May 2021 Newsletter

A Note from SSS

Good Day,

We have many exciting new things going on with the Grove. We are thrilled to welcome a new staff member, Amanda Wells, who will serve as our new Senior Manager. Amanda is located in South Florida, and comes to us with a great background working in roles that have dealt with a wide variety of personalities and managed many large projects, so know she will be a great fit for the Grove. Please give Amanda a warm Grove welcome!
Although we are disappointed to postpone the Chicago Mini Retreat from this Fall 2021 to Fall 2022, we look forward to once again being with you all in person in New Orleans, January 27-30, 2022. Our NOLA Retreat Committee is already hard at work planning this event, and is eager to share all of their ideas with everyone. More information on the event will be sent out in the coming weeks, but be sure to read below for a sneak peek at some of the fun things we have in store.

Although our next Virtual Retreat is not until October 1 & 2, we will continue to plan meaningful virtual table topics sporadically throughout the summer and fall, and already have Maggie Hanson Muse, as well as some global experts, signed up to lead a topic on “The True Cost of Covid” in August, more details will be sent out at a later date.

Be sure to read everything below and visit our website as we are constantly updating and making new additions to the content.

If you have any updates you would like to share for future newsletters, please email me or Amanda Wells (amanda@belizeangrove.org).

Cheers,

Susan

What the Grovers, Taras, and Nyomis have been up to lately….

–Elaine Eisenman, Susan Keating, Susan Stautberg, Joan Steel, and Edie Weiner are profiled in Glass Half-Broken: Shattering the Barriers That Still Hold Women Back at Work by Boris Groysberg and Colleen Ammerman for their role in founding and growing WCD in order to help more women both become corporate and private company directors and help the companies to be successful. Also, Ana Paula Pessoa is separately profiled in the book.

–Susan Davis has been inducted in the Communications Hall of Fame of Ragan Communications’ Top Women in Communications Awards. Click here to read more.

–Cathy Allen’s organization Shared Assessments is seeking a CEO. Please click here to read the full job description. Shared Assessments is a global membership organization dedicated to developing the best practices, education and tools to drive third party risk assurance. They are creators of the industry standard third party risk toolkit, used by over 15,000 organizations worldwide.

–Grace Richardson started chemo this week. Her prognosis is excellent and she has a wonderful team of top tier doctors caring for her. And, she remans her usual upbeat self. If you want to drop her a funny card, her address is below.

Grace Richardson
180 East 79th Street
NY, NY 10021

–Kathleen Shanahan was featured in the Private Company Director article A Call to Account. Click here to read the article.

-Are your teens wondering how they will distinguish themselves in college applications, what they are going to do to stand out, and how to jumpstart their futures coming out of COVID? In the new normal, those who know how to think on their feet, spot and grow opportunities, and network effortlessly will succeed and thrive. Our virtual class, Hacking Entrepreneurship, will shine a light on all of these skills and more. Over the course of two weeks in just two hours a day, your teens and their friends will learn how to spot opportunities, make fast decisions, and build on each other’s ideas.

Using Amy Wilkinson’s research and the tenets of her book The Creator’s Code, Amy will lead twenty minute daily insights, followed by workshops mentored by a team of Stanford faculty and graduates. Together students will work in small groups to create and grow their start-up ideas. Fireside chats with successful entrepreneurs with live Q&A will happen several times a week.

At the end of the class, it’s Shark Tank time: every idea will be put to the test in front of a group of experienced entrepreneurs and investors. Who knows – out of one workshop your teen might just end up with an idea that grows to be the next Airbnb!

Click here to view the website for more information.
Click here to view the application.

Volunteer for a Get Together!

Know that members are craving the opportunity to get together with each other. Understand that right now the Grove is not able to safely plan for a full Mini Retreat this fall. However, there are several members who have gotten in touch with us who are willing to host get togethers at their homes for a minimum of 10 fully inoculated sisters. In order to do this, however, we need your help!

We are looking for volunteers to both offer their home for a weekend, and others who would like to help coordinate these smaller get togethers. If you are interested, please fill out this form. We need to know if you have a house that you are willing to volunteer, where it is located, what the cost would be to members to attend (fees for food, cleaning fees, etc.), the dates in 2021 that would be willing to host, and whether you would be willing to take on the bulk of the administrative work in arranging the weekend. If you do not have a home, but would like to help plan these events, please also fill out the form.

Separately, we are looking for Grovers who might want to host, for those fully inoculated, a Friday night or Saturday get together during the fall Virtual Retreat on October 1 and 2, 2021. If you are interested, please also fill out the form to indicate your availability to host during this time.

Once we know more, we will send out more information on who will be hosting, when, and where, as well as information on how to sign up.

New Members

The Membership committee met to review candidates, welcome emails were sent out, and information on the new members as well as their brief bios will be sent out in the coming weeks.As a reminder, the next round of nominations will be due by the end of the day on September 14, 2021. 
As you start to think about who you would like to nominate for the Grove, it is important to introduce candidates to as many members of all ages as possible. These meetings can even be done virtually.

Click here to view the nomination guidelines.
Click here for the nomination form.

Sign up to become a Grove Guide

The first group of Grove Guides have met their new members are areAs we begin to plan for the future of the Grove, we would like to invite you to join us and volunteer to become part of our new Onboarding process as a Grove Guide. Grove Guides will take the place of the former Big Sister program, and will serve as a 12-18 month program to welcome our new members into the Grove.

Click here for more information on what to expect as a Grove Guide.

The Onboarding Committee has created a number of new ways to make our newest members feel more included and have a warm welcome into our wonderful group of women. The Committee is developing a process that includes several touch points for a new member before they even attend their first retreat in order to form lasting friendships that everyone will cherish.Each new member will have at least two Grove guides, one being her sponsor and the other being someone she does not yet know. We want that Grove Guide to be YOU! Even if you sponsor someone else, you can still volunteer to become a Grove Guide to another new member.

If you are interested in becoming a Grove Guide, please join us and answer the following questionnaire below:
Click here to fill out the form and become a Grove Guide*
*Filling out this form does not guarantee you will be called for service.

Save the Date

2022 Annual Retreat in New Orleans- January 27-30, 2022

Our New Orleans Annual Retreat Committee is already hard at work planning the in-person retreat in New Orleans in 2022!
We will explore the local culture and music, eat at restaurants owned and run by female chefs, and experience all the Big Easy has to offer. Our program will be filled with fascinating panels and in the afternoons you will have free time to enjoy art galleries, restaurants, music, tour the World War II Museum, and so much more. Our Saturday night party will be held at Mardi Gras World, with all the floats, marching bands, and the excitement of an authentic NOLA Mardi Gras! The cocktail was invented in New Orleans, so we will be sure to also do our historical research while there.
More information on this retreat will be sent out in the coming weeks.

Board Opportunity

Car Wash Company – Director Opportunity Atlantic Street Capital is seeking a director in the Dallas area. The below opportunity could be of interest to someone you know: Fast growing and highly acquisitive multi-unit chain, based in Dallas, searching for a Director. The car wash company is an express tunnel wash, located in 18 states with almost 200 customer service centers. Fast growth due to shifting trends away from “Do it Yourself.” This is a fragmented industry, yet growing and receiving results with room for consolidation with proven acquisition strategy. Need a consumer expert in marketing through the radio. She should know which stations are best in key markets, what time of day to reach specific audiences, and key messages to use. Does not have to have previous director experience. Does need to be an innovative marketer. Seeking a director with high integrity, business savvy, an owner-oriented attitude, and a deep interest in the industry and company. Diversity is a plus. If you have any suggestions or interest, please send resumes to partnercom@partner-com.com, or contact Susan Stautberg at 561-319-0799.

2021 Face Book

To view a digital copy of the face book please click here.
We will be sending out printed copies soon. If you would like a printed copy, please fill out this form if you have not done so already.