ContentsNew Members: Sande Kaskel, Lenore Alpert, Chadia Meroueh, Lee Bell, Diana Fairbanks and Hillary Gurman Grapevine: News and Notes about WEC Members Membership Attendance August Luncheon
Guest Speaker- Judy Garmaise, MSW, CSW
She also has been conducting Stress Management and Life Enhancement workshops for over 20 years in New York City and Southeast Florida.
Tower Club UpdatePlease note that the parking garage will only be accessible via Broward Boulevard. The crane has been moved and there will be no more access from SE 3rd Street. From the President
Speaking of amazing, please give a mental round of applause to Melissa Rapkin; she did a fantastic job in leading us throughout this past year! She serves as both an example and inspiration to me as I step up to the helm. I also plan on drawing a lot of support from my superb board, members like you who commit their time, talent and energy in serving the many needs of the club. We would also love for you to become more involved and the board could use your help with their committees. We welcome your input in making the club better. After all, you are WEC and it wouldn’t be the same without you! My vision as president involves the exploration and cultivation of our inner core values, such as love, kindness and forgiveness, that ultimately when practiced, brings a greater sense of peace and joy to one’s life. We all say we want more happiness and harmony, but those changes begin with us—having more to do with the quality of our thoughts, our emotions and our actions within our community. The one word that summarizes my vision is Truth. What is your truth? When and where do you betray it, or ignore it? And with truth comes Integrity. How authentic are you? Are your thoughts, emotions and deeds in alignment for the creation of the best and highest good? As members, I encourage us to open our hearts and minds to one another, as friends and colleagues, providing a village of loving and compassionate support. We kicked it off with the fabulous retreat at The Duncan Center in Delray on June 14th. Thirty-six members attended and enjoyed the various enriching and rejuvenating activities, and really got to know each other on a more intimate basis. A more complete description will follow later in the newsletter. I am looking forward to our first meeting on Tuesday, August 19th, which will feature Judy Garmaise, speaking on “The Power of Follow Up”. This is not just another ‘send a thank you note the next day’ kind of sales pitch, but rather a psychological exploration into why we do, or DO NOT, follow up with someone we met, the subsequent consequences, and helpful tools to turn it around. Again, I am excited to be your president and I truly hope you take advantage of all that the club has to offer—the friendship, support and the many activities that makes WEC unique. Vanessa Koutalidis
New Members SpotlightWelcome Sande Kaskel, Lenore Alpert, Chadia Meroueh, Lee Bell, Diana Fairbanks and Hillary Gurman! Please see their “spotlights” below for more information about these wonderful ladies! WEC also welcomes Meryl Charnow, a John Hancock Financial Network professional, and Patty Rooney, D.O., F.A.C.O.S., who specializes in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Sande Kaskel tells us:I grew up in Brookville, N.Y. and attended the University of Miami where I graduated with a degree in elementary school education. After two years of teaching in Atlanta, health issues sent me back to New York. Eventually my health improved and I went searching for a job. In the 70’s, working woman and secretary were almost synonymous. I landed a secretarial job at Paine Webber (now UBS), moved up the ladder and became the AVP of National Annuity Sales. When my head hit the glass ceiling I decided that it was time to move. I moved to Florida, got married and had a baby. (My baby, now 26, is an attorney and getting married next year.) I had always wanted my own business so when my marriage failed and I needed to go back to work, I decided to open my own full service life and health insurance agency. Though successful, my direction seemed wrong and in 2000, I decided to specialize in long term care insurance. Today my firm works with individuals, groups and associations, both on a regional and national level. We offer discounted long term care insurance through my national network of insurance agents. I’m active in the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and a proud past President of the National Association of Women Business Owners, Ft. Lauderdale chapter. Through the Chamber I am pursuing my passion for building self esteem in the middle majority (average) of high school students. For the last five years I have Chaired Preparing Youth for Industry, which is an education/business partnership for the three public High Schools in Hollywood. Lenore Alpert tells us:
Dr. Alpert has also directed FAU’s past two South Florida regional indicators projects and coordinated the Center’s research team. She currently heads the Research South Florida initiative at the Center. She has over twenty years of research and teaching experience, including Florida Atlantic University, Northwestern University, the University of Georgia, and the University of San Francisco. Prior to coming to FAU, Dr. Alpert worked as a lobbyist and legislative analyst in California. Dr. Alpert has worked at the Center nearly nine years and is a political scientist who holds her doctorate from Northwestern University, with a specialization in public policy. She is marrying her long time partner, Steve Leghart, in June and enjoys swimming, theatre, and the ballet. Chadia Meroueh tells us:I am the Vice President of Auto Tech and Body, Inc. and the single mother of 2 beautiful girls: Yoldez, who is 18 years old and a junior majoring in Chemistry (Pre-Med) at University of Miami; and Laureen, who is 15 years old and a Junior at FAU High School. I am president of the Boys and Girls Club of Pompano Beach. I enjoy reading, walking on the beach and biking. I am privileged to be part of a family business. I work with my brother, Jay, who is the founder of Auto Tech and Body. Auto Tech and Body is a 22,000 square foot, award-winning automotive complex. We cater to all of your automotive needs: mechanical, paint and body, as well as warrantee work. We are also involved in car sales "By Request Order". Auto Tech and Body is the first facility in South Florida that is a site for R&D in the Bio-Diesel and green car conversions since 2004 (way before the gas price hike). We have been converting diesel vehicles to run on used vegetable oil since 2007 and we are now in the final testing stages with Hydrogen technology that can almost double the mileage. We have been in business for over 14 years and have won multiple awards, including the prestigious Award of Excellence in Customer Service and Quality Repairs by the South Florida Auto Industry Association. It has also been awarded Small Business of The Year in Broward County. Auto Tech and Body is committed to the highest standards of the automotive industry in South Florida by serving you, our customer, with the highest level of integrity and service in an environmentally-friendly facility. Lee Bell tells us:Although I was born just west of Boston, I grew up here in South Florida. I have two lovely daughters. One is a teacher who works for the Florida Virtual School, teaching 9th grade English, and the other one has a degree in film and the fine arts. She works in Miami in the production side of the film industry. My third child, as I like to refer to my business, was born twenty years ago. Individual Dimensions in Learning, Inc. is an academic tutoring and testing center. I have about twenty certified, experienced and wonderful teachers who work with me as we teach students, K - college. Also, I have a licensed school psychologist on my staff for testing and evaluation. We help students in all academic areas. However, many of our students come to us for test preparation. There are many initials involved: SAT, PSAT, and ACT begin the list for college entrance exams. Then there are the SSAT and the HSPT for entrance into private high schools in the area. A particular niche for us is our preparation of qualified students who are aspiring National Merit Scholars. As these rising high school juniors look toward scholarships and recognition, we assist them with testing techniques, additional skills and practice. I love what I do, and I feel very fortunate to be able to do this work. I also feel very fortunate to be a new member of the Women's Executive Club.
Diana Fairbanks tells us: A long-held goal was to start my own business, and the move to Fort Lauderdale was the beginning of that goal. I have been married to stagehand, Patrick Venn, for 10 years. We have a six-toed cat named Ernie and live on the beach in Fort Lauderdale. Hillary Gurman tells us: Originally from Long Island, New York, I have been a South Florida resident for more than 25 years. My journey to date has been incredible! Along with my husband, Mark, and our three daughters, we are enjoying life in Fort Lauderdale. My job as Community Relations Manager at the nonprofit Youth Automotive Training Center is too good to be true. The mission of this organization (the vision of automotive legend, Jim Moran) truly emulates what I believe in and that is to help others.
My acceptance in WEC is exciting and I look forward to many wonderful years of meeting many more interesting and diverse women in the organization.
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Judy Garmaise, Professional Speaker, has a Masters in Social Work from Columbia University in New York. Judy has over 25 years of experience in the Sales and Marketing world. She was the successful owner of JB Tucker Inc., a thriving recruiting firm for Software Sales Management in New York City. 
It is my honor and pleasure to welcome you to another terrific WEC year (2008-2009). Like a fine wine, my experience as a WEC member continues to evolve and grows richer over time. And that is absolutely attributed to how amazing and genuine our members are. I recognized that special spark during my first meeting ten years ago and that ember has only burned brighter in my life. And now, I am grateful for the faith and trust you have bestowed in me as your new president. 
Lenore Alpert is Assistant Director of Research at Florida Atlantic University’s Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions where she manages policy research and teaches as an adjunct in the Department of Political Science.
Over the past four years, she has studied regional issues, including research on the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority and the Regional Business Alliance and development of a Symposium on Housing Affordability and Economic Development in the region. 
I moved to Fort Lauderdale 3 years ago from New York City. I currently work as a residential realtor with Coldwell Banker. Prior to moving to Florida, I worked as a manager of Broadway musicals, in New York and on tour. Shows included such well known hits as "Les Miserables" and "The Phantom of the Opera", and most recently I worked on “The Radio City Christmas Spectacular” starring the Rockettes, and Billy Joel's dance musical "Movin' Out". 
In my career, I have worked in development, which included fundraising, marketing, event planning, and being the editor and photographer for publications. One of the proudest avenues of my career path was studying American Sign Language and working as an interpreter within the Broward Community. I have been a facilitator of communication in many facets. 
The
Executive Grapevine: news and notes about WEC members. 
Jan Bullard was recently honored by the Greater Sunrise Chamber of Commerce as the 2008 Small Business Person of the Year. Congratulations, Jan! Jan has consistently been in the top 5% of producers, nationally, for three major insurance companies and still manages to find time to tend to her tropical gardens, which earned her the prestigious “Landscape and Design Award” from the City of Plantation. 
“Dr.Donna” (Donna Goldstein) just returned from the National Conference for “Take Shape for Life” in Orlando where the theme was “Getting America Healthy!” She was thrilled to be honored as a new Executive Director- one of the top 150 out of 2,500 Health Coaches in the company. She will share more about this exciting approach to optimal health and weight loss at our October business showcase which will spotlight success stories of several of our WEC members and friends. 
In July, the “bookies” gathered again at Jan Bullard’s home, amidst her award-winning tropical gardens, to discuss Loving Frank by Nancy Horan and to celebrate the birthdays of all July “bookies”. WEC member, France Karr, displayed her masterful culinary and baking skills by once again baking a beautiful birthday cake to honor all birthday “bookies”. See pictures and Joni Rosenthal’s special homage to France and her catering business below…
This special cake was not only elegant to look at, but yummy to eat. A lot of us had seconds but don't tell anyone!
Please go to France's web site at: 
As France "draws back on Cupid's epicurean arrow", you will see that she brings together many people to feel the love at the table, and at the same time, tantalizing us all. With happiness, Joni Rosenthal 
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 whatever. This is a great opportunity to get to know each other on a more personal level. Look how much fun Jan Bullard, Joyce Shore, and Patrice Maenza had this summer! 
As part of my duties, I am in charge of Cannon Circles and Showcases. If you are unfamiliar with these, here is an explanation. Cannon Circles are held once a month, in the evening, at someone’s home or business. You can share hostess duties with another member. There is no cost, however, you are expected to provide food. This is a great way to get to know other WEC members. Available months are: November and May.| President | Vanessa Koutalidis Island City Chiropractic |
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| Past President | Melissa Rapkin, Documents2Disc Ambassador Committee Canon Circles Business Showcases |
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| President Elect/ VP Internal Involvement |
Jenny Kelly, Programs Committee |
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| VP Corporate Records | Michelle Case Corporate Records, Historian |
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| VP Finance | Mini Jewahar , Budget |
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| VP Community Involvement | Rose Gershon Mentorship (FX) Program |
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| VP Membership | Jan Bullard, Membership Committee |
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| VP Events | Carol Metevier |
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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.
2008-09 Luncheon Dates
Luncheons:
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Membership Attendance:
The membership requirement is to attend a minimum of five (5) club events every year in order to maintain regular membership. This is calculated on a fiscal year basis (i.e. August-June, not calendar year).
The purpose of Women's Executive Club is to give executives the opportunity
of fellowship with their peers in diverse fields; to promote the image
of the woman executive; to further the interrelationships of such executives
and to promote the general welfare of their businesses and community.