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The 2005 Enterprising Women of the Year Award recipients are a diverse group of women, but they share a few important characteristics in common. Each is the CEO of a firm that has achieved outstanding growth in the past year, and all have given back to their communities and mentored other women in business.
The winners we profile on the accompanying pages were chosen from hundreds of entries submitted last fall on the Enterprising Women Web site. Partnering with important organizations including the Women Presidents’ Organization, Women Impacting Public Policy, the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, the National Association of Women Business Owners, the Business Women’s Network, and the Center for Women’s Business Research, entries came in from all 50 states. For the first time, Enterprising Women also partnered with the Global Summit of Women and awarded two joint awards to international recipients. Those awards will be presented at the Global Summit of Women on June 24 in Mexico City.
Five outstanding women were inducted into the Enterprising Women Hall of Fame, the magazine’s highest honor recognizing a lifetime of accomplishments to advance the growth and development of women-owned companies.
The magazine also awarded the first Enterprising Women Advocacy Awards to women in government, non-profits or other key organizations that are playing an important role in supporting women and girls, or supporting the growth of women-owned firms.
A snapshot of each of our winners is included in this issue to help our readers get to know these outstanding women. Their stories provide inspiration and motivation for every woman business owner.
Monica Smiley, Editor & Publisher
Alta Baker
Founder, President and CEO of Safe Haven Enterprises, Inc., a Jennings, LA-based manufacturer of forced-entry, blast resistant buildings and products.
How she gives back
Alta serves on the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council’s (WBENC) Board of Directors and is the past chair of its National Women’s Enterprise Leadership Forum. She also serves on the Board of the Women’s Business Council of Louisiana, chairs the regional Women’s Enterprise Leadership Forum, and serves as a board member of Communities Against Domestic Abuse.
Biggest Challenge Met
Understanding that she could only expand her business when she had the necessary systems in place to properly handle the expansion.
Five Year Goal
Alta wants to see an expansion of the products and services her company offers and in the clients they serve while continuing to provide quality products and services.
Her Mentor
Alta’s mother, who taught her to follow her dreams, respect her instincts, and give back to others.
“I strongly believe in the importance of women’s business enterprises (WBEs) doing business with other WBEs. I continue to increase the amount of money going from Safe Haven to WBEs as my business expands.”
“Help create a women’s business association in your area. If one already exists, get involved, become a leader. Be a mentor. The bottom line is that we can make a difference. We do it every day.”
Nancy J. Connolly
Founder and CEO of Lasertone Corporation and Smart Page Technologies, based in Littleton, MA. The company provides laser printer products, services, and maintenance programs nationwide, and is the largest woman-owned toner cartridge re-manufacturer.
How She Gives Back
Nancy serves on WBENC’s Leadership Forum and Marketing Committee, the board of the Center for Women and Enterprise (CWE), the Advisory Board for Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), and holds directorships with the Associated Industries of Massachusetts and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, as a member of the New England Advisory Board. She is also actively involved with the Center for Women’s Leadership at Babson College and the Clark University MBA Advisory Committee, serving as a guest lecturer and mentor.
Biggest Challenge Met
Overcoming the market’s perception that remanufactured cartridges are not as good as new cartridges. The challenge was met by adhering to the highest standards of quality control and assurance.
Five Year Goal
Nancy’s strategic business plan outlines a carefully orchestrated program to grow Lasertone into a $50 million company through aggressive market expansion and partnership opportunities beyond the Northeast region.
Her Mentor
Professor Vince Fulmer, Sloan School of Management at MIT. Nancy considers him the smartest person she knows. “I learn something valuable every time I am with him.”
“Don’t whine—ever. Be yourself—always. Surround yourself with intelligent and talented employees and publicly acknowledge that their hard work and loyalty are the secrets to your success. Do business with other women business owners as often as possible. By sharing the business, we can all succeed.”
Sue Romanos
Founder, CAREERXCHANGE, South Florida’s leading independent staffing company providing staffing solutions to help customers increase performance, reduce cycle times, and improve return on investment in their core business through the use of a contingent workforce.
The company is headquartered in Pembroke Pines, FL.
How She Gives Back
Sue is an active supporter of the Juvenile Diabetes Fund, the Children’s Home Society, the Salvation Army Angel Tree Program, the American Heart Association Walk, and Art Fest. She is a CEO Forum member of the Commonwealth Institute, and active on the local and national level with a number of associations in the human resource field.
Biggest Challenge Met
Moving to South Florida from New York City 16 years ago and establishing a new business without the benefit of having the contacts she had in New York. She started the business with partner Suzanne Hode and they are still best friends.
Five Year Goal
Sue wants to be the employer of choice in her area and top of mind in her market. In an industry with an average 140 percent turnover, she wants to build on her current employee tenure of eight plus years.
Her Mentor
Sue’s #1 role model is her husband. “He was there at all turns to encourage me. He was instrumental in my success.”
“My partner and I agreed that if one or the other could not bend on an issue that the other felt strongly about, we would sell or liquidate the business. There would be no mediation or third party intervention. After 16 years, this guiding principle still applies in all our business decisions.”
Faye E. Coleman, Ph.D
President and CEO, Westover Consultants, Inc., a Silver Spring, MD-based professional and technical services consulting and government contracting firm. The company provides health and educational consulting, administrative, technical, logistical, analytical support and IT services to federal, state and local government agencies, as well as private sector companies here and abroad.
How She Gives Back
Faye serves on four non-profit boards and one corporate advisory board, serves as a trustee for a local university targeting low-income undergraduates and mid-career adults, and is active in her church. She also participates in several local educational initiatives in her community designed to benefit children and youth from under-served areas of Washington, DC. She has been actively involved in the Women’s Business Center of Washington, D.C. through the mentoring and peer-group support programs, as well as chairing the Center’s scholarship committee.
Biggest Challenge Met
In the mid 1990s, her company exceeded the government’s revenue size standard and no longer qualified as a small business in her industry area. Revenues decreased significantly as contracts ended, forcing her to downsize staff and office space, putting the company’s survival in jeopardy. She relocated to less expensive office space, reorganized her management team, and won a five-year, $29 million contract in 2003. She also moved to a new bank and obtained a $1.5 million line of credit.
Five Year Goal
To be nationally recognized as the premier contractor of choice among all branches of the U.S. military for implementing high-quality child and family support services for active duty service members worldwide. Over the last three years, she has succeeded in establishing a firm foundation for that goal, with multi-year contracts with every branch of the military. Within five years, she expects revenues to exceed $25 million.
Her Mentor
Her mother, who taught her by example that anything is possible if you set high standards, have determination, and never settle for anything less than the best.
“Success is not a destination, it’s a journey. It requires flexibility, responsiveness, and the willingness to stay the course for the long haul. Never sacrifice long-term success for short-term gains.”
Lita Abele
President and CEO, U.S. Lumber, Inc., a Woodbury, NJ-based company that supplies specialty plywood and building products in the tri-state area. Clients have included Atlantic city casinos, the Philadelphia Eagles stadium project, Boeing, Dupont, Merck, the Philadelphia Gas Works, Temple University, the U.S. Postal Service, and many others.
How She Gives Back
Actively involved with the South Jersey Girl Scouts, she volunteers as a mentor, teaching the importance of building life skills. She contributes her time to the Gloucester County Institute of Technology and is actively involved in the Asian business community, fundraising and donating to the construction of the Philippine Community of Southern New Jersey’s Community Center. She has served as vice president of NAWBO-South Jersey.
Biggest Challenge Met
An immigrant from the Philippines, she has confronted racism and sexism head-on as a woman business owner in a non-traditional industry. She has tried to turn that disadvantage into an advantage. “Once people hear my voice, they never forget me.”
Five Year Goal
To provide lumber to even larger companies, growing her company and increasing revenues. She also hopes to start a foundation that will provide grants to women who are just starting businesses and lack the cash reserves to invest in educational and professional development.
Her Mentor
Her husband, Merrill Abele, who has encouraged her to be the best she can be, and Drs. Linda and Chet Hested, her first employers in the United States, who encouraged her to get advanced educational training and believed that she had the drive to succeed in business.
“Know yourself and stand strong—always being your own best advocate. At the same time, have a kind and compassionate heart.”
Lorri Keenum
Founder, CEO and President, Midwest Trenching & Excavating, Inc., a Washington, MO-based company providing excavation solutions to the industrial and commercial construction market in St. Louis and the surrounding areas. Midwest has also served existing customers on projects as far away as Florida.
How She Gives Back
Lorri is actively involved in NAWBO and regularly mentors women business owners who are in the start-up phases of their businesses. She is also involved in the Women Presidents’ Organization, and is an active supporter of her local school system. She donates construction services to Habitat for Humanity and the Ronald McDonald House in the St. Louis area.
Biggest Challenge Met
She became politically involved to change the system to mainstream the certification process. During her six year process of applying for certification at the state and federal level, she was continually reminded of public opinion that a woman could not own and operate a construction company.
Five Year Goal
To expand her target market and her core business area and build revenues in excess of $15 million while maintaining historical profit margins. Starting the business with $3,000 and one backhoe 14 years ago, she is already more than half way to reaching her $15 million goal.
Her Mentor
Lorri’s earliest role model was Elmar Schmidt, a maverick business owner in the small town where she grew up. She worked for him while in high school and still uses the basic business skills he taught her years ago.
“Pay attention. Education by observance has been a key contributor to my success.”
Denise Kay Baker
Founder and President of D.R.B. Electric, Inc., an Albuquerque, NM-based electrical contracting business specializing in commercial, industrial, business/residential service, and voice and data. DRB partners with general contractors, owners, architects, and engineers on a wide range of projects, including new construction, remodeling, and design build.
How She Gives Back
Denise is director of NAWBO’s Community Outreach Program. In that capacity, she has organized food, clothing and toy drives to benefit the Road Runner Food Bank and Peanut Butter and Jelly, which focuses on child abuse prevention. She volunteers with the South Valley Exchange Club on an annual scholarship fundraiser, and is active with her church. She is a founding contributor to Explora to promote science education, and is active with youth soccer, arts and theater programs in her community. A mother of five, her most active mentoring experience is with her three daughters. In her role as a member of Women Impacting Public Policy, she hosted First Lady Laura Bush at her business last September.
Biggest Challenge Met
Being accepted in an industry dominated by men. She met the challenge by being knowledgeable in her industry, becoming active in local and national organizations that promote construction, and learning to listen to others in the field.
Five Year Goal
To establish her company in the voice and data field, grow her service department to at least 20 technicians, and gross $10 million in sales in the construction department.
Her Mentor
Denise’s mother was her role model. Her parents owned an accounting business and serviced clients for over 30 years. Her mother pursued an education, worked outside the home, raised a family, was active in the community, and really made a difference.
“I wish I had known that the only limitation in achieving my goals were the limitations that I imposed on myself based on what others said could or could not be done. Now I understand how important it is to ignore the doubters and focus only on the task at hand.”
Betsy Mordecai
President, MorSports & Events, a Denver, CO-based event planning and special events company. The company handles corporate meetings and has a niche in the sports industry, including handling the last 10 Olympic Games and the last three World Cup Soccer events for many corporate sponsors.
How She Gives Back
Actively involved with WBENC and WBENC-West, she was named the Advocate of the Year in the West for her work helping other women use their certification to the fullest. She is an active member of the WPO and gives back to the local community through the AIDS Walk, Allied Jewish Federation events, Jewish Family Services, and Project Pave.
Biggest Challenge Met
Surviving after September 11 th, when the meeting planning industry was severely impacted and many companies struggled to survive. She met the challenge by working on low overhead, redefining her goals for the company, obtaining her certification, and becoming a GSA schedule holder.
Five Year Goal
Betsy plans to be “right here doing what we do best” five years from now. She plans to grow in depth within her client base and add a few new staff members, but prefers to stay a small, successful company.
Her Mentor
Billie Jean King is Betsy’s role model for “showing the world that women are as good or better than men and deserve equal treatment.”
“As a woman, I prefer to act like a dolphin and not like a shark. I use my intuition to solve problems.”
Roberta Borsella Farnum
Founder and President, Home Instead Senior Care, a Charlotte, NC-based non-medical home care company. Her caregiver employees provide services that include laundry, errands, meal preparation, light housekeeping, incidental transportation, and medication reminders to seniors to allow them to remain safe and comfortable in their own home for as long as possible. These services also provide a respite for family caregivers.
How She Gives Back
Through alliances with a variety of profit and non-profit organizations in her community, Roberta has helped to create a program called “Be a Santa to a Senior,” providing 500 financially needy and isolated seniors with holiday gifts. She is actively involved in NAWBO, the WPO, the Aging Resource Network of Charlotte, and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Aging Coalition. She is a guest instructor at a local university and is involved in a formal mentoring program to assist two women business owners with the start-up of their businesses.
Biggest Challenge Met
When Roberta started her company five years ago, she had only two direct competitors. Today, she has 12 key competitors, as well as many large home health agencies and assisted living facilities offering non-medical services. Her company met that challenge and became the leader by focusing on the best client care the company could offer. An outside marketing company helped her clearly define the company’s image and focus in the marketplace.
Five Year Goal
To more than double her revenues to $5.2 million and continue to be the market leader in Charlotte/Mecklenburg County. The company will open satellite offices within the county to better serve the needs of the community.
Her Mentor
Roberta’s parents provided all five of their children with an incredible work ethic and belief in the American Dream. All five siblings own their own businesses.
“Seek out relationships with other business owners or managers that can be leveraged to form a partnership toward a common goal. Business today is so competitive—we can gain an edge by forming win-win alliances.”
Sheila Brooks
Founder, President and CEO of SRB Productions Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based full service communication firm that offers the highest quality television and video productions, an in-house post-production facility, streaming and interactive media on the Internet, as well as marketing, media and advertising services.
How She Gives Back
A staunch advocate of women and minority-owned businesses, Sheila has been actively involved in leadership roles for the Center for Women’s Business Research, most recently as vice chair of communications. She serves on the President’s Advisory Council of NAWBO, as well as advisory boards for Women in Film and Video, and Delaware State University. She also participates as a member of the “Brain Trust” representing national entrepreneurial organizations that meet regularly with the SBA’s leadership and various coalitions to develop strategy and legislative policy recommendations on small business issues. Past board position have included the Women’s Financial Network at Siebert and the Women’s Leadership Board at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, among others.
Biggest Challenge Met
Revamping her business after 9/11. She lost 60 percent of her business within 24 hours of the attack after the police department cancelled a big contract. Working with a consultant, she put together a new strategic plan that expanded her business by adding streaming video, advertising, marketing, and pr. Since then, business has boomed.
Five Year Goal
To be the leader in full-service communications in this region and continue to provide the best value and highest quality service for her customers.
Her Mentor
I have an unshakable faith in Almighty God. He gives me the strength to do everything I have to do to meet payroll and keep my business growing.
Donna H. Myers
Founder and President of DHM Group, Inc., a Colts Neck, NJ-based full service marketing communications firm. Her company helps clients develop business plans to get into new markets, introduce new products, revitalize existing products, as well as handling trade and consumer advertising, public relations, client research, crisis communications, and event planning.
How She Gives Back
Donna is an active member of NAWBO, as well as NJAWBO, serving as state president, and local and state vice president of public policy. She is a National Founding Partner of WIPP and a member of WPO. She was a founding trustee of the Holmdel Foundation for Excellence in Education, and is active in local politics and her church.
Biggest Challenge Met
In 1993, with 25 employees and more than $3 million in revenues, she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and was not expected to live. She was completely inactive in her company for more than six months, and upon her return, could not operate in a high-pressure climate typical in her industry and her size of business. At the same time, her husband was recovering from a heart attack and quintuple by-pass surgery, and needed her support. She met the challenge by downsizing her company and selecting a small client base. She moved the business into her home until she could determine the company’s direction and had regained her health. She later obtained office space and gradually rebuilt the business to its present level of $1 million in sales. The company is more profitable now and excess work is given to former employees who work as independent contractors.
Five Year Goal
Donna expects to be retired within five years and hopes to turn the company over to her employees. She has frequent offers to buy her business.
Her Mentor
Ray Gaulke, the president of Marsteller Advertising Agency, where she worked for 15 years. He was always upbeat and enthusiastic—even in the face of problems.
“The best and least expensive new business to acquire is to grow your existing accounts. Pay great attention to good service, but also explore what else you could be doing for that company that someone else is doing now.”
Jean M. Gianfagna
Founder and President, Gianfagna Marketing, Inc., a Cleveland, OH-based full-service marketing communications agency specializing in direct marketing and advertising. Clients include Fortune 500 companies and regional marketing leaders in many industries.
How She Gives Back
Jean has served as president of the Cleveland chapter of NAWBO and has spearheaded alliances between NAWBO, a local university, and other organizations that serve budding entrepreneurs. She has been actively involved in the public school system, directing a three-year effort to pass a tax levy to build a performing arts center at her local high school. Leading a team of 500 volunteers, the effort was successful. She provides pro bono services to a number of local non-profit organizations.
Biggest Challenge Met
Launching a brand new business in a brand new city with no business connections after relocating to Cleveland from Washington, D.C. with her family. She met the challenge by using her Washington connections to get her first clients and began networking with Ohio industry associations until she had built the business with both East Coast and Midwest clients.
Five Year Goal
Jean wants her company to be known and respected as one of the best direct marketing agencies in the United States, developing best-in-class strategies and creative campaigns for clients who believe in the power of targeted marketing communications.
Her Mentor
Jean’s role model is Dorothy Kerr, her first employer and president of Dorothy Kerr & Associates, who gave her a chance as a young copywriter right out of college and showed her how to achieve success as a woman business owner. Nearly 30 years after they first met, she is still a good friend and mentor.
“Set yourself apart by offering a high quality product or service that meets the needs of your prospective customers and whose value can’t be matched by a competitor.”
Peggy T. Hill
Founder and President of Adjusting Entries, a Valencia, PA-based record keeping and financial analysis firm.
How She Gives Back
Peggy was the 2004 president of the Pittsburgh Chapter of NAWBO and has held chapter offices for more than seven years, working with a core group of women who revitalized the chapter. She has served on the Parish Council at her church and has been actively involved in the Glade Run Food Bank She mentors interns from several area colleges and has provided office space and use of her facilities to two start-up women’s enterprises—believing strongly that mentoring other women in business should be a high priority.
Biggest Challenge Met
She started her business after her husband, a former architect, became disabled with a terminal lung condition requiring a double lung transplant. Peggy took care of her husband, raised four children, and ran her business, working on a degree for years by taking classes at night. She met the challenge by revolving her children’s lives around the business—her daughter Peggy worked as her secretary all the way through high school. Her son John films all of NAWBO’s events.
Five Year Goal
Peg plans to quadruple her client base to include larger companies and add a bill paying service for clients who are short on time.
Her Mentor
Peg’s mentor was her husband, John Hill, who always believed she could do whatever she set out to do. His faith in her kept her moving forward. She also credits her parents, who kept their sense of humor even in bad times, and her children, who have taken a tough situation and created an opportunity to build a team with their mom.
“Whatever struggle you may go through—know that someone else has gone through it before you and has dealt with it. Plug in to the resources of other women in business and use their advice, influence and strength to learn from their mistakes and triumphs.”
Neveen el-Tahri
The Global Summit of Women and Enterprising Women are jointly recognizing Neveen el-Tahri for her outstanding accomplishments and trailblazing success as the owner and manager of Egypt’s largest stock brokerage firm. She is also the chairperson and managing director of ABN AMRO Delta Bank in Egypt, a feat accomplished in a traditional Arab culture where just getting a business license or a bank loan to start a business as a woman required overcoming numerous obstacles.
A banker by training, Neveen el-Tahri is the first woman to serve on the board of Egypt’s stock exchange. In her own company, 50 percent of the staff are women, including those in senior positions, and many of the business opportunities provided by the company to third parties are given to SME’s led by women. She has also undertaken the management training of young women in family businesses to acquire the know-how of running a company in a culture where usually only sons become managers.
A diplomat’s daughter and the eldest of three girls, she was born in Cairo in 1958. Life on the diplomatic circuit meant the family moved often—to Panama, Lebanon, Finland, and Britain. At the age of 15, she returned to Egypt for good. By then, she had attended 11 different schools and could no longer speak any Arabic. She graduated from Cairo University with a degree in economics and political science in 1980 (learning Arabic along the way), and married Iman Waked soon after graduation. Her husband, a professor of medicine, is a highly regarded liver disease specialist. They have two children.
After 12 years in banking at Chase National Bank—starting as a teller and working her way up, one-year managing a tourism company, and time off to spend with family, the time was right for a new opportunity. Companies in Egypt were either state-owned or family owned until the early 1990s. The capital markets became a new investment vehicle, and in 1994, el-Tahri applied for and received one of the first brokerage licenses. She went on to build a strong company with an excellent reputation in Egypt’s financial community.
(This article is reprinted from the Spring 2005 edition of Enterprising Women magazine. Copyright 2005 Enterprising Women Inc. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited, except by express permission of the publisher.)
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