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Dear ,
I have so loved serving as the steward of the Maine Women's Fund over the last several years. Together, we saw the power and possibility of women's leadership through to action and impact. We stood in our role as philanthropists. We celebrated and explored how our difference can be transformative -- in the business we build, the families we love and the communities we serve. We reached out with investments that gave vulnerable women and girls a hand up. We were bold. We were joyful. And we were generous.
We have so much more to give, and I am looking forward to seeing what comes next.
Warm regards,
Eli
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Interim Executive Director
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We are excited to welcome Cathy Kidman as our Interim Executive Director. Cathy comes with a plethora of skills and experiences to lead the Maine Women's Fund forward over the next 6 months, paving the way for a smooth transition to permanent leadership.
Cathy brings hands-on experience as a former Executive Director, Interim Executive Director and consultant. She has extensive experience in organizational development and strategic planning across private, public and nonprofit organizations. She has an excellent reputation for working with nonprofit boards and staff to help them achieve their organizational goals during a time of transition.
We are thrilled to have her join us. She is bold, joyful, really funny, and has an unwavering commitment to advancing women. Please join us in welcoming Cathy to the Maine Women's Fund team.
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A Note About the Transition From Cathy
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We know that you are as excited about the transition and the ED search as we are. To keep you informed, I will provide an update each month in our eNewsletter.
The Board has created a search committee with statewide representation. We anticipate posting and beginning the nationwide search for the new Executive Director this summer.
We all look forward to the potential and possibilities that this change brings. Once we post the job, feel free to contact me with any questions.
Regards,
Cathy
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Women Standing Together: June 9
| Women Standing Together Lunch June 9
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Portland Public Library (5 Monument Square) 
Join us to hear from entrepreneur Amy Ireland of Neu Naturals.
Amy would like your input on how she can engage the consumer as advocate in the marketing of her products and company.
During collaborative, roundtable sessions, you have the opportunity to provide creative, inspirational ideas that fuel strategic and calculated thinking that will lead to real change for Amy. This is a great opportunity to support the growth of this entrepreneur, and work side-by-side with women on a whole new level!
 | | WST Sponsor |
Women Standing Together (WST) is a growing network of
professional women helping to launch entrepreneurial women to new heights. If you are creative, market-savvy and philanthropic, this group is for you! WST is a membership group, but we welcome guests* to attend one event prior to becoming a member. WST membership fees are collectively invested in non-profits that focus their work on entrepreneurship - one of the Fund's four strategic grantmaking areas that will advance economic security for Maine women and girls. Your financial investment and time investment in the guest entrepreneur produce valuable results!
RSVP online, via email or by phone 207-774-5513.
*Guests are asked to pay $30 online or send a check to the Maine Women's Fund: 565A Congress Street, Suite 306, Portland, ME 04101. Please include "Women Standing Together" and registrant name(s) on your check.
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2011 Leadership Luncheon
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Wow, what an event! Our amazing moderator, Susan Conley, co-founder of The Telling Room, did a such fabulous job of leading our panelists and award recipients in a conversation around leadership. We heard inspiring stories and advice from Brenda Garrand, Ingrid Bengis-Palei, Barbara Rankins and Alia Abdulahi! Here are just a few great quotes from them.
- "Be afraid, and do it anyway." - Barbara Rankins, founding member of Visible Community and 2011 Sarah Orne Jewett Award Recipient.
- "Never be your own worst enemy. Never let yourself say things about yourself that your heart will tremble for." - Brenda Garrand, CEO and Strategic Director of Garrand and 2011 TWIN Award Recipient.
- "I'm driven to bring seemingly irreconcilable things together. It's selfish, really. Because what I want is to feel at home in the world." - Ingrid Bengis-Palei, National Book Award nominee, entrepreneur and the world's most famous fishmonger.
- "Anyone, even I, can change the world. And there is no doubt in my mind that the best feeling in the world, is feeling like you have the ability to change the world." - Alia Abdulahi, Auburn high school student and 2011 Samantha Smith Award Recipient.
What's the buzz?
- Local women presented Maine Women's Fund awards - May 19, Sun Journal
- "Absolutely gobsmacked by the honorees and attendees at Maine Women's Fund luncheon - what a fantastic community!" - Attendee
- "Today's luncheon is a great reminder that no matter how busy we are, we always need to take time to celebrate people and life." - Attendee
Photos and Videos
We will post videos of the panel discussion and of Alia Abdulahi reciting the Poem on Crisis of Terror by Suheir Hammad, New York, New York, soon. In the mean time, we invite you to view the video, Coastal Studies for Girls from Pam Maus. We will post photos on Facebook by tomorrow! If you are not following us on Facebook, please "like us".
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Calling all Women Entrepreneurs
| August 11
4:00 p.m.
Location: TBD
FMI: Kristin Chase Duffy
(774-5513)
We are looking for women entrepreneurs* to present at our 2011-12 Women Standing Together (WST) program. On August 11, we invite entrepreneurs to pitch our WST members. If it is a good fit for you and us, we will invite you to present at one of our 2011-12 WST lunches. Learn more!
At this meeting, we hope to hear from you about the high points of your business, key opportunities on the horizon and how you would best use the power of this network.
Pitches are limited to 10 minutes with 10-minute feedback sessions. Space is limited. Reservations are required.
*Entrepreneurs Criteria
- You must be a women entrepreneur (or "intrepreneur" - someone who acts like entrepreneur, except within a larger organization) in Maine
- You must be growth-focused --- emerging or growing a business
- You must be hungry and open to receiving feedback
- You must be innovative, focused with a clear vision and business model
- You must be bold/joyful/full of gumption
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 2011-12 Women's Leadership Series
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Check out our 2011-12 Women's Leadership Series topics that we will resume in November. This three-part discussion, facilitated by local leaders, will explore how women are advancing interconnections in our communities - by finding energy in and unity between our personal and professional worlds, by building partnerships to co-lead and co-create and by leading sustainably both individually and collectively. |
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Thank you for reading,
Cathy, Hazel, Kristin, Lauren and Sonya
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 The Maine Women's Fund thanks MaineShare for its ongoing support. MaineShare makes it easy to donate to more than 30 statewide organizations working every day to make Maine a better place to live. For more information, please visit the website. |
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