Making a Difference for All

Business Life Magazine’s September 1990 edition was the first in a eighteen-year history of Women Achiever cover story issues that recognized the dynamic women in our region.  Individuals that contribute to our quality of life in business, civic, and service volunteerism.  That first edition featured 33 women throughout our Foothill Cities, who played significant  roles in the quality of life for our communities.  This year as in others, Business Life is inspired by the women that we have selected to be honored on our cover.  They are as varied as a mixed summer bouquet, but they each have several common traits – belief in themselves, vision, determination and flexibility.  Business Life takes pride that since we launched our Women Achiever’s editions, that others, such as the Women in Business Awards, that was presented by our area legislators.  The Women at Work Medal of Excellence event, the Status of Women Glendale’s Commission with their annual “Jewell of Glendale and the recent Armenian American Chamber of Commerce recognizing  a variety of women that help to improve our way of life, along with the County of Los Angeles’s women recognition event.
  
Once again, Business Life Magazine introduced a new dimension to our Outreach for this year’s Women Achievers.  The cover photo shoot, along with individual group interviews were filmed to be presented on “Our Community with Greg Krikorian”, Business Life’s Executive Vice President’s weekly television program.  The viewing is on Wednesdays, at 9:00PM to 9:30 PM on Charter Cable 280 in the Burbank-Glendale viewing area.  Portions are being made available for viewers to Google: Krikorian Women Achievers.
   
This year, at the Long Beach Convention Center, California,  First Lady Maria Shriver, has once again unveiled an impressive speaker lineup, for the Women’s Conference 2008, to be held on October 21 and 22. Showing a growing roster of more than 50 speakers and participants led by Christiane Amanpour, Lance Armstrong, Cherie Blair, Bono, Warren Buffet, Sister Joan Chittister, Marian Wright Edelman, Sally Field, Michael J. Fox, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Caroline Kennedy, Heidi Klum, Jack Kornfield, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Matthews, Jenny McCarthy, Indra Nooyi, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Russell Simmons and Gloria Steinem, conference attendees can expect the same empowering experiences, fascinating speaker pairings, and once-in-a-lifetime conversations that have become the conference’s trademark under Shriver’s leadership.

Business Life once again gave its women the option of responding to a series of questions. Below are their answers, each edited by our editors.

Marcia Amoroso  
Board -Burbank Chamber of Commerce
Owner, President of Escrows, Inc
After working at Escrows, Inc for over 20 years, Marcia Amoroso purchased the company from her employer in May 2003.  She now serves the 26-year-old company as its president and owner. Marcia is a member of the Burbank Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Burbank, and an affiliate for the Burbank Association of Realtors and Relay for Life.

Marcia believes that success comes in many forms. It includes anything from taking the first step into a new venture, to being married to the same individual for 35 years. She feels that facing your fears is a form of success, as well as stepping outside the comfort of corporate employment into entrepreneurship by purchasing your own business.  She feels that true success includes giving help to others when they need it, having the ability to humble yourself to ask for help when you need it, and to remember that receiving is just as important as giving.

Marcia credits her brother and mother for providing guidance to her in both business and in her personal life. She believes that women today work harder than ever before. She feels that women not only work diligently in the business world, but often are the ones who step up to the plate to fight for the safety of their children in an ever-changing world. They spread themselves very thin, she says, juggling family, work, charity, and the socioeconomic challenges of today’s world.

Sharon Brady  
President
Soroptimist International of The Verdugos
Sharon Brady has been a Bookkeeper/Office Manager for the past 22 years, and currently works for Construction 911, Inc. in Montrose.  She also serves as the President of Soroptimist International of The Verdugos, and hopes to offer her leadership to help the organization affect more local women and girls in a positive and uplifting manner during her term as president.

Being able to influence others in a positive manner, and assist without any expectations in return is Sharon’s definition of success.  She feels that she has been successful, but continues to work toward positively influencing as many women and girls in the community as possible, proving to them that there is nothing they cannot achieve if they really work for what they want.

Soroptimist International of The Verdugo's (SITV) has responded to changing demographics by working with organizations, helping women and girls by encouraging and acknowledging their work, and presenting various recognitions and awards for women’s achievements.

People often switch and transition through careers during their lives, but Sharon is satisfied with the business career she chose.  She explains that working in construction as a bookkeeper enabled her to learn and understand the various needs and dispositions of others.  She would also like to have a business that teaches business skills to women and girls—skills they could apply toward their own benefit and toward improving the world. 
     
Adrienne DeVine  
President
Women At Work of Pasadena
Adrienne began a two-year term as President of the Board of Directors of Women At Work in January 2008. Currently self-employed as a grant writer and program development consultant, Adrienne has sixteen years non-profit administration experience and worked as a printing and graphics production artist for 14 years prior to beginning a career in the nonprofit sector.     

Women At Work is a nonprofit job and career resource center serving the greater Los Angeles area.  The organization is committed to helping women reach their full employment and earning potential.  High on the list of the organization’s goals are to increase funding and resource development, marketing the organization, and exploiting new technology to deliver services and increase operational efficiency to continue the delivery of client services that address a range of employment needs.       

Adrienne believe the greatest social concern for many women today continues to be the daily challenge of setting and balancing priorities related to family, job, education, community, the environment, and spiritual, mental, and physical health. 

Adrienne feels that currently, one of the greatest obstacles women face is the state of the nation’s economy.  In the workplace, it means fewer jobs and lower pay.  Adrienne feels that the impact reverberates throughout communities at all levels. In recent months, Women At Work has seen a dramatic increase in the number of women, men, and youth, using the organization’s employment assistance services.

Grace Farenbaugh       
Zonta Club of Burbank
United Nations Liaison
In the lending business since 1995, Grace Farenbaugh has been with First Security Lending since 2003.  She is the Past President and current Corresponding Secretary for the Zonta Club of Burbank and the United Nations Liaison for District 9 of Zonta International.

Zonta is a worldwide service organization dedicated to advancing the status of women.  A member of Zonta since 2000, Grace currently is working toward expanding her knowledge of how service organizations function, flourish, and collaborate with other groups to achieve common goals.

Success for Grace is the satisfaction of feeling that she completed a workweek leaving nothing to weigh heavily on her shoulders over the weekend.  She appreciates the trust her clients put in her, and enjoys hearing from former clients when they call just to say hello.  Essentially, Grace feels she has achieved success, but sees every day as a new opportunity to experience success in a new way.

Considering the many important issues that our nation faces today, Grace believes that the national debt is the most important issue we currently face.  “Our overwhelming debt,” she says, “the federal, state, corporate, and personal debt numbers are truly out of control.”  Additionally, Grace considers the status of women’s equality continues to be an important social concern, and feels that the “double standard” toward women continues to prevail.
 
Nadine Gomez  
Career Partners of Rosemead
West San Gabriel Valley Consortium
DBA Career Partners of Rosemead
Nadine Gomez is the Business Services Manager for the West San Gabriel Valley Consortium, dba Career Partners of Rosemead, California.  Nadine has worked in this industry for 28 years and has been with Career Partners for the last 17 years. 

Career Partners of Rosemead is a is a private, non-profit, certified, one-stop WorkSource that is a subcontractor of Los Angeles County, Community Senior Services Department, through the Workforce Investment Act funded by the federal government. 

Nadine defines success as an “open lane of integrity.” She believes that in a “dog-eat-dog world,” there are people who want to see you to fail.  She believes those people expect failure. The challenge, she believes, is keeping your integrity in tact, being respectful to yourself and to others, stating the truth and not creating unnecessary havoc. 

Nadine credits a positive attitude and open mind as key components for achieving success. The ability to admit mistakes to yourself, learn from them, and then move on is one of the first steps on a successful career path. 

Nadine is grateful for her family and mentors’ encouragement, and says she may have given up many times without their guidance.  When complex obstacles challenged her, she turned to her family and mentors.  After many years of professional experience, Nadine finds it rewarding to mentor others.  She considers “giving back” as the “nourishment” that helps her continue on her own path.
   
Ruth Davidson Guerra  
City of Burbank – Community Development Department
Assistant Community Development Director for Housing & Redevelopment
Ruth Davidson Guerra has worked in the community development field for over 20 years, 17 of which she spent working for the City of Burbank Community Development Department.  For the past five years, she served the Burbank community as Assistant Community Development Director for Housing and Redevelopment.  Ruth is responsible for the city’s affordable housing programs, the activities of the Redevelopment Agency, economic development, the Community Development Grant Program, and the City’s real estate activities.

Ruth’s goal is to offer her best and bring out the best in those she works with, and credits her work ethic to her parents who instilled in her the importance of working hard and giving back, and says she has had several mentors throughout her professional life. 

She says she is inspired her on a daily basis by members of her community, her staff and City Manage, and she credits her boss’s influence for pushing her harder and farther to accomplish more than she would ever have thought possible.  In turn, she strives to give back, hoping to provide inspiration and growth-promoting challenges to others. 

Ruth’s definition of success is to be able to feel that she left “this place” in better condition than when she arrived.  Achieving success, in Ruth’s opinion, is a lifelong process, and feels she is still on that journey.

Cecila Jackson  
President, Oxford Land Development, LLC
Land Developer and General Building Contractor
Cecila Jackson sees herself as an anomaly in her profession, which some consider a male-dominated and highly competitive environment.  At 67 years of age, Cecila feels she is on her second career, and is expecting a third.  She started as an educator and community college business professor, until she felt burned out 22 years ago. Concurrent with teaching, she dabbled in and had a love of real estate developments, which is her current pursuit. Cecila plans to continue in real estate, but also feels there is something “higher and better” for her to do. “I look forward to a third career, but cannot put my finger on what that will be at this moment,” she says.

Her company‘s current development projects are light-industrial and commercial, with a goal to expand their reach by providing Land Entitlement Programs, or LEPs, to owners of dormant vacant land. This process consists of adding value by getting approvals from the City or County to subdivide, install infrastructure, and construct buildings according to the municipalities’ general plans.

Cecila’s definition of success is “Do anything ethical and legal, but do not give up!” She believes that people who are failures say things such as, “I give up,” or “I quit.” Cecila admits she has experienced many losses, disappointments, and setbacks, but she views those as corrections or getting on the right track, things that were necessary for her to change course. She says those rough experiences did not break her spirit. She feels that she has achieved many successes “through simply not giving up!”

Leslie Lesh 
Honorary Mayor
La Crescenta Chamber of Commerce
Co-Owner Leo’s All-Star Sports Bar & Grill
Leslie Lesh, co-owner of Leo’s All-Star Sports Bar & Grill located at 2941 Honolulu Ave in La Crescenta has been in business for five years and in the restaurant and bar industry for 23 years.  Leslie’s day-to-day activities include payroll, vendor payments, interviewing, promoting, advertising, hiring entertainment and employees, and the list goes on.

She represents the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce and was elected by the board.  Her title is “Honorary Mayor.”  Leslie is also on the Board of the Fireworks Association, which is an organization that raises money for the continuation of traditional fireworks events in the Crescenta Valley. She serves as the entertainment coordinator that handles the main stage, music, and the equipment necessity for the event. 

Leslie represents the community by welcoming new businesses entering the area, attending ribbon-cutting ceremonies, and presenting certificates to new members.  She hosts mixers and inspires businesses to develop relationships with their neighboring businesses, to stay connected by volunteering for the charity events, and to raise money to put back into the community with such charity events as the Hometown Country Fair.

Leslie’s advice to any woman who wants to start her own business, “If you don’t take a risk, you’ll never know if you can succeed!  Conduct your business the way you’d want to be treated.”  She feels the key to success is, “Never, ever stop promoting your business!” 

Vickie McConnell 
Board, Glendale Chamber of Commerce
Fundraising Chair for the K-9 Unit
Owner, FASTFRAME of Glendale
FastFrame of Glendale owner Vickie McConnell worked for 16 years at the Xerox Corporation and six years as a Facilities Manager at Universal Studios before purchasing the FastFrame of Glendale franchise in 2005.  She was motivated to choose a business that would allow her to express her love of design, and the FastFrame franchise offered the right opportunity.

Vickie joined the Glendale Chamber of Commerce before escrow closed on her franchise three years ago, and has served as an Ambassador and most recently as a member of the Board of Directors.  Her community involvement is extensive, including her involvement in Kiwanis of Glendale and the Downtown Glendale Merchants Association. Vickie especially enjoys her role as Board member of the Glendale Police Foundation, and holds the position of Fundraising Chair for the K-9 Unit (www.glendaleK9.com). She says, “The GPF is a special treat because I love animals, I’ve seen up close how committed the officers are with their dogs, and the rapport they established with them through care & training.  The K-9 Unit provides a huge benefit to the community, and I’m behind them 100%.”

Vickie continues to promote the arts in Glendale by hosting monthly exhibits and receptions for local artists in her store, and hopes these events will help form a “synergistic promotion and attendance” of the arts in Downtown Glendale. 

Nancy Chapman Melekian 
Board, Pasadena Chamber of Commerce
President, Milestone Products, Inc.
Nancy Chapman Melekian is the President of Milestone Products, Inc. in Monrovia, a business that commemorates life’s special moments and significant milestones. Milestone Products specializes in the production of custom lapel pins that commemorate and promote organizations, businesses, events, and charities with powerful, classy and affordable custom designs.  Milestone Products was incorporated in 1983, and Nancy has been its president for the last 17 years. 

Nancy believes that as an entrepreneur, having a passion for your project’s end result motivates the process of each endeavor. She feels that her clients are the type of people who work to make a difference in the world and those who help create a sense of community through festivals, events and organizations. Nancy feels proud to contribute to their efforts.

Being a member of community organizations stretches Nancy’s understanding of all the facets of the community.  She credits the level of her company’s success for allowing her the opportunity to share marketing skills and donate custom products to organizations in her community who can benefit from increased visibility. 

Nance feels that in order to respond to changing demographics and increase business, they must strive to be responsible for adhering to business and social standards and ethics within their international production teams.  Her company is committed to best business practices without sacrificing quality and price to their clients. 

Barbara Messina  
Mayor of the City of Alhambra
Member San Gabriel-San Marino Soroptimists
Mayor of Alhambra Barbara Messina has served four terms as mayor.  Her career spans 22 years as an elected official—14 years on the Alhambra City Council and 8 years on the Alhambra Unified School District School Board. She has also been an active member of the San Gabriel-San Marino Soroptimists for over 20 years.

The mission of San Gabriel-San Marino Soroptimists is to improve the lives of women and girls living in their community. Soroptimists has provided thousands of dollars in scholarships for girls and women in need. As president, Mayor Messina launched a program designed to provide on-the-job internships for foster care youth who would soon be emancipated from the L.A. County system of care. During a four-month period, the girls were mentored, attended career workshops and support groups, and were provided opportunities for wardrobe shopping and employer worksite information. A sizeable stipend was provided to each girl who successfully completed the program.

Success, in Mayor Messina’s opinion, is simply to be happy in what you do. “I feel a great deal of personal satisfaction in working with the public and being able to work and assist others. My long tenure in the community of Alhambra and association with the Soroptimists has enabled me to achieve personal satisfaction.”  She feels that the trust and respect she has been given offers her a good measure of success.

Anna G. Ouroumian
President & CEO
Academy of Business Leadership
For the last 10 years, Anna Ouroumian has been President and CEO of the Academy of Business Leadership (ABL) in Rosemead.  Anna is responsible for setting the strategic vision of the organization, for its fundraising, development of programs, and success in executing the organization’s vision and mission.  Her goal is to transform ABL into a national and international non-profit organization, affecting the lives of millions worldwide. 

One of the visions Anna works toward is the unique task of helping youth see themselves as “leaders now versus 20 years from now.” She believes that young people can be in charge of their lives today rather than later, and they are capable of making meaningful contributions to their families, their communities, their country, and their world while building financial prosperity and fulfillment for themselves.

Anna has had several mentors in her life, but one that made an everlasting impression recently passed away. “Adrienne Hall is a leader among leaders,” Anna says.  Adrienne helped Anna by providing career advice and guidance. In 2003, Adrienne nominated Anna for the Harvard Women’s Leadership Board and in 2006 helped her earn the Trusteeship of the International Women’s Forum.  Anna plans to continue Adrienne Hall’s work. “I have become compelled to continue my mentor’s legacy of empowering young girls and women through the international component that I created at ABL.” 

Christine D. Owens 
Kiwanis Club of Monrovia
Christine D. Owens, President/CEO
Focus One Community Credit Union
Christine Owens is the president and CEO of Focus One Community Credit Union, and has worked in the credit union industry for 37 years.  Christine says the credit union is committed to providing efficient, accessible and innovative services to its member-owners while preserving financial soundness. Christine’s top goal this year is to increase membership, and she feels that being a community credit union offers the ability to reach out and serve the needs of a large population.
   
As the 2007/2008 President of the Kiwanis Club of Monrovia, Christine was motivated by the organization’s focus on children.  She feels the community’s future leaders are directly affected by the organization’s work. Christine feels that it is important for the Focus One Community Credit Union to support various community groups, including Monrovia Reads, Boys and Girls Club of the Foothills, Santa Anita Family YMCA, and Foothill Unity Center. She is also proud to be part of introducing financial literacy programs at Monrovia, Arcadia, and Pasadena School Districts at the High School level.
  
Christine defines success by feeling that she has made a difference in someone’s life. “Everyone has challenges in the financial world today and sometimes they make mistakes that seem to leave them completely lost. Providing that credit union member with a new direction and a plan to reach their dreams and goals causes me to feel I have achieved success, even if it is one member at a time.”

Betty Porto 
Vice President and Guest Relations
Porto's Bakery and Cafe
Glendale and Burbank
Betty Porto is Vice President of Porto's Bakery and Café with locations in Glendale and Burbank. Porto’s is a family-owned and operated café featuring a Cuban-style menu and a full bakery.  Betty’s mother Rosa Porto started the business in 1971 as an immigrant after arriving from Cuba.

Betty originally pursued a career in law while also working for her parents in the bakery. However, as the business grew, she and her siblings decided to pool their efforts and apply them to the family business. “We loved the business,” Betty says. “We were proud parents of a growing business and we wanted to nurture it.”

Betty’s mother also changed careers paths due to unplanned circumstances.  “She went from being a teacher in Cuba, to making cakes in the United States. Life throws challenges your way, but with hard work and passion you can always achieve personal growth and, in turn, success,” Betty says.

Betty says her mother is her career mentor, explaining that her hard work and vision demonstrated to Betty that everything is achievable. Having a career is challenging and Betty feels that women need to know the sacrifices that accompany a career. She feels that women need to be in a place on their life’s path that allows them the ability to “juggle” their personal lives with their careers. Success, according to Betty, is a continuous motion that leads you to the next level of growth.

Erlinda Romo 
Executive Director
Pasadena Playhouse District Association
Erlinda Romo has been the Executive Director of Playhouse District Association since January 2007 and in the economic development profession for 26 years.

The Playhouse District Association is a property-based business improvement district whose goal is to promote the economic vitality of the Playhouse District as the heart of culture, commerce and community in the heart of Pasadena.  Erlinda’s goals for the organization include enhancing the profile of the Playhouse District by promoting and enhancing the quality of life factors that make the Playhouse District unique, and to collaborate more with downtown partners.

Erlinda says she has had several career mentors who challenged her to do more than she thought she was capable of doing.  Her favorite mentors were the ones who taught and enlightened her through their mutual collaborations. She says of her mentors, “I have learned to emulate the positive traits and avoid my mentor’s negative traits.”

Erlinda feels that she has accomplished several goals and accomplishments. However, she isn’t finished yet, “I strongly believe that everyday of our life brings us a new opportunity to achieve new goals.” 

Sandra Schultz
President, Soroptimist International of Glendale
Sandra Schultz is the co-owner of five Health Care Facilities (Retirement / Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing facilities) with her husband Doug.  She has over 35 years experience in health care, including various roles from nursing to administration. She continued to play an active role in Soroptimist and in the community over the years, including her positions as Camino Real Region (CRR) District 2 Director, CRR Governor-Elect, CRR Governor and as Board member of Soroptimist International of the Americas Federation.

Sandra’s theme for Soroptimist this year is Passion in Action! She says she truly believes in the mission of Soroptimist—“Improving the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world”.

Having been a member for 23 years, Sandra says she has observed many ways Soroptimists have influenced the lives of women and girls locally and internationally. “I love sharing my passion with club members and community friends. This is an important year as I plan to introduce to the membership additional opportunities for “service” to our local community and international projects.
Sandra feels that the social issues of importance to women are many, but the most important on a worldwide basis is gender equality. Soroptimist means “best for women” and Sandra feels that this is what the organization has tried to be since its founding in 1921.

Maria Tapang
American Business Women’s Association
President, Verdugo Glen Chapter
Maria Tapang is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Enrolled Agent (EA)
Financial Planning and Tax Preparation expert, specializing in Retirement, Estate and Tax Planning.  She is also the President of the Verdugo Glen Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) that works toward their mission of bringing together businesswomen of diverse occupations and to provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others through leadership, education, networking support, and national recognition.

Maria says she always had an interested in money, especially managing money and watching it grow. She feels that financial planning takes a great deal of perseverance, persistence and intelligence.  She believes that financial planning is a “great career option for women.”

Maria believes the greatest social concern for women today is the risk of outliving their retirement savings. “Women aren’t aware of all the options available to them to increase the returns on their money.”

Maria credits having the guidance of a “wonderful mentor” while working at her first financial planning position.  “She taught me well, helping me build a strong foundation. My technical knowledge was sound, but she was a great help in teaching me people and sales skills.”

Success, in Maria’s view, is a high client retention rate and a high rate of referrals, which she believes is the result of “keeping her clients happy.”

Business Life staff Linda LaZar, Elsie Krikorian, Sarkis Gharibian and Talin Sardarbegian assisted in editing, proofing, gathering data for this story,  Copy provided by the selected women achievers.  This  coverage will appear on our  website:  www.businesslife.com.  Photography As An Art, By Harvey Branman.