Upcoming Events

7/17/08 - DR. GERALYN FRANKLIN - DEAN OF COLLEGE BUSINESS UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

Geralyn McClure Franklin is dean of the College of Business at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. She has directed successful AACSB International (the premier accrediting body for business programs worldwide) accreditation reviews at USF St. Petersburg and The University of Texas of the Permian Basin. An active researcher, Geralyn has published numerous articles and coauthored three textbooks. She is working on a new textbook, Employment Regulation in the Workplace: Basic Compliance for Managers, for M.E. Sharpe. Geralyn also has served in various leadership roles in several academic organizations, most recently in AACSB and the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

Event Details from Recent Events

6/5/08 Patti Cooksey-Fisher, Eckerd College

Born in Tryon, NC, Patti is a long time St. Petersburg resident, graduating from SPHS in 1969.   As a mother of adult children and grandmother of two granddaughters, she graduated from Eckerd College as an American Studies/Literature major in 1997.  In 2000, she graduated from National-Louis University where she earned a M.Ed. degree with a focus on art-based research.

Patti is currently an academic adviser and a faculty member in the Program for Experienced Learners at Eckerd College.  She is the Life, Leaning, and Vocation/Quest for Meaning Coordinator.  She serves on the Eckerd College Spiritual Life Council, and this year served on the President’s Campaign to usher in the celebration of Eckerd College’s 50th anniversary.  In this capacity, she has shared her story based on the Eckerd College anniversary theme: “Transforming Lives.”

In her spare time, Patti enjoys gardening and writing.  She is currently working on a collection of children’s stories and a collection of personal essays.

5/15/2008 - Denise G. Jacks, BSN, RN Director of Health Care Initiatives
djacks@galened.com

Ms. Jacks is the Director of Healthcare Initiatives. She received her Bachelor of Nursing Science from Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida in 1995 and is currently pursuing a graduate degree in nursing as an advanced practice nurse. Denise obtained a Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing from Florida State University in 1981 and was hired off campus by a Fortune 50 company, Union Oil of California, in the Unocal Chemical Division.

She was one of the first few female chemical manufacturer's representatives in the industry. She completed a Paralegal Program from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida between her other degrees and some graduate work towards a MBA at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Ms. Jacks has years of experience in the medical community in pharmaceutical, device and healthcare sales. She has successfully trained and credentialed interventional radiologists and cardiologists with leading edge Class III medical devices for companies such as Datascope and American Home Products. This entailed teaching nurses new techniques for proper post care management ensued from the new drugs and/or devices as part of the armamentarium in her duties. Denise is a student member of the Tampa Bay area nurse practitioner organizations.

She contributes through volunteer work with the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association and local organizations to protect our seniors. Most of Denise's years have been divided between the coasts of Florida enjoying boating, fishing and scuba diving the Caribbean when she gets a moment.

5/1/2008 - Mary Trombitas, President of J & M Total Business Solutions

Mary Trombitas has enjoyed a successful career in leadership which spans over 25 years in leading and developing individual’s and teams in Finance, Accounting, Human Resources, Business Coaching, and Consulting services.

Mary is an accomplished, result oriented executive who strives for immediate and sustainable long-term results. Among her many accomplishments throughout her professional career, she has led financial and human resource initiatives for small, mid, and large companies resulting in significant cash flow, and profit improvements. Mary’s vast experience and innate talent to direct, train, motivate, mentor, and lead professionals has afforded her the results she has achieved.
Mary has held several leadership positions working directly for organizations in various industries including profit and not-for-profit companies such as KPMG Peat Marwick, Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., Chambers of Commerce, and Smiths Aerospace.

Throughout Mary’s leadership career, she has gained a vast amount of knowledge in developing strategies that assist organizations with talent management. Mary attributes her ongoing achievements to the successful selection, training, development, and transitional strategies of professional people.

With an overwhelming passion to share the techniques that have made Mary successful in all her endeavors, she has founded and now leads J & M Total Business Solutions, LLC, an organization focused on providing people solutions to organizations. Mary’s primary focus is to partner with companies who understand the value of attracting, developing, transitioning, retaining talent and building effective teams.

Mary holds a Business Management degree from the University of Phoenix, and has earned leadership awards from the Governor of Vermont and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. She is a member of the local Suncoast Human Resource Management Association, St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce, and holds the position of Secretary/Treasurer for the Tampa Bay Money Makers Business Networking International chapter.

4/22/2008 - Equal Pay Day / Unhappy Hour - The Rare Olive - 300 Central Avenue - 5:30 - 7:30. Join BPW for its annual pay equity awareness event, Unhappy Hour, to mark Equal Pay Day. With women earning 77 cents for doing same job as a man, Equal Pay Day marks the point in the new year that a woman must work to catch up to what her male counterpart made in the previous calendar year. City Council Chairman, Jamie Bennett will read a proclamation from the City of St. Petersburg. Hors d'oeuvres will be provided by Banbu and Gratzzi. (Click Here for Details)

4/17/2008 - General Membership Meeting - Gratzzi. 11:30 AM - 1:00PM Click Here to make a reservation.
Installation of 2007-2008 Officers, Individual Awards.

4/ 12/ 2008 - Great Chefs of Tampa Bay An annual funraiser for Family Resources, Inc. that BPW/St. Petersburg-Pinellas has supported since it's inaugural year. This years event will be held in Historic Roser Park. (Details)

4/3/2008 - General Membership Meeting - Gratzzi. 11:30 AM - 1:00PM Click Here to make a reservation.
Election of the 2008-2008 Officers for our Local Organization and we will have our Young Careerist Speak Off, where members under the age of 35 will speak in preparation for BPW State Conference, May 30-June1. Sheila Barry-Oliver will be our member spotlight.

3/20/08 - Tish Elston, First Deputy Mayor and City Administrator for the City of St. Petersburg.

Tish Elston became the city administrator in October, 1999, and was appointed first deputy mayor/city administrator by Mayor Rick Baker in April, 2001. Tish has served the city since 1988, including 10 years as the budget director and 1-1/2 years as the fiscal services administrator. During her 14-year tenure in Hillsborough County government in Tampa, Florida, she held several positions, before assuming responsibility for County Fiscal Services. Tish also worked for the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council; and prior to moving to St. Petersburg in 1973, for the Research Division of Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Tish is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.

2/21/08 - Dr Michel Vandormael, Interventional Cardiologist, speaking for Heart Healthy Month.
Details about Dr. Vandormael:

Michel Vandormael, M.D., F.A.C.C., Interventional Cardiologist

Medical School: University of Liège, Belgium
Internship: University of Liège Hospital
Residency: University of Liège Hospital– Residency in Internal Medicine
Fellowships: University of Montreal, Montreal Heart Institute
Board Certified: Belgium Board of Internal Medicine; Belgium Board of Cardiology; Federal License Examination
■ Dr. Vandormael played a pivotal role in the first 50 coronary angioplasties performed in Canada.
■ Pioneered the development of interventional cardiology in the early 1980s. In addition to complex coronary interventions, his expertise includes balloon valvuloplasty, percutaneous valve repair, catheter-based treatment of septal defects as well as carotid and peripheral interventions.
■ Been involved in the early development of balloon valvuloplasty.
■ Served as the principle investigator for numerous clinical trials in the investigation of catheter-based treatments for coronary and valvular heart disease.
■ Published over 250 peer-reviewed articles/ abstracts in leading journals.
■ Fellow in the American College of Cardiology, Clinical Council of the American Heart Association, European Society of Cardiology and the Society for Cardiac Angiography and Interventions.
■ Held faculty appointment as Associate Professor of Medicine at University of Liege and St. Louis University, Missouri.


3/6/08 - Jack Forsting, Reverse Mortgage Specialist, will speak about reverse mortgages.

Jack Forsting, Reverse Mortgage Advantage, Inc.

Jack Forsting has over 46 years of business experience. He has held creative and managerial positions in the marketing, sales, engineering and design disciplines. Jack has been honored with numerous national awards. He also holds patents for packaging, machine and systems designs.
     For ten years prior to coming to Florida, Jack operated his very successful consulting business. He utilized his extensive experiences in strategic planning, new product search and development and market development for both domestic and international markets.
     Jack’s current professional passion is as a licensed Reverse Mortgage specialist with Karen Obluck, Principal, Reverse Mortgage Advantage, Inc. (RMA). He joined the company about nine months ago after spending two years evaluating the industry.
      Jack will be 68 years young in July. As a senior who has experienced the same issues many seniors face today, he positions himself as “A senior helping seniors enhance their lives.”
     At the BPW meeting he will share a “Readers-Digest version” of the reverse mortgage opportunity. His goal is to provide an overview of the significant benefits RMA offers seniors and to clarify misconceptions you may have about the reverse mortgage industry.

10/18/07 - U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson’s Regional Director Addresses Healthcare Issues Faced by St. Petersburg’s Working Women
Shahra Anderson, regional director for United States Senator Bill Nelson, will address healthcare issues on a federal level with the members of Business and Professional Women (BPW)/St. Petersburg-Pinellas at their regular, bi-weekly luncheon meeting on Thursday, October 18. The meeting will be held at Gratzzi's at BayWalk in St. Petersburg. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; the meeting and lunch will be held from Noon to 1 p.m.

Ms. Anderson is Sen. Nelson's regional director for Pinellas and Pasco counties. She will be inviting the members of BPW to submit any individual issues with which Sen. Nelson's office might be able to assist. Approximately 35-60 members will be in attendance at the meeting.

11/1/07 - Cost Effective Micro Niche Marketing- How to pinpoint, reach and capture the customers your business needs. - with Marie Stempinski.
About our speaker: Marie Stempinski has been a professional communicator for more than 30 years. She is president and founder of Strategic Communication, a full service marketing and public relations company in St. Petersburg. Marie began her career as the first woman reporter for WFTV-Ch. 9 in Orlando. She was a college administrator in Cocoa, a college instructor (St. Petersburg College), and a public and community relations professional at General Electric before founding Strategic Communication.

Her company specializes in marketing plans for professionals and small business owners and all the ingredients that come out of that plan such as brochures, identity packages, marketing materials, advertising and public relations. As she says, “We Make You Money With Words and Pictures!”

11/2/07 – BPW Monte Carlo Night 6PM - 10 PM, Treasure Island Tennis & Yacht Club - 400 Treasure Island Causeway, Treasure Island, Florida 33706 (Details)

11/9/07 - American Heart Walk - Raymond James Stadium Join the BPW/St. Petersburg-Pinellas Team and walk with us to raise awareness about our heart health initiatives to prevent our nations biggest enemy of women. Then join us afterward for a Bloody Mary Brunch.