ADVANCE: Montgomery Women's Leadership Digest

November 2024

A Message from Leadership

Welcome to November, Montgomery Women!

We have entered the season of gratitude, kindness, and giving. These actions are things we should do regularly. However, in the hustle and bustle of this thing called, "life", we can sometimes forget until a season puts us in the spirit to do so.

Let's think about this: Think about where you have been and where you are going. If you never experienced a struggle, consider yourself fortunate and be thankful. If you have experienced challenges and you are still alive to share your story, be thankful. That job, the school fees, and mortgage! At times, even our kids...smile and be grateful. There are others that do not have and wish they had a job and the kids to stress about.

However, one area that I want us to remember this season is giving.

Since 2008, Montgomery Women has sponsored students at Montgomery College. To date, we have donated over $100,000 to help 81 college women achieve their educational goals. If you have not done so, I encourage you to consider donating to our scholarship fund. No amount is too small; your donation makes a difference. You can visit the link here (https://montgomerywomen.org/scholarship-fund/) for more information.

On November 21st at 6pm, please join us for our "Virtual Career Fair for Her", a program dedicated to exposing young women to non-traditional careers. We are looking for members and friends of members who have a career they would like to share at the event. If you would like to participate, see below for more information.

I thank each of you for what you do for Montgomery Women, and I wish you the best of the season in the months ahead!

With kind regards,

Ijeoma Enendu

President, Montgomery Women

Member Spotlights

Arianna Ross

Chief Executive Officer,

Story Tapestries

Arianna is the Founder of Story Tapestries. She is considered a leader in arts integration and storytelling. As CEO since 2010, Arianna, with the support of the Board, has developed Story Tapestries into a successful non-profit that obtained status as an America’s Promise Alliance partner in 2012 and earned and has maintained “Superstar” status on GlobalGiving.org since 2014. For 26+ years, Arianna has taught and performed at colleges, libraries, schools, and community centers. As part of her job, she continues to work with artists and teachers developing innovative programs.

Jill Spiegelberg

Financial Advisor, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management

Jill is a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch and has more than two decades of financial services experience. Over the course of her career, she has held roles in wealth management, private banking, retail banking, portfolio management, and entrepreneurship. Jill's diverse background and experiences give her a unique perspective to look at her clients' situation through a variety of lenses. Her mission is to educate and encourage clients, helping them adopt healthy habits and mindsets that can have a long-term positive impact on their financial future.

Leadership Nuggets

Must Read

Election season can be an intense and often stressful time, with constant news coverage, debates, and conversations that can sometimes feel overwhelming. It’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of information and opinions, but taking steps to protect your mental health is essential. Maintaining a sense of balance helps you stay grounded, process information healthily, and make thoughtful decisions without feeling emotionally drained. Read some useful tips from the JED Foundation on managing election stress here.

Recommended Listening

In a recent episode of The Diary of a CEO, Dr. Cheri Mah, a renowned sleep physician and performance expert, delves into practical strategies for enhancing sleep quality - including the one thing you should never do before bed. Listen here.

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Key Updates

Share your career journeys

Montgomery Women is seeking members and non-members to serve as panelists and share their career journeys with girls and young women eager to explore diverse career paths. During our upcoming event, "Virtual Career Exploration for Her", you'll share insights on your field, discuss the challenges and triumphs of your career path, and provide valuable guidance to girls and young women considering similar paths. Your role will include answering questions, offering advice, and inspiring attendees to think broadly about their future opportunities. If you're interested in serving us as a speaker, please sign-up here by November 8th.

Engaging with the Montgomery Women community

This month we are pleased to welcome Peace Adebanjo, Kavita Battula, Lara Bryant, Kathleen Guinan, EsiSonia Sotoglo, and Rachel Zwerin to our vibrant and dynamic community!

If you haven't already, we’re encouraging all new and returning members to complete their member profiles in our directory. The member directory is an incredible resource for networking, collaboration, and professional growth. By completing your profile, fellow members can connect with you based on shared interests and expertise. If you have questions, please email communications@montgomerywomen.org.