goes way beyond 99.9% of the social media uses of job hunting... but maybe it will give you a good idea of what is possible.

Take a look at this embeded show, but if you have trouble reading it, here's the link to Laura Gainor's job hunting slideshare.net post for Comet Branding.

Laura Gainor Utilizing Social Media

View more presentations from Laura Gainor.

Kent State University Entrepreneurship Scholarship Fund-raiser April 18th

2010-03-05T10:52:00.007-05:00

Find out more about the Kent State University Scholarship Fundraiser on April 18, 2010 at Ray's Place, Kent Ohio. 5 to 10 pm.

It's $20 at the door cover charge with 100% of the money going to benefit the scholarship fund.

Recruit smart, savvy women

2010-02-22T15:35:00.002-05:00

Not your ordinary job fair, Women For Hire Expos offer resume critiquing, power seminars and an all-new mentor match program sponsored by Walmart. Our targeted expertise delivers the diverse talent you seek. Visit WomenForHire.com to learn about customized recruitment solutions.

WomenForHire.com

I was surprised at the quality of this site. When I first heard that WalMart sponsored it, I wasn't sure about it, but I am impressed.

100 Job Search Tips from FORTUNE 500 Recruiters

2010-01-25T11:34:00.005-05:00

This ebook is filled with job hunting stories, anctecdotes and how to tips that will help anyone who is job searching.

100 Job Search Tips from FORTUNE 500 Recruiters

Recommended Resources:

Brazen Careerist: A blog with a modern view of job searching, career development,and the workplace.
Career Hub: Blog A blog written by a diverse group of career coaches.
Dice Job board for tech jobs.
Experience.com: A college career services and jobs website.
Hellotxt.com Allows you to update all your social network statuses from one place.
JibberJobber.com A tool for job seekers, job hunters, recruiters, and headhunters to organize the job hunt and anage a professional network.
JobHuntersBible.com A job source by the author of What Color Is Your Parachute?
Jobsearch.about.com Interview tips and suggestions, interview questions and answers, interview attire, and interview thank-you letters.
Jobserve.com Offers 2.5 million jobs across 15 industries, and new jobs can be delivered to you through RSS, text, etc.
lindseypollak.com/blog Offers career advice for students and young professionals.
Linkedin.com A professional networking site where you can build your résumé profile, connect with past colleagues, view new job opportunities,
and connect with people who currently work at the target company.
Naceweb.org A website that is dedicated to the careers of college students.
Simplyhired.com/Indeed.com Job search sites that use search engine optimization to find all available positions.
Theladders.com An executive job board with opportunities that have salaries of $100K and above.
Twitter.com: A microblogging service that allows you to interact with hiring managers at a more personal level.
TwitterJobSearch.com: This site allows you to search through Twitter, using keywords, to find a job or internship.

Who Inspires You?

2010-01-21T06:06:00.012-05:00

Robin McMaster (left) recently shared that Ellen Weber (right) inspires her in her "Brain Based Biz" blog post "Ellen Weber - An Inspiration" .

Robin and Ellen both work at the MITA Brain Based Center, to equip leaders with practical brain based tactics that optimize satisfaction and output at work.

I enjoy reading their on line publications because they always challenge my thought processes and help me to look at things by another angle. I love the concept of two footed questions and how a 2 footed question can help actually redirect thinking.

Ellen Weber writes and publishes Brain Leaders and Learners
Robyn McMaster writes and publishs Brain Based Biz

So. Who inspires you?

New Law about College Loan Forgiveness and Student Debt Repayments: Links & Information

2009-12-29T07:05:00.013-05:00

As anyone facing repayment of a student loan without enough money to make ends meet knows: Student debt can be a major problem!

A recent law with changes in the requirements about student loan repayments make it easier to meet the gap if based on your income.

View video here.

This is especially helpful if you could not find a job, or your hours have been cut or you recently lost your job, but still have outstanding student loans.
Are you a teacher? Serve in the Peace Corp or Americorps?

On July 1, 2009 Income Based Repayment or IBR became law. What is this loan forgiveness law? Under certain circumstances -- any remaining debt after 25 years will be forgiven... or after 10 years if you work for a non profit.

Do you qualify? The income based section is based on the amount you earn and the number of people in your family. The public service portion depends upon where you choose to work after graduation.

Here's the link to the IBR calculator -- income based repayment calculator. Punch in your numbers for a quick look. Here's the link to the 29 pages of fine print & government bill that lists the jobs that qualify ((including licensed or regulated child care, Head Start, and State-funded pre-kindergarten, nurses, nurse practitioners, nurses in a clinical setting and full-time professionals engaged in health care practitioner occupations and health care support occupations as such terms are defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.)

Student Loan Forgiveness

Here are links about student debt repayment information and the new law. It's been in the works for a while. Here's some important and helpful links for learning more about how to get forgiveness on your student loans based on your income.
Retrieve your amount of student loan debt here.

Find out more about student loan reduction qualifications here at this financial aid site

December 3, 2009 IBR Final Rules and Application Help

October 20, 2009 Update on Loan Forgiveness and Private Loans

August 6, 2009 Make Your Voice Heard and Learn More About IBR

July 10, 2009 Answering Your IBR Questions

June 30, 2009 IBR Applications Now Available

June 19, 2009 Take Action for Real Loan Forgiveness!

June 11, 2009 New IBR Video -- Ditch Your Debt Gremlin

May 26, 2009 Great News, Plus Q & A Update

April 8, 2009 New Podcast and a Chance to Help

February 27, 2009 IBR Calculator updates and new FAQ section

December 17, 2008 Fighting for Fairness and Access

The Power of Women in the Boardroom

2009-10-30T06:35:00.004-04:00

A recent study shows important factors of women in the boardroom in helping a board of directors become more effective.

Important findings, the good:

Perspective
Dynamic
Teamwork
Less ego driven
Good questions
Challenging status quo
Great energy, drive and commitment

Important findings, the weaknesses:

lower self confidence
either too passive or too aggressive
tend to be perfectionists

Read the article 6 Perspectives on Women in the Boardroom, Plus 3 Tips for an Effective Board: FTSE 100 Breakfast Panel at the Glass Hammer for the full information.

Roni's Weigh Hits a New Milestone

2009-10-10T10:10:00.012-04:00

Roni (Veronica “Roni” Noone) is an inspiration to many many women.

She's been blogging for several years at Roni's Weigh and Green Lite Bites and has really built a huge following. I think Roni's way of blogging, accepting a few ads but really being authentic and true to her readers has helped her to turn her blogging into a business. She got into it after she lost weight with Weight Watchers but wanted to become more healthy in her eating.

Today, she hit a major milestone.

After losing 70 pounds and keeping it off for several years, today she is running the Baltimore Marathon! As I type this, she just completed 11.5 miles of the 26.2 run.

It's really cool to follow her live on TwitPic after all the training and effort she's done to get ready for this.

Although her blog has a lot of information about food and staying fit, there's some great career points on there too.

Here she is at mile 12.

You can follow her on Twitter @RonisWeigh

Some of her other websites and blogs: GreenLiteBites BlogToLose SkinnyMinnyMedia FitBloggin'

From her bio:

Roni’s daily blog posts, tweets, and video posts have created a
fiercely loyal following of readers. On average, more than 3,500 people visit Roni’s Weigh, GreenLiteBites and BlogToLose each day. Roni has also gained notoriety by being quoted and published in many publications including: Women’s World, Wired and The Baltimore Sun. She’s also been a speaker at various events, including BlogHer DC - Reach Out Tour and BlogHer 2009.

Currently, Veronica is training for the 2009 Baltimore Marathon. In
March 2010, she will host the first ever FitBloggin’ conference in Baltimore,
Maryland - a place for new and seasoned health, wellness, weight loss and
fitness bloggers to come together for knowledge, personal growth and
networking.

She manages to blog at 4 places, hold down a job, train for a marathon, have a great family life with a 4 year old and husband... and create some terrific recipes as well. What can we learn from her? Life balance. Time management. Goals.

Northeast Ohio ATHENA Awards for 2009

2009-10-08T15:12:00.009-04:00

The Athena Awards were held on Thursday October 1 in Northeast Ohio.
From the Inside Business:

RECIPIENTS
Jacqueline Silas-Butler starts her day early to make sure children in Akron get the head start they need to succeed.

Jacqueline F. Woods established herself as one of Northeast Ohio’s most influential women while leading AT&T Ohio. Now in retirement, she continues taking risks, finding new challenges and helping a new generation of women.

Since 1982, the ATHENA Awards have celebrated women and men throughout the
world who have made a difference in their communities, their professions and the
lives of women around them.
The 10 finalists of Northeast Ohio’s 2009 ATHENA Awards come from a range of backgrounds: large corporations and nonprofit organizations, public service and private firms. But they also share a common bond. Through their leadership, they’ve made our region a better place to live and work.
ATHENA Award Finalists: Lisa Rose, Linda F.R. Omobien, Radhika Reddy, Kimberly Haws Falasco, Margaret Payne, Holly Harris Bane, Jacqueline F. Woods, Jacqueline Silas-Butler, Paul Clark, Heather Roulston Ettinger
Young Professional Award Winners: Lynnette Jackson and Katie Herbst

Northeast Ohio ATHENA Award Finalists Will Be Honored Tonight

2009-10-01T15:56:00.003-04:00

The 2009 ATHENA Award finalists are:

Holly Harris Bane, The University of Akron
Paul Clark, National City now a part of PNC
Kimberly Haws Falasco, Robert W. Baird & Co.
Heather Ettinger, Fairport Asset Management LLC
Linda Omobien, Omobien & Associates
Radhika Reddy, Ariel Ventures LLC
Margaret Payne, Retired, Kent State University & Director, Summa Health System
Lisa Rose, Dix & Eaton
Jacqueline Silas-Butler, Project GRAD Akron
Jacqueline Woods, Former President, AT&T Ohio & Trustee, Kent State University

The ATHENA® Award finalists from Northeast Ohio will be honored tonight at the awards Dinner and Celebration at the Embassy Suites Cleveland-Rockside in Independence, Ohio.

Named in recognition of the Greek goddess of wisdom and courage, ATHENA International honors outstanding individuals who have achieved professional excellence, given back to their communities and helped other women reach their full potential by creating leadership opportunities for women here in Northeast Ohio.

Past recipients of this prestigious and nationally-renowned award have started and managed companies, launched products, repositioned brands and influenced business enthusiasts in myriad ways.

Celebrate Women's Leadership Day in Akron

2009-09-28T07:21:00.000-04:00

Celebrate Women's Leadership Day in Akron on Tuesday, November 10, 2009. Mark your calendar for lunch right now!

The Women’s Network of Northeast Ohio will be hosting a new program of ATHENA International to celebrate Women's Leadership Day. You'll want to attend this event where an established woman leader will invite an emerging woman leader to join her for lunch.

Who are you mentoring right now that would benefit by networking with other emerging women leaders and established leaders in the Akron area? Or if you are an emerging woman leader what established woman leader in the community have you always wanted to have lunch with to get to know?

Author's note: Notice how I omit the words "old" and "young"? You get the idea!! Everyone loves the phrase established and experienced, but old is not the right adjective!

This unique new lunch will be chaired by Angelina Milo, Cohen & Company, Ltd.; Diane Johnson, Attorney at Law;Angela Fremon, Cole Industries; and Norma Rist, Norma J. Rist CEO Consulting, Inc.

The proceeds for the event will benefit Women’s Network’s Judith Resnik Scholarship Fund.

If you are mentoring an emerging woman leader, this is a wonderful opportunity to develop your relationship with her as well as encourage new relationships.

This Women’s Leadership Day Lunch will be offered the same day in many other cities. Watch the http://womensnetworkneohio.com and the November newsletter for the details. Mark your calendar now and plan to attend.