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Introducing our Women of Influence honorees for 2005
Selecting just 10 honorees for this year's Women of Influence proved to be no easy task. First of all, we had more than 100 submissions. There were some duplicates, but even after they were eliminated, I don't think the number of nominees even scratched the surface of the potential.
Thank goodness, in one respect, the process for getting down to just 10 was formidable.
We assembled a panel to help. The instructions going in were to try select honorees from a variety of different backgrounds with an eye to finding those who are still actively involved.
But even though we tried to spread it around, three of our honorees come from the field of education. And that's all right. But I point this out to those who might have nominated another person from education. There were lots of terrific candidates and we had to draw a line somewhere.
Each of the three represent different aspects of education.
June Webb-Vignery has been the executive director for 14 years of the Metropolitan Education Commission, an organization that has done much to heighten awareness for the role of education. She's authored books on education and culture. The success of the commission can be attributed directly to Webb-Vignery and the community's children are better off for her efforts.
Mary Kamerzell has been superintendent of Catalina Foothills School District No. 16 since 1994 and during her watch, the district has succeeded in being the only kindergarten-through-12th grade district in the state to have all of its schools labeled excelling by the Arizona Department of Education. Some will argue that it's the Foothills, they should have excelling schools. While that may be true to a certain extent, it means that a school district in Tucson is beating all those in Maricopa County. Besides, it shows education can achieve excellence.
Kathy Alexander is vice president and director of the Southern Arizona campus of the University of Phoenix and was instrumental in its growth to almost 3,500 students on six campuses. The University of Phoenix is an amazing concept that allows people to get ahead in education simultaneously while pursuing business careers.
Six of our honorees are the top local executives of going business concerns. From local branches of large, publicly-owned businesses to long-established local businesses to the entrepreneurial spirit.
No one doubts the difficulty of succeeding in the world of business these days, but all of these women have not only done that but gone the extra distance to make a mark within our community.
Terri Mitchell is the Tucson senior local executive for IBM. She was appointed to the post earlier this year. Not only does she know her stuff when it comes to IBM's storage systems, she has spent much of her career working to find ways women can succeed with the company.
Rosey Koberlein is president and chief executive officer of Long Realty. She's the first woman to run the company in its 79-year history.
Kathleen Oestrich, as chief executive office of University Health Plans Inc., oversees health plans that cover more than 5,500 people and is still growing.
Melanie Larson is chief executive officer and publisher of the Explorer newspaper. She's fought the big dailies to deliver her weekly newspaper to residents of Tucson's northwest side and up into Pinal County and into the Catalina Foothills. She's just as willing to fight when it comes to helping local causes.
Elsie MacMillan is president of Sierra Toyota in Sierra Vista. There aren't too many women-owned car dealerships in the country but that hasn't stopped MacMillan, who earlier this year was given an ethics award from the Better Business Bureau.
Sally Fernandez is president of her own business management consulting firm, the Fernandez Group, but a better question is what hasn't she tried to help do in Southern Arizona. She's been involved in everything from high-tech to social issues and is a member of the boards of the Tucson Airport Authority and Tucson Clean and Beautiful.
Finally, our 10th honoree is a woman who is no stranger to the business world but is probably best-known for the work she has done raising millions of dollars for charitable causes here.
Laurie Wetterschneider is still actively involved raising money for the Boys and Girls Clubs even if she and her sister have decided to pursue their artistic sides with their new custom designed jewelry business.
So there you have our 10 Women of Influence for 2005.
Congratulations to all. Southern Arizona owes you our gratitude for the influence you've used to make this a better community.
Laurie Wetterschneider
Personal facts:
Age: 49
Employer/organization: Laurie & Lisa Designs
Leadership positions: president, Boys & Girls Clubs, past Board President, Chair of the group's annual fund-raiser "The Event," General Chairman, Angel Charity for Children's Inc., Director of Communications and Fund Development for Jewish Family and Children's Service's, former managing partner, radio stations KHYT and "The Wave."
By David Hatfield, Inside Tucson Business
When it comes to raising money for causes in Tucson, Laurie Wetterschneider is one heck of a saleswoman.
"To the chagrin of most of my friends, I love raising money," she says. "I think I was born to raise money. I really believe that my most successful talent in this world is to turn somebody on about your cause. I guess that's why I was a good sales person too."
She came to Tucson in 1973 to attend the University of Arizona and got her four-year bachelor's degree in fine arts in half the time. Before she graduated she went to work for a public relations agency and then radio station KHYT. Back then it looked as if radio would be her career, staying with it until 1991.
Wetterschneider then went to work in development for Jewish Family and Children's Services, and by 1999 was working full-time and General Chairman volunteering to raise for Angel Charity, and later the Boys and Girls Clubs Board President.
All totaled, she is responsible for raising millions of dollars for these organizations. She remains active and involved in both of her volunteer efforts.
The days her attention is being drawn to the creative side of her fine arts life as Wetterschneider and her sister, who is a New York attorney, have gone into business together designing jewelry.
"My sister — she also has a fine arts degree, and she and I both took a jewelry designing class and we both realized how much we loved it and that we had a calling for this," Wetterschneider said.
Their company is named Laurie and Lisa Designs and their jewelry is available at Creative Arrangements by Sylvia at the Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa, 3800 E. Sunrise Drive; Elements Gift Shop and Accessories at the La Plaza Shoppes, 6544 E. Tanque Verde Road; the Showcase Boutique at Canyon Ranch, 8600 E. Rockcliff Road; and the Tucson Museum of Art Gift Shop, 140 N. Main Ave. Their jewelry is also available at Augustina in California in Carmel, and Marilyn Greenberg Jewelry in Bethesda, Maryland.
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