Contents

November Luncheon

Program Speaker

From the President

October Luncheon Photos

New Member: Patrice Maenza

Members doing Business with Members

Cannon Circle

Grapevine: News and Notes about WEC Members

Special Events: Wine Tasting

Book Club

GEM: Greet, Eat, Meet

Community News

WEC Board of Directors

Luncheons and Board Meetings

November Luncheon

Date: Time:	November Luncheon Wednesday, November 14, 2007 11:30 Networking 12:00 Luncheon
Place:	Tower Club, 28th floor One Financial Plaza in the Regions Bank Building Click here for directions
Program:	Justin Moss- Managing Director for Marketing and Communication- Florida Grand Opera
Guest Cost:	Guest cost $25. Members are responsible for Guests.
Menu:	Char-grilled Mahi-Mahi with fresh fruit salsa or Chicken Francaise with a white wine beurre blanc Dessert: Tiramisu
RSVP to:	Please RSVP (including your menu choice) by Thursday, November 8 to rsvp@wecftl.com We appreciate your RSVPs! To assist Susie administratively, please put “WEC Lunch” in the subject line.
“Women constitute half of the world’s population, perform nearly two thirds of its work hours, receive one-tenth of the world’s income and own less than one-hundredth of the world’s property”.  - United Nations Report

Program Speaker

Justin Moss
Florida Grand Opera
Managing Director for Marketing and Communication

A native of San Francisco, Justin Moss entered the Opera field professionally in 1981.  He held management posts with the Virginia Opera, Baltimore Opera, and Boston Lyric Opera before joining Florida Grand Opera in 1993.

In addition to overseeing the Opera’s ticket sales and public relations efforts, Mr. Moss presents informative previews of the operas for ticket holders immediately before all performances in both Miami and Fort Lauderdale.  Mr. Moss has served as a judge for the Metropolitan Opera National Auditions on several occasions in the United States and Canada, and has served as a grants panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts’ Opera Musical-Theater and Advancement programs.

From the President

October saw our largest lunch of the year so far, when 61 of us heard Peg McPherson from the Everglades Foundation educate us on the importance of water conservation. Her lively discussion included information on how we can keep the River of Grass alive for the next generations. Peg distributed brochures explaining “The Essentials” for Everglades Restoration and tips on how we can get involved.

Kim Serra-Rivera showcased her business, Regent Bank. For more information on how Regent Bank can service you, your business and your customers, please speak with Kim. We have temporarily lowered the price of Showcases to $75. If you are interested, please speak with Vivien Godfrey. This is a great way to let everyone know more about your business.

Another great way is the new Member Directory. If you would like to have your information on the WEC website available to the public – and potential customers – just send $25 to Kim Serra-Rivera. Chris Guld will then e-mail a template for you to fill out, and your company’s information, web link and logo will be accessible to the public.

Don’t miss our November luncheon, when Justin Moss from the Florida Grand Opera will speak. If you love opera, Justin will teach you more. If you don’t know the difference between Tosca and La Bohème, Justin will explain it. (Hopefully, he’ll do a good job, because I’m in the latter group!)

Pam Dearden organized a great wine tasting at The Best Cellar in Wilton Manors. The wine was terrific and it was a great opportunity to meet some spouses and have a laugh-filled evening. Many of us took home some treats (I have a bottle breathing as I write this). 

We also had a great time at the October Cannon Circle, hosted by Pam Dearden and Margarethe Sorensen. Great food and great company. If you’re interested in hosting a Cannon Circle, contact Vivien Godfrey.

Special thanks to Jan Mayer-Rodriguez and Maggie Smith for taking over our newsletter. If you would like to get more involved in WEC, speak with any board member. There are a number of committees that can use your help.

Thank-you,
Melissa Rapkin

October Luncheon Photos

Thanks to our photographer, Joni Rosenthal! More photos are posted on our new WEC Web Album.

New Member Spotlight: Patrice Maenza

Born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Patrice moved to Ft. Lauderdale in 1986 after graduating from Southern Illinois University with a B.S. in Communications.

She started her career in finance and mortgages in 1988 working at Wells Fargo for 10 years and SunTrust 1 year.  In 1999, she was involved in a near fatal rollover which caused her to be off work for more than 3 years. Patrice returned to work in 2003 as a mortgage executive at Bank of America.  Shortly thereafter, she started her own mortgage broker business which has evolved into My Mortgage Company. Patrice specializes in Jumbo and Conforming loans as well as commercial lending.  She is a certified Reverse Mortgage Specialist.   Her business is located at 2709 E. Oakland Park Blvd, Fort Lauderdale and she can be reached at 954-537-0446, on the web at www.yourmortgageyourchoice.com or via e-mail at mymortgage1@bellsouth.net.

Members Doing Business with Members

Thank you to Virginia Howard for her wise counsel and to Emily Rushin for saying "yes" to one of my harebrained ideas to add a watercolor bear and cardinal to a birthday gift for a very dear friend. You two are awesome!   Dee Moustakas

Cannon Circle

The Cannon Circle will be hosted by Bobbie Stanley and Toby Manke at their offices on Wed Nov 28th from 6pm to 8pm. The offices of Brinkley Morgan are at 200 East Las Olas Blvd, Suite 1900, Fort Lauderdale FL 33301.

The Executive Grapevine: news and notes about WEC members.

An inspiring story from Shana Munden:

I was asked along with other entertainers to donate my breasts to do a plaster of paris and have an artist paint the bust to be auctioned off at St Augustine for Save a Breast Foundation. My bust was painted by Hess, an artist that has his work displayed at the Louvre in Paris, and someone bought the bust the night before the auction for $10,000.  The Mayor and other officials and the press were there last weekend when I arrived; it was very exciting and I was happy to raise the money for such a good cause.  

Congratulations Shana for your unique contributions!

Note from Emily Rushin:

I'm entering two paintings in the "Watercolor! The Beauty of Transparency" at the Coral Springs Museum of Art in a show that will be up from October 31 through November 26.  You never know if you will be accepted in a show that will be juried and judged by a nationally known artist, but I hope I'll be up there with about 100 other paintings by Gold Coast Watercolor Society artists.  There's no charge to come and see! 

Good luck Emily!

• Kudos to Dr. Suzie for providing special assistance to our own Pat McCarthy! 

• Nov. 3 - Flamingo Gardens Tram Tour  (for WEC members, family, and friends)

• Nov. 14 – WEC luncheon

Special Events: Wine Tasting

Wine Enthusiasts Convened for Tasting Event at The Best Cellar
 WEC members and friends enjoyed a fabulous evening of wine and fun on October 9 at The Best Cellar.  Richard Stetler, owner of The Best Cellar in Wilton Manors, provided a fun and informative evening with tasting some wonderful boutique wines not otherwise available in other wine stores.  Richard offers weekly wine tasting.  To sample his interesting collection or to book reservations at one of his weekly tasting events call 954.630.8020.

Book Club

The December WEC Book Club event will be hosted by Jan Bullard on Monday, December 3rd.  Jan invites all of WEC whether you read the book or not!
  6:30pm 
  157 SW 127 Avenue
  Plantation, fl 33325
  954-473-6890
 The December book is: 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper

Jan announces , “The Book Club and any members of WEC that would like to come to the holiday party at my home on 12-3 at 6:30 p.m. are welcome.  I have award-winning gardens and everyone is bringing something to eat. It will be a time to enjoy the Holidays together.

GEM- Great, Eat and Meet

There's just not enough time at the monthly luncheon to get to know more WEC members, to talk about your business or what's been happening in your life lately.  Well, WEC has several solutions!  There are at least three solutions, in fact, open to just members: Cannon Circles, Book Club, and GEMs.  Cannon Circles happen about once a month in a member's home or place of business, Book Club meets about every six weeks at a member's home, and GEMs take place about every two months for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or cocktails at a restaurant.

GEMs are small groups in which a hostess e-mails suggestions for a date, and the time and place to meet.  Members reply with the best date for them; the hostess announces the choice; 3 to 6 members find time to meet and talk and eat and talk!  Everyone pays for her own lunch and a great time is had by all.

The tables are scrambled each time and you will receive an e-mail from Emily Rushin announcing your table-mates.  Please be courteous to your table hostess: reply promptly, let her know if you can come, and call or e-mail her if something comes up and you have to cancel - we know that happens sometimes. 

COMMUNITY NEWS

Nov. 2 - Open House @ PACE Center for Girls
Nov. 8 - Bloomers to Bikinis - All of WEC is invited! 

HOW THE SPORT OF SWIMMING CHANGED THE STATUS AND IMAGE OF WOMEN

WHO: Presented by noted swimming historian, Bruce Wigo, and featuring Miss Pompano Beach, USA, Miss Pompano Beach Teen, USA and members of the Fort Lauderdale Aquatics Swim Team. 

WHAT: From Bloomers to Bikinis: How The Sport of Swimming Changes The Status and Image of Women.

WHEN: Thursday, November 8th,  Cocktails 6 PM to 9 PM, Multi-Media Show begins promptly at 7:00 P.M., reception immediately following.

WHERE: International Swimming Hall of Fame, One Hall of Fame Drive (one block south of Las Olas on A1A), Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316

COST:$50 Advanced Tickets, $60 at the Door

From Bloomers to Bikini’s:   
How the Sport of Swimming Changed The Status and Image of Women, is a multi-media exhibit of film, photos and a live fashion show that demonstrates how swimming acted as one of the most significant cultural forces in the women’s rights movement in the 20th Century.  This exhibit shows how fifteen years before women won the right to vote, they won the right to learn to swim so they wouldn’t drown when a man wasn’t around to save them.

Swimming changed the way women dressed, the way they thought about themselves and the way society thought about women and their role in society.  The exhibit primarily focuses on five women swimmers who broke through the social and moral barriers that held women back during the Victorian era: 

• Annette Kellerman, the Australian beauty who was possibly the most influential female cultural icon of the 20th Century;
• Charlotte Epstein, a New York City court reporter who forced the American Olympic Committee to accept women as athletes;
• Gertrude Ederle, who accomplished the single greatest athletic feat by a woman when she swam the English Channel in 1926, proving that women were physically capable of performing strenuous activities equally with men;
• Esther Williams, the swimming champion who brought Kellerman’s life to the big Screen in the “Million Dollar Mermaid”; and,
• Donna deVarona, the California girl whose compelling testimony before congress lead to the passage of Title IX legislation, fostering equitable opportunities for women in sports, the classroom and in the workplace. 

Nov. 18 – Wilton Manors Run/Walk

Closing Chuckle

LONGEVITY: Married men live longer than single men do, but married men are a lot more willing to die.  
(Provided by Jan Herard and Emily Rushin)

WEC Board of Directors
2007-2008

President	Melissa Rapkin, Documents2Disc
Past President	Vivien Godfrey Blue Water Books and Charts Ambassador Committee Canon Circles Business Showcases
President Elect/ VP Corporate Records	Vanessa Koutalidis Island City Chiropractic Corporate Records Historian By-Laws Committee
VP Finance	Kim Serra-Rivera, Regent Bank Budget Dues collection
VP Community Involvement	Ronnie Karlin, ComCorp, Consultant/Talent Acquisition Mentorship (FX) Program Women Empowering Women (WEW) Community Outreach Public Relations
VP Internal Involvement	Jenny Kelly, Ritter’s Printing Programs Committee Greetings Committee Newsletter Book Club
VP Membership	Jan Bullard, JP Financial Services Membership Committee Membership Luncheon Directory Webmaster
VP Events	Pam Dearden, Gold Coast Jazz Society Social Committee Fun raiser or Fund raiser GEM Events

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.

2007-08 Luncheon and Board Meeting Dates

Next Board Meeting:
November

Luncheons:
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Membership Attendance: