Contents
February Luncheon
Program
President's Message
Welcome New Members
Future Executives (FX)
Women Empowering Women (WEW)
Book Club
Cannon Circle
Member Profile: Edie Hoppe
We Mean Business: Judith Schleifstein, Barbara Moorman
GEM: Greet, Eat, Meet
Grapevine: News and Notes about WEC Members
Spirit Wishes WEC Board of Directors
Luncheons and Board Meetings
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Valentine's Day is a day
meant for sharing.
a day for giving,
for loving and caring,
a day for expressing
the thoughts we hold
of people who mean so much
all through the year.
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Date:
Time:
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February
Luncheon
Tuesday February 15
11:30 Networking
12:00 Luncheon
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Place:
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Tower Club, 28TH floor
One Financial Plaza in the Union Planters’ Bank Building
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Guest Cost:
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Guest Cost: $25.00 Members are responsible
for guest
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Menu:
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Garden salad with carrots, tomatoes,
cucumbers, Italian Vinaigrette
Sliced London Broil with Peppercorn
Sauce
or
Herb-crusted Chicken Breast with Lemon Buerre Blanc
Steamed Vegetable plate with Mashed Potatoes
Double Chocolate Cake
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RSVP to:
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Please email your menu choice to Nancy Fischer
at nfischer@pstcomputers.com at
your earliest convenience. Or call her office and leave a message at
954-566-2523. Her friendly staff
is ready to help you. Deadline for February's luncheon is Feb 10, 2005.
See you at the lunch!
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Program: Honoring
past Presidents of WEC
We will be honoring past Presidents of WEC by inviting them to be our
guests at the luncheon to thank them for their leadership of our Women's
Executive Club over past years.
Speaker:
Anne Hotte, Executive Director of Leadership Broward
She will speak about how this organization has contributed to our community
since it was founded in 1982 and how it accomplishes its mission of "inspiring
excellence in leadership in Broward County by developing leaders and
encouraging community trusteeship".
You may be interested in visiting the Leadership Broward website before
our meeting: LeadershipBroward.org
President’s Message
Deb
McLaughlin and Donna Goldstein co-hosted the January Cannon Circle. We
took a tour around the world via Donna’s extensive mask collection
and music. Even the food was multicultural. We played exotic instruments
from gourds and maracas to tambourines and rain sticks. Trust me, none
of today’s bands has anything to worry about. Thank you both for
an educational and entertaining evening.
Leigh Nickel suggested we honor our past presidents by inviting them to
a lunch sometime this year. I chose February because that’s when
the U.S. celebrates President’s Day. Emily Rushin created invitations
using a copy of one of her lovely watercolors and tracked down 21 of our
past presidents. Many are still members while some have moved out of the
area. We are keeping our fingers crossed that they’ll come. Please
try to attend so you can meet and greet our presidents and thank them for
their service.
Happy Valentine’s Day and I’ll see you on the 15th!
Dee
Welcome Three New Members!
Leticia Latino was born and raised in Venezuela by Italian parents. She
has always been exposed to a multi-cultured approach to life and business.
As the daughter of the founder of Neptuno , she decided in 2001, after
gaining broad experience in the financial arena with Merrill Lynch and
then in the Telecommunications industry with Nortel Networks, to lead the
Company’s international sales strategy, with specific focus on increasing
customer base, and on establishing strategic partnerships to help achieve
Neptuno’s international growth objectives. Neptuno is a telecommunications
company with over 35 years of experience in engineering, manufacturing,
installing and maintaining telecommunication towers and shelters for cellular
and broadcasting networks.
Education: BS, Business; MBA, Investments; MS, International Business
Languages: Spanish, Italian, English, French
Affiliations: University of Miami Alumni Association ; Women’s
Executive Club
Jennifer Kelly (Jenny) graduated from Cornell University and earned an
MBA from FAU. She is active in Delta Delta Delta, her church and Leadership
Fort Lauderdale. Jenny’s three year old daughter, Erin keeps her
very busy. What little free time she does have is spent reading or working
out.
She came to live in South Florida 16 years ago when her parents bought
a printing company. Jenny is vice president of marketing and sales for
Ritter’s Printing and Direct Mail. It is a real family business as
her parents, sister, two brothers and husband all working there.

Joanne T. Dee moved to Coral Springs in 1972 where grew up. She now resides
in Coconut Creek where she has lived for the past 12 years.
Her hobbies are bike riding, tennis and any outdoor activity. In her spare
time she enjoys catching up on reading. Her favorite book is The Four Agreements
by Luis Miguel. She also loves music and enjoys going to the movies. She
has two beautiful cats, Angel and Cleo.
Joanne has been in the banking industry for more than 20 years in various
capacities. She currently works at IronoStone Bank, which is the second
largest privately controlled bank in the U.S. As a Relationship Banker
she is responsible for making loans and gathering deposits for business
professionals. The bank caters to the Medical Industry, specifically Physicians
looking any type of commercial financing.
She likes working for IronStone Bank because of the flexibility and the
support that goes along with making solid loan decisions and providing
the best pricing and service for her clients.
Future Executive (FX) Mentor Program
WEC’s current participants are:
We need your involvement to make our Mentorship Program a
success! Thank you in advance to everyone who has already volunteered!
We want to
know what “gift” you have that you are willing to share with an
FX (future executive). Your “gift” may be anything in life – something
work related, socially or technically oriented, etc. Would you spend
some time with an FX at our WEC functions? Lunch, GEM, Book Club, Cannon
Circle, etc.? Ronnie Karlin
To learn more about this program, click here.
Women Empowering Women (WEW)
Our Current WEW participants: |
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| Kim Stiles |
Patricia A. McCarthy |
Patricia McCarthy: What a wonderful group of women this organization has.
As part of the Women Empowering Women Program, I feel like a large loving
family has adopted me. Everyone that I have met has been great. I have
received much valuable support, advice and encouragement. For those of
you that have not met me yet, I am a full time art student at Florida
Atlantic University, Majoring in Fine Arts and minoring in Art History
and hope to obtain my BFA by 2008.
Before returning to school, I worked for years in the print advertising
field in both the TV and Radio markets. After loosing my long time job,
it was a challenge for me to return to school at the age of 43. But I am
very determined. My family keeps me determined and optimistic. I am also
a single-mom. My son Thor is seven-years-old. He was diagnosed with autism
about a year ago. However, the Broward County School that Thor attends
in Pompano has a great program for children with his type of condition.
You can say we are both going to school, learning and growing together.
In addition to being a fulltime mom and fulltime student, I also work
on some weekends selling items at various flea markets and fairs. In January,
my school schedule will allow me to work on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays
too. So if you have any graphic design or art related positions available
in your firm, please let me know. I have a lot of experience with computer
programs, like Photoshop and Quark.
Thank you to all the members of this
organization for all your help and acceptance!
Patricia A. McCarthy
WEC
Book Club:
In 2002, members of WEC who had a common desire for reading and discussions
formed the WEC Book Club. The book for discussion is select by the majority
and the gathering is held in a member’s home (munchies are always
welcome). The meeting schedule varies according to the book and other circumstances.
All members are welcome to participate.
Cannon
Circle
For new members, Cannon Circles are hosted at members’ homes
and provide a more informal atmosphere for us to get to know each other.
Please contact Leigh Nickel at 954-423-0006 if you would like to host a
Cannon Circle.
The Cannon Circle is named for Past President Shirley Cannon who was known
for her gracious and uplifting spirit.
February Cannon Circle:
COME SEE WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN MISSING
Ever wonder how you would look with blue eyes? Or violet? Jade?
What would it be like to see in the distance AND read without any glasses
at all?
Wouldn’t it be great if you could take off your contacts in the morning
and see well all day with no lenses?
Find out the answers to these and any other questions you have about eyes
and vision at an interactive, hands-on Cannon Circle at the office of Dr.
Cynthia Hardy and Dr. Robert Shepard.
Mark your calendar for Wednesday, February 23, starting at 5:30 for an
evening of fun and refreshments hosted by Cynthia Hardy and Edith Hoppe.
You can find us at 2161 E. Commercial Boulevard, 4th floor (brown building
West of Topanga’s, Northwest corner of US1 and Commercial). There
are parking lots on both sides of the building.
Questions and RSVP: 954-771-9120 or shepardhardy@bellsouth.net
Member Profile: Edie Hopie
Edie
Hoppe Time passes so quickly; I treasure every moment. For a little
over thirteen years it has been my pleasure to be a member of Women's Executive
Club. Best friends share special gifts. Dee Moustakas introduced me to
WEC where I enjoy the camaraderie and support of a
group of bright, talented women. What a gift!
After a career spanning more than three decades in providing and administrating
a wide range of human services, I chose to retire with my husband, Kurt.
My work has always been challenging and rewarding, but I was delighted
to be able to afford the opportunity to retire while I had the health and
energy to enjoy it.
Often I hear that people want to "give back" when they retire.
Having devoted a career to "giving back", Kurt and I agreed it
was time to play. We started by buying a Ford 450 truck and a 32 foot long
fifth-wheel. (For those of you who know as little about that as I did a
couple of years ago, that is a huge truck that has a hitch on the bed of
the truck to connect to a big travel trailer, making the trailer the fifth
wheel). For about three months we work-camped in a park in Ft.
Lauderdale to familiarize ourselves with the equipment and the recreational
vehicle lifestyle. For a combined 32 hours a week, we did outdoor maintenance
work at the park in exchange for a space and utilities. The friends and
acquaintances we made were generous with their knowledge and tips.
In April of last year we set out for six months of travel taking us up
the eastern side of the United States and Canada. What a luxury to go at
your own pace and have your home and belongings travel with you! We soaked
up the sights, visited with friends and relatives, enjoyed all kinds of
entertainment and toured a number of factories to see how things are made.
It was hard to believe how quickly the months passed.
We returned to Florida, just as Jeanne was threatening. Our reservations
at the campground at Disney World could not have been better timed. We
pulled in on Saturday and were advised that since the Fort Wilderness Campground
was closed due to the impending hurricane, they had arranged accommodations
for us at one of their hotels and we could park our rig (RV speak for our
stuff) in the hotel parking lot. I do not believe there is any other campground
in the world that could afford us that luxury.
Having escaped all the hurricanes of the season, we happily returned home
to our condominium, put our fifth-wheel in storage and left our truck with
our car mechanic. Our mechanic occasionally drives his daughter to middle
school in it. We learned it has made quite an impression on some of the
boys in her class that she comes to school in such a big "bad ass" truck.
She had to spell what they said to her mother, as she is not allowed to
use such language.
We have filled our lives with wonderful things since our return. I have
been able to come back to WEC. We both volunteer at Kravis Center on Fridays
and Sundays running their gift shop for an hour before opening and during
intermissions. We get to see all the performances on the days we volunteer,
a real treat! Twice a week we take tai chi classes with a wonderful instructor,
teaching us techniques to stay relaxed and flexible. Monday mornings I
volunteer at the Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge greeting visitors or working
outdoors. Although we plan to travel again from April to October, we are
delighted that we can come back to these activities upon our return.
In April we will leave to travel across the country and visit Alaska for
the summer, a whole new experience for us. We still pinch ourselves and
ask if this is for real. Life is good!
We Mean Business
Judith Schleifstein
I have been a WEC member for just over a year although I attended the
lunches as a guest for several years prior. It was only after moving from
my position as a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch, Weston office,
to Vice President/Investments at Janney Montgomery Scott LLC in the Las
Olas branch, that I felt I could become involved on a regular basis.
As a Financial Consultant at Janney, one of the largest full-service regional
financial services company in the USA, I help individual business owners,
professionals and retirees meet their financial goals. With my 10+ years
experience in financial planning, estate planning, retirement planning
and college funding, I offer my clients a complete range of investment
vehicles; from individual securities to mutual funds, life insurance, Long-Term
Care insurance, annuities, tax-free bonds, professional money management
and Trust services.
While living and working in Weston I founded a businesswomen’s networking
group, serving as President for 2 years and more recently as Membership
Committee Chair. I recognize the wonderful opportunities that WEC can offer
a woman, and having been on the Board of several women’s organizations,
also know the hard work that goes into keeping the group on track while
growing the membership and satisfying the diverse interests of the members.
My interests include improving my golf game, classical music, watching
cooking programs and testing out the recipes! On a personal note, I recently
separated from my husband of 20 years, and am temporarily staying with
my sister in Tamarac. I am originally from England, and I visit the UK
at least twice a year to see the rest of my family and friends.
Judith Schleifstein
VP/Investments
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
515 E. Las Olas Blvd., Suite 1200
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301
954-762-4400 or 888-558-2152
FAX 954-761-7810
www.jmsonline.com
Barbara Moorman Carroll Seghers founded Carroll’s Jewelers in 1937.
It has been situated in the heart of Fort Lauderdale on the scenic and
prestigious Las Olas Boulevard since 1962. Carroll’s has remained
family owned and operated throughout the years and has now incorporated
the fourth generation. In 1995 Barbara and Robert Moorman Jr. became CEO
and President of the 915 East Las Olas Boulevard location, following in
the footsteps of Jeanne Ann (Carroll’s daughter) and Robert Moorman
Sr.
.
From the very beginning Carroll’s has maintained the highest standards
in jewelry quality, ethics, product knowledge and customer service. As
a member of the American Gem Society for over 60 years, yearly continued
education courses keeps Carroll’s up to date with changes in the
industry. As a Master IJO Jeweler, Carroll’s is privy to exclusive
fashion jewelry you can’t find anywhere else.
A gift from Carroll’s speaks well of you even before the box is
opened. Carroll’s has gift of distinction for all of life’s
occasions. Carroll’s offers the highest quality jewelry for every
budget. With one of the finest selections of china, crystal and sterling
silver, Carroll’s has long been known as the Store for Brides. From
repairing jewelry and watches, to bridal registry and estate appraisals,
it is the best customer service that drives the family to continue the
tradition. The newest project of the Carroll’s family is developing
new and exciting services over the Internet at www.carrollsjewelry.com
GEM “Greet Eat Meet” Program
Formed in November 2002, members of WEC who choose to get together for
an informal meeting are selected at random in small groups to greet, eat
and meet. A Lead person is selected to set a time and place for breakfast,
lunch, dinner or what ever. This is a great opportunity to get to know
each other on a more personal level. It is great fun!
The GEM Team has been formed to assist with this program. The committee
members are Joann Alderman, Marshia Durham, Christy Lambertus, Gayle Metcalf,
and Joni Rosenthal.
The
Executive Grapevine: news and notes about WEC members. (send them email
by clicking on their name)
Lee Sheffield started in a new position on Tuesday, January 18th. She accepted
a position with Sterling Bank and will be providing business development.
Sterling Bank is headquartered in Palm Beach and this is their first office
in Broward. They are opening a temporary office in 30 days which they will
occupy for 90 days while their new office building is being built on the
SW corner of Andrews Avenue and Davie Boulevard in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

Virginia Forster writes: “I am happy to report that my life in January
has been 100% boring....exactly what I welcome - and certainly needed
- after all the holiday craziness.”
Shana Munden writes: I’m proud to say that I earned the highest award
given by Remax International "The Chairmans Award”....I had
67 sales and $22 million in sales in volume for 2004..and proud to be
a WEC member for 10 years...Bye now.Shana

Leigh Nickel and Jeanne Schwartz won the Ladies Member in December at
the Fort Lauderdale Country Club where they are members. It was a 2-day
event, match play. They won their flight and then won the playoff against
the other flight winners! Leigh says, it was great fun.
Marshia Durham came in first place in a Mixed Doubles tournament in December
at the Sunrise Country Club where she is a member. It was her first trophy
and she hopes to continually improve her game.

 Emily
Rushin was featured in a Tropical Life cover story in the Miami
Herald, Saturday, January 15, entitled "Following a Dream."
Tucked into the far reaches of your mind is a dream that once had vigor
and verve but seems to have withered from benign neglect.
''Gee, I'd really like to write a book someday,'' it whispers. Or, ``One
day, I'd like to go to the countryside and spend my time painting.''
That one day is here.
Since this is the time of year when we traditionally make Resolutions
About Life, we found people in South Florida who have indeed realized their
dreams. We asked them how they did it. Perhaps you will be inspired.
Emily Rushin, 65, watercolorist in Fort Lauderdale, realized her dream
after selling the family business and retiring.
''I had begun painting about 25 years ago . . . but raising a child and
being a businesswoman meant it got put on the back burner,'' she said.
Four years ago, at the suggestion of a friend, she tried watercolors.
Because watercolors are transportable and the paint dries fast, unlike
oil or acrylic, Rushin finds them ideal for travel, one of her passions.
Three years ago, she and two friends traveled throughout Arizona painting.
She next took paints to Ireland and most recently to France.

The News Team
A TNT(dynamite) team has been formed to assist with gathering information
for the monthly newsletter. The team consists of reporters Patti
Archibaud and Amy (Arnold)
Van Gent and photographer Joni
Rosenthal.
Attention Members! If you haven’t had your picture taken for the
directory and the newsletter, please see Joni at the luncheon meeting.
She takes great pictures with her little tiny camera.
WEC Board of Directors
2004-2005 President
Dee Moustakas
Past President
Leigh Nickel
President Elect
Ronnie Karlin
VP Finance -
Jacqueline Powell
VP Corporate Records -
Emily Rushin
VP Internal Involvement
Vivien Godfrey
VP Community Involvement -
Joni Rosenthal
VP Membership -
Marilynn Obrig
All contact information is available for WEC members on our Members
Only website. If you are a member and you don't have a name and password,
you can contact Chris Guld for
more information.
Upcoming Luncheons
11:30 am
Tower Club
Upcoming Board Meetings
at the Tower Club
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