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Top Female Achiever-Storming Back, Our Annual Female Achievers - the Post-Katrina Revival Class...
Direct Article Link (with photos)
New Orleans Magazine
July 2006
New Orleans Magazine honors women who have achieved and made a difference, despite the odds.
The mission of choosing our “top female achievers” is always difficult,
but this year so many have spoken up, taken action and made their
voices heard in post-Katrina New Orleans, that choosing 10 separate
women was impossible. In this issue, you will meet women who have made
difficult decisions, and despite the odds, made a difference; a pair of
women whose yearly volunteering project became a beacon in the
darkness; women who have put the future of our city before their own
and even before time spent with their families; women who have
continued to grow, change and make a difference in their field and in
the lives that they touch; and a group of women whose charm is only the
gilding over a solid base of knowledge, determination and passion. n
These stories are representative of a countless number of women whose
lives are filled with successes in their careers, families and the
lives they have touched. Certainly, we have unintentionally overlooked
many who are more than worthy to have their accomplishments on these
pages. But we are confident that the women you are about to meet are
more than qualified, and are worth watching to see what they’ll do next.
RUTHIE FRIERSON
Founder and Chairman, Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans
Birthplace: New Orleans
Many of us can separate our lives into two main quadrants - home and
work - but for Ruthie Frierson, these have been joined by another -
reform. Her home quadrant, composed of husband Lou, children and
grandchildren, and work quadrant, where she is the top residential
producer for Prudential Gardner Realtors for the past 10 years and the
top residential producer in Metropolitan New Orleans for seven years,
has recently been overshadowed by a bright red jacket.
November 21, Frierson decided that a petition drive might be the way to
get Gov. Kathleen Blanco to call a special session on levee reform and
consolidation. She began by calling 30 of her friends and acquaintances
and asked them to call four friends to arrange a meeting in her home to
discuss this idea. On November 28, a group of 120 citizens gathered and
out of that meeting, Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans was born. As
chairman of Citizens, Frierson is often called upon to travel to Baton
Rouge to advocate for renewal, reform and rebuilding, and when she
does, she always dons her “Citizen Red” jacket.
There are 11 other members of the executive committee that was also
formed that night: Janet Bean, Karen Noles Bewley, Barbara Bush, Bonnie
Conway, Stephanie Haynes, Kay Kerrigan, Jay Lapeyre, Patti Lapeyre,
Betsy Nalty, Mimi Smith and Nicole Spangenberg. “These volunteers work
so hard and so selflessly and I am proud to be among them,” Frierson
says.
Citizens has already had one success; in February, the Louisiana
Legislature approved milestone legislation which seeks to dissolve
local levee commissions and create a regional flood protection
authority. Their main push now is for assessor reform in Orleans
Parish. “Within three days after the levee legislation was passed, our
Web site had received hundreds of e-mails saying that the next step for
us should be the consolidation of the assessors,” Frierson explains.
“We have teamed up with 21 other organizations ... This is an unfair
system across the board and the only way to shine a light on it, is to
have one assessor.”
MENTOR: “My mentor is my husband Lou. We have been married 42 years. He
is my best friend and confidant. He is modest, an incredible listener,
has amazing integrity and his always supported me in every endeavor.”
TURNING POINT: “This past Valentine’s Day. At 1:30 a.m. the night
before, the legislature had shot down the Boasso bill and I was
devastated. At noon the next day Boasso called me and asked if I could
make it to Baton Rouge by 3 p.m. Lou took me to the capitol for
Valentine’s Day and the bill passed.”
ADVICE FOR YOUNG WOMEN: “We cannot take responsible government for
granted. We must get involved and shine the light on the process so
that the public is aware and will demand good government. This affects
the quality of life for our family and our citizens.” - Morgan Packard
LAURA MALONEY
Executive Director, Louisiana SPCA
Birthplace: Little Rock, Ark.
The Louisiana SPCA has come a long way since Hurricane Katrina, and
much of that is thanks to its executive director, Laura Maloney.
Maloney takes the compliment with a nod and then begins to herald to
anyone who will listen, the “amazing work” of her staff, countless
volunteers and help that has come from around the nation. As she says,
“You’re only as good as your team.”
Though they are temporarily housed in a retro-fitted warehouse, dreams
of a campus of buildings are soon to come into fruition with the
purchase of, “Ten acres in Algiers that will allow for all our needs,
and room to grow,” Maloney says with one of her ready smiles.
Her smiles light up a room, and the effort behind them is finally
becoming easier. “It’s not the healthiest belief, but I push myself in
this position because if I don’t perform my job well, animals die,”
Maloney shares. “I need to learn balance in life. That’s one of the
things the past year has taught me ... that, and unfortunately, that I
need to be more forthright in stating my beliefs and getting things
done, and not put too much faith in the government.”
At this moment, our government, at both the state and federal level, is
debating model legislation - Federal S. 2548 and HR 3858 as well as
State SB 607. At the Federal level, the PETS, “Pets Evacuation and
Transportation Standards Act of 2006,” caringly referred to as “no pet
left behind,” has at the time of this interview (June 6) been reported
favorably by a voice-by-voice vote by the House Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure. The Louisiana Pet Evacuation Bill
has been passed by both the state’s House and the Senate, and [at press
time] should be ready to be signed by the Governor. “There is strong
public and legislative support,” Maloney says. “We’ve been working
closely with state Senator Clo Fontenot’s office and other key
stakeholders to modify language to ensure that the law is comprehensive
and that the mandate can be fulfilled. We don’t expect any major
problems.”
MENTOR: “Ron Forman, for his childlike belief that people will do the
right thing, his perpetual optimism, his ability to whittle a lot of
information down to the core issue and his ability to get all types of
different people to sit down together, find out what they have in
common and work together.”
TURNING POINT: “Twofold: Adopting a dog from the LA/SPCA and learning
that thousands of homeless animals enter shelters each year; and
obtaining an MBA from Tulane which gave me the skills and confidence to
manage the LA/SPCA, a financially challenged and emotionally strenuous
environment.”
ADVICE FOR YOUNG WOMEN: “Be a person of your time; interact with those
who have interests other than animals. Recognize that you cannot save
them all. Saving an individual animal’s life is an immediate high, but
solving the underlying problems that create the situation you’ve
encountered takes decades. Be patient, persistent and keep the big
picture in mind as you try to conquer the challenges before you.
Remember the mistakes you made as a pet owner as you work to educate
others. Also, develop business skills; strong business management is
critical to your organization’s success.”-M.P.
BECKY ZAHERI
Founder, Katrina Krewe
Birthplace: New Orleans
There are many faces behind the Katrina Krewe - thousands upon
thousands of people from all over the United States have donated their
time, money and efforts to cleaning up New Orleans through this
organization - but there is one face that they turn to for decisions,
ideas, advice and support: Becky Zaheri.
“Our goal was to provide immediate relief to what resulted from
Hurricane Katrina, not to become the indefinite garbage men and women
of the city,” Zaheri smiles. “I think we’ve accomplished that. Of
course, we can clean an entire strip one day, and the next there’s a
new pile. That’s why we’re so excited and anxious to begin the
long-term aspect.”
Zaheri’s long-term plan for the Katrina Krewe includes a three-pronged
assault: “We have begun cold calling local businesses with our “Keep it
Klean” spiel ... We distributed a large number of supplies amongst
locally organized neighborhood groups who have agreed to carry the
torch in organizing regular clean ups in their areas ... We are also
currently planning a litter awareness program for local schools,”
Zaheri says in a newsletter to her supporters.
Now that Zaheri has cut back some, she can start to make up for lost
personal time with her husband and kids. “It’s ironic,” Zaheri says, “I
started [the Katrina Krewe] to make New Orleans a better environment
for my kids and ultimately they are the ones who suffered the most.”
Zaheri is still working, what would be considered by most, a very full
week with the new path the Katrina Krewe is taking. “We’re still moving
the message forward, just in a different way.”
MENTOR: “From the clean and organizational aspect, hands down my dad,
Rene Curry; on the project and goal-oriented side it would have to be
my mom, Sissy Curry; and as far as my ëlife’ guide and my complete
hero, without a doubt, my husband, Kamran Zaheri. He is a living
example of someone who overcame many obstacles to accomplish his dreams
... I have the utmost respect for him, and he is my heart and soul.”
TURNING POINT: “This all began with an e-mail that I sent out to my
address book, thinking that a few friends and I would get together and
pick up some trash. Within a couple of days, I had received almost 100
responses and it turned into an organization, which I wasn’t expecting,
that requires a lot of time and energy, but we went with it. ”
ADVICE FOR YOUNG WOMEN: “With regards to cleaning up, I always tell
people ëWe can live with it, or do something about it’ ... I encourage
everyone living in New Orleans to get involved in whatever their
passion is to help get our city back on track. As far as setting goals
for yourself, there may be sacrifices and it may not be easy, but no
matter how tough it is, be persistent and remain dedicated until you
accomplish whatever it is you set your mind on.” - M.P.
Sandra Shilstone
Chief Executive Officer,
New Orleans Tourism and Marketing Corporation
Birthplace: New Orleans
Sandra Shilstone seems to thrive on challenges. “We are an organization
born out of crisis,” she says. After the financial disappointment of
the World’s Fair in 1984, New Orleans realized that it desperately
needed help re-energizing the tourist industry and attracting new
residents to the city. Under Shilstone’s guidance, the New Orleans
Tourism and Marketing Corporation (NOTMC) created the city’s first-ever
official tourism Web site, co-coordinated an alliance between the
city’s museums and even produced an award-winning music video
showcasing Irvin Mayfield and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. At first,
the NOTMC’s goal was to increase visitors during typical “slow periods”
- Thanksgiving, Christmas and the summertime. Now, “Katrina has made
everything a slow period.” Born and raised in the French Quarter,
Shilstone’s commitment to the city is unwavering - and she has never
been so busy. “I have spent the past seven years trying to attract the
biggest and the best members of the national media to New Orleans -
well, be careful what you wish for!” With an office that has shrunk to
only six staff members, Shilstone is busy coordinating the most
important public relation campaign the city may have ever seen, while,
“Our budget is the smallest it’s ever been,” remarks Shilstone.
In the months following the storm, Shilstone and her staff at NOTMC
began to wonder if their mission was frivolous. What did it mean to
promote tourism in a city that was so damaged? Their attitudes started
to change as they began to talk to the restaurants, hotels and other
businesses that depended so much on visitors to the city: “We began to
realize we have to work as hard as we can to bring our industry back.”
MENTOR: “My mother was my mentor when I was younger. She always
encouraged me to treat everyone with respect, and to make my own
magic.” Shilstone also points to her little brother, born blind and
with cerebral palsy, who taught her patience and gratitude.
TURNING POINT: “I’ve spent my entire career in training to do exactly
what I’m doing - I feel blessed and privileged to be where I am.”
ADVICE FOR YOUNG WOMEN: Shilstone directs her advice to young mothers
who struggle to balance careers and families: “Don’t be so hard on
yourself. You will screw up. There comes a point, with experience,
where you know you will make mistakes.” - Browen Wyatt
SANDRA GUNNER
President and Chief Executive Officer,
New Orleans Chamber of Commerce
Birthplace: Evanston, Ill.
Sandra Gunner’s perspective on New Orleans’ economic viability is
almost dizzying in its complexity. More than being merely a network for
businesses to advise and communicate with each other, Gunner sees the
Chamber’s mission as touching all aspects of life in our city. “Too
often there is a separation between businesses and the private
community. If you’re going to be a great city, you need to recognize
the needs of the businesses in the community.” Since the storm,
Gunner’s task as an advisor to New Orleans business owners has only
become more significant. In the case of another emergency - whether it
be storm, flood or fire - “We need to educate people about what they
should be doing, and how to take responsibility for being
self-sufficient and prepared.” Gunner currently presides on Mayor
Nagin’s Bring Back New Orleans Commission, and the Chamber provides
advice on how businesses small and large can create a plan to survive
disaster. “We have a self-mandate to be successful - and we’ve come so
far this past year.”
Is it especially challenging for a woman to compete as a small business
owner? “I think women have an advantage to a great degree - we’re
accustomed to multi-tasking, we’re accustomed to looking at
efficiencies, because we don’t have a lot of time. We’re accustomed to
working together - and I think we’re very competitive. We’re coming
into our own, but we may have not recognized our value to the business
community. But I think we’re coping with and breaking down those
barriers.”
MENTOR: “The New Orleans Chamber of Commerce is the most wholesome
community I’ve encountered. That goes down to helping and learning from
each other.” When the Chamber was re-convened in 2004, “The Jefferson
Chamber of Commerce came over and networked with us, gave us technical
assistance and advice. Chambers are very supportive of each other.”
TURNING POINT: “I’ve always liked the thought of accomplishing
something - I’d always wanted to own my own business. Working in the
city and as a small business owner, I got to know the economic aspect
of the city.”
ADVICE FOR YOUNG WOMEN: “You don’t have to start at it alone - there is
a lot of support out there.” Gunner also advises thinking carefully
about your employees. “Really assess what your work force needs are -
the culture you create - to keep your employees loyal.” - B.W.
DIANE NEWMAN
Operations and Program Director, WWL Radio
Birthplace: New Orleans
Diane Newman has transformed her interest in communication into a true
avocation. Her passion for her career, as well as her desire to explore
the links between radio and the community, have been the driving force
behind her work as the Operations and Program Director of WWL radio.
Newman’s relationship to WWL began long before she was first appointed
as a part-time studio producer in 1981. “I first met WWL when I was a
small child, back in 1965, when Hurricane Betsy threatened New Orleans.
The voice on WWL radio warned that Hurricane Betsy was going to be
something fierce - heavy wind, torrential rain and massive flooding.
WWL radio guided us through the storm ... away from our flooding home ...
and back when it was safe.”
Now that WWL has guided New Orleans through another, even more
catastrophic storm, Newman’s belief in the radio station’s role in the
community is stronger than ever. “This storm made it real clear what
our mission is - to serve this community, to help the powers that be
ëget it right’ - whether that means challenging them, questioning them,
or assisting them.
“The challenge every day is to have your finger on the pulse of Greater
New Orleans, to focus on what people care about, to anticipate what
will be hot and to solicit guests that move conversations forward or
give listeners something to think about, act upon or feel good about.
WWL has always held up a mirror to our community; we’ve always been a
reflection of New Orleans’ backyard.”
MENTOR: “My first and greatest mentors are my parents Everett and
Althea Newman. I watched my father be a ëboss’. His people respected
and loved him; they never wanted to disappoint him ... He made the
expectations clear and they delivered. He also treated the highest paid
with the same dignity and respect as low wage employees. My mother was
a homemaker. She was a nurturer, disciplinarian, teacher, gourmet cook,
designer and seamstress. She was one of the most creative people you’d
ever meet and just plain fun.”
TURNING POINT: “The turning point came in 1988, when Entercom
Communications bought us. That’s when the true respect and money
followed. I can’t say enough good things about Entercom - this company
is truly progressive. What matters is talent, ability and results, not
sex or race. They also place great value on one’s ëconnection to’ and
ëhistory in’ a market.”
ADVICE TO YOUNG WOMEN: “Know who you are. Are you a person who craves
information? Do you absorb it like a sponge? Do you love people? Are
you a natural born student of the human condition? Are you a student of
the industry? Do you watch where technology is taking us? Are you as
determined as a bull? Are you a great communicator - written and oral?
Answer yes to these questions and the sky’s the limit.” - B.W.
SHEILA WEBB
Director, Center for Empowered Decision Making
Birthplace: New Orleans
After 17 years with the New Orleans Health Department, Sheila Webb has
decided to take her career on a slightly different track, as the
director of the Center for Empowered Decision Making, and she’s already
making her mark. “The work we do here is to facilitate communities
achieving what they want to achieve,” she says. One of Webb’s first
actions was to help coordinate mobile medical units to visit FEMA
trailer parks in Baton Rouge. Here in New Orleans, she has led
leadership training seminars, provided grants for community projects
and facilitated AIDS education in at-risk neighborhoods.
Webb is especially well equipped to advise on questions of health. She
began as a trainee at a local hospital, eventually becoming the
director of the same facility where she began her career in medicine.
Later, she went on to direct the New Orleans Health Department,
beginning the first clinic for the homeless in Louisiana and, in one
program, screening over 50,000 people for high cholesterol.
For now, Webb’s chief commitment is to New Orleans residents’ safe
return. “We have to understand that re-building is more than physical
structures, much more than bricks and mortar. Without the people, New
Orleans will never be what it was.”
MENTOR: “I am the product of the people who nurtured me and whose
shoulders I stood on. Early on, the women in your family - your mother,
your aunts - they’re very influential. Whenever I’m with my family,
it’s like magic - it’s like medicine.” Webb also credits many of her
teachers and supervisors throughout her education and early career.
“One of the things they taught me was to be an agent of change - to
make a difference in the lives of other people.”
TURNING POINT: “My father brought me to Dillard University when I was a
little girl and told me, this is where you’ll go to school. He was the
one who encouraged me to be a nurse.”
ADVICE FOR YOUNG WOMEN: Webb stresses the importance of compassion:
“It’s a profession that allows me to do what I really love: helping
others. Nursing has prepared me to be effective at many levels, at many
venues.” - B.W.
DORIS VOITIER
Superintendent of Schools, St. Bernard Parish
Birthplace: New Orleans
On November 14, when many residents affected by Hurricane Katrina had
yet to return to even view the destruction first hand, Doris Voitier
was opening a school in St. Bernard Parish. “Every one of our 15 school
sites was destroyed by Katrina and indications were that a temporary
school brought in my the Army Corps of Engineers would not be available
until March,” Voitier says. At that point, Voitier, and many members
and supporters of the St. Bernard Parish school board, took matters
into their own hands and even found their own buildings. They opened
with 334 students, and by December there were 650. At the start of the
second semester in January they had 1,500, ending the school year with
2,400. “We feel that we have given hope to a community completely
destroyed by the most massive disaster in American history,” Voitier
beams.
Though Voitier has worked her way up through the ranks in St. Bernard
as a teacher, administrator, Assistant Superintendent to become
Superintendent in August 2004, she says that in the past year she has
learned, “A lot more than in the past 35 years of my career. I’ve
learned quite a bit about federal bureaucracy, about politics and about
resiliency. I’ve learned to be more flexible and to appreciate how
valuable my staff is.”
Against all odds, Voitier has succeeded in keeping education a top
priority in St. Bernard post-Katrina. “Public education drives economic
development and quality of life in the community. People will come back
to live in St. Bernard only if there is a quality educational system
for their children,” Voitier says. “I have devoted my life to the
social, emotional and educational development of children. Now is the
time for all of us to band together to create a better and stronger
community.”
MENTOR: “I have to mention both Wayne Warner and Frank Audrer. Wayne is
the principal of Chalmette High School and has held that position for
over 30 years. As a young teacher, I learned from Wayne true compassion
for students. He is the truest child-centered educator I have ever met,
and I have learned a great deal from him about recognizing worth in all
people. Frank is also a good friend and was my predecessor as
Superintendent. He taught me to look at education more from the
business point of view and also to recognize its value and importance
within the community. I think he helped me to look at education from a
much broader prospective.”
TURNING POINT: “I don’t know that I can pinpoint a moment ... I have
been in St. Bernard my entire career, and those years have been very
kind to me as both a teacher and an administrator. Of course, it might
be the night that I decided to open school on my own and just send the
bill to FEMA. That may yet be the defining moment of my career.”
ADVICE FOR YOUNG WOMEN: “First of all, only go into education if you
truly love children. It is very hard work, and the pay is certainly not
commensurate with your accomplishments. The rewards, however, are
priceless. It is said that if you want to touch the past, touch a rock;
if you want to touch the present, touch a flower; if you want to touch
the future, touch the life of a child. Be there because you want to
make a difference in the life of a child. Schools progress only when
those who care join forces to make them better places. Strive to be one
who makes a difference.” -M.P.
Barbara Hammett, Janet Larue
Volunteer co-chairs, Celebration in the Oaks
Birthplace: B.H - New Orleans,
J.L. - Pensacola, Fla.
For Barbara Hammett and Janet Larue, a love of City Park became a way
of life. For the past 15 years, the two have worked full-time to bring
Celebration in the Oaks to New Orleans - all on a volunteer basis.
This year, the two will begin the search for a replacement volunteer
chair or co-chairs of the beloved Christmas festivities. Luckily, he or
she will have access to the “Bible” - the card catalog of names that
Hammett and Larue rely upon in their fundraising efforts. “We’re not
computer literate,” Larue insists. All of their files were hard copies
- and so most of them were saved after Katrina, when their computers
were rendered useless in the flood of City Park. Hammett and Larue
agree that the 2005 Celebration in the Oaks “saved our sanity.” Their
first post-Katrina preview party boasted the largest attendance in the
Celebration’s history, conjuring an image of a lighted oasis in a
neighborhood with no electricity and few people. “We were so proud to
bring hope to people who had lost so much.”
What are some of the perks of being a volunteer? “If you get paid, you
have to follow other people’s rules,” laughs Hammett. Being a
volunteer, “You’re not so confined to the company line.” Larue and
Hammett have complete creative control over Celebration in the Oaks:
“It’s a real job - you just don’t get paid!”
MENTOR: Both women cite their mothers, and acknowledge their husbands
for making their unique vocations possible. Larue: “My mother told me
you can do anything you set your mind to - don’t accept mediocrity ... I
am my mother.” Hammett also mentions that her father and sister
inspired her volunteering with their own, and the pivotal role the
Junior League of New Orleans played in her early development. Both also
credit Paul Soniat, the original creator of Celebration in the Oaks.
TURNING POINT: Fifteen years of volunteering by Hammett and Larue, and
Celebration in the Oaks has become a family affair: Hammett’s daughter
worked as an administrative assistant, and Larue’s daughter volunteered
her time as a public relations director. Now, both agree it’s time to
pass on the reins, especially Larue, who is looking forward to the
birth of her first grandchild.
ADVICE FOR YOUNG WOMEN: Hammett: “The word ëvolunteer’ shouldn’t make a
difference - you do your best. Don’t be afraid to try new things - to
dream, to ask - don’t be afraid of ëno.’”
Larue: “You need to find where your passion is and give all your
efforts to that cause - it’s not just a job, it’s so much fun!” -B.W.
WOMEN OF THE STORM
Pam Bryan, Beverly Church, Becky
Currence, Peggy Laborde, Nancy Marsiglia, Anne Milling, Liz Sloss,
founding members of Women of the Storm
Birthplace: B.C. - Kansas City, P.B. -
Pensacola, Fla., N.M. - Richmond, Va., L.S. - New Orleans, B.C. -
Lenoir, N.C., P.L. - New Orleans, A.M. - New Orleans
“We are on a roll,” Anne Milling says with a smile, and she has reason
to. Since she invited a group of, “intelligent, energetic and committed
volunteers,” over to her house on January 10 to discuss an idea that
had been haunting her, the Women of the Storm (WOS) has surged. From
those humble numbers [the women pictured, plus Madeline West and Dolly
Simpson, not pictured] this group has swelled to the 130 members who
flew to Washington D.C. Jan. 30, and continues to grow.
“I am in awe of the tenacity, the dedication and the perseverance of
these women,” she beams. “Women are passionate about this and we’re
articulating it through our actions, not crying or doing some [she uses
her fingers to make ëscare quotes’] ëfemale thing’; we’re displaying
our passion by intelligently approaching this problem.”
This nonpartisan and nonpolitical organization’s mission is the same
today as it was seven months ago: to invite members of the United
States Congress to visit New Orleans because, as Milling believes,
“once they see this [the devastation wrought by hurricanes Katrina and
Rita] he or she will never forget the image and will take it with them
when they go back.” As of May 23, 47 Senators and 89 members of
Congress had visited, which as Milling is quick to point out, might
sound good, but is still a small percentage.
But Washington D.C. had better pay attention - WOS plans to visit them
again, en mass and with their umbrellas, to mark the first anniversary
of Katrina by knocking on the doors of the Congressmen and women who
have not visited; “I think we’re going to wear them down,” Milling says
with a gleam in her eye. “In fact, I know we are.”
MENTOR: Nancy Marsiglia: “My mentor has always been my maternal
grandmother who worked tirelessly in our Richmond, Va., community to
make life better for those who couldn’t speak for themselves.”
TURNING POINT: Becky Currence: “When we had the first visitors as a
result of our trip to D.C.: Representatives Scott Garrett (N.J.) and
Lynn Westmoreland (Ga.) came together. By the time they left New
Orleans, they were convinced of the great needs of our state.”
WHAT I’VE LEARNED: Liz Sloss: “Post-Katrina, volunteerism has taken New
Orleans by storm and the amazing grassroots efforts for change do work.
We have all learned that an individual can make a difference.”
BEST ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: Pam Bryan: “Believe and trust in the
divinity of the human spirit. There lies resiliency and goodness in all
of us. Find it.” Beverly Church: “One person can make a difference if
you are passionate about your cause and truly believe you will help
other people.”
ADVICE FOR YOUNG WOMEN: Anne Milling: “Get involved. It’s easy to be on
the sideline. It’s easy to be critical. It’s easy to close the front
door and go back to your nest and be content. But for a more fulfilling
and enriched life, get involved. Plunge in; don’t be part of the
problem. Help with the solution.” - M.P.
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