Welcome to a celebration like no other – a tribute to our incredible members who form the heartbeat of our thriving community.
As we come together to celebrate our "Women We Admire Members Appreciation Day," we are privileged to showcase the collective achievements, milestones, and moments that define us as a community. This publication serves as a testament to the dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment of our members. From small victories to monumental triumphs, these stories illuminate the essence of our community—a place where dreams are nurtured, talents are honed, and friendships are forged. Join us as we commemorate our diverse journeys and stories.
Denise Croden
VP, Integrated Production, George P. Johnson
"The opportunity of a lifetime… In May I was asked to represent the Phelan-McDermid Syndrome Foundation at the 10 Year Anniversary of the Association franchise du syndrome Phelan-McDermid in Paris (and I brought my 17 year old french speaking niece!) I am the Board President for the non-profit foundation, I volunteer my time for my nephew who has this rare genetic condition. I was honored to participate and speak at the conference and fortunate to meet fantastic families and incredible scientists - all working to advance research, awareness and a better life for their children and our community." (pmsf.org)
Joyce Hunter
Executive Director, Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology (ICIT)
Founder and President, Data Science Camp Inc.
"The past few months have been so exciting! I’ve been writing my chapter for my upcoming collaboration book, Action Takers Who Get Shit Done: No More Excuses. Action Takers Publishing has been amazing throughout the entire process. If you’re not familiar with collaboration books, it’s where amazing authors from all over the world come together to tell their own story. In this book, I share my thoughts on being a Rebel With A Cause: Finding Your Own Yellow Brick Road.
I created a data science camp for underserved, underrepresented and underestimated youth in 2014. This camp is project led, design/creative and critical thinking. At the end of 2023, there are 400 students that have gone through this experience. 10% come back for a second year and 10% have gone on to take data related courses or concentrations in college.
I am a chapter contributor and the conclusion for our recently published Guide for the 2021-2025 Administration, "Securing the Nation's Critical Infrastructure: A Guide for the 2021-2025 Administration which covers all 16 Critical Infrastructures as designated by CISA."
Sara Faitelson
Founder and CEO, Stiletto Financial
"I would like to thank the WWA members for being part of something special and unique. Women are often overlooked for their achievements in certain industries. It is nice to be part of a group where we can feel valued, respected, and appreciated for our efforts. Thanks again."
Marie-Chantal Savoy
Vice-President Strategy and Communications, Logistec
"Please to see so many of my WWA members ready to dedicate time and efforts to accelerate our path towards a solid climate change adaption strategy!"
Julie Rupenski
Founder & CEO, MedBest
"MedBest's Interim Talent Solutions Division has been named in Top 10 of Interim Services Providers for 2023 by ManageHR Magazine."
Dr. Melony Samuels
Founder & CEO, The Campaign Against Hunger
"The Campaign Against Hunger is celebrating its 25th Year serving New York's vulnerable and food-insecure."
Karen Decker
President, International Center for Language Studies
"My company has recently been awarded a 5-year contract with the Department of State's Foreign Service Institute to provide language training in over 70 languages. I have also been elected as Vice President of the Association of Language Companies and am slated for a vote as the Association's President in September of 2023."
Victoria Zelefsky
Director of Brand & Communications, The Menkiti Group
In 2022, I was proud to lead the charge for our Women's History Month campaign that won External Campaign of the Year with the Business Intelligence Group and celebrated the women across our enterprise! https://www.bintelligence.com/posts/52-awarded-in-2022-public-relations-and-marketing-excellence-awards-competition
Nicole Roberts
Acting Executive Director, Jasper Mountain
"In May, 2023 I was voted unanimously by our board of directors as the Acting Executive Director. Since then I have worked hard to create a culture of trust, open communication, and accountability that had previously been lacking. The feedback has been phenomenal people are excited to come to work, and they feel supported in ways they say they haven't felt in years (or ever). I'm excited by the opportunity to help create such a healthy, empowered culture.
The last two years have been an absolute whirlwind of career growth and leadership experiences for me. Being one of Oregon's top 50 Women Leaders last year was such an honor, and today the honor continues as I am being recognized by Fortune Business Review Magazine as one of The 10 Most Empowering Women Leaders in Business, 2023."
Heather Berti
Senior Vice President for People Services, Arlo Hotels
"Celebrating hard work."
Jill Koziol
CEO and Co-Founder, Motherly
Earlier this year, Motherly, announced the closing of its Series B financing led by a private company. Motherly CEO, Jill Koziol shares, "we believe in a world in which every mother can thrive, and this strategic investment enables us to provide truly holistic solutions to our audience and to fully incorporate personalized commerce into our robust content and community offerings. The financing comes at a time when many media companies and startups are declaring bankruptcy and struggling to raise capital. As a women and mother-led company, we are proud to be able to secure a Series B round of funding in this economy to further our mission of serving this generation of mothers through content and commerce."
Jill Marcotte
Chief Supply Chain Officer, Dealer Tire
"Over the past year, I have been named one of the Top Women in Supply Chain, Enterprising Women of the Year, and will be a contributor of a book, “Women Mean Business”, where I am one of many who share their words of wisdom. It is an honor to be included with such wonderful and remarkable women with WWA. All have made such strides in their careers and have created a legacy for all women to follow."
Sarah Courtney
Chief Communications Officer, League of Women Voters
"August 26 marks Women's Equality Day, but in 2023, women are far from equal. I am proud to be part of a network that lifts up and celebrates the power of women all year long."
Angelina Lawton
CEO & Founder, Sportsdigita
"We are honored to be named to the Inc 5000 List for the fifth year in a row recognizing the fastest growing organizations in America. Congrats to all other female founders on the list!"
Sarah Beckman
Vice President, Power Market
"Seeing the other women in WWA inspires me everyday to pursue my goals and passion. In the last few months, I was named as a finalist for Colorado Women's Day Outstanding Women in STEM, named Chair Elect for the Denver Section of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and was selected to be inducted into the Mizzou Civil Engineering Academy of Distinguished Alumni. It's been a fun journey and growth year for me, and this is an amazing community to help fuel my passion."
Lauren Law
Director of Business Development, The LOOMIS Agency
"This past January marked the start of the 4th year of a not-for-profit organization I founded in my neighborhood called Schreiber Expanded Neighborhood Patrol. I hire off duty Dallas police officers to patrol our neighborhood. As a result of having these officers patrolling 70-80 hours per week, our crime has decreased from 14.7 % (burglary of motor vehicles) to 66.7% (stolen vehicles). In 2020, we had a total of 495 members and as of today we have 608 members, a 23% increase. All this said, I didn't do this alone. I have a great team helping me from Area Leads to Street Coordinators and an amazing treasurer. Plus, we have some long term sponsors who helped us get started with seed money to purchase yard signs that members display in their front yards. I didn't know the first thing about starting a non-profit but I had the marketing and business background and I knew how to build teams. I'm thankful to those who have helped and who continue to help keep this organization going."
Savannah Boone
Founder of Company, Boone Consulting LLC
"I recently launched my consulting firm consultingwithboone.com with the goal of expanding brands digital footprint in a meaningful and impactful way."
Celine Cohen
Head of Marketing, Tiny Tags
"At Tiny Tags, we recently created a bespoke collaborative collection with famed TikToker, Lindsey Gurk, whose message on motherhood resonates with millions of moms. It's been a privilege to merge our communities of like-minded women. It's communities like these and WWA that make a true impact. By sharing our journeys and experiences we support and inspire one another to want to be the best version of ourselves."
Kerri Quinn
Vice President, Investor Relations, Arroyo Investors
"It's an honor to be a member of an organization of women that are an inspiration to the community in which we work and live. "
Laurie Sayles
President, and CEO, Civility Management Solutions
"Civility Management Solutions reaches 11 year anniversary on August 8, 2023."
Tanya Saracino
COO, Cherry Street Energy
"I was hired to architect a scalable platform for Cherry Street and as of the first half of this year have done so. All our core systems are reporting on key metrics, finance is using data from the systems to model and forecast, automations surface XFN data, etc, etc. The platform & supporting processes have allowed us build and energize more than we ever have before."
Marybeth Gray
Senior Vice President, MarshMcLennan Co.
"Be optimistic and passionate about your work and help other women in business. You never know what others are dealing with- so give people the benefit of the doubt and it will come back to you! Learning from failures is how I was able to master my profession. I made a lot of mistakes… but smart women don’t make them twice! Women We Admire is a fantastic -supportive enviornment for women. I am honored to be a part of this organization!"
Elisa Gil-Pires, MD
Executive Vice President Medical Affairs, Chief Medical Officer, Medical Director, Charles E. Smith Life Communities
"Since i joined WWA organization last year, I have been promoted to Executive Vice President of Medical Affairs at my organization, Charles E. Smith Life Communities. I have also been elected to the Mid-Atlantic Medical Directors Association Executive Board as their Treasurer for a two year term."
Chitra Arora
Senior Vice President-Investments Private Client Advisor, JPMorgan
"You have the power to turn your dreams into a reality. Never stop chasing your dreams. Keep up with the hard work, dedication and passion. You can achieve anything and everything."
Chitra Arora is a Private Client Advisor Senior Vice President -Investments and has been with JPMorgan Chase & Co. for over 13 years. She is a National Achiever for the past 6 years and a member of President’s Club for the past 2 years. She is ranked on Forbes Magazine as one of America’s top Women Wealth Advisor for the past 3 years in the best in state category. She was published on Working Mother’s Magazine as one of America’s Top Advisors and was awarded an Indian Icon 2022 award by Des Pardes Magazine & Business NJ. She currently manages over $400 million for her client’s assets.
Melanie Gibson
Head of Corporate Relations, The Personal Development School
"We have expanded into 115 countries world wide with an e-learning platform that helps to transform people's lives. Through virtual webinars, online courses and tremendous community connection, The Personal Development School (PDS) has empowered people to get off of autopilot and to start living their best lives. Our members include neuroscientists, psychologists and people who want to change everything from their relationships to generational abuse. I am delighted to be part of a global team that is making a difference."
Evelynn Ratcliffe
Partner, Alair Homes
"This summer we signed a new partnership shareholder agreement to open a new office of Alair Homes, now proudly serving Summerhill area of Toronto."
Tamira Samuel
National Co-Executive, ULF
"I have been selected as a 2023 Fortune Business Review Top 10 Most Admired Women in Business and was the cover story in May. Additionally, I was selected as Women Leaders Magazine Most Inspiring Women in Business and will be a cover feature in the fall."
Natalie Curtis
Vice President of Learning and Development, Sage Dental
"My latest achievement has been my promotion to Vice President of Learning and Development! Our company hit a significant milestone of 100 offices and is now close to 125. I am thankful to have such a strong team to help support this fast-paced growth. WWA has provided the support of great leaders and mentors, and we are always here to cheer each other on."
Sunni Brown
Director of Media and Public Relations, University of Richmond
"I recently celebrated two milestones I am proud of. First, I finished my first year as contest director for Virginia Professional Communications, a professional group I’ve been a member of since 2015. I have served on the board for the past five years, and this was my first year as contest chair. This role coordinates a state- and national-level contest for our membership. It’s a great opportunity for our members to highlight their wonderful communications work. My work with VPC has advanced my career greatly through professional development opportunities. I also celebrated nine years at the University of Richmond this summer. I often tell people that everything about my career to date led me to media relations in higher education, and I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else!"
Aimée Eubanks Davis
Founder & CEO, Braven
"I, along with the organization I founded, was awarded the McNulty Prize: https://mcnultyfound.org/ideas/mcnulty-prize-2023."
Leslie Skardon
Director, Client Partnership, Global Prairie
"The program I founded, Charleston Civil Rights and Civics (C3) officially launched this week! We welcomed our inaugural class of rising sophomores in high school for a five-day immersive program to teach the untold civil rights history of the Lowcountry in South Carolina."
Lisa Rehurek
Founder & CEO, The RFP Success Company
"This year has brought significant highlights including being honored as an Inc 5000 recipient; the publishing of Lisa’s latest book; development of our new RFP Success playbook; the release of the latest edition of The RFP Success Magazine; and the debut of The RFP Success Accelerator program specifically for small businesses. As we learn and grow, I find it’s essential to be part of a community of other women who are playing big and supporting each other."
Karen Leonardi
Sr. Development Director, Weber State University Advancement
"Change can be hard but very rewarding!"
Shelina Gwaduri
Director of Development, Dr. Peter Centre
Norma Garcia-Muro
VP, Marketing, Kaleidescape
"Thank you for elevating the achievements of extraordinary women."
Vicky Zhao
Co-Founder, Vancouver Debate Academy
"The Vancouver Debate Academy (VDA) is ranked in the top 10 in 2023 of all debate academies/school programs by the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA), the most authoritative speech and debate association in North America. VDA is the newest academy in the NSDA's top 10 offering debate training to K to 12 students, and thanks to our students, coaches and staff, it is one of the fastest growing academies in North America."
Monika Valentine
President, Discovery Medical Services, Discovery Behavioral Health
"The only limits we have are those we place on ourselves."
Maria M Chavez
President & CEO, Catch the Next
"We are starting our second decade of operations this fall by welcoming a new cohort of 55 faculty from across colleges in Texas. We have also been listed in Programs that Work Database by Excelencia in Education. Our ASCENDER (Achieving Student Confidence Encouraging New Dreams Equity Realized) students continue to outperform peers at their college and get more degrees while acquiring less student loans."
Omaira Gonzalez
Chief Operating Officer, Family Bridges
"Recently, I had the honor of organizing a 7-day Retreat at Estes Park, Colorado, for our program called Wise Up Girl. Sixteen young women participated, and we had the privilege of hosting exceptional women leaders who spoke daily, empowering and coaching these young women. Each day was filled with inspiring testimonials, valuable resources, and practical tools to support their success. A reflection from one of the participants: “As Latina women, embracing new experiences and breaking barriers is empowering. From learning how to golf to participating in decision-making atmospheres was a thrilling journey to jumping three times into the lakes, just like in the movies, brought out the adventurer in us and filled us with pure joy and laughter. “ Wise Up Girl is a comprehensive, 2-year series of workshops and coaching designed for young Hispanic women. Its purpose is to help them articulate a compelling vision for their lives and steer clear of abusive or toxic relationships that could hinder their dreams. As part of the program, each participant receives a $500 scholarship annually to assist with their college tuition or vocational degree, guiding them toward a future filled with success and independence. Our ultimate goal is to help young Latina women from low-income backgrounds flourish in society by equipping them with essential knowledge, skills, habits, and mindsets to achieve their aspirations and avoid unhealthy relationships. Empowering Latina women in this way contributes to a more equitable society for generations to come. Our vision is to continue organizing these retreats in various states and countries, providing every young woman with life-changing experiences that diminish the risk of falling victim to abuse, while fostering self-esteem, resilience, employment, and career advancement. If you're interested in learning more about this program or getting involved, please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]."
Jennifer McKeehan
SVP, Delivery and Transportation, Walmart
"Grateful to be a part of this forum and learn from other amazing women leaders!"