Durham

Elevations:
Professional Women’s Luncheon

Thursday, Feb. 2
Summit Conference Center

11:45 a.m.-Noon: Informal Networking (Optional)

Noon-1:15 p.m.: Program

Time is running out to register for this Thursday’s Elevations luncheon.

Two years ago, the agency, founded by West Virginia advertising legend Charles Ryan, implemented a number of innovative changes that included a unique management structure.

The top staff position is now shared by managing partners Caryn Durham and Susan Lavenski, who will share their perspectives on successful management in a changing business environment and their bird’s eye experiences from memorable campaigns with high profile clients at the next Elevations Professional Women’s Network luncheon on Thursday, Feb. 2 at the Summit Conference Center.

Click HERE to register. Online registration ends at 5 p.m. tomorrow.

Tickets for this special event are $30 for Alliance members/$40 future members.

Elevations is presented by the Charleston Area Alliance and Title Sponsor Dow.

Durham

Elevations: Professional Women’s Luncheon

Thursday, Feb. 2 Summit Conference Center

11:45 a.m.-Noon: Informal Networking (Optional)

Noon-1:15 p.m.: Program

When it comes to running one of the Mid-Atlantic region’s top marketing firms, the team at Charles Ryan Associates has learned that two heads can be better than one.

Two years ago, the agency, founded by West Virginia advertising legend Charles Ryan, implemented a number of innovative changes that included a unique management structure.

Click HERE to register.

Tickets for this special event are $30 for Alliance members/$40 future members.

Elevations is presented by the Charleston Area Alliance and Title Sponsor Dow.

Elevations: Economic Impact
of the Arts
Thursday, Nov. 17
Maier Performance Hall

Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences

11:45 a.m.: Informal networking
Noon: Luncheon and program

Online registration ends soon for this Thursday’s Elevations luncheon at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences.

Arts and cultural activities play an increasing important role in our region’s economy, generating $44 million annually in local expenditures and supporting more than 1,000 full-time equivalent jobs, according to one recent study.*

Guests at the luncheon will go on stage at the Clay Center for a program featuring women at the heart of the area’s arts community. They will share their perspectives on the role of cultural activities in creating jobs and supporting local businesses.

Speaking at the event will be:

• Naomi Bays, chair, Arts Council of the Kanawha Valley

• Susie Salisbury, vice president of community development, Charleston Area Alliance

• Judith Wellington, president, Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences

To register, click here.

Tickets for this special event are $45 for Alliance members/$55 future members.

Reserved tables of eight, which includes sponsorship acknowledgments, signage and program listing, are $500 for Alliance members/$600 future members.

For sponsorship information, contact JoEllen Zacks at jzacks@charlestonareaalliance.org.

The 1,700-member Elevations Professional Women’s Network is presented by the Charleston Area Alliance and DOW.  The mission of Elevations is to “enrich, empower and elevate women to achieve success for themselves, their businesses and their community.”

Attendees are encouraged to bring donations of gently used professional clothing, outerwear, shoes and accessories, which will be collected by Dress for Success and distributed to disadvantaged women entering the workplace.

* Arts & Economic Prosperity III: The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts and Culture Organizations and Their Audiences in the Greater Charleston Region (FY 2007-08), conducted by Americans for the Arts (www.AmericansForTheArts.org)

Elevations: Economic Impact
of the Arts
Thursday, Nov. 17
Maier Performance Hall

Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences

11:45 a.m.: Informal networking
Noon: Luncheon and program

Arts and cultural activities play an increasing important role in our region’s economy, generating $44 million annually in local expenditures and supporting  more than 1,000 full-time equivalent jobs, according to one recent study.*

Guests at the next Elevations luncheon, to be held Thursday, Nov. 17, will go on stage at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences for a special luncheon program featuring women at the heart of the area’s arts community who will share their perspectives on the role of cultural activities in creating  jobs and supporting local businesses.

Register here for the event.

Speaking at the event will be:

• Naomi Bays, chair, Arts Council of the Kanawha Valley

• Traci Higginbotham, general manager, Art Emporium

• Susie Salisbury, vice president of community development, Charleston Area Alliance

• Judith Wellington, president, Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences

Tickets for this special event are $35 for Alliance members/$45 future members, through Nov. 11.  Prices increase by $10 per person after that date.

Reserved tables of eight, which includes sponsorship acknowledgments, signage and program listing, are $500 for Alliance members/$600 future members.

For sponsorship information, contact JoEllen Zacks at jzacks@charlestonareaalliance.org.

The 1,700-member Elevations Professional Women’s Network is presented by the Charleston Area Alliance and DOW.  The mission of Elevations is to “enrich, empower and elevate women to achieve success for themselves, their businesses and their community.”

Attendees are encouraged to bring donations of gently used professional clothing, outerwear, shoes and accessories, which will be collected by Dress for Success and distributed to disadvantaged women entering the workplace.

* Arts & Economic Prosperity III: The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts and Culture Organizations and Their Audiences in the Greater Charleston Region (FY 2007-08), conducted by Americans for the Arts (www.AmericansForTheArts.org)

Sign up today and take advantage of continuing education opportunities at the second annual Elevations Enrichment & Leadership Academy event.

The half-day program focusing on “Business & Balance” has been approved for 4 credit hours for human resource professionals, 3.0 continuing education credits for accountants, and 2.4 credits for West Virginia attorneys. Last year’s Academy was a sell-out and registrants should RSVP early to secure their attendance.

Charleston native Ellen Galinsky, president and co-founder of the Families & Work Institute (FWI) in New York City, will be the keynote speaker at the luncheon, which will be held 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 13, at the Embassy Suites.

Registration for the event, which includes continental breakfast, luncheon, two programs, keynote address and admission to expo, is  $85 for Alliance members and $95 for future members. To register, click HERE:

The author of more than 40 books and reports, Galinsky’s work has focused on bringing research on workforce effectiveness into business and community practice. She co-directs the National Study of the Changing Workforce, the most comprehensive nationally representative study of the American workforce.

“Business & Balance” will also showcase best practices and practical guidance from some of West Virginia’s most successful women and is the region’s premier networking event for young professional and female executives. In addition to the luncheon, the event includes two panel programs and an expo. (See sidebar for expo details) Click HERE for Business & Balance brochure.

The first panel, “The Best Advice I (N)ever Got: Business Insights from Women at the Top,” will be moderated by Lois Crichton, Crichton Wealth Management of Wells Fargo Advisors. Speakers include: Ellen Cappellanti, Jackson Kelly PLLC; Nelle Chilton, Dickinson Properties; former WV Insurance Commissioner Jane Cline; Georgette George, Monarch Holdings; former Secretary of State Betty Ireland; and Diana Sole Walko, CEO, MotionMasters.

Linda Arnold of the Arnold Agency will lead a discussion on “Delights and Detours on the Road to Success.” Aila Accad, “The Stress Expert”; Emily Bennington, Professional Studio 365; Deborah Herndon, Riveting Notes; and Grace Vandecruz-heyliger, Grace Global Capital, will share the new and unexpected paths they forged while balancing professional and personal success.

The event’s opening speaker is Sandra Thomas, member, Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP.

Summit sponsor is MotionMasters. Ascent sponsors for the event include the Dixon Hughes Goodman, Summit Community Bank, The Property Centre and the Women’s Business & Training Center. Table sponsors will include Arnett & Foster, and BrickStreet Insurance.

A range of exclusive sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more information, contact JoEllen Zacks, jzacks@charlestonareaalliance.org.

Attendees are also encouraged to bring donations of gently used professional clothing, outerwear, shoes and accessories, which will be collected by Dress for Success and distributed to disadvantaged women entering the workplace.

The Charleston Area Alliance made news today with its latest Elevations Professional Women’s Network luncheon. On Thursday at the Charleston Marriott Town Center, women leaders in the natural gas, coal and related industries addressed the opportunities and challenges ahead for West Virginia’s energy sector. The event was presented by Steptoe & Johnson PLLC.

Sharon O. Flanery, a petroleum engineer and attorney who leads the Steptoe & Johnson Energy Team, moderated a roundtable discussion about the future of energy in the Mountain State. Panelists included: Maribeth Anderson, director of corporate development for Chesapeake Energy Corporation; Tania Hotmer, manager of external affairs at AEP; and Linda Raines Torre, co-founder and senior engineer for Decota Consulting, a mining/environmental consulting firm.

More than 150 business executives, lawyers, engineers and other professionals were in attendance. The mission of the 1,700-member Elevations Professional Women’s Network is to “enrich, empower and elevate women to achieve success.”  Through luncheons and other events featuring high-profile speakers, Elevations provides an affirmative network that connects professional women with the information, resources and contacts that helps them, their businesses and their communities succeed. Elevations is presented by the Charleston Area Alliance and Title Sponsor Dow Chemical Company.

From the Charleston Daily Mail:

Panel discusses women’s role in energy industry
by Melanie Hoffman
Daily Mail staff

The energy industry might be dominated by men, but Tania Hotmer said women serve an important role as well.

“Women are starting to play a more critical role in business,” she said. “Women are able to reach a crowd men can’t.”

Hotmer was one of three women from the energy industry on a panel sponsored by the Charleston Area Alliance Thursday. She is the external affairs manager for Appalachian Power.

“I started out as an administrative assistant,” she said. “It challenged me more to work harder, and it drove me to do my best.”

Going into meetings where there would be one or two women in a group of 10 started out intimidating, she said.

Maribeth Anderson, director of corporate development for Chesapeake Energy Corp., and Linda Raines Torre, cofounder and senior engineer for Decota Consulting, also served on the panel.

Torre grew up on a farm in West Virginia with a lot of brothers and cousins.

“I just work,” she said. “I have a lot of respect for the people I work with and do work for and relate well to them. I enjoy getting out there with steel toed boots and a hard hat on.”

The women spoke of their respective industries – coal, power and gas – to an audience of about 100. The audience consisted mostly of female Alliance members and workers in the industry.

The region of Marcellus shale recently discovered in West Virginia and Pennsylvania might be the second largest discovery of its kind in the world.

“We need to take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity we have,” Anderson said.

In 2009, the gas industry produced 5,000 jobs. In 2020, it’s expected to produce more than 17,000, Anderson said.

The biggest challenge the gas industry faces is hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” she said, which uses large amounts of water mixed with chemicals to release gas from the underground shale rocks.

The public thinks the process is sucking the streams dry and that spills happen every day, she said.

“And none of that is true, at all,” she said. “I don’t know why all this happened this year.”

For power, Hotmer said the increase in customer demand means rates will continue to go up.

A lack of workers, especially experienced ones, could hurt the coal industry, Torre said. The experience is retiring, she said, and people are hesitant to start in the business because the future is unclear.

“When you don’t know where you go next, it’s hard to do,” she said.

All three women agreed on one thing – their industries are helping to spur the economy, but they’re not trying to hurt the environment.

Elizabeth Keightley, senior vice president for BB&T Wealth Management, said the program was a “great form of education.”

“They really represented diversity in terms of perspective,” she said. “They put it in a way the audience can relate to.”

She said she enjoyed hearing the “real facts.”

“There’s bias within the popular media against the industry,” Keightley said. “I think this sort of thing helps dispel myths, especially concerning the environment.”

For more information on the Alliance, visit www.charlestonareaalliance.org.

Contact writer Melanie Hoffman at melanie.hoffman@dailymail.com or 304-348-4886.

http://www.dailymail.com/Business/201107281454?page=2&build=cache

Women leaders in the natural gas, coal and related industries will share their insights on opportunities and challenges facing West Virginia’s energy sector and how they will shape the future of the Mountain State at a special Elevations luncheon, to be held Thursday, July 28, at the Charleston Marriott Town Center Pavilion.  

Sharon O. Flanery, a petroleum engineer and attorney who leads the Steptoe & Johnson Energy Team, will moderate  “Women with Energy,” a roundtable discussion with female business executives, lawyers, engineers and other professionals on the front lines of developments in the natural gas and coal fields.

Confirmed speakers to date include:

·          Maribeth Anderson, director, corporate developmentChesapeake Energy Corporation

·         Tania Hotmer, manager of external affairs, AEP

·         Linda Raines Torre, co-founder and senior engineer for Decota Consulting, a mining/environmental consulting firm

The event begins at 11:30 a.m. with informal networking (optional), followed by a luncheon and program at 11:45 a.m.. 

Registration is $30 for Alliance members/$40 future members through July 22. Prices increase to $40 Alliance members/$50 future members after that date.  Reserved tables of eight, which include program recognition and signage, are $500 for Alliance members; $600 future members. 

For more information about reserved tables, contact JoEllen Zacks:  jzacks@charlestonareaalliance.org

 Click here to register!

“Women with Energy” is presented with the generous support of Steptoe & Johnson. 

The mission of the 1,700-member Elevations Professional Women’s Network is to “enrich, empower and elevate women to achieve success.”  Through luncheons and other events featuring high-profile speakers, Elevations provides an affirmative network that connects professional women with the information, resources and contacts that helps them, their businesses and their communities succeed. 

Elevations is presented by the Charleston Area Alliance and Title Sponsor DOW. 

The Alliance cannot invoice for groups of fewer than 10 and is unable to issue refunds for cancellations received less than 48 prior to an event.

The next Elevations Professional Women’s Network luncheon, to be held Thursday, April 14, at Edgewood Country Club, will showcase local Girl Scout programs that build the next generation of women business and community leaders. Speaking will be Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council CEO Susan Thompson, Board Chair Beth Walker of Bowles Rice and 2010 Gold Award recipient Skye Taylor. Working in partnership with about 4,000 volunteers, Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council serves nearly 20,000 girls in 61 counties in West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio and Maryland.  

The event begins at 11:45 a.m. with informal networking (optional), followed by a luncheon and program at noon.  Registration is $25 for Alliance members/$35 future members through April 8. Prices increase to $35 Alliance members/$45 future members after that date.

Click here to register!

The mission of the 1,700-member Elevations Professional Women’s Network is to “enrich, empower and elevate women to achieve success.”  Through luncheons and other events featuring high-profile speakers, Elevations provides an affirmative network that connects professional women with the information, resources and contacts that helps them, their businesses and their communities succeed. Elevations is presented by the Charleston Area Alliance and Title Sponsor DOW.

In 2012, Girl Scouts of the USA will mark 100 years of inspiring girls and young women with the ideals of courage, confidence and character. Girl Scouts is the preeminent leadership development organization for girls, with 3.7 million girl and adult members worldwide.

The next Elevations Professional Women’s Network luncheon, to be held Thursday, April 14, at Edgewood Country Club, will showcase local Girl Scout programs that build the next generation of women business and community leaders. Speaking will be Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council CEO Susan Thompson, Board Chair Beth Walker of Bowles Rice and 2010 Gold Award recipient Skye Taylor. Working in partnership with about 4,000 volunteers, Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council serves nearly 20,000 girls in 61 counties in West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio and Maryland.  

The event begins at 11:45 a.m. with informal networking (optional), followed by a luncheon and program at noon.  Registration is $25 for Alliance members/$35 future members through April 8. Prices increase to $35 Alliance members/$45 future members after that date.

Click here to register!

The mission of the 1,700-member Elevations Professional Women’s Network is to “enrich, empower and elevate women to achieve success.”  Through luncheons and other events featuring high-profile speakers, Elevations provides an affirmative network that connects professional women with the information, resources and contacts that helps them, their businesses and their communities succeed.  Elevations is presented by the Charleston Area Alliance and Title Sponsor DOW.

About the Girl Scout centennial

Around the country, millions of active Girl Scouts, volunteers and alumnae will come together to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouting. Will you be one of them? Plan to attend the Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Councils weekend-long 100th Anniversary Celebration, May 4-6, 2012 in Charleston. Members, families, non-members, alumnae, donors, girls and adults – there will be something for everyone.

For more information on how to join, volunteer, or donate to Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council, call 1-800-756-7616 or visit the council’s Web site at www.bdgsc.org.  Girl Scouts builds girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place.

The Alliance cannot invoice for groups of fewer than 10 and is unable to issue refunds for cancellations received less than 48 prior to an event.

Knopf

Mattress Warehouse founder Kim Knopf will be the featured speaker at the Dec. 2 Charleston Area Alliance Professional Women’s Network luncheon to be held at the Charleston Marriott Town Center.  The event begins with informal networking at 11:45 a.m., followed by a luncheon and speaker presentation at noon.  Reservations are $30 for Alliance members/$40 for future members through Nov. 24.  Prices increase to $40 Alliance members/$50 future members after that date.

Click here to register.

In 1983, Knopf responded to a newspaper ad for a salesperson in a bedding shop. The interviewer’s enthusiasm for the prospects of the business sparked her determination to run a shop of her own rather than someone else’s. At the tender age of 23, Knopf plunged headlong into the rough-and-tumble world of free enterprise.   Just one year removed from her college days at the University of Kentucky, the young businesswoman put $25,000 on the table and set out to live the American dream.

She began by doing research and attending seminars offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Next, she prepared a business plan. The parents of her then boyfriend, now husband, took a look at her business plan and let her use a certificate of deposit for collateral to borrow half of the start-up money, and bought 50 percent of the company’s stock to give her the rest that she needed.

Over the next several decades, Knopf grew her company to 90 retail locations. She had two children along the way and went back to work when they were two to three weeks old, taking them to the office with her every day. She maintains a family-friendly atmosphere and views her employees as her second family, taking pride in helping them develop different skill sets and giving them opportunities to grow and succeed.

“I must make sure that the company’s culture is right. I think our employees take pride in and really find a purpose in their jobs and their role in the company’s success,” Knopf says.

Knopf has won several awards for professional achievement, including being a 1995 finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year, the 1996 GERS “Power User of the Year, a national technology award, and was profiled in Nation’s Business in 1998. In May 2010, Mattress Warehouse was one of only four bedding stores in the USA honored as a “Retail Giant of Bedding” by Furniture/Today.

She served as director of the Putnam County Chamber of Commerce (1997-1999), director of the Putnam County Rotary Club (1997) and president (1999-2000); she is also a member of the Young President’s Organization, served as communication chair for the 1997-1998 year and is currently serving the organization as membership chairman.

The mission of Elevations, presented by Title Sponsor Dow, is to “enrich, empower and elevate women to achieve success.”  Through bi-monthly luncheons and other events, Elevations provides an affirmative network to connect women with the contacts, information and resources that will help them, their businesses and their communities succeed.