President and CEO, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana; 2016 Women of the Year Honoree Hometown: Tegucigalpa, Honduras Education: Business Management
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Call for Reservations 504-891-8800 Visit our Web Site www.uptownsportsnola.com Your Next Luncheon Group Meeting Celebration 3629 Prytania St in the Touro Medical Corridor o ne block off St Charles PATH TO SPRING 2017 Publisher Lisa Blossman Editor Natalie Chandler Managing Editor Lance Traweek C OVER PHOTO BY T RACIE M ORRIS S CHAEFER Market Researcher/ Custom Publishing Manager Valerie Huntley features Contributing Writer Kerry Duff Women’s History Month: Account Executives Two generations on Liz Baldini career/family balance .............. 12-13 Cassie Foreman Coco Evans Judd Women in Film: Monique Sullivan Breaking the Glass Ceiling .... 14-15 12 Senior Designer Kady Weddle Inspiration: The Next Generation of Assistant Production Manager-Ad Design Phenomenal Women ............... 18-19 Fran Shirley Financial Report ..........................23 Ad Designer Stella Liang Director of Operations in every issue 14 Gina Brignac Editor’s Letter .................................................4 Girl Power: Women of the Year Talk – Women of Excellence .....................................6 Books of the Month ........................................7 FavoriteExcellence Things ........................................... 8-9 Past Women of the Year: 20 A Day in the Life – Lisa Tahir .................. 10-11 Healthy Lifestyle ..................................... 20-21 Healthy Recipe of the Month ........................22 New Orleans Publishing Group LLC 3445 N. Causeway Blvd. Suite 901 Fashion & Makeup Trends ...................... 24-25 Metairie, LA 70002 504-834-9292 Q&A: The entire contents of this publication are copyrighted by NOPG LLC, Mayra Pineda ......................................... 26-27 2016, with all rights reserved. Repro- duction or use, without permission, Movers & Shakers .................................. 28-30 24 of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited. March 17, 2017 3B letter from the PATH TO EXCELLENCE WELCOMES SPRING 2017! Path to Excellence, our quarterly are overcoming them. publication that connects CityBusiness Finally, our cover story takes us on a visit with two Women of the Year, looks forward Women of the Year honorees of two generations. Marian to its second year after a successful Mayer Berkett has the distinction of being the first 2016. female lawyer in Louisiana to be employed by a law firm, In this issue, we talk to Lisa Tahir, a while Marci Schramm talks about her decision to leave 2015 honoree and therapist who uses French Quarter Festivals Inc. as executive director to the relationship losses in her life to dig focus on family. deeper and find ways to transform her As always, you’ll find helpful financial advice, healthy own pain to help heal others. living tips and book recommendations from past Women Mayra Pineda, a 2016 honoree, tells us about her of the Year. journey from her hometown in Honduras to her position Please read the magazine and nominate outstanding as president and CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of leaders for this year’s event. Contact us with story ideas Commerce of Louisiana. or profiles of successful women in our area. By working Meet the ladies of New Orleans Fashion Week! together and supporting female leaders, our efforts will They’ve got the latest styles to go local with flair. carry forward to future success. Local women navigating the complex film industry Editor Natalie Chandler can be reached at 293-9255 discuss the challenges they’re up against and how they or [email protected]. REPRESENTING AND ADVISING BIENVENU FOSTER RYAN CLIENTS IN COMPLEX MATTERS & O’BANNONLLC AND COMMERCIAL LITIGATION A C L FOR OVER 60 YEARS . Editor Admiralty & Maritime Corporate Land Management / Professional Liability Appeals Employment Regulation Products Liability Arbitrations Expropriations Leases Oil & Gas Class Actions Hospitality Mass / Toxic Torts Special Projects Construction Insurance Pipelines Transportation Commercial Contracts 1010 Common Street, 22nd Floor, New Orleans, LA 70112 504.310.1500 • www.bienvenufoster.com 4B CityBusiness Path to Excellence ON BECOMING VALERIE HUNTLEY A WOMAN OF EXCELLENCE [email protected] March is Women’s History Month, when we celebrate Sheila Burns is a 2016 Women of the Year honoree women of excellence and their contributions to the world. and vice president of her family owned business, QCS Sonya Brown, Project 18 executive director and a 2016 Logistics, which provides courier solutions, logistics and Women of the year honoree, works hard every day to help warehousing services to businesses. young adults who have aged Photo by Ashley Merlin Gold As vice president, she handles all aspects of out of foster care to achieve administration, human resources, risk management, excellence by helping them contract administration and compliance for her company. with transitional housing, Burns believes that “a woman of excellence is someone fi nding a job and applying to who is trusted and respected and known for the quality college. Brown feels that of her work and exhibits integrity in her personal, social “a woman of excellence is and professional dealings. She takes responsibility strong, unafraid of failure; for her own thoughts and actions and welcomes bold, but compassionate the cold glare of accountability. Essential qualities in spirit. She inspires include integrity, a positive ‘can-do’ attitude, passion others and sees for one’s causes, inquisitiveness, perseverance and opportunities where others resiliency.” see diffi culty. She paves the In her own personal steps to achieve excellence, road, not just for herself, but Burns researches issues prior to forming thoughts or to build a path wide enough attempting actions (trust but verify.) for other women to walk along.” “I intentionally practice “doing my best, no matter the task, I acknowledge and learn from my mistakes to avoid “A woman of excellence is strong, unafraid repeating them. My goal is to strive to be more organized and proactive in completing tasks and anticipating of failure; bold, but compassionate in spirit.” preferred outcomes.” —Sonya Brown, 2016 Women of the Year honoree; As a small business executive director, Project 18 owner, Burns knows the value of hard Brown’s journey is an inspiring one, having risen above work and managing her troubled start as a child put into the Louisiana foster responsibilities system to where she is now as executive director and helping effectively. But other kids in those same circumstances. When asked what she said women she thinks the qualities of a woman of excellence are, she are conditioned said, “She has adaptability where she doesn’t see temporary to be perfect in all setbacks as a sign of failure, but as opportunities to grow. things. She is able to handle the demands of personal life and “I would say do professional life, takes care of herself and is able to take not be afraid to fail, retreats when needed and know the power of “No” and is for it is in failure that compassionate and cares for the vulnerable, disadvantaged one can learn and grow and less fortunate.” and succeed.” Photo by Ashley Merlin Gold Brown practices what she preaches in her steps to achieve a level of excellence, by taking time for herself, eating well, meditating, practicing extreme self-care and helping “I would say do not be afraid to fail, for it others along the way. She wants young women to know that is in failure that one can learn and grow in order to achieve excellence, they should “write down and and succeed.” visualize their goals as if they have already achieved them, plan them out and take small steps which will add up to big —Sheila Burns, 2016 Women of the Year honoree; successes.” vice president, QCS Logistics 6B CityBusiness Path to Excellence girlp wer BOOKS WE “I enjoy inspirational books. I like reading about people that are Phala Kimbrough real and have struggles Mire that have humbled president and CEO, them. It makes me feel Women’s Business normal.” Currently I am Enterprise Council South (WBEC reading “The Shack” by South); 1999 Women of the Year honoree William P. Young which What is your favorite book(s) and why do you love them? helped me through a Th e non-fi ction book “UNBROKEN” by Laura Hillenbrand personal challenge I is among my all-time favorites. Hillenbrand, also the author experienced. of “Seabiscuit,” is a magical storyteller, and the story of Louis Zamperini stayed with me long aft er I put it down. Another —Kristi Mirambell, president, fairly recent favorite is “Half of a Yellow Sun” by Chimamanda K-Belle Consultants LLC; Ngozi Adichie. Not only is it beautifully written, it is an 2009 Women of the Year honoree important, powerful depiction of the toll of war on ordinary citizens. Katherine LeBlanc Jennifer Bollinger director of brand marketing, vice president, corporate communications and public Smoothie King; 2016 Women of the Year honoree relations, Ochsner Health System; 2005 Women of the Year honoree What is your favorite book(s) and why do you love them? I recently read “MY GRANDMOTHER TOLD ME What is your favorite book(s) and why do you love them? TO TELL YOU SHE’S SORRY” by Fredrik Backman. It My favorite book of all time is “A PRAYER FOR OWEN delivered on being incredibly entertaining and imaginative. MEANY” by John Irving because it was the fi rst book that One book that continues to stick with me is “ONE truly moved me because of the way it portrays friendship and SECOND AFTER” by William R. Forstchen. It’s apocalyptic conviction. I just heard Patrick Lencioni speak, so I plan to re- and can really bring you down a rabbit hole of ‘How would I read the “5 DYSFUNCTIONS OF A TEAM” again soon. react to this situation?’ March 17, 2017 7B love things Photos courtesy former honorees Women of the Year but connecting. I am also trying to What is your favorite thing about Jennifer get more good sleep. It’s a struggle – being you? Giving to others; being sometimes my brain is going a million a mother – teaching hard lessons, Bollinger miles an hour, but small changes have encouraging joy and having very real helped a lot and I am much nicer and conversations with my teenage sons vice president, more focused when I sleep.