OHIO WOMEN’S BAR ASSOCIATION NETWORK NEWSLETTER Volume XXIII Issue No. 2 Spring 2013 Our purpose is to promote the leadership, advancement and interests of women attorneys through professional education, networking and the exchange of ideas between our members, local bar associations, business and the community. Deborah Platt Majoras Honored with the 2013 OWBA Founders’ Award the legal profession have come in a sin - gle generation. In 1952, Sandra Day O’Connor (who later became the first woman on the U.S. Supreme Court) was rejected by 40 law firms and eventually accepted a non-paying first job as an at - torney. In contrast, after Majoras gradu - ated from Westminster College (where she studied social work and Spanish) and the University of Virginia School of Law in 1989, she clerked for a federal judge and accepted a position at Jones Day, where she achieved partner status. She worked for the Justice Department for approximately three years. Then, after re - L-R: Sherri Dahl, Deborah Platt Majoras and Michelle Proia Roe enjoy the evening at 21c turning to Jones Day, during her first Museum Hotel. week in the office, Majoras received a call from White House staff and at 40 be - By Sherri Dahl provided heartfelt comments on the im - came the head of the Federal Trade Com - portance of the OWBA and introduced mission. Today, Majoras has reached the On March 7, Deborah Platt Majoras, Majoras as the Founders’ Award winner, pinnacle of legal success in a corporate chief legal officer and secretary for Proc - saying “we emphatically thank you for environment by leading P&G’s global ter & Gamble, was honored during the always reaching to touch the stars and, in legal department of approximately 580. Ohio Women’s Bar Association doing so, making them seem that much Despite all of her obvious success, during Founders’ Gala at 21c Museum Hotel in closer to the rest of us.” her remarks, Majoras suggested that Cincinnati. Attendees traveled from all climbing the career “ladder” is more of a over Ohio, including Cleveland and The Founders’ Award recognizes an out - zig zag than a straight line. Columbus, to participate in this tradition standing woman attorney who has con - of women honoring women. A VIP re - tributed significantly to the legal (continued on page 3 ) ception preceded the Founders’ Award profession. Named for the OWBA’s program which was followed by net - founders, which include Ohio Supreme Inside this issue working, food and drinks. OWBA Presi - Court Justice Alice Robie Resnick, the dent-Elect, Magistrate Judge Stephanie Honorable Patricia Hemann, Pamela President’s Message ............................2 Bowman, began the presentation cere - Hagle Hultin, the first class of founding mony and Denise Platfoot-Lacey, Univer - OWBA members and 26 women who at - Effective Leadership ............................4 tended the first OWBA meeting on Sept. sity of Dayton School of Law professor Women in the News ..............................6 and president of the Ohio Women’s Bar 23, 1991, the Founders’ Award is pre - Foundation, explained the focus of the sented biennially. This year, Majoras What I Want to Be When I Grow Up ....8 joined a list of 13 other award winners as Leadership Institute and the goals of the OWBA Annual Meeting ........................9 OWBA Foundation. OWBA President the first in-house counsel recipient since Michelle Proia Roe, Mettler-Toledo the award’s inception. Calendar of Events ..............................9 LLC’s general counsel for the Americas, Majoras exemplifies how far women in In the Spirit of Camaraderie .............. 10 OWBA board members President’s Message President I want to avoid one of day is a week away from the night I am sit - Michelle Proia Roe those cliché articles ting down to write this last president’s mes - President-Elect about the last year of my sage, and I am so grateful to have the Mag. Judge Stephanie K. Bowman presidency and how we chance to share birthday cake with him Vice President continued to move the again this year. OWBA forward. Cer - Laura Sanom In recent weeks, I have run across this story tainly it is important to Secretary that probably first showed up somewhere remind your audience Jennifer J. Jacquemain on someone’s Facebook page. It is a story Michelle Proia Roe about such progress, but about a woman who is telling her mother of Treasurer we have an event calendar for the past her struggles in life and how on some days Claudia S. Herrington twelve months to refresh us. she just wants to give up. The mother asked Immediate Past President I prefer instead to focus on what my per - her daughter to follow her in the kitchen, Jennifer Breech Rhoads sonal takeaways will be 10, 20, or God- where she filled three pots with water. In Executive Director willing, 30 years from now about this one, she placed carrots. In the second, eggs. Elizabeth Krile experience. Valoria Hoover, a recent past And in the third, she placed ground coffee Trustees president of both the OWBA and the beans. They all boiled, and then the mother OWBF, asked me in February 2011 on be - placed them each in a bowl. She asked her Grace Royalty Jennifer Elleman half of the OWBA Nominating Committee daughter to tell what she observed. to accept the presidency this past year. If Leah Sellers The carrots softened, the eggs hardened, you know Valoria, you know why I said Lori Silcott and the coffee beans turned into a deli - Judge Patricia A. Delaney yes. She is quite persuasive. Later that cious aromatic blend. The mother asked Emily Wilcheck very same evening, and amusingly coinci - her daughter which of the three objects the Judge Mary DeGenaro dental in hindsight, my now-husband daughter resembled when adversity hit. Amanda Martinsek asked me for my hand in marriage. Magistrate Sharono Dennis Did she soften and fall apart like the car - Ann Zallocco I took this OWBA office in May 2012 and rots? Did she harden like the eggs when C. Lynne Day married the love of my life three months she once had enjoyed a much softer spirit? Kristyn Huening later. On the day after I returned from my Or was she instead like the coffee beans, Laurie Avery honeymoon, I learned I was promoted to which actually changed their environment Lisa Kathumbi the top legal spot for my company for (the hot water), turning everything into Carrie A. Starts North and South America. I would serve as quite a pleasant result? Peggy Koesel the sole attorney in the legal department of Magistrate Maria McBride The parable concludes by asking, “When the Americas for a multi-billion dollar the hours are the darkest and trials are their Past Presidents global manufacturing company traded on greatest, do you elevate to another level or the New York Stock Exchange. I had this Pamela Nagle Hultin (92-93) do you let your environment change you?” role without another attorney’s help for the Mary Lynn Readey (93-94) How do you handle adversity? My take - five-month period immediately following Barbara J. Smith (94-95) away after this OWBA year is that the fight Linde Hurst Webb (95-96) my nuptials, until we could hire a junior at - is worth fighting. As leaders, we can never Laura A. Hauser (96-97) torney. Then, less than a week before the give external circumstances the permission Kirsti Talikka Garlock (97-98) new attorney came on board, 2013 greeted to alter who we are. Like the coffee beans Maria A. Kortan-Sampson (98-99) me with very serious health issues facing in the parable, OWBA members are chang - Jami S. Oliver (99-00) both of my parents within just a few weeks Helen MacMurray (00-01) ing the legal environment very much for of each other requiring me to travel out of Debra J. Horn (01-02) the better both for themselves and for those state on both occasions. Suzanne M. Nigro (02-03) not able to do it alone. Please join me in so Michelle J. Sheehan (03-04) Somewhere around these January and Feb - graciously thanking all of the members of Halle M. Hebert (04-05) ruary 2013 family emergencies, I had to our Women’s Bar for answering this most Monique B. Lampke (05-06) squeeze in work travel to India, half a magnificent call. n Pamela D Houston (06-07) world away when I wanted to be nowhere Susan E. Petersen (07-08) Michelle Proia Roe is General else but by my parents’ side. Because of Michele A. Shuster (08-09) Counsel –Americas and Secretary of Met - very sound medical treatment, my parents Lisa R. House (09-10) tler-Toledo, LLC. Valoria C. Hoover (10-11) are now doing well. My dad’s 70th birth - Jennifer Breech Rhoads (11-12) 2 News (continued from front page ) Anyone who has met Majoras feels her warmth immediately (she is a hugger). Accepting the Founders’ Award, Majoras reminded the room of more than 80 of the importance of treating everyone well, doing good work and being a team player. Perhaps this view stems from her up - bringing in Meadville, Penn., or from her time before law school as a secretary and paralegal at Porter Wright. She also mod - els the importance of giving back to the profession by generously volunteering her free time to speak at the OWBA’s Leader - ship Institute and continuing legal educa - tion programs. Despite all of the strains on Majoras’ time, she prioritizes sharing her experience with other women. Special events like the Founders’ Gala could not take place without the careful organization of the OWBA’s Executive Director Elizabeth Krile and generous supporters.