Although I am a born-n-bred Tar Heel, Florida is now my 5th US state of residence. It only took 3 years to really get "thawed out" from living in the foothills of the Alleghany Mountains, in Corning, NY.
During the years that I was at home with children, I had many volunteer opportunities that gave me a broad range of experience working with nonprofit organizations. I enjoyed working with Girl Scouts, but I also sat on the Boards of Directors for two vastly different NPO’s. When I was able to return to the work force, I sought a position with a local nonprofit in Steuben Co, NY.
Working for this nonprofit was a challenge. I was able to bring a visibility to the organization that they had never had, and was able to keep the name in front of the press in a positive light. Now, working for a major corporation and being on the "giving" side rather than the asking one, I am pleased to be able to reach such a variety of fabulous organizations here in Broward County.
My family includes my husband, adult daughter and son, and 2 insane cats. I’m a mad knitter, working amongst a variety of projects at any given time, but I used to teach English smocking, tatting, and a variety of specialized sewing machine techniques, including French Lace work and piecework. You will always find me with a book close by!
Thank you for extending membership to me and the opportunities for both professional and personal growth among executive women.
I grew up in Ft. Lauderdale but left to pursue my education at the University of Florida. While there, I earned a B.S. in Marketing and an M.A. in International Relations. I was also fortunate to spend a semester living and studying in Salamanca, Spain. After completing my master’s, I relocated to Virginia to pursue a career in study abroad program administration. While there, I met my husband, Steve Sjoblom, who is also a study abroad alumnus, and who shares my love of cultural immersion and travel.
In 2003, I became the first Director of International Programs at FIU and came home to South Florida. This new position required a lot of financial work with faculty members to create self-sustaining, academically rich, study abroad programs and with students to create financially viable study abroad experiences. Steve and I welcomed our son, Robbie, in 2006 and I decided to use my maternity leave to explore how to better utilize my financial skills and experience. With the help of a fantastic career counselor, I decided to become a financial advisor and specialize in working with women.
In 2007, I became the Business Development Manager of Twenty-First Century Financial Group, Inc. in Ft. Lauderdale. Twenty-First Century Financial Group, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is committed to helping our clients achieve their financial goals while always maintaining the best interest of our clients. I am very fortunate to be able to work in this industry always knowing that my firm is most interested in the client’s well-being. My primary responsibility at Twenty-First Century Financial Group is to develop new relationships with potential clients and educate them about the services that we offer.
To reach Christine, email her at: csjoblom@bellsouth.net.
My name is Mili Orsini and I am one of the newest Members of WEC. I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, I have a 15 year daughter, a 10 year old son, and three step daughters, ages 16, 13 and 8, and a step-son, age 11, who keep me very busy. I have a B.A. in Advertising from the University Of Detroit, MI, and an M.B.A. in Management from the Universidad Metropolitana (Ana G. Mendez University System) in Puerto Rico. I am an avid reader and photographer and love spending time with my family and friends.
I spent the last 20 years in the Insurance business and recently transitioned into a new business path to realign my strategy with the new evolving economy. I have recently established my own consulting company and I am currently partnering with a leading technology firm developing sales volume for cloud infrastructure products. I have enrolled over 15 sales representatives as my direct agents to represent my Cloud Computing product line and I am expanding the reach of my business into the Hispanic market. I am also an independent faculty professor for the Ana G. Mendez University System, Miramar Campus.
It is a real pleasure to have the opportunity to become a Member of your organization. I am looking forward to spending time and getting to know the wonderful ladies that are part of this prestigious group.
Pina Ackerman was born and raised in Corato, Italy. In her formative years, she attended the Art institute in Bari studying fashion construction for both men and women. She later studied women’s fashion at the prestigious Art Institute of Milan. In 1967, Pina moved with her family to the United States and after two years she opened her first retail boutiques and tailor shops in Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale.
Her current boutique is located on Las Olas Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale and carries a unique collection of women’s fashion and accessories imported from Italy. In addition to the retail store, Pina has a full service tailor shop located in an adjacent space at the same location. The tailor shop serves both men and women.
Pina is past chairman for Italy for the Fort Lauderdale Sister Cities International Program and has been a member of the Downtown Fort Lauderdale Rotary Club. She is also active in the local Italian American community.
Pina is married and lives in Plantation. Her husband, William, a former Secret Service Agent, works as a security consultant. Both of them enjoy traveling to Italy, where they have a home in Pina’s native Corato.
Coming from a large Army family of 11 children, I find the constant need to surround myself with lots of exciting, fun people. Joining the WEC looks to be a perfect outlet for me, and I so look forward to getting to know all of you. 
I grew up (mostly) in Colorado but moved to Florida from Chicago when I started my new business 10 years ago. I am the Vice President and COO of Digital Palette, Inc., a consulting firm with emphasis on Internet business development technologies. Formerly, I served as an executive for Allstate Insurance Company for 23 years. I was given the opportunity to lead company-wide change initiatives, drive process improvement, and participated in consolidation and start-up efforts.
In my free time, I am a certified facilitator and trainer for Leadership Strategies in Atlanta, as well as a Master Trainer for the Mediation Training Institute International. In addition, I am a Supreme Court Certified County Mediator for the State of Florida.
Lastly, I have been on the Board of the Miami Ski Club for 6 years – just an excuse to keep skiing!
To reach Laurel, email her at: laurel@digpal.com
or at LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/lmhendrickson
WEC clearly communicates its diversity, the specialty skills of its members, commitment to community projects, and primary focus on relationship building. I am privileged to be part of your group and look forward to the friendships I will develop.
I am the owner of ChemWare, Inc., located in Raleigh, NC, with business throughout the U.S. ChemWare develops, markets, and sells a laboratory information management system. Its customers include large laboratories specializing in water quality (government water districts and sanitation facilities), public health (state labs and Washington, DC), and environmental testing (contaminants in soil and water). In November, 2009, Triangle Business Journal recognized ChemWare as one of the “Fast 50”—the fastest growing private companies in the Research Triangle Park, NC area.
Both work-related duties and long-time friends initially enticed me to Fort Lauderdale. My husband Bill is central in my life. He travels widely for his Masonic activities. We enjoy tennis, pinochle, and gourmet cooking, along with the many cultural events of the city. We are blessed with four children and seven grandchildren that also keep us busy.
