Volunteers: what an essential component of our club. We thank all of you who have helped our organization…whether it’s serving on the board, helping on a committee, we appreciate everyone’s time and talent.

We had a wonderful October, starting with the Cannon Circle at Trina London’s. We enjoyed each other’s company and were treated to delicious food, and how about that view? At our October luncheon, we welcomed new member Ronnie Halpern, Beth Tobin of Starpack presented a business showcase, and Kim Stone, our speaker from the Miami Heat/American Airlines Arena, mesmerized us with her story.

We had a wonderful time at the Stranahan House Halloween tour. Several members were dressed in costume so please look for pictures on the website. Thanks to Carol Metevier, Susan Kingsley and her committee for organizing this event.

We have several events in November to look forward to: the luncheon on the 18^th, and a Cannon Circle at Barbara Moorman’s lovely store, Carroll’s Jewelers, on the 19th. At the luncheon, please don’t forget to bring food or cash for our annual food drive.

Somi Ali of No More Tears will be our speaker, discussing domestic violence. You won’t want to miss Linda Linder’s business showcase.

Two other big events on our calendar are the catamaran cruise on December 3^rd and the following day is the Pace Believing in Girls luncheon. WEC is an event sponsor of the Pace event so please attend if you can and show your support. You can rsvp to Melissa Rapkin or Chadia Meroueh.

There has been much discussion regarding our new website/blog (wecftl.com). The new format allows much more member interaction and we’ll be able to post articles at any time. If you have any questions regarding the new site, feel free to contact Chris Guld, our wonderful webmaster. Please continue to send in your news to Jenette Mathai.

As many of you know, attendance at our luncheons has grown tremendously, thanks to Jan Bullard and all of you who have invited guests. In order to have time for self introductions, the speaker and business showcase, we must start on time. I will be calling the meeting to order at noon sharp. If you would like to network, please feel free to come at 11:30 am. Also, be courteous during self introductions and limit your comments. Instead, please send them to Jenette Mathai to be included in the Grapevine. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Luncheon – Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Featured Speaker:

Kim Stone

Executive Vice President and General Manager The Heat Group/ AmericanAirlines Arena

Member Business Showcase: Beth Tobin, Starpack, Inc.

Networking: 11:30 a.m.-Noon. Luncheon: Noon-1:30 p.m.

Tower Club: 28th Floor, 100 SE 3^rd Avenue, Downtown Fort Lauderdale  click here for map

Members – No charge; Guests $30.00  Click Here to Pay Online

Please reserve on or before Friday, October 16th.

Menu Choice: White Mushroom and Leek Risotto or Chicken Marsala

Dessert: Key Lime Pie

• Please send your reservation to rsvp@wecftl.com with WEC in the subject line.  Include your (and your guests) menu choice.
• We require 48 hours notice for cancellations. For your convenience, guest lunches may be paid online Click Here to Pay Online .
• No switches or take backs of menu choice.  The Tower Club will try to accommodate special dietary requests.  Business attire is requested.

“Explore”… So far this year I think we have done an excellent job of exploring our friendships, our business relationships and new events. For some, it might mean exploring a new committee or helping with our new blog. Wherever your interest lies please join us in exploration this year.

We had a busy month of September…we started off with Game Night at Carol Metevier’s home. We enjoyed each other’s company along with delicious food and of course the view was stunning. Somewhere along the way we did play a few games.

At our September meeting we were treated to a business showcase by Carol McKeever and watched an amazing video that she produced. Carol welcomed all of us to visit Lighthouse of Broward and tour the facility. Our speaker was our Jeryl Madfis’s husband, Michael. He talked about Smart Growth in our community and generated much discussion and questions from our members.

We had a Cannon Circle in September at Linda Linder’s home and had fun trying on her exclusive fashions. We marveled at her husband’s woodworking. Cannon Circles present a great opportunity to get to know your fellow members in a relaxed, fun atmosphere.

Events in October include a Cannon Circle October 6^th hosted by Trina London and our Stranahan House Wine & Cheese reception and haunted house tour. I’ve been told by one of our members who was a docent there for many years that it really is haunted. Guess we’ll have to go and see for ourselves!

At our luncheon we look forward to a business showcase by Beth Tobin and our speaker is Kim Stone, EVP/GM of the Miami Heat.

Many of you have had questions about navigating the website. Our webmaster Chris Guld will be back in town for the November meeting and will be updating us at that time.

In the meantime, you can access the current newsletter by clicking on “current newsletter” at the top of the page; no need to log into the old website. The old website does contain members’ contact information including address, email and phone numbers. We have several members working behind the scenes on our blog. We will still have a newsletter but to see up to the minute new information without having to wait until the monthly newsletter arrives, click on “blog” at the top of our website (wecftl.com).

Jenny Kelly

Kim Stone

Executive Vice President/General Manager, AmericanAirlines Arena

A veteran of the dynamic South Florida sports market for more than 18 years, Kim Stone’s experience spans almost every functional area of a professional sports team and she has been an integral part of building the HEAT’s success by developing and implementing sound business strategies and management practices.

Promoted to her current position of Executive Vice President/General Manager, AmericanAirlines Arena in 2006, Stone now has the responsibility of overseeing the day-to-day operations of AmericanAirlines Arena, which was nominated for “Arena of the Year” by Pollstar in 2006. The facility has hosted world renowned events, including the 2006 NBA Finals, MTV’s Video Music Awards Show, U2, Madonna and many more. Additionally, Stone is responsible for delivering exceptional customer service and retaining the largest season ticket holder base in the NBA for two of the last three years. Since taking over the service and retention function four years ago, the department has set team records for most seats and revenue renewed and consistently ranks among the best in the NBA in retention with innovative and customer-eccentric programs that are often cited as a “best practice” among the league’s 30 teams.

Stone has risen through the ranks of the HEAT organization during her 12 years. Hired initially into the Sports Media Relations department in 1996, she worked directly with players such as HEAT All-Stars Tim Hardaway and Alonzo Mourning as well as Coach Pat Riley and his staff on a daily basis. She coordinated the media operations during the HEAT’s playoff runs from 1996-1999. She worked several NBA All-Star Weekends, including the league’s star-studded 50^th Anniversary celebration in 1997. In 1996, she handled the media relations duties for the men’s and women’s basketball competitions at the Atlanta Olympic Games.

On July 16, 1999, she was tabbed by the HEAT to lead the company’s efforts to expand its business by adding a WNBA team and named the Senior Director of Operations. She played a key role in all facets of the startup of the expansion franchise from building awareness and developing a logo to basketball issues such as hiring of the coaching staff. Later, she was charged with overseeing every area from marketing and promotions to the basketball operations.

Stone’s responsibilities changed in 2003 when she became Chief of Staff to HEAT President, Business Operations, Eric Woolworth. She helped develop and implement sound business strategies and management practices that remain among the best in the league. She helped develop the current version of the service department that is based on an innovative approach to providing superior customer service through a balance of technology and personal touch. Her department became the No. 1 team in the NBA in Ticket Exchange usage for two consecutive years, which has become a valuable new revenue stream.

Prior to joining the HEAT, Stone was the Sports Publicity Director for the University of Texas women’s athletics department from 1992-94. She came to South Florida in 1990 as an assistant in the University of Miami’s sports information office, where she worked with many sports including the 1991 National Champion football squad. Stone’s publicity efforts for the women’s basketball team helped Miami claim National Coach the Year and Sports Illustrated Player of the Year honors in 1992.

Stone’s career began at the University of North Carolina, assisting in the sports information office while completing her degree in journalism & public relations.

In December of 2003, she graduated with honors from the University of Miami with a master’s degree in international business administration. She is an adjunct professor in the St. Thomas University master’s of sports administration program and serves as a board member for the Florida Facility Manager’s Association, City Theatre and UM’s Alumni Association.