December 2017 Newsletter
NOTE FROM SSS
Good Day,
Looking forward to seeing many of you in Mexico for our Annual Retreat!
The Program Committee Co-Chairs (Michelle Jordan, Linda Watt, and Elizabeth Crowell) are hard at work putting together a fascinating program for you. We also have some exciting optional afternoon activities to sign up for, so be sure to read below for the link.
Lastly, we all need to update our Facebook Bios or your friends might not be able to reach you (or recognize you), read below for more details on how to submit your bio if you have not already. Bios were due by December 15.
If you have any updates you would like to share for future newsletters, please email me or Leslie Dube (leslie@belizeangrove.org).
Wishing everyone the Happiest and healthiest New Year.
Cheers,
Susan
2017 FACE BOOK
2018 Face Book
It’s time for us to put together the 2018 Face Book!
If you are a new member or if you need to update your bio, please fill out this template and email it to facebook@belizeangrove.org
AFM AUCTION
2018 Adventures for the Mind Auction in Mexico
Thanks to amazing efforts of many Grove members, the Adventures for the Mind Foundation was able to donate over $70,000 in 2016 to various organizations that support disadvantaged women and girls.
Click HERE to view the list of these organizations.
Auction Chair, Rebecca Boenigk, is now accepting auction donations for the 2018 Annual Retreat Auction to benefit the Adventures for the Mind Foundation. Please email Rebecca at becca@np-us.com if you have anything to donate for the 2018 Auction.
Donations can include items, home stays or even unique special services. For example, Cathy Allen donated her entire Santa Fe estate for the lucky bidder. Thank you for your continued support of the Adventures for the Mind Foundation!
2018 MEXICO RETREAT
2018 Annual Retreat: Mayakoba, Mexico
January 18–22, 2018
If you have not registered yet:
Click here to register!
Transportation from the Airport to the Resort
BG will arrange and provide your transport from the Cancun airport to the Andaz Mayakoba Resort. However, we need your flight information to do so. If you do not provide us with your flight information, you will not have a seat in one of the transport vehicles. The transport with bring you directly from the Cancun airport to the hotel, they will not be authorized to make any additional stops. Please be sure to send Deb Carr or Leslie Dube your flight information as soon as possible!
Afternoon Activities
We have several exciting afternoon activities planned. Click here to sign up for your optional activity, or just enjoy some sun by the water!
We also have a few optional non-Belizean Grove activities available through 4Worlds Expeditions Travel Company:
- Sea Snorkeling & Cave Swimming Expedition
- Visit and Tour of the Mayan ruins of Tulum
- Swimming with the Dolphins Experience
Read more about these activities here. If you are interested in going on any of these afternoon excursions, please contact Sylvie Phelis at Sales1@4worldsexpeditions.com with your first, second, and third preferences right away. We can’t wait until the last minute to get these trips up. If have enough people who want to go offsite will do them. If not, we won’t.
The Final Night Dinner, hosted by Pamela O’Rourke and ICON Consultants will be a Tropical Luau theme, so wear your best tropical clothing and we will provide the leis! Remember, this event will held be around the beach area, so do not wear heels. This is a one suitcase trip—the weather will be warm and you do not need to pack a lot, so leave your heels, nice jewelry, and blazers at home!
Event Program
Our program committee is hard at work securing speakers and Global Guests and is planning some exciting panels. We have several stimulating speakers and panels already lined up, including a fascinating Conversation With Lauren Anderson and Donna Hrinak on Diplomacy and Law Enforcement; an update on Puerto Rico from Mari Carmen Aponte; a panel on Betrayal featuring Angela Moore, Elisa Speranza, Ceree Eberly, moderated by Elaine Eisenman; a Conversation with Peggy Crow—Physician-in-Chief; Chair, Department of Medicine; Benjamin M. Rosen Chair in Immunology and Inflammation Research Hospital for Special Surgery; Chief, Division of Rheumatology Joseph P. Routh Professor of Rheumatic Diseases in Medicine Weill Cornell Medical College, and Valerie Montgomery Rice—the sixth president of the Morehouse School of Medicine and the first women to lead the free-standing medical institute; and we will be kicking off this fabulous event with a Keynote address from our own Edie Weiner. More great speakers are being confirmed each day.
While we do not have a finalized official program of activities yet, here is an outline of activities each day. Please note, some times and locations may change. As soon as we have all details confirmed we will share the official program with everyone!
The Program Committee is securing speakers and has some fantastic sessions planned. We will have four exciting dinners at different places in our resort and throughout the gated and secure resort complex, ranging from dinner by pool, a special dinner at one of the other resorts within the complex, a final night party hosted by Pamela O’Rourke—a luau by the beach, and more details to come!
Click here to read more about our exciting Retreat in Mexico.
WCD
The WCD event in Mexico City will be a cocktail 7-9 on Thursday, at the country’s premiere business club Club de Industriales, at the JW Marriot. We’re working on discounted room rates. The panel will feature leading Mexican directors and WCD’s new CEO, Susan Keating. The topic will be How Women Add Value to Boards.
More info to come.
SEATTLE MINI RETREAT
SAVE THE DATE! 2018 Mini Retreat
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
September 13-15, 2018
The 2018 Mini Retreat will be in Seattle, September 13-15 with the opportunity for both pre and post trips. Our Seattle Mini Retreat committee is already hard at work planning the event securing high level speakers and exciting places to explore!
We will be staying at the beautiful Edgewater
Hotel, The “Best Hotel in Seattle” (as reported by CNBC).
With amazing views of the Olympic Mountains, the sparkling waters of Elliott Bay and breathtaking sunset views from your room while still staying at one of the best downtown Seattle hotels. You’ll be within walking distance to the city’s favorite sites.
Click here to book your room in our room block! Or call: 1-800-624-0670
After you have selected the dates you are planning on staying, click on the Belizean Grove room option which will show you a few different room choices. We were able to negotiate great rates on both City View rooms and Water View rooms. We recommend the Water View rooms, which are updated and provide a breathtaking view of the Seattle waterfront and a spectacular “Seattle experience”. If you are looking to travel on a budget, however, the City View rooms provide a great budget friendly option and a wonderful view of the Seattle skyline.
As always, members are not permitted to attend any official Belizean Grove events if you have not paid your dues. If you do not think you have paid your dues, please contact Leslie Dube (leslie@belizeangrove.org)
MEMBER NEWS
What the Grovers and Taras Have been Up to Lately…
-Caroline Keating McGlynn was featured in The Inquirer article Teens and guns: Yesterday’s muggings, today’s murders.
-Laura Herring, Founder and Chairwoman, IMPACT Group: For the third year running, Laura co-hosted the “Million Dollar Training and Transformation Retreat” with Sandra Yancey, teaching CEO entrepreneurs from all over the world about business strategies while on location in the Rivera Maya. Next year’s retreat will be in Italy.
-Naomi McDougall Jones’ TEDTalk, What it’s Like to be a Woman in Hollywood, went viral in late October amid the Harvey Weinstein (et al) scandals and has since been viewed nearly 1 million times. It has elicited an electric international response of support for Naomi’s women in film revolution, including financial backing and support for her women in film fund, The 51 Fund, with fellow Grover Lois Scott, and a request for Naomi to write a book expanding on her talk, which she is working on now.
UPDATE YOUR PROFILE
Haven’t updated your profile on the website yet? Not sure what to do?
Watch this short video for step-by-step instructions. (NOTE: To make the video larger – click the small “4 arrows” icon at the bottom right of the video – to the right of the HD.)
HOW TO EDIT YOUR PROFILE
-Alyson Noel