Bryan/ College Station

Charter Chapter

#2294 P.O. Box 9218

College Station, Texas 77842

A Chapter of the

American Business

Women’s Association

Since 1979

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Next Meeting March 1, 2011

Empowering Women

is published monthly by the

B/CS Charter Chapter of the

American Business Women’s

Association. For more

information contact Lindy

Beasley, Newsletter Chair,

newsletter@abwabcs.org

Come Join Us!

inside this issue:

March Meeting Information … 1

A letter from your President … 2

Member Recognition … 3

Member Information … 4

February Meeting Highlights … 5

Articles of Interest … 6,7

A Look Ahead and Important Dates … 8

Meeting Minutes … 9

Proud Code of Conduct … 9

Sponsors … 10,11,12

The Mission of the American Business Women’s Association is to

bring together businesswomen of diverse occupations and to

provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others

grow personally and professionally through leadership,

education, networking support, and national recognition.

www.abwabcs.org

Vol. 1, Issue 5 - March 2011

NEW LOCATION

Texas A&M University

General Services Complex—Room 101A

750 Agronomy Road, College Station, Texas

5:45 pm Networking

6:15-7:30 pm Dinner & Meeting

$20 members, $10 first–time guests

Agenda:

Speaker—Donna Mushinski

David Gardener’s Jewelers

―The Art of Closing the Sale‖

Voting—2011 Chapter Woman of the Year

RSVP to: hospitality@abwabcs.org

by Friday, Feb. 25th

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! March 17, 2011

Howdy Ladies,

I would like to start off by wishing everyone a HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to our Chapter

on Saturday, February 26th. We are celebrating 32 years and look how far we have come!

This past Tuesday we had our ribbon cutting with the Bryan/College Station Chamber of

Commerce. What a great opportunity we had to share what ABWA is all about and

network with other business women and men in our community. Many of them had not

heard of our organization and were very interested in visiting us in the coming months. I

hope to see more new faces at our March meeting next Tuesday when we have Donna

Mushinski speak to us on ―The Art of Closing the Sale‖. If you have not sent in your

RSVP, please do so by Friday the 25th at noon. I encourage you all to attend the meeting

next week as we will also be voting and presenting our Chapter Woman of the Year for

2011. This is a great honor for a member to receive and we have two very deserving

candidates. You can read more about them in this issue of our newsletter.

Our first ―ABWA Sisters Lunch‖ was a huge success and we will be setting another lunch

date soon, so please be watching for that. We are also planning a night at the Brazos

Valley Bombers Ballpark on Tuesday, June 14th. This will be a great opportunity to bring

out your family and friends and spend an evening together with great food and an exciting

summer baseball game. The event details and ticket information will be sent out soon.

I know it is hard to believe that we already need to start thinking about our elections for

next year. We will be voting on your new officers at the May meeting. If you are inter-

ested in a position on the board or have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

After the officers are chosen they will start filling the committee chair positions. This is a

great way for you to ―get your feet wet‖ if you are new to ABWA. If there is something

you are interested in doing, please contact the current committee chair and they will be

happy to tell you more about their responsibilities in that position.

I look forward to seeing you all next week at the meeting. Until then, enjoy this wonderful

spring weather!

In ABWA Friendship,

OFFICERS

President—Lori Mervish

Vice President—Lindy Beasley

Secretary—Kris Ann Martin

Treasurer—Nora Schumacher

Assistant Secretary—Patty Davis

Assistant Treasurer—Barbara Coleman

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Fundraising—Beverly Rippey

Hospitality—Michelle Moats

Membership—Rilene McCord

Newsletter—Lindy Beasley

Professional Development—Liz Galvan

Programs—Ashley Virnau

Publicity—Kimberly Rank

Website—Nora Schumacher

A letter from your President…

2010-2011 Executive Board

“Winners never quit and

quitters never win.”

- Vince Lombardi

Page 2 Empowering Women Volume 1, Issue 5

Lori Mervish

2010-2011 President

B/CS Charter Chapter president@abwabcs.org

Page 3 Empowering Women Volume 1, Issue 5

Member Recognition

Congratulations to Melissa Hodges—

Wren! She and her husband Kiley were

married on Saturday, February 12, 2011

at Calvary Baptist Church in Bryan.

Melissa and Kiley will reside in Clear

Lake, Texas. We will miss you Melissa!

Dr. Jan Fernandez has been selected to

serve as a board member for the Girl

Scouts of America (Central Texas) Board

of Directors. Girl Scouts is the world’s

largest organization dedicated to

empowering girls to be leaders. Girls

Scouts of Central Texas serves more than

20,000 girls, grades K-12 and nearly 12,000

adult volunteers in 46 central Texas

counties. Way to go Jan!

Congratulations to Olivia

Kalinowski– Hill! She and her

husband Aaron were married on

Saturday, February 12, 2011. Olivia

and Aaron will reside in College

Station. Best wishes to Olivia and

Aaron in their new life together!

Melissa

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the

strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”

- Harriet Tubman, Humanitarian

Jan

The Bryan/ College Station Charter Chapter’s

vision is to be a dynamic organization that

Encourages, Educates and Empowers women to

achieve their optimum potential both personally

and professionally.

Olivia

Kris Ann Martin has been

nominated and is a qualified

candidate for the 2011 B/CS

Charter Chapter Woman of the

Year. Kris Ann has been a

member of the Charter Chapter

for 6 years. She currently serves

as the Chapter’s Secretary,

Technical Consultant and HAC

delegate.. In March she was

featured as the speaker at the

Chapter’s monthly meeting.

Best of Luck Kris Ann!

Nora Schumacher has been

nominated and is a qualified

candidate for the 2011 B/CS

Charter Chapter Woman of the

Year. Nora has been a member

of the Charter Chapter for

almost 6 years. Nora has served

on various committees and

many offices in the Charter

Chapter. She currently serves as

the Chapter’s Treasurer and

Website Chair. Best of Luck

Nora!

2011

Page 4 Empowering Women Volume 1, Issue 5

Member Spotlight

Sue Corrington is our spotlight member for the month of March 2011. Sue is the owner of D&S Premier Art and Clocks located in the Historic Downtown Bryan. D&S Premier Art and Clocks provides timeless treasures that pass from generation to generation.

D&S Premier Art and Clocks opened at 208 N. Bryan Avenue in November 2010 and is providing the Brazos Valley with high quality decorative art including oil paintings, lithographs, prints, crosses, sculptures and mirrors for your home or office. They also carry Howard Miller clocks including grandfather, mantel and wall clocks. D&S Premier Art and Clocks also offers a clock repair service.

Sue primarily focuses on unknown artists and acquiring the artwork from various art shows across the county and a few local area artists. However, if you are looking for the ―real thing‖, she also caries signed and numbered prints by G. Harvey, Robert Summers, Larry Dyke and Patricia. If you are looking for Remington Sculpture Recasts, D&S Pre-mier Art and Clocks has those too.

Sue has always loved beautiful artwork and now she has the opportunity to bring it to the Brazos Valley community.

“The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places.”

- Author Unknown

RECRUIT, RECRUIT, RECRUIT!

The member who recruits the most new primary members to the

Bryan/ College Station Charter Chapter by July 2011 receives a cash prize of $50.

Patricia Gerling 25 years

Kathie Martine 15 years

Kris Ann Martin 6 years

Ashley Abegglen 1 year

Sheree Boegner 1 year

Liz Galvan 1 year

ABWA Lunch Social

Kimberly Rank 3/12

Member Anniversaries

Member Birthdays

February Meeting Highlights

Page 5 Empowering Women Volume 1, Issue 5

Kris Ann Martin, primary member of the B/CS ABWA Charter Chapter, provided an

informative presentation entitled ―A WINdow of Opportunity… Getting the most

from WIN.‖ Kris Ann demonstrated all that the Women’s Instructional Network has

to offer and spoke about the professional development tools and courses that are

available right at our fingertips. Kris Ann encouraged members to login frequently in

order to stay ―in the know‖ and to keep in touch with fellow ABWA members.

Kris Ann has been a Traffic Coordinator with Suddenlink Media for two years and

recently received the 2010 Suddenlink Commercial & Advertising Operations

President’s Club award. Kris Ann joined the Charter Chapter in March of 2005. She

has served the Chapter as Secretary, Technology Consultant, Woman of the Year

Committee member and HAC Delegate. Kris Ann is also a member of the Leading

Women’s Express Network and has served as the Campaign Manager/ Handler for

two national officer candidates. Kris Ann is also involved in Student Bonfire, Com-

munity Bible Church and Beauty 4 Ashes.

Encourage ~ Educate ~ Empower

Barbara Coleman and Nora Schumacher

Lori Mervish with 2009-2010 Best Practices Award

We are all WINners with ABWA!

Kris Ann Martin and Tina Gandy

Jennifer Weaver and Cynthie Hanks

Table décor by Ashley Virnau, Mary Kay

Sue Corrington, Member Spotlight

―Success isn’t the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.‖

- Arnold H. Glasow, American Humorist

This information is from November Education Week Webinars from NSP, given by Cynthia Reed. Your immune system is your 6 th sense,, hormones alert the brain within minutes. The environment determines health or disease, not the pathogens. Ten things to encourage a natural healing response – Prayer, Water, Exercise, Foods, Supplements, Homeopathics, Dry Skin brushing, Rest & Sleep, Stress Management, and Balance. She suggested using a mini-trampoline to help move toxins out of the body and to help the lymphatic system. Some good immune system foods include asparagus, avocado, beet greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cantaloupe, carrots, collards, dandelion greens, cold water fish, garlic, liver, mustard greens, papayas, peaches, persimmons, red peppers, spinach, sweet potatoes, turnip greens, water cress. She suggested finding ways to make your favorite foods healthy and increase your use of supplemental enzymes to help digest your favorite foods. Make your own blend of spices (for Spanish blend, use chili powder and cilantro, for Italian blend, use oregano and basil). If you eat gluten (from wheat in bread or pasta), take NSP Lactase Plus – 1-2 capsules with your meal to help digestion. Supplements – use probiotics – these help put enough friendly bacteria in your intestinal system, since 60-70% of your immune system is in your intestines. (NSP has Bifidophilus, Probiotic Eleven, and Sunshine Heroes Children’s Chewable Probiotic Power). Use Elderberry D3Fense – new product introduced in November, contains elderberry, Echinacea, Vitamin D3, royal jelly (helps prevent flu, colds, use during Winter months). Also new Children’s product – Sunshine Heroes Elderberry Immune, chewable, contains elderberry, Vitamin C & Vitamin D3, zinc, and Echinacea. Solstic Immune is another new product introduced in November – this is a packet of powder you add to bottle or glass of water to drink, it contains elderberry, Vitamins C & D3, ginseng, blueberry, raspberry, cranberry and comes in berry lemonade flavor. Also new Homeopathic Zinc Cold & Flu lozenges, good to take at onset of cold symptoms. The essential oil blend called Guardian can be diffused in a room or can be applied with massage oil to your feet or your throat area. Silver Shield with Aqua Sol liquid can be taken as a preventative or used if you get sick. (I am using this as part of my winter health program to prevent flu, by taking 1 tsp. every day, as well as Elderberry D3Fense capsules, and Thai-Go juice, I have a new job and can’t take the chance of being out sick). Dry skin brushing- this helps remove toxins from swollen glands, use a natural bristle brush and brush skin towards the heart. Also can take a bath using 2 cups Epsom salts with 1 cup baking soda and 5 drops of your favorite essential oil and soak for 15-20 minutes. Get enough rest and sleep – if you aren’t sleeping well, some things to consider – the environment, hormone imbalance, and sluggish liver (chemicals in home could be irritating to liver especially if you are waking between 1-3am). For any questions or if you would like to order call or email Teresa Gregurek R.N., Certified Natural Health Consultant, Herbs To Go, (979) 229-3351, teresa@herbstogo.com. Or online at www.herbstogo.com, www.mynsp.com/gregurek.

Articles of Interest

Page 6 Empowering Women Volume 1, Issue 5

It takes the mental, emotional and the physical to move forward!

1. Mental: The thinking and planning stage. First make a decision that you want to actually live your dream. Investigate what it actually takes to get to the goal. Make a plan and correct as you go.

2. Emotional: Reaching our goals is scary because we have never been in that place before. It's unfamiliar and uncharted territory. Feel the fear, anxiety and keep going. Do not run from your feelings or do things to distract yourself. Feel it and be a part of the feeling.

3. Physical: You have to actually take the action steps that are scary and put action into the ideas that you wrote down in the mental stage. Nothing is going to drop out of the sky without action. It's your dream and your work obtaining that dream will only make you more powerful and authentic.

The steps and processes you take and experience are what will ultimately make you an expert in the field of your endeavor. If you don't earn it, your won't learn it!

Join the club of the elite - feel the fear and do it anyway!

3 Crucial Steps for Making your Dream a Reality - Submitted by Geanna C. Kincanon, SPHR

Immune System Health Tips - Submitted by Teresa Gregurek, R.N.

Page 7 Empowering Women Volume 1, Issue 5

Articles of Interest

Our national conference was the perfect environment to gain exposure to new business trends. I was particularly impressed by RCA recording artist Robin Crow’s presentation, ―Evolve or Die: Seven Steps to Rethink the Way You Do Business.‖ Robin didn’t speak about trends, but rather on adapting to change and achieving higher levels of efficiency, excellence, and profitability. He demonstrated how businesses and organizations must position themselves to be constant innovators, able to adapt and embrace change. Robin states, ―Businesses that adapt the fastest to change are the ones most likely to prosper.‖ Below are seven critical steps (and a few exercises) that Robin shared. These seven steps, if applied, will revitalize your business!

DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO EXCEED EXPECTATIONS

Before you can exceed your customers´ expectations, you’ve got to know what they actually expect. What are the "norms" in your business? Make a list of the 10 most likely "expectations" of your customers and how competitors meet them and then look for ways you can exceed every one. If you want to stand out from the crowd, provide your customers with a compelling and superior experience and they WILL return for more. By always going the extra mile and creating environments where exceeding expectations becomes part of your DNA; you will experience abundance at every level of your professional and personal life.

COMMIT TO DAILY MEASURABLE IMPROVEMENT

Top performers know you can’t improve what you don’t measure. If you don’t measure your daily progress, how will you know if you are doing well or poorly? Make a list of the 10 key metrics in your business and track them daily. These could include store traffic, average sales per customer, and average profit margin per sale. Post this information daily so that every employee knows the score. You’ll be amazed at the results. There’s a deep satisfaction that comes from knowing that you are consistently getting better at what you do. Continual measurable improvement is the key to personal greatness.

CREATE AN ACCOUNTABILITY MATRIX

Bureaucracies are often unaccountable because it’s hard to determine who’s responsible. Create a matrix or table that lists every key function, process, and task, and then assign every one of those to a real live person. Remember, systems are not accountable for anything. Only people can be held responsible. When people know they are responsible, they are more likely to ensure the task gets done well and in a timely fashion. By deepening your commitment to a culture of accountability you are allowing your company to become extraordinary.

REVITALIZE YOUR ORGANIZATION THROUGH MULTIDIMENSIONAL THINKING

Multidimensional thinking means thinking on multiple levels at the same time. Twenty-five years ago, who could have imagined that computers would have seemingly infinite applications in areas such as architecture, photography, and music? Entrepreneurs as diverse as Henry Ford and Steve Jobs have produced multidimensional products, which not only produced vast fortunes, but also changed the landscape of how we live. Multidimensional thinking starts by asking "what if" and "why not" and breaking down self-imposed limitations to create business models that function on multiple levels simultaneously.

DEVELOP A CULTURE OF SHARED SACRIFICE

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt called for all US citizens to make personal sacrifices for the greater good of the country, and in doing so united Americans with a common goal to win the war. When Lee Iacocca needed concessions from the UAW to keep Chrysler afloat, he first cut his own pay to a dollar a year. His personal example of sacrifice helped secure labor concessions and saved Chrysler from bankruptcy - one of the great American success stories. List seven things that you and your team members can visibly sacrifice without jeopardizing the quality of the service or product you deliver.

TRANSFORM YOUR BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY WITH A TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE

Triple bottom line is a business model that balances economic success, social engagement, and environmental sustainability. "TBL" captures an expanded spectrum of values for people, planet, and profit. It’s an ongoing process that will help your company stay focused on running a more sustainable business while demonstrating to your employees and local community you are working not just toward riches, but the greater common good.

DEDICATE YOURSELF TO A LIFETIME OF MAKING A DIFFERENCE

No one knows how far the ripple effects of our decisions go, but the decision to give back and make a difference is the highest calling to which we can aspire. True success has less to do with what we accomplish for ourselves, and everything to do with what we do for others. These are the times that try men’s souls, but giving back and making a difference just might be the medicine that will turn our world around. If we all give according to our ability, the positive impact will be staggering because each of us can use our unique gifts to lift spirits, touch hearts, and become powerful agents of change in the world.

I believe that Robin’s SEVEN-STEP CHALLENGE serves as a critical resource for any individual or organization committed to high performance.

The Seven-Step Challenge - By Geanna C. Kincanon, SPHR

Page 8 Empowering Women Volume 1, I ssue 5

Spiral Baked Ham

Mashed Potatoes

Roasted Red Pepper Corn

Garden Salad

Rolls

Banana Pudding

Tea/Water

Reminders

The deadline to submit a

SBMEF application is

March 31, 2011. If you

have questions please

contact Liz Galvan. Also,

a nominating committee

will be selected at the

Chapter March Meeting for

new board elections

occurring in May. Please

contact Rilene McCord if

you have interest in

serving on this committee.

Texas A&M University

General Services Complex

Room 101A

750 Agronomy Road

College Station, TX 77843

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

27 28 1 Chapter Meeting

TAMU GSC 5:45pm

2 3 4 5

6 7 8 Epicurean

Extravaganza, Expo Complex

9 10 11 12

13 14 15 Newsletter

articles & photos due 16 17 18 13th Annual

Chamber Crawfish Boil, 5:30 pm, Expo Complex

19

20 21 22 23 24Chamber Business

After Hours, 7F Lodge 25 26

27 28 29 Exec. Board

Meeting 5:45pm 30 31SBMEF

Application deadline 1 2

3 4 5 Chapter Meeting

TAMU GSC 5:45pm 6 Job Fair, The

Hilton/ College Station

7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 Newsletter

articles & photos due 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 Exec. Board

Meeting 5:45pm

27 28 29 Western Regional

Conference, Santa Fe 30 Western Regional

Conference, Santa Fe

March - April 2011

General

Services

Complex

March Meeting

Menu

New Meeting Location

Page 9 Empowering Women Volume 1, Issue 5

AMERICAN BUSINESS WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION CHARTER CHAPTER #2294

CHAPTER MEETING MINUTES

The regular Chapter meeting was held on Tuesday, February 1, 2011, at 5:45 pm, at the General Services Complex on the Texas A&M University campus. President, Lori Mervish, welcomed everyone present. Lori then asked the members and guests in attendance to introduce themselves. There were eighteen members in attendance and one guest, including speaker, Kris Ann Martin.

Program and Guest Speakers: After networking and during dinner, Programs Chair, Ashley Virnau, introduced the speaker for the evening, Kris Ann Martin. Ms. Martin discussed ―A WINdow of opportunity…Getting the most from WIN.‖

The business meeting was called to order at 7:15 pm by President, Lori Mervish.

Presentation and Approval of Minutes: Secretary Kris Ann Martin announced that the January minutes would be posted shortly to WIN and the Yahoo Group.

Treasurer’s Report: Treasurer, Nora Schumacher, had the Statement of Condition and Balance Sheet available when mem-bers and guests checked in. The account balance as of January 31, 2011, was $4,129.41. The statement was approved with no discussion.

Executive Board Report: Vice President, Lindy Beasley, presented a brief report to the Chapter on the activities of the board for the month of January.

- The Chapter will be awarding a $1,000 scholarship in May to a Blinn student. Applications must be completed by March 31, 2011.

- Requests for Reimbursements for Regional Conferences are due February 21, 2011. - We will be having a Ribbon Cutting at the Chamber of Chamber of Commerce on February 22, 2011 at 11:30.

Please try to attend if possible.

Business Skills Reimbursement Vote: A request for Business Skills Reimbursement has been presented to the Chapter by Geanna Kincanon in the amount of $250. The membership needs to approve this award to be submitted through SBMEF. A motion was made by Nora Schumacher and seconded by Dianne Carmicheal, and all members in attendance approved this request.

Chapter Woman of the Year: Rilene McCord is chairing the Woman of the Year committee this year. Please submit any nominations you have to her. The membership will be selecting the Chapter Woman of the Year at the March 1st meeting.

Door prizes were given and the meeting was adjourned at 8:00pm.

Kris Ann Martin, Secretary

ABWA’s Proud Code of Conduct

1. All members will serve as goodwill ambassadors for the American Business

Women’s Association.

2. Members will not allow their personal beliefs and convictions to interfere with

the representation of ABWA’s mission.

3. Members will always treat their member colleagues, guests, vendors and

sponsors with honesty, respect, fairness, integrity, responsibility, kindness,

and in good faith.

4. Members will maintain compliance with ABWA National, Chapter and Express

Network Bylaws.

5. Members will not use their personal power to advance their personal interests.

6. Members will strive for excellence in their professions by maintaining and

enhancing their own business knowledge and skills, and by encouraging the

professional development of other members.

Help Wanted

Major national professional organization welcomes women

who want to learn to Lead With Vision and have fun doing it.

Successful candidates will exhibit enthusiasm, ambition, and a

willingness to contribute to the team.

Benefits include: educational opportunities and on-the-job

experience in team-building, goal setting, leadership training,

and more. Applicants will have access to online modules that

teach them how to create “Resumes That Get Interviews” as

well as other career-enhancing skills. Learn how to write a

business plan, prepare a budget, implement successful events,

and sell products or services. There are also discounts and

special services offered by well-known national sponsors.

A small investment returns exceptional value to all working

women. To take advantage of this career changing

opportunity, visit www.abwabcs.org today!

- Community of Aliveness, 2010

Page 10 Empowering Women Volume 1, I ssue 5

Thank You Sponsors!

L L

l o r i ’ s l e t t e r s

cus tom ch i ld ren ’ s p ai n ted de cor

Lori Mervish

979.571.6383

lorimervish@gmail.com check out lori’s letters on facebook

every good and perfect gift is from

above…james 1:17

Connective Realty, LLC

Debi McKamie Realtor 1880 Greenfield Plaza Bryan, Texas 77802 979.268.3200 254.733.6918 www.ConnectiveRealty.com debimckamie@live.com

Clyde Oberg Moondoggie & Associates

1203 Munson Avenue College Station, TX 77840

(979) 696-1607

Barry L. Veazey, M.D. Board Certified

Orthopedic Surgery Sports Medicine

ORTHOPEDIC ASSOCIATES ______________________________

2700 E. 29th Street, Ste. 100 Bryan, Texas 77802 979-731-8888 Local 1-866-731-2499 Toll Free 24 Hour Answering Service _______________________________

bonesandsports.com

Page 11 Empowering Women Volume 1, Issue 5

A Special Thank You! To Anco Insurance and The

Murray Family for their continued support in sponsoring the Bryan/ College

Station Charter Chapter’s professional development initiatives.

Promote Your Business with ABWA

1 year in newsletter = $30 1 year on website = $50

1 year for both = $75

Contact Lindy Beasley at newsletter@abwabcs.org today!

Anyone interested in supporting the B/CS Charter Chapter of ABWA through an Annual

Sponsorship should contact Beverly Rippey at (979) 822-1101 or brippey@swmail.sw.org.

James B. Giles, M.D. Board Certified

Orthopedic Surgery Sports Medicine

ORTHOPEDIC ASSOCIATES ______________________________

2700 E. 29th Street, Ste. 100 Bryan, Texas 77802 979-731-8888 Local 1-866-731-2499 Toll Free 24 Hour Answering Service _______________________________

bonesandsports.com

Page 12 Empowering Women Volume 1, Issue 5