Women in Business, Jobs, Women Entrepreneurs, Women in the News: News On Women

Anne Sweeney Joins Hulu Board

Hulu and The Walt Disney Company announced that Disney, through a subsidiary of ABC Enterprises Inc, has agreed to join NBC Universal, News Corporation and Providence Equity Partners as a joint venture partner and equity owner of Hulu, an online aggregator of video content, and that Anne Sweeney would be joining the Hulu Board of Directors. Anne is Co-Chair, Disney Media Networks and President, Disney/ABC Television Group. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Ana Harvey Made Head of the Office of Women's Business Ownership at the SBA

The Small Business Administration appointed Ana Harvey Associate Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership. Ana is an experienced Entrepreneur and recently the President of the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Girls' Advocates Honored at Annual GIRLS INC. D.C. Celebration Luncheon

On May 5, leaders in the business, public policy, and philanthropic communities will come together at the Grand Hyatt Washington to recognize exceptional champions of girls and young women. This event is held to honor local leaders whose work empowers girls to dream big and supports Girls Incorporated, a nonprofit organization that inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold.  The 2009 honorees will be recognized for creating new opportunities for women, achieving success through taking risks and innovation, and serving as career role models for girls and young women. The honorees are: 

Megan Beyer,Commentator and Journalist, To the Contrary, PBS
Megan (pictured left) began her career as a journalist in 1984 covering education and politics in Virginia.  She served as the MidAtlantic Finance Chairperson for Women for Obama and national Co-Chair of the Women for Obama National Women's Leadership Initiative - National Issues Conference and regularly represented Women for Obama on To the Contrary, the national PBS women's political talk show.

Lorna Donatone, President, Sodexo School Services
Lorna leads Sodexo's student nutrition service operations, which provide 2.6 million nutritionally balanced meals each day in 470 school districts across the United States, helping students and teachers support a healthy lifestyle. Donatone serves as Treasurer for the Board of Directors for the Women's Foodservice Form; she also is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Restaurant Association and on the Board of Trustees of the Culinary Institute of America. 

Natalie O. Ludaway, Managing Member, Leftwich & Ludaway, LLC
Natalie's legal practice is highly regarded for litigation and regulatory matters, with an emphasis in the areas of commercial litigation, telecommunications, and employment law. Her clients run the gamut from Fortune 50 corporations, financial institutions, nonprofit organizations, governmental entities, to individuals. An active civil leader, Natalie (pictured left) is also Vice Chair of CareFirst (BlueCross BlueShield Company) and Chair of GHMSI; Member of the Judicial Nominations Committee of the District of Columbia; Member, Board of Directors, Frederick B. Abramson Memorial Foundation and a former Chair of the Board of Directors, District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce.

Robin S. Michel, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Giant-Landover
Robin oversees sales, operating profits, organization, and employees for Giant Food, one of the leading supermarket brands in the Washington D.C. area. The company operates more than 180 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia, and employs approximately 21,000 people.  Previously, Robin served as Group Vice President Procurement and Merchandising at Roundy's and held the position of Vice President Merchandising, US and Canada, for 7-Eleven, Inc.

The luncheon is being held, Tuesday, May 5, 2009 at the Grand Hyatt Washington, 1000 H Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20001.

Elizabeth Chandler Made General Counsel at Asbury Automotive

Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE: ABG), one of the largest automotive retail and service companies in the U.S., appointed Elizabeth Brannen Chandler Vice President and General Counsel. Elizabeth, who holds Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from the University of Georgia, has been the City Attorney for Atlanta, Georgia, since 2006. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Women in Business Get New Jobs

Honeywell (NYSE: HON)  appointed Adriane Brown Senior Vice President Energy Strategy. Adriane, who holds a Master’s degree in Management, as a Sloan Fellow, from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, had been President and CEO of Honeywell's Transportation Systems Business. See prnewswire press release.

Chico's FAS, Inc. (NYSE: CHS) appointed Rochelle Udell Senior Vice President, Creative Director for the Chico's brand. Rochelle had been Chief Talent Officer at the Arnell Group, and before that she had been Executive Vice President, Chief Creative Officer for Revlon, Inc. Read more about Rochelle's career in the prnewswire press release.

Cardinal Bank (Nasdaq: CFNL), located in Virginia, appointed Alice Frazier Executive Vice President. Alice had previously been a Senior Vice President at BB&T Corporation. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

PSEG, the diversified energy company in New Jersey, appointed Christine De Stefano Vice President, Compensation and Benefits. Christine, who holds an MBA from Fordham, previously worked in the same position at Alpharma Inc. See prnewswire press release.

Kristy McKNight Made VP at Networks In Motion

Networks In Motion (NIM), the wireless navigation, hyper-local search and location-based services (LBS) company, appointed Kristy McKnight Vice President of Product Management. Kristy had been Vice President of Product Strategy at Match.com. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

NewsonWomen.com Called "Best in its Category"

Laurel Delaney of "Escape From Corporate America" fame, featured NewsonWomen today, calling it the best blog in its category. Thanks!

Kathy Mock Made SVP at Blue Cross Minnesota. Karen Foss Made SVP at Ameren Corporation

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota appointed Kathy Mock (pictured) Senior Vice President of Public and Health Affairs. Kathy will retain the areas she managed as Vice President, and she will continue to serve as Chief Executive Officer for Blue Plus, the company's health maintenance organization. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Ameren Corporation (NYSE: AEE) appointed Karen Foss as Senior Vice President, Communications and Brand Management. Karen, a former newscaster and anchor of KSDK-TV in St. Louis, is presently Vice President, Public Relations at AmerenUE, the corporation's Missouri utility. See prnewswire press release.

Data on Women Professors "Standing Still"

Inside Higher Ed is reporting on a new study that shows male english and foreign language associate professors being promoted to full professors sooner than women associate professors in the field by a year or more. And it has nothing to do with having kids. Read the article on the study done by the Modern Language Association.

Jeanne Allen Made an Alliance Trustee to America's Promise Alliance

Jeanne Allen was appointed an Alliance Trustee to the America's Promise Alliance, the partnership alliance comprised of corporations, nonprofit organizations, foundations, policymakers, and advocacy and faith groups committed to ensuring that children receive the fundamental resources they need to lead successful, healthy and productive lives and build a stronger society. Jeanne is the Founder and President of the Center for Education Reform. Read more about Jeanne's career in the prnewswire press release.

Read about other women in education.

A List of Women put on Corporate Boards this Week

MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), located in New York, appointed Catherine R. Kinney (pictured left) to its Board of Directors. Catherine is a former Group Executive Vice President, Listings, Marketing and Branding for NYSE Euronext. See Business Wire press release.

OPKO Health, Inc., located in Florida, appointed Alice Lin-Tsing Yu, M.D., Ph.D., to its Board of Directors. Alice is a Professor of Pediatrics for both the National Taiwan University and University of California in San Diego. Read more about Alice's career in the Business Wire press release on yahoo.com.

DARA BioSciences, Inc, headquartered in North Carolina, appointed Gail F. Lieberman to its Board of Directors. Gail is Managing Partner of Rudder Capital, LLC. See Globe Newswire press release on yahoo.com.

Communispace, a creator of online customer insight communities located in Massachusetts, appointed Paula A. Sneed (pictured left) to the Company’s Board of Directors. Paula, who holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, is Chairman and CEO of Phelps Prescott Group, LLC, and before that was Executive Vice President of Global Marketing Resources and Initiatives for Kraft Foods, Inc. See Business Wire press release.

Systemax Inc. (NYSE: SYX), headquartered in New York, appointed Marie Adler-Kravecas  to its Board of Directors. Marie was most recently President and Founder of Wellconnected, a consumer direct marketing company for affordable personalized gift items. See Business Wire press release.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (NYSE:FDP), headquartered in Florida, appointed Madeleine L. Champion to its Board of Directors. Madeleine, who holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business, is an international management and trade consultant for financial and non-financial institutions. She was previously Managing Director/Senior Vice President, International Banking at JPMorgan Chase & Co. See Business Wire press release.

Read about other women on corporate boards.

Fashion Icons at The National Museum of Women in the Arts

The National Museum of Women in the Arts has two exhibitions featuring icons of the fashion world. The exhibition, Mary McFadden: Goddesses, compares fashion with cultural studies and ancient history, exploring the relationship between traditions of the past and styles of the present. (Exhibition runs through August 30,2009.) There is also an exhibition of the works of American photographer Louise Dahl-Wolfe, whose sense of humor and personality enhanced the fashion magazine Harper's Bazaar. (Exhibiton runs through August 30,2009.) The museum is located at 1250 New York Ave., NW  Washington, DC.

Morrissey Perfetti Made Regional VP at Business Wire

Business Wire appointed Morrissey Perfetti Regional Vice President, Southern California. Morrissey, who holds an MBA from Boston College, joins Business Wire from Wolters Kluwer Financial Services. See Business Wire press release.

Read about other women in business.

Katherine Adams Made General Counsel of Honeywell

Honeywell (NYSE: HON) appointed Katherine Adams Senior Vice President and General Counsel. Katherine, who graduated with honors from the University of Chicago Law School, had been General Counsel for Honeywell's Specialty Materials business. See prenewswire press release.

Women Entrepreneurs Conference Hosted by Make Mine a Million $ Business and American Express Open

Obama's first 100 days pale in comparison to what I saw today at the "First 100 days of Women Entrepreneurs of America 2009 Make Mine a Million $ Business" workshop in New York. The conference was packed with eager business women sharing ideas and searching for the secrets of success. Susan Sobbott (pictured), President of American Express Open, spoke about how impressed she is with these women, women who are optimitstic and proactive; women who see opportunity even in this difficult economy; women who have the vision to help each other. Susan set the stage with some of her own secrets of success - know who you are, know your brand, and use both these things to sieze opportunities. The energy in the room was amazing, and it is clear that these women want to get ahead. The Make Mine a Million $ Business goal of one million women running million dollar companies is a great way to quantify the issues facing women business owners - how to increase sales and grow revenues in a profitable way. Congrats to Nell Merlino and Susan Sobbott for helping women make their dream a reality.

Is Secret Donor Giving to Colleges with Women Presidents?

Rumor has it that secret college donations made recently are being given to institutions that have a woman as the college president. A reported $68million dollars in such gifts have been given of late. Read Justin Pope's article about it on yahoo.com.

It would be really exciting if this were true. I wonder if they used my lists?! I have been making a list of women college presidents by state over the past months because I can't find one available. Since people searching Newsonwomen.com are interested in women college presidents, I decided to start a list of my own (still have several states to go if you want to help!) Check out women college presidents in my women and education category.

Nanci Prado Made GC at Maidenform Brands

Maidenform Brands, Inc. (NYSE: MFB), a global branded marketer of intimate apparel, appointed Nanci Prado Executive Vice President and General Counsel. Nanci had been Vice President, General Counsel at Omrix Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. See prnewswire press release.

Chere Estrin Starts New Magazine Called SUE

Chere Estrin, who is the Author of  "Hot Jobs and Amazing Careers: Smart Moves for Legal Professionals" as well as a seminar leader and entrepreneur, has started a new magazine for women in litigation called "SUE". SUE Magazine is a bi-monthly electronic publication aimed at women litigators in law firms and in-house legal departments. Chere tells us:  "I have been an entrepreneur in the legal field for quite some time and felt it was time for a publication that addressed women's issues and served as a resource for strengthening skills." The current issue of "SUE" includes articles on Gender Differences in the Courtroom, Women Lawyers Working Overseas, and Marketing in the New Economy. Read more about it on...www.suemagazine.com.

Terry Akins Made Chief Credit Officer at IBERIABANK

 IBERIABANK Corporation (Nasdaq: IBKC) appointed Terry Akins Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer. Terri had been a Senior Vice President, Group Executive for Wachovia Bank. See prnewswire press release.

Women on Corporate Boards Appointed This Week

The Gorman-Rupp Company (NYSE Amex: GRC), located in Ohio, appointed M. Ann Harlan to its Board of Directors. Ann is Vice President, General Counsel, J. M. Smucker Company. See Business Wire press release.

The Connect Corporation, located in Nevada, appointed Michelle Pannoni as Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President and member of the Board of Directors of the Company. See Business Wire press release.

SPX Corporation (NYSE: SPW), headquartered in North Carolina, appointed Matha B. Wyrsch to its Board of Directors. Martha is a former President and Chief Executive Officer of Spectra Energy Transmission, LLC. See prnewswire press release on yahoo.com.

Read about other women on corporate boards.