The Chamber Salutes Women in Business

The Chamber celebrated achievements of women in business and the individuals and companies that foster their success as entrepreneurs and corporate leaders during the third annual Chattanooga Nautilus Awards Luncheon at the Chattanoogan Hotel.

The 2008 award recipients are Laura M. Oakley, ATHENA Award; Jeannie Hart, Navigator of Entrepreneurship Award; Lori Jenkins, Lightkeeper Award; Dana Michelle Towe, Stargazer Award; and Bethany LaFoe, Pearl of Promise Award.

The ATHENA Award

The ATHENA Award is presented to an individual with an outstanding record of professional achievements, community service and efforts to help women obtain career goals and leadership skills.

ATHENA recipient Laura Oakley is president and CEO of Professional Recruiting Services, LLC, an executive search firm awarded the Women Business Enterprise designation in 2007 by the Governor’s Office.

Previously, she founded and led Creative Business Solutions, a consulting company with a client base that was 95 percent woman-owned businesses.

During her tenure as disbursement operations manager for an insurance company in California, Oakley brought to the worksite accounting courses, Toastmasters’ meetings and fashion shows featuring professional attire. Oakley’s programs helped generate promotions and higher education degrees for several of the company’s "single moms."

Oakley helped organize the Tennessee Economic Council on Women Southeast Development District Advisory Council and the Chamber’s Soddy-Daisy/North Hamilton County Council.

ATHENA Award Finalists

Susan Binkley, founder and executive director of the Blue Monarch, a non-profit, 12-month residential program for women recovering from abuse and addictions, and owner of The Blue Chair, a bakery/café providing job training and employment to the women in the Monarch program.

Patsy Hazlewood, the first woman promoted to a director’s role in BellSouth’s Regulatory and External Affairs operation in Tennessee and BellSouth/AT&T assistant vice president for East Tennessee for four years until her retirement last fall.

The Navigator of Entrepreneurship Award

The Navigator of Entrepreneurship Award is presented to a woman business owner who encourages work-family balance among employees, demonstrates a pioneering spirit of entrepreneurship and serves as a role model for other women.

Jeannie Hart, Navigator for Entrepreneurship Award recipient, is founder and CEO of Optimum Staffing, Inc. From November 2002 through 2006 gross revenues rose from $2.8 million to $38 million, the company expanded to seven branches and staff – 63 percent of whom are women – grew from 12 to 57 employees.

Hart allows her employees to put their families first and at the same time encourages them to develop career skills. She provides in-house self-improvement, professional growth and team-building programs. Hart, who supports the House of David Ministries, serves on the board for World Harvest Outreach Ministries and is active in the ministry of the North Cleveland Church of God.

Navigator of Entrepreneurship Award Finalists

Erika Halter, president of Bankcard Solutions, Inc., a company in which women are trained, supported and encouraged to earn above their expectations while taking excellent care of their customers and their families.

Sheila Shipley, broker and owner of RE/MAX Properties North who employs a full-time trainer to provide coaching, mentoring and group training for her agents and has trained "single moms"

for productive careers and career/family balance.

The Lightkeeper Award

The Lightkeeper is an individual who has made significant contributions to issues affecting women and/or girls through grassroots efforts. The recipient is a person who keeps her/his company or organization operating smoothly and efficiently, oftentimes outside of the public spotlight.

This year’s Lightkeeper, Lori Jenkins, is director of sales for Country Inn and Suites. A 15-year veteran of the hospitality industry, she went from restaurant server to catering sales manager at the Read House in only four years. Later as director of catering at the Chattanoogan, she was honored for supporting the staff and encouraging their career development.

Jenkins, who helped found an association to support women-owned businesses in the wedding industry, is active in the Women’s Leadership Institute and in numerous Chamber programs. She was the Young Professional of the Year for 2008.

Lightkeeper Award Finalists

Darde Long, executive director of the Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park and developer of a program at the Zoo torecruit, train and retain a diverse staff.

Abby Shipley, account executive at J103 Christian Radio, who supports co-workers so they can continue their educations and works on behalf of several charities.

The Stargazer Award

The Stargazer Award salutes women who have made a decision to change their lives by pursuing their education and making the sacrifices necessary to achieve their goals. The honoree receives a $2,500 scholarship and a laptop computer.

Dana Michelle Towe, who received the Stargazer Award, is attending Chattanooga State Technical Community College to prepare for a career as a physical therapist’s assistant. Towe is a single mother and works part-time at Advance Rehabilitation.

She plans to continue working with Advance Rehabilitation for several years after completing the education requirements for the American Physical Therapy Association. Her hope is to become a clinical/regional director and eventually establish an annual summer camp for children with disabilities.

Stargazer Award Finalists

Alina Earnshaw, a full-time wife and mother of three who will graduate from Chattanooga State in May 2009 and begin studying for her B.S. degree in elementary education.

Jasminka Skrgic, a native of Bosnia who is studying in the Chattanooga State nursing program and working at McKee Foods.

Pearl of Promise Award

The Pearl of Promise is presented to a female junior or senior high school student with strong mathematics and science skills, a defined career goal and leadership abilities. The recipient receives a $2,500 college scholarship and a laptop computer.

Pearl of Promise winner for 2008, Bethany LaFoe, is a Chattanooga Central High School senior. She plans a career in architecture and dreams of one day operating a firm in New York City called BBB, Buildings By Bethany. Over the past four years, the straight-A student has received 17 school awards, including honors in mathematics and science. She is a member of the Student Council and president of the National Honor Society. Her parents are Bruce and Gaye LaFoe.

Pearl of Promise Finalists

Michelle Elizabeth Brooks, an Ooltewah High School senior with a goal of working as a mechanical engineer for the Disney Corporation. Her parents are Mark and Sallie Brooks.

Ruby Mannankara, a senior at Tyner Academy who wants to become a neurologist and advocate for autism victims’ rights. Her parents are Daniel and Rebeka Mannankara.

In the U.S. business world 10.1 million firms are owned by women, employing more than 13 million people and generating $1.9 trillion in sales. Indeed, women-owned firms account for 40 percent of all privately held firms.

And yet women are still fighting to gain equal ground with men in the workplace. Indeed, as U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) notes in her book, Rumors of Our Progress Have Been Greatly Exaggerated, women are working harder than ever but are still paid only three-quarters of the salary of their male counterparts.

At the executive level inequities also persist. Women in the Board Room offers the story of 30 middle managers gathered to discuss their company’s new diversity program. The facilitator began by asking them to give their thoughts on what it was like being a man or a woman employed by the company.

The women soon began writing furiously. The men looked puzzled. The facilitator asked if there was a problem. "I’m sorry," one of the men replied, "but I’m not sure I understand the question."

This story illustrates how female executives often still feel like outsiders in large companies that have been shaped by men and that unconsciously perpetuate masculine attitudes to ambition, careers and life at work.

Research indicates that women in the upper echelon of companies experience countless mini-inequities—being interrupted or not listened to at meetings, left off distribution lists circulated to male colleagues or asked to attend team-building events that are inappropriate, like quad-bike racing.

An important reason for eliminating these inequities is simple: The businessworld needs women. Not just for the productivity. Women are, after all, responsible for 85 percent of all direct consumer spending and influence 95 percent of all goods and services purchased.

What’s more, women’s perspectives on boards make enormous contributions to company strengths. Looking at return on equity, on sales and on invested capital, Fortune 500 companies with the largest number of women directors significantly outperformed those with the least representation, according to a Catalyst report in 2007.