New Website

Please visit the ‘WEC Blog’ page in the menu above for info on the new website.  And click on the Calendar menu to see all calendared events.  Keep scrolling down to see the normal newsletter.

• August Luncheon
• Luncheon Program
• From the President
• New Member Spotlights: Tracy Datlen, Susan Kissinger and Patricia Wallace
• Grapevine: News and Notes about WEC Members
• Book Club
• Cannon Circle
• GEM
• Annual Retreat
• June Luncheon Photographs
• New WEC Website
• Membership Dues
• Closing Thought
• WEC Board of Directors
• Luncheon Dates
• Membership Attendance

August Luncheon

Date: Time:	Tuesday, August 18, 2009 11:30 Networking 12:00 Luncheon
Place:	Tower Club, 28th floor One Financial Plaza in the Regions Bank BuildingClick here for directions
Program   Speaker:	Dr. Krista Bloom, Ph.D., LCSW: Seven Secrets of Successful Relationships
Guest Cost:	cost $30. Members are responsible for Guests.To pay by credit card, you must pay in advance.  Only cash or check is accepted at the luncheon.
Menu:	Penne Pasta tossed with Seasonal Vegetables Sautéed in Garlic and Olive OilOrHerb Crusted Chicken with White Wine Beurre BlancSave room for dessert:  Chocolate Cake
RSVP to:	Please RSVP (including your menu choice) to rsvp@wecftl.com We appreciate your RSVPs! To assist Suzie administratively, please put “WEC Lunch” in the subject line.

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one!”
- C.S. Lewis

Guest Speaker:

Dr. Krista Bloom, Ph.D., LCSW

Seven Secrets of Successful Relationships

Dr. Krista Bloom is a global educator in the areas of human sexuality and empowering relationships.  She has over 20 years of experiences assisting others to creating the relationships, the businesses, and the lives they desire and deserve.  Dr. Bloom has written the book The Ultimate Compatibility Quiz: Finding the Green, Red and Black Flags in Your Relationship, with the goal of creating healthier and harmonious relationships.  She also recently coauthored the bestselling book Wake up Moments of Inspiration with great minds of our time including Brian Tracey and Dr. Wayne Dyer.  Both are available at the event or at www.healingcouch.com

Dr. Bloom has over 20 years of clinical experience counseling individuals, couples and families through dramatic life transitions, and assisting people to have a rich and happy life.  She has a vibrant personality and loves to connect and collaborate!  Dr. Bloom is a dynamic public speaker, entertaining and educating her audiences.  She has been featured in Cosmo magazine, on radio and television.

From the President

It’s hard to believe summer has gone by so quickly and a new WEC year is upon us. I am humbled, honored and excited to be your president this year.

Thank you so much to Vanessa Koutalidis for setting such a great example. Her dedication and commitment to the club is inspiring. Melissa Rapkin and Dee Moustakas have been huge influences on me, as well. They were never too busy to respond to my many phone calls and emails and I’m truly grateful for their support.

Thank you to the outgoing board and the many members who volunteered last year. We have an enthusiastic new board, eager to start. We hope many of you will choose to participate on a committee and help guide the club.

Forty of you attended our retreat in June and we had a great time with the Laughter Seminar but especially getting to know each other. After all, our relationships are the foundation of this club. Special thanks to Carol Metevier for hosting us and for all her assistance.

When I was planning the retreat, I thought long and hard about a theme. This theme would not only reflect my personality but would serve as my vision for the club this year. I chose Explore. The word is simple but can have many meanings. What I hoped it would mean to WEC is for us to explore our relationships with one another.  We have so many outlets to get to know each other. No matter what your interests are, there’s something for everyone: luncheons, book club, GEM lunches, Cannon Circles and be on the lookout for other fun social activities.

We have an exciting year planned, starting in August with Dr. Krista Bloom as our speaker. Carol McKeever from Lighthouse of Broward will be presenting our business showcase. Please continue to check the calendar on our website for upcoming events.

Ronnie Karlin PACE Scholarship:
We are proud to announce the PACE Center for Girls Broward utilized their WEC Scholarship donation to purchase a 2 year scholarship (60 credits) from Broward College for half the normal price!  This generous opportunity was offered by the Broward College Foundation and the Florida Pre-Paid College fund.

We named it the Ronnie Karlin scholarship in recognition of Ronnie’s passion for PACE and her ongoing contributions to the organization. For those who don’t know, Ronnie is a past president of WEC and served on the WEC board for many years. She was instrumental in having WEC partner with Pace several years ago and serves on their Board.

Please see the list of school supplies the Pace girls need in this newsletter—we will be collecting items at the August meeting.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and we hope to see you on August 18^th!

Jenny Kelly

New Member Spotlights:

Please Welcome Tracy Datlen!

Tracy Datlen founded Laser Advertising in 1986, specializing in the marine and luxury markets. She grew up on Petoskey, Michigan but has loved making her home in Fort Lauderdale where she’s an avid backyard gardener of tropical fruits. She grows papayas, bananas, black sapote, mangos, star fruit, jaboticaba, mulberries, avocado, pineapple and loquat. Her garden may not be the prettiest, but it’s often the tastiest around!
Laser Advertising was one of the first completely digital advertising agencies in Fort Lauderdale. As a result, she was recruited by the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale to teach courses in Computer Graphics, Computer Design and Portfolio to students preparing for a career in Graphic Design.

Please Welcome Susan Kissinger!

I am a Detroit Gal, born and raised in the Motor City, or Motown, as I refer to it.  It was a great time in my life: music and cars!

Vacationed in Florida for a number of years and decided to make the move while I could enjoy all of the fun things here! I’ve been here for 23 years, so this is home.

Was married/divorced/and remarried in 2001 to Paul Kissinger a partner at EDSA – Landscape Architecture/Urban Design/Planning.  We met doing volunteer work at a Big Brothers & Big Sisters Event- The Taste of Fort Lauderdale. We have 2 dogs and love to travel. I have a bucket list we have been following pretty closely!

My background is Sales. I worked for a cosmetic/fragrance company for 10 years, then tried Special Events and Rentals for a number of years, and started Kissinger Promotions 5 years ago this month.  I love the business. It’s fun and sometimes quite exciting.  With so many products to put a logo on, from pens to Waterford Crystal, you name it, and I bet we can put your logo on it.  I think people now realize that “branding” your company is the best way to market yourself.  I always wear a shirt with my logo on it.  It’s a proven fact that most people remember a promotional product and know who gave it to them.  67% did business with the company who gave them the product, and 75% of the people kept the promotional product for a year.  My goal with each customer is to find the ONE item that works for that company, business or service.  It’s out there and I will find it. My tag line is “Your Success is My Business”.

Please Welcome Patricia Wallace!

Patricia Wallace is a litigator.  Her practice focuses on complex commercial litigation and appeals.  Her forum of choice is the federal court, but she also has handled numerous cases before state courts throughout Florida and arbitration panels.  Patricia enjoys public speaking, especially on topics that once were fodder for the classes she taught at Florida International University, where she served as an assistant professor of English for several years in the mid-1990s.  Patricia grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia.  She received her B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and then received a second B.A. and an M.A. from the University of Oxford in England.  Patricia also holds an M.A. and a Ph.D. in medieval studies from Cornell University.  Patricia enjoys the ocean and all that it offers.

The Executive Grapevine: news and notes about WEC members.

Michelle Case: Our Woman of Style and Substance!

Michelle Case is an honoree for the Symphony of the Americas “Style & Substance” luncheon being held at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina in Fort Lauderdale on November 10, 2009.  This event honors individuals who have distinguished themselves through outstanding service and commitment to our community.  Please contact Tina Yeager at tyeager@oceantoocean.net for tickets to the luncheon.  The proceeds from this event will go to fund and enhance the Symphony of the Americas education programs throughout Broward County, touching the lives of 35,000 people annually. -–Submitted by Connie Chaney

Dr. Donna Goldstein: Helping to Shape Lives!

Sheri Brown, the former Miss Black Florida and “Dr.Donna”, her health and weight  loss coach, who were recently featured on a Local 10 news segment , explore the magical Sedona, Arizona, after the National  “Take Shape  for Life” conference in Phoenix.

Special Thanks from Dora Vilk-Shapiro

I just wanted to thank everyone for all the lovely e-mail notices, cards, and phone calls for me and my family on the loss of my nephew, Andrew Jay Lehman.  I really appreciate it and am very touched.  –Dora

Mandee Adler is Going Global!

Mandee Heller Adler was recently named Co-President of the Florida Gold Coast Chapter of the University of Pennsylvania Alumni Club.  Her company recently opened a New York City office, and expects to open an office in Europe this fall.

WEC Business Synergy with Dee, Bonnie and Jenny!

Three WEC members ––Dee Moustakas, Bonnie Unsworth and Jenny Kelly–– collaborated to produce marketing materials introducing the latest in fast-food packaging for GreenDustries, an international company based in France. Watch for PleatPak and Magic Bag at a drive-thru near you!

Seen Around Town: Connie Chaney and Beth Tobin

Check out Connie Chaney and Beth Tobin, each of whom were recently spotted in the Broward Society page of the Sun Sentinel!

Thank You From Ronnie Karlin

Ronnie sends a special thank you to all who sent e-mails and cards recently. She was touched by the outpouring of good wishes and prayers, and was especially moved by the fact that she heard from several members whom she hasn’t met yet.

Please continue to keep in touch with Ronnie. She says we have no idea what a lift she gets hearing from us. -–Submitted by Dee Moustakas

Kathleen Ryan and the PACE Girls NEED Your Help!!!

Below is a list of supplies our PACE girls use daily at school. Please bring in these supplies to our next luncheon in August. It is a standard school supply list, minus the back packs and lunch bags. Thanks for thinking of the girls and helping PACE stretch their dollars for school supplies!

SCHOOL SUPPLIES ART & CRAFT SUPPLIES CALCULATORS CRAYONS / COLORED PENCILS NOTE BOOKS CONSTRUCTION PAPER DRAWING PAPER PADS JOURNALS PENCILS / PENS / ERASERS POCKET FOLDERS LINED PAPER RULERS GLUE STICKS

Vivien Godfrey represents milk in Colorado

Vivien tells us:

I just returned from leading the first Board Meeting of my new MilkPEP job. I have 20 Board Members who represent America’s milk companies and we met at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs in July. The meeting went very well
and I was also able to take a few vacation days. My daughter in law Katy brought her 2 children Sarah and Jack to stay at the Hotel. We also visited with their cousins in Denver – Bennett and Owen. So here is a picture of all of us.

From left to right – Bennett, me, Sarah, Katy, Jack, Owen

Book Club

You Are Invited!

The Book Club has chosen a new book for our next meeting!

We will meet at Rose White’s home at 6:30 on Monday, August 24 to talk about “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak and share a potluck supper.  All members are invited to join our small but passionate group.  Just let Rose know you’re coming!

This is Barnes and Noble’s synopsis:

“It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .
“Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.
“This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.”

Thanks!

Emily Rushin

Cannon Circle

A special “Thank You” to Melissa Rapkin and Jenny Kelly for hosting the last Cannon Circle of the year, featuring a technological glimpse from “The Past to the Present”. Check out the wonderful time had by our WEC ladies!

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 whatever. This is a great opportunity to get to know each other on a more personal level. If you would like to be a host, please email wisemily@bellsouth.net.

Annual Retreat

Forty of our members congregated at a beautiful party room on the ocean on Saturday June 13th—thank you to Carol Metevier for hosting us. Members were greeted with bloody mary’s and mimosas.

We started the day off with a guess the member activity.  As everyone arrived, they wrote something about themselves on a sheet of paper but not their name. We found we had many unique talents in our midst, some of which are featured below. Ann Meacham got a door prize for most interesting fact.

Judy Garmaise, whom many of you may remember from our March meeting, hosted a laughter seminar. We learned why laughter is essential to our daily lives and techniques that were stress relievers. Door prizes were presented to best laughers, Susan Kingsley and Deb McLaughlin.

After lunch, we broke into small groups to discuss some icebreaking questions. We ended the day picking someone’s name from a hat…that member was our “heart” and we were supposed to contact that member each week just to say hi, catch up and get to know better.

After a happy hour, everyone left with a goodie bag. Thanks you to all who signed Ronnie Karlin’s card—she really appreciated it and felt like she was there with us. Please continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers and send her cards and emails.

Here are some fun facts that we learned at the Retreat about our WEC Ladies:

• Marsha Broadwell…loves sky diving.
• Robyn Vines…played in the military for 12 years.
• Suzie King…is a Native Floridian.
• Vanessa Koutalidis…has owned alligators and exotic reptiles as pets.
• Dee Moustakas…loves riding motorcycles.
• Sande Kaskel…is a Trekkie.
• Margarethe Sorensen…was born in Shanghai.
• Kerrie Krutchik…is a big racquetball buff.
• Dora Vilk-Shapiro…loves Matzoh Ball Soup and Pollo Tropical.
• Beth Tobin…adores golf.
• Susan Kissinger…is a woodworker.
• Trina London…owns her own kayak.
• Rose White…comes from a family of “onlys”.
• Geri Trodick…has a twin sister.
• Patricia Wallace…her dog, Bandit, has one brown and one blue eye.
• Carol Moroco…lived in Brazil.

And our very favorite fact:

Emily Rushin…couldn’t be happier.

June Luncheon Photographs

(courtesy of Joni Rosenthal, A Click Away Photography)

New WEC Website

Drumroll, Please!!!! A special THANK YOU to our amazing webmaster, Chris Guld, who has provided WEC’s website with a new look for this new membership year. Chris will visit us in November discussing the website’s latest features and functions…including the incredible addition of WEC’s very own BLOG. Check out our new site at www.wecftl.com.

Membership Dues

Dear WEC Members,

In August we begin our new year, thus it is time to pay your annual dues of $275.

Dues need to be paid by August 31st, 2009, or a late fee of $25 will be incurred.

Please make your check payable to WEC and mail to:

Karen Rowe

420 NE 3^rd Street

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316

Or pay with credit card by typing in the link:

http://www.wecftl.com/renewal.html

Thank you ladies and I hope you are enjoying your summer break!

Vanessa Koutalidis

Past President

Closing Thought

We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out. – Ray Bradbury

WEC Board of Directors

2009-2010

President	Jenny Kelly, Ritter’s Printing
Past President	Vanessa Koutalidis Island City Chiropractic Ambassador Committee Canon Circles Business Showcases
President Elect/ VP Membership	Jan Bullard, JP Financial Services Membership Committee Membership Luncheon Directory Webmaster
VP Corporate Records	Diana Fairbanks Coldwell Banker Agent Corporate Records Historian By-Laws Committee
VP Finance	Karen Rowe Fort Lauderdale Acupuncture, Inc. Budget Dues collection
VP Community Involvement	Chadia Meroueh Auto Tech and Body Mentorship (FX) Program Women Empowering Women (WEW) Community Outreach Public Relations
VP Internal Involvement	Pam Morgan Body Centered Psychotherapy Programs Committee Greetings Committee Newsletter, Book Club
VP Events	Susan Kingsley www.susankingsley.biz 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.

2009-2010 Luncheon Dates

• Tuesday, August 18, 2009
• Tuesday, September 15, 2009
• Tuesday, October 20, 2009
• Wednesday, November 18, 2009
• Friday, December 11, 2009
• Wednesday, January 20, 2010
• Tuesday, February 16, 2010
• Wednesday, March 17, 2010
• Tuesday, April 20, 2010
• Wednesday, May 19, 2010
• Tuesday, June 15, 2010

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.