Maximum Business February/March 2014 Edition

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TECHNOLOGY CONNECTIONSWomen account for nearly halfof the American work force,but when it comes to taking

on management or other leadershiproles, things can be tough.

“Managing a company is a chal-lenge whether you’re a man or a wom-an,” said G. Gail Gesell, Indiana dis-trict director for the U.S. Small Busi-ness Administration. “It’s alwaysgoing to be a challenge.”

More and more women, however,are showing themselves willing totake on that challenge.

Valerie Shaffer, president of theEconomic Development Corporationof Wayne County, is one of those wom-en, and she says she’s not alone. “Wehave a fairly good representation forwomen in leadership in business andindustry” in Wayne County, she said.

“I think if you reflect even 10 yearsago to now, things have improved,”said Peggy Cenova of Hagerstown,regional director for the EasternIndiana Small Business DevelopmentCenter in Muncie.

Learn more about local women whorun businesses ranging from a woodtreatment plant to credit unions in thisissue of Maximum Business.

Page 3..... Successful woman at Economic Development Corporationdescribes her role models

Page 4..... Women leaders say rolemodels, building relationships key toexpanding talent pool

Page 9..... Ramona Cook leads construc-tion technology program at Ivy Tech

Page 11..... Becky Lindsey managesRichmond plant that turns raw lumberinto treated woodPage 12..... Rebecca Cate, Debbie Ruddhelp homeowners through local realestate company

Page 13..... Sandi Mathews says retailmanagement requires being focused onpeople

Page 14..... 8 “life” and “work” tips willhelp women rethink their success

Page 15..... 2 local credit unions havebeen run by women for many years

Page 17..... 3 bring open-minded think-ing and broad vision to their organiza-tionsPage 20..... Calendar offers local, region-al networking opportunitiesPage 21..... Wayne, Preble county busi-nesses earn recognition, give donations

INDEX

Change is in the air at Apple. The tech giant recently made a

monumental addition to its leader-ship team in the hiring of formerBurberry CEO Angela Ahrendts.

Mrs. Ahrendts will be heading upApple’s retail operations department

and is the first femaleto infiltrate the exec-utive leadership of thisglobal giant.

Although this is asignificant hire forApple, is it also a verysignificant move forIndiana because Ahrendts is a native ofNew Palestine, Ind.

A homegrown Hoosier womanhas now become a global leader intechnology. Her hiring should serveas notice to every young girl in Cen-tral Indiana that it is possible to livethe dream of being a corporate exec-utive with a global powerhouse likeApple.

Local initiatives are under wayhere in Wayne County and acrossIndiana to help emphasize that point.

Girls Inc. of Wayne County, forinstance, has partnered with theInnovation Center to create an opendiscussion between middle school-aged girls and local female leadersin technology. At these sessions,girls are introduced to differentprofessions by strong female lead-ers and they talk with them aboutthe schooling and learning experi-ences required to obtain their jobs.

Purdue University also has a verystrong set of initiatives geared to-ward K-12 students through theirWomen in Engineering programswhere they do in-the-field sessionswith the girls showing them differ-ent aspects of the engineering pro-fession and they also bring them tocampus each year for an entire day’sworth of fun yet educational experi-ences. Paint Purdue Pink is April 11on the Richmond campus (see Page20 for more details.)

Hopefully, the state of Indianatakes advantage of having such astrong woman role model in the fieldof technology and makes sure hername is known to every middle- andhigh school-aged girl around.

Take advantage of the opportuni-ty to let them see that anything ispossible and that although technol-ogy has traditionally been a male-dominated industry the tide is shift-ing and there is room for them at thetop.

Jason Whitney is executive director ofCenter City Development Corp. in

Richmond.

Hoosier connection to Appleleadership should inspire girls

JASONWHITNEY

Angela Ahrendts, who grew up in New Palestine, Ind., and went to Ball StateUniversity, is head of retail operations at Apple. GANNETT FILE PHOTO

Girls Inc., Purdue offer local programson technology for youth

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SUCCESSFUL WOMAN

Valerie Shaffer became presidentof the Economic Development Cor-poration of Wayne County in Novem-ber 2012.

The lifelong resident of WayneCounty has a bachelor’s degree inbusiness administration from Indi-ana University East and has workedin economic development through-out her career.

Shaffer started with the countyEDC as an administrative assistantin 2005. She was promoted to man-ager of business development in2007 and became vice president ofbusiness development in 2010.

In January 2012, Shaffer moved tothe Indiana Economic DevelopmentCorp., where she served as seniorproject manager for the East Cen-tral region before being rehired bythe county EDC as president in Octo-ber of that year.

» What prepared you for the jobyou do?

I think two things. One would be my experience

working at the EDC under four dif-ferent presidents. I learned a lotfrom all of them. They all had differ-ent strengths. ...

During my time at the EDC, I alsohad seven or eight years to really beinvolved in the community, to reallyget to understand the makeup of thecommunity — who all is involvedand how the EDC can collaborate inthose efforts. ...

The year that I spent with thestate was very eye-opening. ... I was

able to witness first hand differenttypes of communities and what their... dynamics were like.

I was also able to work under(former IEDC director for East Cen-tral Indiana and Richmond resident)Mindy Kenworthy. She’s alwaysbeen a mentor to me in the field ofeconomic development.

» Who is your role model?My aunt Brenda Hull.

She was the first family memberof my life that went to college. Shewas always very well-poised andreally knew what she wanted out oflife. ... She was just very deter-mined.

(Hull now lives in Indianapolisand works at Eli Lilly.)

» What would you say is yourmain strength?

I’d have to say that I’m a good

listener. I always listen first, sit backand observe before I begin to statemy own opinion and thoughts. ... Itallows me to be a good collaborator.

» What is the most fun part ofyour job?

Of course, when you win a deal.Having that company that ... made alocation decision and it’s WayneCounty is just THE best feeling youcan get from this job.

» What is something you wishpeople knew about you?

That I really am somewhat shyand don’t like to be the center ofattention. ... This job tends to put methere fairly often and it’s still some-thing I’m getting used to.

» What are your hopes for thefuture?

I just kind of take opportunitiesas they come to me.

Personally, I hope I can have along and successful career here inthe community. ...

In the field of economic devel-opment, I would find it hard to workfor a place that I don’t considerhome.

» What is the secret to yoursuccess?

I think I am one of the first (EDC)presidents born and raised in thecommunity, so maybe that drive andpassion that I have for my familyand friends gives me the drive tocontinue to want to do better. ...

It’s hard to say that I’m success-ful — maybe that’s the secret to mydetermination for success.

EDC president says local connectionshelp drive her to bring jobs to county

Valerie Shaffer works at her desk at the office of the Economic DevelopmentCorporation of Wayne County. Shaffer began her duties as EDC president inNovember 2012. LOUISE RONALD/PALLADIUM-ITEM FILE

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WOMEN IN CHARGE

Women accountfor nearly halfof the Amer-ican work

force, but when it comes totaking on management orother leadership roles,things can be tough.

“Managing a company isa challenge whether you’re aman or a woman,” said G.Gail Gesell, Indiana districtdirector for the U.S. SmallBusiness Administration.“It’s always going to be achallenge.”

More and more women,however, are showing them-

selves willing to take on thatchallenge.

Valerie Shaffer, presidentof the Economic Develop-ment Corporation of WayneCounty, is one of those wom-en, and she says she’s notalone. “We have a fairlygood representation forwomen in leadership in busi-

Renee Brooks, left, chats with organizer Mary Anne Butters outside a 2013 Wayne County Task Force on Jobs fair in Hagerstown. LOUISE RONALD/PALLADIUM-ITEM FILE

WOMEN LEADERSemerge in Wayne County

By Louise RonaldRole models,building

relationships keyto expanding

talent pool

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WOMEN IN CHARGE

ness and industry” inWayne County, shesaid.

“I think if youreflect even 10 yearsago to now, thingshave improved,” saidPeggy Cenova of

Hagerstown, regionaldirector for the Eastern

Indiana Small Busi-ness DevelopmentCenter in Muncie.

Even so, Cenovaadmits, things canstill be tough.

“The first thingyou ask about a (new-born) baby is its sex,”she said. Expecta-tions about the child’sfuture start there.

Thirteen-year-oldJaMarie Edwards ofRichmond, a memberof Girls Inc., encoun-ters those expecta-tions among herpeers.

“People think thatguys are better thangirls,” Edwards said.

But when someonetries to tell her shecan’t do somethingbecause she’s a girl,her first impulse is“to try and provethem wrong.”

That impulsemight prove helpfulwhen she enters theworkforce.

Angie Witham teaches businessat Richmond High School andkeeps in touch with young womenwho graduate from the program.

“I think the transition into thebusiness world is a lot easier (thanit used to be), but still women haveto work hard … to prove them-selves,” Witham said. “I think theycan feel very qualified and theircredentials can show them to bequalified, but they often still haveto prove themselves.”

Shaffer often feels that pres-sure. “I’d say the combination ofbeing young and a woman can bechallenging,” she said.

She remembers talking to a manfrom Ohio who was looking for aplace to relocate his business andwent to the EDC website to checkout Wayne County.

See LEADERS, Page 6

G. GailGesell

ValerieShaffer

PeggyCenova

JaMarieEdwards

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WOMEN IN CHARGE

“He told me that he saw my pic-ture on the website and that I lookedawfully young to be able to do thisjob,” Shaffer said.

She continued to work with himand he came to Wayne County for apresentation. “By the end of the day,he was telling me how wonderful I

was, and the next dayon the phone, he of-fered me a job,” saidShaffer.

“I do feel the pres-sure to continuallyprove myself as ayoung female in thisrole,” she said.

Wayne County Com-missioner Mary Anne Butters alsohas spent much of her career prov-ing herself. Before moving back to

the county where she grew up, But-ters held a variety of high-poweredpositions in advertising and market-ing, often breaking barriers as awoman.

“I was often called a Jackie Rob-inson, because every job I had I wasthe first woman to lead an account,”Butters said.

Being first was “challenging andexhilarating.”

Butters said everything she didwas highly visible. “People would

come by and look in myoffice and stare at me,”she said. “I sort of feltlike I was in a zoo.”

It was nerve-wrack-ing to have her workscrutinized so careful-ly, but Butters said shewas aware of the honorand “responsibility of

taking the risk.”Part of that responsibility was as

a role model.“I know girls watch visible wom-

en,” Butters said.Role models are “absolutely es-

sential,” said Fredricka Joyner, di-rector of both the Center for Leader-ship Development and the Master ofScience in Management at Indiana

From left, Alexis Sheets, Laura Bellindo-Maniau, Denise Selm, Angie Witham and Erica Bischoff talk about the BusinessProfessionals of America state competition in 2013. Selm and Witham are faculty sponsors of the Richmond High School BPAchapter. LOUISE RONALD/PALLADIUM-ITEM FILE

BALANCING WORKAND FAMILY LIFE» Valerie Shaffer has a husband andtwo dogs, but no children. “Wonder-ing how it’s all going to work is thepart that stops me” from having achild, she said. Still she plans to “some-day soon.” In the meantime, “Myhusband is always scolding me to putmy phone down.”» “Women have children and theyhave to make decisions about gettingto work,” said Mary Jo Clark. Somewomen feel guilty about not havingenough time for their husband andchildren when they take on moreresponsibility at work. “You have todevelop a balance,” she said. “I like toexpose my daughter to … professionalwomen who are doing a good job ofbalancing.”» “Wouldn’t it be nice if we weren’ttorn between that classic balance … amother and being a manager?” MaryAnn Butters asked. “It can be done.”

LeadersContinued from Page 5

Mary AnneButters

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WOMEN IN CHARGE

University East.“I think you learn so much being

able to observe other people in ac-tion,” she said.

Morrisson-ReevesLibrary Director ParisPegg agrees.

“I think it’s veryimportant for younggirls to see women inleadership roles,” Peggsaid.

For Richmond HighSchool graduate TaylorGabbard, now a juniormajoring in hospitality

management and business at IndianaUniversity Purdue University Indi-anapolis, that role model was With-am.

“I told her if I wrote a book, shewould definitely be acknowledged,”Gabbard said, laughing. She turnedmore serious, though, when describ-ing how Witham helped her in highschool.

“We took my skills and we kind offound out what I’m good at together,”said Gabbard. “She just believed inme … and that gave me the confi-dence I needed to go forward in mycareer choice.”

For Gesell, the role model was herfather, a variety store manager whotook her to work with him everySaturday when she was a child. Shewould straighten shelves and dust,earning a dollar for her effort.

“I always wanted to be in busi-ness,” Gesell said. “I wanted to be amanager just like my dad.”

Richmond Mayor Sally Huttonsaid her mother inspired her and hersisters.

“She installed in all of us girls thatwe could do whatever we wanted,”Hutton said. “My dad was a greatrole model too. It’s that family unit.”

Shaffer is willing to call herself a

role model to others.“I’ve worked really hard to get

where I am today,” she said. “I putmyself through school working full-time and completed it in four years.… I can show young women that withthe right determination they can getwhere they want to be.”

Edwards said role models areimportant to her. “Sometimes youwant to be just like them,” she said.“You can be inspiring as they wereinspiring to you.”

As a member of the team of older

Girls Inc. members who led youngergirls in Michelle Obama’s Let’s Moveprogram, Edwards already is start-ing to inspire.

“A lot of the girls actually listen tome,” she said. “They actually look upto me. … It makes me feel … spe-cial.”

Edwards hopes to become a doc-tor someday and thinks her leader-ship experience at Girls Inc. willhelp. “Doctors have to be ready foranything,” she said.

Beth Harrick, who shares the

directorship of GirlsInc. with Laura Rether-ford, quoted the saying“You can’t be what youcan’t see” as the reasonfor making sure thatgirls see women inleadership.

“If you’re the kind ofperson who has to see itbefore they can be it,

the world is very limited,” Harricksaid. “That’s why I think it’s vital thatwe have role models of all varieties.”

Having women in leadership posi-tions not only provides models foryoung girls, it also expands the con-cept of leadership.

“Women approach leadership insome very different ways,” saidMary Jo Clark of Contemporary

See LEADERS, Page 8

Paris Pegg

Institute for Creative Leadership co-chair Mary Jo Clark, standing, introducesRichmond Mayor Sally Hutton, seated left, during the leadership programgraduation at Forest Hills Country Club on May 29, 2013. Hutton is holding TristanHarris, the son of leadership class member Katrina Harris, right. PALLADIUM-ITEM FILE

WHERE WOULD YOU LIKETO SEE MORE WOMENLEADERS?» Banking and lending, said TaylorGabbard, who is running her ownwedding planning company as shestudies at IUPUI. The stock market. “Ifeel like they are man run,” she said.» “More women in politics would begreat,” Sally Hutton said. “Govern-ment isn’t all business. It’s about beingthe backbone of the community.” It’sabout making things grow, she said.Women know how to do that because“that’s what they’ve been doing.”» “I think women are still grosslyunderrepresented in everything,” saidFredricka Joyner. “It would be great tohave women involved in every field. …If women are 50 percent of the workforce, they would be 50 percent ormore of the leadership.”

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WOMEN IN CHARGE

Consulting, a group that helps bothmen and women develop leadershipskills.

Leadership, she said, is 80 percentrelationship building and 20 percenttask — a concept that seems “natu-ral” to many women. “It’s harder formen to understand,” said Clark.

Joyner said when she started inmanagement, courses were based onthe concept of teaching women tolead like men. “Nowadays, I thinkthere’s a lot more appreciation ofdifferent types of leadership.”

“Every individual brings differ-ent strengths” to leadership roles,Butters said, “but women bring adifferent texture to deliberations …because women, I believe, tend tocommunicate more completely, us-ing more words, more attempts atgaining the thoughts and feelings ofother people … than men do.”

“Women really promote team-building and making sure everyoneat the table is represented,” saidSharrie Harlin, executive director ofthe Wayne County Minority Health

Coalition. “They go out of their wayto make sure everyone is included.”

Hutton said women’s strengthsinclude patience and a “gut instinctof how things work.” Women listen,she said, and they get the job done.

“I believe that women bring alevelness to any field,” said Gab-bard. “Men … rarely see two sides.We see both sides of things. … Wetake the time to get to know peoplemore.”

Women’s particular strength inbusiness, she said, is looking at cli-ents “as people, not as money prod-ucts.”

Butters agreed, saying womentouch base with feelings more thanwith bottom-line results.

There can be drawbacks, howev-er, to so much emphasis on relation-ships and feelings.

“The downside of that is that menare a little bit better at dealing withconflict and moving on,” Cenovasaid.

Joyner tries to help women “de-velop the ability to influence. It’ssomething that successful male lead-ers have known how to do for a longtime.”

Gesell said women need to bewilling to relocate for advancement.They also need to be ready to workhard.

“This is certainly a job that doesnot get done in 40 hours,” Shafferadmitted.

Women have to take the risk andapply for higher positions, said Ge-sell.

The self-confidence that requires“is not something that (young girls)should shy away from,” said Pegg.

“The most important thing we dois we build confidence,” Clark said.

Butters’ experience as a trailblaz-er gave her some insight into some-thing else women leaders mightlack.

“One thing visibility brings is aneed to cloak ourselves in somewhatthicker skin,” she said.

“I would certainly encouragewomen and girls to be bolder andwilling to take criticism — both validand invalid. Until we do that, we’llalways be outnumbered at the top.”

“There are still barriers outthere,” Hutton admitted. “The key isto help each other.”

“I long for the day when it is nolonger noteworthy when a woman isCEO of a large company, no longer abig deal when a woman is a governoror a U.S. senator,” Butters said. “Andwe have a long, long way to go.”

Girls Inc. program director Meghan Scales talks with member JaMarie Edwards about her application for a science program.LOUISE RONALD/PALLADIUM-ITEM

LeadersContinued from Page 7

Sharrie Harlin, Wayne County Minority Health Coalition executive director,welcomes everyone to an Affordable Care Act town hall forum in Lingle Auditoriumat Reid Hospital on Sept. 4, 2013. JOSHUA SMITH/PALLADIUM-ITEM FILE

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WOMEN IN CHARGE

Ramona Cook didn’t begin hercareer in construction.

After graduating from Northeast-ern High School, she joined the Navy,where she was a data processingtechnician for five years.

After leaving the Navy, she wentto Chicago, where she was involved

in computer and technology sales.After that, she returned to the

Richmond area, earned a bachelor’sdegree in general studies at IndianaUniversity East and became directorof residential programs at what wasthen Green Acres — now AnthonyWayne Services.

Then in 1993, Cook bought a house.“I wanted to learn to do some

stuff” to take care of the new pur-chase, Cook said. So she decided totake a construction course at IvyTech Community College.

“I just took a couple of classes andthe bug hit me,” she said.

Now Cook heads up the construc-tion technology program on the Rich-mond campus.

Bill Johnson of New Paris, Ohio, is

taking a class from Cook on how to doestimating. He admitted he was sur-prised when he first learned the pro-gram is directed by a woman.

“But I can see why she’s incharge,” Johnson said. “She’s really,really qualified.”

“She knows her stuff,” agreed

Ramona Cook teaches a class in estimating as part of the construction technology program at Ivy Tech Community College. Cook is program director. She is the onlywoman in the state to head any technology program for Ivy Tech. LOUISE RONALD/PALLADIUM-ITEM

House purchase leads to new careerBy Louise Ronald

See CAREER, Page 10

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WOMEN IN CHARGE

Tyler Blevins of Richmond, anothermember of the class.

Cook finished an associate degreein construction with a major in car-pentry and cabinetry in 2000. Shestarted a company with herself assole employee, doing finish carpen-try and designing and constructingcustom cabinetry and furniture.

At the same time, she worked atIvy Tech assisting the departmenthead.

When the program chair resignedin 2001, Cook was offered the posi-tion. She took it on an interim basisuntil 2002, when she became theofficial full-time chair.

It was the first time for a womanto have the position on an Ivy Techcampus. Now, she is the only womanin the state to head any technologyprogram for Ivy Tech.

Cook says she has never had anyproblems being accepted as a womanin her position, leading male facultyand teaching mostly male students.

“I have female friends whoworked for big construction compa-nies and they tell me horror stories,”Cook admitted, but she prides her-self for coming across as someonewho deserves respect.

“If people perceive that they cantreat you poorly, they will,” saidCook. “It goes back to how you posi-tion yourself in their minds.”

And everyone in the program —

faculty and students alike — sharesthe same goal, Cook said: “to makeour students as successful as wecan.”

That being the case, gender mat-ters less than commitment.

Over the years, Cook has seenabout a dozen female students gothrough the program. She has stayedin touch with some of them, but findsit difficult to think of herself as arole model.

“I just so struggle with that,” shesaid. “On some level, I know I am ...but I struggle to see things that I doas accomplishments. ... They werethings that needed to be done and Idid them.”

Cook traces her willingness totackle any problem to her childhoodon a farm near Whitewater, whereshe was the oldest of seven childrenraised by a single mother after theirfather died.

When chores were finished, Cookliked to build things. She would cutdown saplings with a pocket knifeand build small huts to play in.

“It was an environment that reallylent itself to imagination and creativ-ity,” she said.

Cook found that creativity againin construction and tries to instill itin her students and in visitors.

Eighth-graders often tour the IvyTech campus, and Cook said shealways tries “to make a special pointof talking to the girls.”

Her message to them is simple.“Don’t ever let anybody tell you

you can’t do something becauseyou’re a girl.”

Ramona Cook instructs Bill Johnson of New Paris, Ohio, during an estimating class,part of the construction technology program at Ivy Tech Community College inRichmond. Cook is program director. LOUISE RONALD/PALLADIUM-ITEM

CareerContinued from Page 9

Ramona Cook teaches a class in estimating as part of the construction technologyprogram at Ivy Tech Community College. Cook is program director. LOUISE RONALD/

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WOMEN IN CHARGE

Women always have been decided-ly in the minority at Southeast WoodProducts, but Becky Lindsey neverlet the numbers bother her.

In 1996, within three years of join-ing the South D Street company,Lindsey became manager of theplant that turns raw lumber intotreated wood.

Southeast operates 10 treatmentfacilities and Richmond’s is the larg-est, Lindsey said. The Richmondplant is also the only one that wasbuilt from the ground up as a treat-ment facility, which occurred in 1995.The local plant ranks in the compa-ny’s top two for efficiency, Lindseysaid.

“We have a great crew who will gothe extra mile when it’s needed,”Lindsey said. “I’m pretty proud ofthem. Mangers are only as good asthe people who work for them.”

The untreated lumber is shippedto the plant by rail, with as many as15 cars arriving at once, Lindseysaid. The wood treatment plant hastwo 84-foot cylinders that can hold21,000 board-feet of lumber. Thechemical treatment process, whichoccurs under pressure, makes thewood more rot-resistant.

Most of Southeast’s products aresold to Lowe’s Home Improvementunder the Top Choice brand name,Lindsey said. Cargill also buys South-east’s treated lumber, she said.

Lindsey was a 9-1-1 dispatcher fortwo years before joining Southeast asan hourly employee. Lindsey said sheloves the outdoors and her first job

was baling hay for Kircher Farms.“I got the best of both worlds here.

I can be outside or inside, dependingon what I want to do,” Lindsey said.“I’ve always done well at all the jobsI’ve had, but the dispatching wasn’twhat I wanted to do. I came out hereand settled right in.”

Lindsey admits she knew nothingabout wood treatment when shestarted at Southeast.

“We carried specialty productsthen, like pickets for decks, and myfirst job was organizing and taggingthe wood for that,” Lindsey said.“I’ve done everything out here.”

Understanding and performing allthe jobs has helped Lindsey managea crew of about two-dozen workers,only two of whom are women, Lind-sey said.

“I’ve had no problems being awoman boss,” Lindsey said. “If I hadjust come in here and become man-ager, I would have had trouble. Byworking my way up and workingside-by-side with the workers, I’vebeen successful. They aren’t everasked to do anything I wouldn’t do orcouldn’t do myself.”

Being a woman might actually bean advantage in her position, Lindseysaid.

“The guys may be less apt to beconfrontational because I’m a wom-an,” Lindsey said. “We had a few ‘badapples’ who had to move on, but Irespect the guys and the guys re-spect me.”

Previous managers sometimesdemanded 18-hour days during thebusy summer months and employeescouldn’t take summer vacations,Lindsey said. She’s changed thosepractices.

“You have to understand there islife outside of work,” Lindsey said.“Twelve hours is our maximum andwe try not to work weekends. We alsoallow summer vacations, but we tryto schedule them so we always haveenough help.”

Cross-training is also important,so several people know how to doeach job, Lindsey said.

“Managers should nip bad habitsearly, because it’s harder to correctthem later on,” Lindsey said. “It’salso important to respect and listenand work with your employees.”

Plant manager: Knowing all jobs keyBy Pam TharpMaximum Business

Becky Lindsey is plant manager of Southeast Wood Products in Richmond. Her firstjob there was organizing and tagging wood. JOSHUA SMITH / PALLADIUM-ITEM

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WOMEN IN CHARGE

Many women have served thepublic in this area in the real estatefield over the years, either as agentsor in related fields.

But Debbie Rudd and RebeccaCate in recent yearshave had leadershiproles as managingmembers, and agents,for First RichmondGroup LLC.

The real estate in-dustry continuallyevolves, and on Feb. 21,First Richmond Real-tors and Better Homes

and Gardens Real Estate Big Hillannounced they are merging.

The merged companies will oper-ate as Better Homes and GardensReal Estate First Realty Group.About 70 associates will work for thecompany, which will be based at 1010S. A St. in Richmond.

Both Rudd and Cate have workedin real estate for years and are gladto see the local market doing well asthe economy recovers.

Cate has a family connection tothe profession because her motherwas a real estate agent, and she hasworked in the business for 15 years.

She has observations about work-ing in real estate as a woman.

“It has been a learning experiencefor me, and overall, a growing andpositive experience,” Cate said.

And what does she like most aboutthe business?

“I love the process of creatingyour own success, and I think thefact that women have been success-ful here, and everywhere, in thisbusiness, is very encouraging,” sheexplains about her continuing suc-cess.

Rudd echoes Cate’s sentiments.“As I hear reports in the news of

how the majority of women are notpaid salaries for the same job as menfor similar jobs, I feel fortunate thatwe women in the real estate field donot have that battle.”

In fact, she points to the reality

that the gender of an agent has virtu-ally nothing to do with results anagent enjoys.

“Women can, and often do, makemore money than the men in thefield based on our production. If youwork hard in this business, you willbe compensated accordingly, whichputs us as women on an equal play-ing field. I love that about this busi-ness,” Rudd explains.

Unlike many other women, Rudd

has not had some special challengesthat others face, a fact she freelyadmits.

“Challenges for me are somewhatdifferent than many other women inthe real estate industry, in that I havenot had to deal with raising a familywhile working in the field. I havefaced less hurdles.”

Rudd recognizes how it can be forothers.

“I so respect those women whofind themselves in a position to haveto juggle child care, school post-ponements, sick children and all therest of those family issues they facedaily while trying to accommodatetheir real estate clients.”

She doesn’t think being a womanhas affected her career results ineither direction.

“I don’t believe that being a wom-an in the industry has made a differ-ence negatively or positively witheither company ownership or realestate sales. I see the majority of thepeople I work with and talk to dailyare just looking for and respect a

knowledgeable real estate profes-sional.”

Cate spoke about her perceptionof the key to success for her in thereal estate business.

“I try to fit needs for both buyersand sellers, that is the key thing,” shesays.

Both are seeing good times inbusiness now — and in the near fu-ture.

“It’s been a long, hard road in thelast few years, but I feel very posi-tive (about the real estate business)now,” Cate said of her organizationtoday. “We see a lot of new construc-tion.”

Rudd concurs.“I feel fortunate to have landed in

the real estate field and have experi-enced, as many others have, the goodtimes and the bad times,” Rudd ex-plained. “The market in our area hastruly bounced back.”

Rudd points to the help of busi-nesses connected to real estate asbeing very helpful to her company’ssuccess.

“The lenders are working withbuyers and are willing and able tolend. Our local title companies andhome inspectors are exceptional. Ithelps to work in a profession inwhich we can count on the support-ing agencies to go the extra mile tohelp us all accomplish the same goal— home ownership.”

Both think a real estate career is agood option for women.

“I enjoy selling real estate, andthere is a good inventory of proper-ties available in our area,” Cate com-mented.

Rudd has this advice for a womanentering the business: “The bestadvice I can offer is to have the sup-port of her family of this crazy realestate career. To be truly successfulwill require many long hours, lots oftime on the phone, few Sundays athome with the family and lots ofmiles on the family car. Without theencouragement and support of thoseat home, the challenges may appearto be overwhelming. However, with-out a doubt, it is, and can be, a veryrewarding business to be in.”

Duo: Real estate a challenging,rewarding business for women

By Ron GreesonFor Maximum Business

Debbie Rudd, right, works with a client. Rudd and Rebecca Cate have served asmanaging members, and agents, for First Richmond Group LLC. SUPPLIED

RebeccaCate

“I love the process ofcreating your ownsuccess, and I think thefact that women havebeen successful here, and everywhere, in thisbusiness, is veryencouraging.”REBECCA CATE

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WOMEN IN CHARGE

Being store director of a big-boxretailer might seem to be about sup-pliers and sales, but Richmond’sMeijer store director Sandi Mathewssays the job has a single focus: peo-ple.

“This job is all about people,”Mathews said. “The customers, ven-dors, the office, everything I do ispeople-oriented. You must be people-oriented to be successful in this busi-ness.”

Mathews has worked for Meijerfor 30 years, joining the company atage 19. Her first job was part-timewith a different retailer and she thenworked for a short time as a hostessat a Perkins Restaurant and Bakery.She’s also taken classes at MariettaCollege and Wright State University.

“I missed retail. I missed workingfor a big-box company,” Mathewssaid. “I got an entry-level job at Meijer and I moved up and worked inhuman resources for several years. Itwas a great preparation for what I donow. I’ve worked in Ohio, Kentuckyand Indiana. I’ve moved seventimes.”

Mathews oversees about 225 employees at Richmond’s Meijer,including 21 who are in leadership

positions, she said.Women store directors aren’t un-

usual for Meijer, which has been“very progressive,” Mathews said inrecognizing women’s abilities to han-dle the many facets of store manage-ment. Mathews has been a Meijerstore director for 14 years.

Convincing customers, though,that she holds the store’s top positionis sometimes a challenge, Mathewssaid. It’s one she’s experienced manytimes.

“I get it a lot on the phone,” Math-ews said. “The caller wants to talk toTHE manager and that means a man.Some hang up when I tell them I’mthe manager. It’s really older menmostly who want to talk to a man. It’sgenerational. I was young when Itook this job and maturity helps. Myexperience in human resources alsowas helpful. Younger team leadersstruggle more now than I do.”

Meijer store directors must bedetail-oriented, which includes keep-ing the 24-hour-a-day businessesclean and neat. Mathews describesherself as a “clean freak.”

“Store appearance is so important.If there’s dust on the fire extinguish-er, it ought to be dusted. It takes only30 seconds and it’s clean,” Mathewssaid. “My team calls it OCD (Obses-sive Compulsive Disorder). Even

things that are marked 90 percent offshould be neat. Customers shouldn’thave to dig through a mess to findwhat they want.”

Neatness is also important be-cause a clean and organized storeleads to customer loyalty, Mathewssaid.

“Our customers think of it as ‘ourMeijer,’” Mathews said. “They’realmost territorial about it. I like that.”

Retail’s reputation that employeeswork 100 hours a week is untrue,Mathews said. Retail managementcan be a good position for a womanwith children, Mathews said, a situa-tion she’s also experienced.

“I get my schedule in advance andI know when I’m working. You dohave to be willing to work non-tradi-tional schedules. It’s not a nine-to-fivejob,” Mathews said. “You have to beflexible and find a balance with homeand work.”

And just when you find that bal-ance, it might change. Retail doesn’tstand still. It’s continually being rein-vented, Mathews said.

“We change every day. It’s part ofour quality improvement,” Mathewssaid. “We’re always asking, ‘How canwe do it better?’ You have to be achange-master. Now, we’re going todo it this way, and we’re going to starttomorrow.”

Retail industry requires people focusBy Pam TharpMaximum Business

Shoppers pay for their purchases at Richmond’s Meijer. Sandi Mathews oversees about 225 employees at the local store. JOSHUA SMITH / PALLADIUM-ITEM FILE

Sandi Mathews manages Meijer. SUPPLIED

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WOMEN IN CHARGE

With women earning about 57percent of the undergraduate degreesand 60 percent of the master’s de-grees in the United States, why arethere so few of them in the corneroffice of our corporations or on theboard of directors?

According to a study published byCatalyst in 2012, only 21 percent ofFortune 500 CEOs are women. Inaddition, women only hold 14 percentof executive officer positions, 17percent of board seats and are only 18percent of our elected congressionalofficials.

Our culture is ready to increasewomen’s role at the top, craving theunique perspective and diversity ofthinking. In fact, research shows thatcompanies run better with both wom-en and men in leadership roles —important to both our economy andcommunity.

So why do women get the educa-tion, enter the workforce and cannotcross the chasm to the corner office?One reason is that on their way to the

corner office theybegin to search for themythical “balance.”They cannot find itbecause it does notexist — and they be-lieve the only answer isto leave or step back inthe journey. How do wehelp women realizethat balance is just a

myth, but leadership is possible withthe right expectations, persistenceand tools?

The following eight “life” and“work” tips will help women rethinktheir work success, while excelling athome and in the office.

» Stop searching for balance.When it’s not there, they get frustrat-ed — possibly turning down a promo-tion or leaving the workforce com-pletely. By staying in the workforce,women can be successful in boththeir work and home life.

» Make home life a priority. Ifthere is something wrong at home,

you need to work it out. Otherwise, itwill always bother you at the office.You might change jobs, but yourcornerstone is your home life.

» Manage your time more effi-ciently. Be present in what you’redoing, finish it and move on. I havemy list of things to do, and I’ll assigntime slots to it. If I have one hour towork on a presentation at work or onehour to clean at home, I do the best Ican for that one hour.

» Combine your work and familyschedules. I used to keep two differ-ent calendars — one for home andone for work— but I was missingwork deadlines, my kids’ activitiesand other events.

» Stay in the moment. When you’reat work in a meeting, be there. Whenyou’re at home, be there. If you’re ina business meeting, don’t be wishingto be somewhere else.

» It isn’t just a job. Work at a placeand on something that you are pas-sionate about. Don’t just take a “job.”Then you aren’t choosing between

work and life — it is your life. » Take the promotion. The only

way you are going to be able to affectchange is to get yourself and otherwomen in a place where you are mak-ing decisions and influencing change.

» Sponsor another women. It islonely as you continue to move to-ward a corner office. Sponsor otherwomen inside and outside of yourcompany.

Women can be their own worstenemy in the workplace; but they canalso be the inspiration for change —that is, for their own change. Andwith this cultural shift, more compa-nies in the United States will see adifferent view from the top, withmore women executives leading theway.

Teresa Taylor is a nationally recognizedFortune 200 executive who brings integrity,

focus, vision and agility to corporateleadership, while advising companies,government agencies and others on a

successful business model.

8 tips can help women balance life, work

TERESATAYLOR

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WOMEN IN CHARGE

Women in some fields of businessleadership might be a new devel-opment, but for two local creditunions, and many others across thestate and nation, leadership fromwomen is nothing new.

Both Cindy Gribben of the NatcoCredit Union and Lisa Dykhoff of thePerfect Circle Credit Union have ledtheir respective business organiza-tions for many years.

Through dramatic changes in thefinancial services marketplace, andparticularly with credit unions, bothwomen have provided the continuityin leadership to lead the way in vastlychanging times.

And they are not alone.From the days of factory-based

organizations with mostly industrialclients, to the current community-

See CREDIT, Page 16

2 lead credit unions through changesBy Ron GreesonFor Maximum Business

Community involvement is important to make connections in business. Lisa Dykhoff was part of the Hagerstown Rotary Clubuntil it disbanded in 2013. Members attending the final Hagerstown Rotary Club meeting at Willie & Red’s in Hagerstownincluded, front row, from left, Chet Sanders, Vern Vanderbilt, Suanna Goodnight and Dick Thalls, and second row, Reid Jones,Chris Beeson, Marc Marlatt, Chris LaMar, Lisa Dykhoff, Jana Murray, the Rev. Bob Fannin and Max Smith.RACHEL E. SHEELEY/PALLADIUM-ITEM FILE

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WOMEN IN CHARGE

based organizations with cutting-edge technology and products, thedifferences are stark, according toGribben.

Women provided much of thatservice, then and now.

“Our staff was always primarilymade up of women, although mymentor when I started in 1987 was amale (Tom Fitzharris),” Gribbenexplained recently.

Gribben became CEO at the NatcoCredit Union in 1992, and the organi-zation she continues to head now hasthree locations, including the NatcoCommunity Empowerment Center,and 41 employees.

The empowerment center, whichopened in 2013, offers free advice toany resident about debt consolida-tion, budgeting, time management,foreclosure modification, job hunt-ing, resume building and more. It alsoprovides computer work stations,Internet access, tax services andaccess to local resources, all free.

“We have become a more commu-nity-based institution through theyears, and the growth in our capitalhas been extremely exciting,” Grib-ben said.

She says having many women atthe office helped immensely in pre-venting problems in those more chau-vinistic days. “I never felt that therewere any significant issues at work(with a woman leading the creditunion), and I think that is still truenow,” Gribben added.

Dykhoff is president of PCCU, butshe describes a slightly differentexperience years ago. Dykhoff hasbeen the leader there for 23 years,and an employee there for almost 31years.

“There have been times for mewhen I wasn’t being taken seriously,”she said, “but that has really evolvednow. It almost never happens today.”

Her Hagerstown-based institutionnow employs 34 people in three of-fices in Hagerstown, New Castle andRichmond.

“There has always been a goodshare of women on our staff, and Ihave tried to act as a mentor to manyon the staff through the years,” Dykhoff said.

As a woman, she thinks her posi-tion of leadership in the institutionhas been strengthened through theyears by community involvement

outside the office.“I’ve tried to be a leader in the

community, have served in serviceclubs and on boards, and been in-volved in education with the NettleCreek Schools,” she added.

Dykhoff has several pieces ofadvice she would give to women, oreven younger girls, interested in herfield, or other fields of business.

“Don’t fail to assert yourself inbusiness situations,” she advises.“Fear of failure shouldn’t hold youback, and you should truly view fail-ure as a growth opportunity.”

As for the new technologies of-fered by financial institutions such asthese two local credit unions, Gribbenmentioned several new choices beingdeveloped and/or offered by the Nat-co Credit Union.

“We are working with services forcustomers that can be accessed by

their iPhones, Android devices andapps to use anywhere,” she ex-plained. “There are a lot of thingscustomers can do online, and this is agrowing area for us and all financialinstitutions.”

Gribben said she has a network ofsuccessful women that manage creditunions around Indiana and around thecountry. “The credit union philosophyof people helping people applies tocredit union leaders as well,” sheobserv ed. “We all help each other.”

The Natco Credit Union head men-tioned a challenge early in her leader-ship that many working women dealwith — juggling work and family.

“When I became the CEO in 1992, Iwas pregnant with my first child,”Gribben said. “The first few years inthis new position were rough becausethe job demanded a lot of my time.

“My credit union staff is full of

moms who have the same struggleand we work together so that neitherwork nor family is compromised.”

She spoke of her mentor at thebeginning, Fitzharris.

“He believed in me and helped megain the confidence I needed to suc-ceed. He pushed me into situationsthat were uncomfortable for me,which has served well. I try to do thatnow with the women I work withbecause it was so beneficial for me.”

Gribben, like Dykhoff, has someadvice for women or girls who mightlike to do her kind of work.

“This (head of a credit union) is thebest job in the world. I get to helppeople, and there is nothing betterthan that,” she said. “Work hard, go toschool and be willing to start as anentry-level employee. The creditunion industry has a lot of opportuni-ty as many CEOs are nearing retire-ment age. A background in sales,marketing and finance would put youat a great advantage.”

Gribben is grateful for the experi-ences she’s had. “I think the creditunion industry has always provided alot of opportunity for women. I’m sothankful for what it has done for meand my family.”

CreditContinued from Page 15

Cindy Gribben works to prepare the home of the Natco Community EmpowermentCenter at 1627 E. Main St., which helps those trying to rise economically. SUPPLIED

Cindy Gribben and Sherry Dillon at theclosing on the property purchase for theEmpowerment Center. SUPPLIED

Lisa Dykhoff, left, has led Perfect CircleCredit Union for 23 years. SUPPLIED

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WOMEN IN CHARGE

Leadership can be defined manyways.

Many people see it simply assomebody people follow. Some lookat it instead as a person who directsor guides others. More broadly, itcan be defined as one who organizesothers to achieve a common goal orgoals by enlisting their aid and sup-port and then coaching or directingthem to achievement.

Studies of leadership have pro-duced many theories about leadersand their different traits, behaviors,gender differences, power struggles,various visions and values, etc. Likeanything, it’s beneficial when lookingat leadership to look at and listen to a

variety of perspec-tives. It is an asset tohave a diverse groupof leaders in a smallcommunity bringingthis varied perspectiveto the table.

In looking at womenin leadership forWayne County, I chosethree women in our

community who bring this type ofopen-minded thinking and broadvision to their organizations.

Often going unnoticed, DeannaBeaman, general manager/part own-er of the Richmond RiverRats; MaryWalker, executive director of the

Wayne County Convention & Tour-ism Bureau; and Alison Zajdel, exec-utive director of the Cope Environ-mental Center, lead us to great suc-cess and exposure far beyond theborders of Wayne County.

For Deanna, the key to her suc-cess is partnerships — partnershipswith individuals, companies, schools,city and county officials and even asfar-reaching as many regional part-ners that are vital to the overall suc-cess of her organization.

“For me, leading is connecting.Personally connecting with peopleand connecting others with eachother is crucial to our success. Idon’t see it as a difference between

male and female. It’s just what isnecessary as a leader in our indus-try,” she said.

Deanna has 17 years of experi-ence in baseball organizations. Shehas been a partner in ownership aswell as the general manager. Truerespect of a leader comes from

Alison Zajdel, left, and Heather Lerner talk about programming together at the Joseph Moore Museum at Earlham College in 2013. Lerner, director of the natural historymuseum, and Zajdel, director of Cope Environmental Center, partnered on a field trip program. JOSHUA SMITH/PALLADIUM-ITEM FILE

3 bring broad vision to organizations

AMYHOLTHOUSE

See VISION, Page 18

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WOMEN IN CHARGE

experience and Deanna never askssomeone to do something that shehasn’t done herself. That work mightbe selling concessions and tickets orlining the fields. You name it, she hasdone it all.

Those who work under her re-spect her for that and look to herguidance and leadership in all as-pects of the league. One big accom-plishment for Deanna and the River-Rats is the Kids Club and Host Fam-ily Programs, and it’s one-on-oneconnections with our community.Deanna has led this program, makingsure kids, players and communityconnect.

“It’s very humbling and reward-ing when any child asks for my auto-graph and says it’s because they seethat I’m the one who makes it allhappen!” she said.

It also becomes apparent thatleadership that fosters connectionsand collaboration among differentkinds of people and organizations ismore successful at adapting andthriving in our rapidly changingworld than leaders who do not act insuch a manner.

Mary Walker is a fantastic repre-sentation of this type of leadership.Mary is always connecting with peo-ple and organizations across theregion. Mary also leads by example.Mary is out and interacting in thecommunity on a regular basis, so shecan speak to visitors from her per-sonal experience. She has been to allof the sites, stores and businessesherself and encourages visitors to dothe same.

Mary also works hard to makesure our county is on the map.

She and her team are always mak-ing connections with media sourcesto help Wayne County and its manyunique attributes be recognized as adestination in a variety of ways —nearly $200,000 of free media cov-erage was generated for WayneCounty in 2013. The bureau is contin-ually looking for new opportunitiesand ways to draw visitors into ourarea communities and luring them tostay for more than a day.

In a recent economic visitor im-pact study done for Wayne County,visitor spending totaled $84.6 millionin 2012, of which 78 cents of everydollar spent stayed here in WayneCounty. Last year Mary and her

board created a new annual IN-OHRegional Tourism conference. It waswell attended and brought new lightand perspective to many in our areaabout all of the opportunities wehave here in Wayne County.

While Mary is working to makesure others visit Wayne County, Ali-son Zajdel works hard at the CopeEnvironmental Center to welcomethose visitors from far and near.

“One thing I try to do is to makeCope part of my whole life and in-clude my spouse and my children inwhat I do and, by example, carry thatover to the staff to create a familyatmosphere for all,” she said.

Alison believes the willingness totry new things and not be afraid offailure and the ability to adjust orchange as you move forward is keyto her success in leadership. Shelikens it to the way she ‘works’ as amother and wife.

She said, “As a mother and wifeyou are continually adjusting andmediating throughout the day andmy leadership style is much thesame. It seems to work well at Cope.”

Cope has also been successful inmaking personal and communityconnections especially when it comes

Deanna Beaman, left, and Tim Quinlivan unveil the logo for the Richmond RiverRats baseball team in 2009. JOSHUA

SMITH/PALLADIUM-ITEM FILE

See VISION, Page 19

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WOMEN IN CHARGE

to children and education. They areworking hard to continue and expandthose experiences for our communi-ty as well as for those who visit.

Deanna, Mary and Alison havecertainly set great examples forwomen but also for other leaders inour community regardless of gender.We salute their successes and con-tinued efforts for growth for WayneCounty.

These women have taken theirleadership roles seriously and haveset goals and accomplished them byarticulating a vision, making connec-tions and leveraging their strengthsto follow through and achieve.

Congratulations to them and theirorganizations and to all of us wholive, work and play in the communitythey serve.

Amy Holthouse is president and chiefexecutive officer of the Wayne County Area

Chamber of Commerce.

VisionContinued from Page 18

Mary Walker, executive director of Wayne County Convention & Tourism Bureau, center, talks with Kelly Hagar and Natalie Bushof the 2012 Super Bowl Host Committee before the start of Super Service Training for those in the Richmond area employed inthe hospitality and service industry. JOSHUA SMITH/PALLADIUM-ITEM FILE

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CALENDAR EVENTS

» Reservation deadline for Ju-nior Achievement’s 2014 EasternIndiana Business Hall of Fame lau-reate induction ceremony anddinner, Feb. 28. Event will be at 6p.m. March 20 at Forest Hills Coun-try Club, 2169 S. 23rd St., Richmond.Honorees are John Golden of GoldenEngineering, John McBride of WestEnd Bank and Jerry Dils of RMD/Patti Agency. Contact Marcy Crull at(765) 962-0503 or [email protected].

» Career Advantage Series:Introduction to Investing, 11:30a.m.-1 p.m. March 5, Indiana UniversityEast, 2325 Chester Blvd., Richmond.Marcy Jance, presenter. No charge.Box lunch provided. Register atwww.iue.edu/business/leadership/programs.

» Creating Innovation Series:Decoding Creativity, 8:30 a.m.-noonMarch 6, Whitewater Hall Communi-ty Room, Indiana University East,2325 Chester Blvd., Richmond. Pre-sented by Julia Roberts, presidentand founder of Lemony Fresh Ideas.Cost of $100 includes light breakfast.Registration: www.iue.edu/business/leadership/programs.

» Management Series: Engag-ing Employees, 1-4 p.m. March 12,Whitewater Hall Community Room,Indiana University East, 2325 Ches-ter Blvd., Richmond. The role of thefront-line manager in creating aneffective working environment.Cost: $75 per person or $50 for agroup of three or more from thesame organization or business. Dis-count for Wayne County Area Cham-ber of Commerce members. Regis-tration at www.iue.edu/business/leadership/programs.

» Nomination deadline forWayne County Foundation annualawards, 5 p.m. March 14. Submitnominations for the Charles A. Rode-feld Award for Leadership in Philan-thropy and the Community and theRuth J. Wickemeyer Award for non-profit leadership online to [email protected]. Recipients will be honored at thefoundation’s annual dinner June 25.

» Wayne County FoundationWomen’s Networking Luncheon,11:30 a.m. March 18, Olde North Cha-pel, 200 N. 11th St., Richmond. Costnot finalized as of press time. In-formation: Rachel Hughes, (765)

962-1638 or [email protected].

» Ivy Tech Community College2014 Career Fair, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.March 19, Johnson Hall lobby, 2357Chester Blvd., Richmond. For stu-dents and alumni.

» Read to Lead book discussionof “For the Love of Cities” by PeterKageyama, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. March26, Whitewater Hall CommunityRoom, Indiana University East, 2325Chester Blvd., Richmond. KatherineFrank, facilitator. No charge. Boxlunch provided. Register atwww.iue.edu/business/leadership/programs.

» Earlham Artist and LectureSeries and the Office of Sustain-ability present an Evening withFrances Moore Lappe, 7:30 p.m.March 28, Goddard Auditorium,Carpenter Hall, Earlham College,701 National Road W., Richmond.Earlham graduate Lappe is author of“EcoMind: Changing the Way WeThink to Create the World We Want”and co-founder of the Small PlanetFund. Cost: $8 for adults; $5 for stu-dents and seniors. Box office: (765)983-1474.

» Four College Job Fair, 2-6 p.m.April 1, Lingle Hall, Reid Hospital,1100 Reid Parkway, Richmond. Spon-sored by Earlham College, IndianaUniversity East, Ivy Tech Communi-ty College, Purdue University Col-lege of Technology and the Wayne

County Task Force on Jobs. Informa-tion: http://waynecountyjobs.net.

» Management Sampler Series:Project Management Tool, 11:30a.m.-1 p.m. April 2, Whitewater HallCommunity Room, Indiana Univer-sity East, 2325 Chester Blvd., Rich-mond. Marcy Jance, presenter. Nocharge. Register at www.iue.edu/business/leadership/programs.

» Economic Development Cor-poration of Wayne County annualmeeting, 3:30 p.m. April 7, ForestHills Country Club, 2169 S. 23rd St.,Richmond. Information, (765) 983-4769.

» Management Series: Coach-ing and Developing, 9 a.m.-noonApril 9, Whitewater Hall communityroom, Indiana University East, 2325Chester Blvd., Richmond. The attri-butes of an effective coach, creatingan environment for coaching, plan-ning for impact in coaching sessions,questioning and listening tech-niques. Cost: $75 per person or $50for a group of three or more fromthe same organization or business.Discount for Wayne County AreaChamber of Commerce members.Information and registration atwww.iue.edu/business/leadership/programs.

» Paint Purdue Pink, April 11,Purdue College of Technology atRichmond, 2325 Chester Blvd. All-day event for high school girls toexplore careers in science, technol-

ogy, engineering and math. Teach-ers, counselors or administratorscan nominate girls for participation.Information: [email protected] or (765) 973-8228.

» Wayne County Job Fair, 2-6p.m. April 17, Kuhlman Center,Wayne County Fairgrounds, 861Salisbury Road N., Richmond. Information: http://waynecountyjobs.net.

» Management Series: Manag-ing Across the Generations, 8a.m.-4:30 p.m. April 23, WhitewaterHall Community Room, IndianaUniversity East, 2325 Chester Blvd.,Richmond. Presented by StephanBelding of the Millennial ConsultingGroup. Cost: $75 per person or $50for a group of three or more fromthe same organization or business.Discount for Wayne County AreaChamber of Commerce members.Information and registration atwww.iue.edu/business/leadership/programs.

» Read to Lead book discussionof “Begging for Change: The Dol-lars and Sense of Making Nonprof-its Responsive, Efficient and Re-warding for All” by Robert Egger,11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. April 30, Whitewa-ter Hall Community Room, IndianaUniversity East, 2325 Chester Blvd.,Richmond. Darla Lane, facilitator.No charge. Box lunch provided. Register at www.iue.edu/business/leadership/programs.

Calendar

Guests share conversation while dining at Forest Hills Country Club for the 2013 Junior Achievement Eastern Indiana BusinessHall of Fame Laureate Induction Ceremony. Reservations are due Feb. 28 for this year’s event, which will be at 6 p.m. March 20at Forest Hills. Honorees are John Golden of Golden Engineering, John McBride of West End Bank and Jerry Dils of RMD/PattiAgency. JOSHUA SMITH / PALLADIUM-ITEM FILE

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Indiana University East Chancellor Kathy Cruze-Uribe, center, and Amy Holthouse of the Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce, left, smile as Katherine Frank cuts theribbon for Room 912 on Jan. 31. The East Main Street building houses an off-site art gallery and classrooms for IU East. SUPPLIED PHOTO BY GREG PYLE

Art center opens; service honored; gifts made

Skyline Chili in Eaton, Ohio, recently received Skyline’s Mystery Shop Award foroutstanding customer service. Pictured from left are Cody Rider, manager;Tiffany and Josh Moreland, owners; and Calli Ward, manager. SUPPLIED

Roger Richert of Richmond Furniture Gallerypresents a check to representatives of theBoys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County at theHistoric Richmond Depot DistrictOld-Fashioned Christmas Festival wrap-upcelebration Jan. 15 at Little Sheba’s. SUPPLIED

Roger Richert of Richmond FurnitureGallery presents a check to DavidFulton of the Starr-Gennett Foundationat the Historic Richmond Depot DistrictOld-Fashioned Christmas Festival wrap-up celebration Jan. 15 at Little Sheba’s.SUPPLIED

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Tim Woodruff, ownerof Woodruff’sSupermarket inLiberty, joins Davidand Peggy Rokosz forthe official openingof MedicenterPharmacy in January.The pharmacy,owned by theRokoszes, is locatedin the supermarket.SUPPLIED

Representatives of Ivy Tech Community College in Richmond celebrate the grandopening of the new Express Enrollment Center on Feb. 11. SUPPLIED

Indiana SupremeCourt JusticeLoretta HoganRush presents theSupporter of theYear award toPalladium-Itemreporter Bill Engleat the WhitewaterValley Pro BonoCommissionluncheon Dec. 18,2013, at the OldeRichmond Inn.SUPPLIED

Indiana Supreme Court JusticeLoretta Hogan Rush presents theAttorney of the Year award to BruceMetzger at the Whitewater ValleyPro Bono Commission luncheon Dec.18, 2013, at the Olde Richmond Inn.BILL ENGLE/PALLADIUM-ITEM FILE

Representatives of Indiana University East and the Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce celebrate a ribbon-cutting for theopening of the new Hayes Hall parking lot Jan. 13. SUPPLIED

Indiana Supreme Court JusticeLoretta Hogan Rush presents thePhilanthropist of the Year awardto Ray Ontko, owner of Doxpop,at the Whitewater Valley ProBono Commission luncheon Dec.18, 2013, at the Olde RichmondInn. BILL ENGLE/PALLADIUM-ITEM FILE

HOOSIER CONTAINER, INC.MEMBER OF AKERS PACKAGING SERVICE GROUPDesigners and Manufacturers of Corrugated Packaging Solutions

phone: 800 NEED BOX or 765.966.2541 fax: 765.962.3859www.hoosiercontainer.comBuy Local

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Bank makes donations, helps students manage money

West End Bank had a grand re-opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for its student-operated bank in Richmond High Schoolon Dec. 13, 2013. The bank is operated by two student tellers from the school’s vocational program supervised by a memberof the bank’s team. SUPPLIED

Robin Henry, John McBride and Timothy Frame of the West End Bank Charitable Foundationpresent a check for $7,500 to representatives of the Community Food Pantry in Richmond. Thegrant will help support the pantry over a three-year period. SUPPLIED

The West End Bank Charitable Foundation presented a grant of $2,500 tothe Whitewater Valley Pro Bono Commission in January. Pictured fromleft are Timothy Frame, chief operating officer at the bank; Robin Henry,executive vice president human resources at the bank; Shane Edington,commission executive director; and John McBride, bank board chairmanand chief executive officer. SUPPLIED

John McBride, president and CEO of WestEnd Bank, presents a check for $300 toCaptain Alex Norton, executive director ofthe Salvation Army, in December 2013.Each month, bank employees learn aboutand collect donations for a differentnon-profit in the area. SUPPLIED

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