Nancy Kouris, founder of Blue Duck Bakery, is being honored by the East End Women’s Network with its Woman of the Year award.
Since she and her husband, Keith, opened their bakery in Southampton 19 years ago, it has expanded to three additional locations, in Greenport, Southold and Riverhead. She now serves as president of the company; Kouris is the master baker. READ
Felecia Wilson of Riverhead has been chosen as the recipient of the East End Women’s Network’s “2017 Woman of the Year.” READ
Melanie McEvoy of Laurel is the 2015 Woman of the Year. (Credit: courtesy photo)
The East End Women’s Network selected Melanie McEvoy of Laurel as its 2015 Woman of the Year.
Ms. McEvoy has served on the EEWN Board of Directors for the last three years, is the vice president of the North Fork Breast Health Coalition and recently worked as the event chair of the Pink Pearl Gala, which raised nearly $50,000 to benefit breast-cancer patients and survivors on the North Fork. (more…)
Jill Schroeder leading a Zumba class at her former JABS studio in Mattituck. (file photo)
The East End Women’s Network is honoring North Fork fitness instructor Jill Schroeder as their 2014 “Woman of the Year.” (more…)
East End Women’s Network is seeking Woman of the Year nominations. (Screenshot of EEWN’s website captured by Jennifer Gustavson)
The East End Women’s Network is seeking nominations for its annual Woman of the Year contest. (more…)
COURTESY PHOTO | Regina M. Calcaterra has been named Woman of the Year by the East End Women's Network.
She will be honored at a dinner celebration on Wednesday, April 25 at Giorgio’s in Baiting Hollow.
Now in its 30th year, EEWN every year honors an East End woman who has “exhibited solid leadership responsibilities, commitment to her goals, and achievements in her professional life as well as personal character and service to her community and her colleagues,” according to an EEWN announcement.
“Not only did Regina Calcaterra meet all the criteria for our Woman of the Year award,” said EEWN board member Ceil Carpenter, “but it was the combination of her career success, overcoming great adversity in childhood and dedication to giving back to her community through volunteer activities including her work with foster care children, that is what sparked our interest and set her nomination apart.”
Ms. Calcaterra was named chief deputy county executive by Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. She is the first woman to hold this position. She formerly was the founding and managing partner of the New York law office of Barrack, Rodos & Bacine, where she represented public and labor pension funds seeking to recoup billions of dollars from those who committed corporate fraud on Wall Street.
Her resume includes work as an advocate for disabled veterans, a frequent commentator on politics and public policy for national and local media outlets and volunteer work as a foster care advocate with You Gotta Believe. Her’s work with foster children was inspired by her own youth. Growing up, she and her siblings spent a substantial amount of time in the foster care system.
She sought the Democratic nomination to run for State Senate in 2010 but her residency status was successfully challenged in court by a potential opponent. She had formerly maintained a residence by Pennsylvania because of frequent visits there required by her legal work.
EEWN member Melanie McEvoy nominated Ms. Calcaterra for the Woman of the Year Award.
“Regina is a natural mentor to other women and someone I greatly respect for all that she does,” she said. “I’ve known Regina for nearly 15 years as a friend and colleague in the women’s political activist realm. She has always amazed me with her energy at getting things done in all aspects of life. She is a true leader in every sense of the word. Regina is a model and an inspiration for what we all can achieve.”
The East End Women’s Network was founded in 1981. The purpose of the organization “is to bring together women of diverse accomplishment and
experience, directing women into policy-making positions through the dissemination and sharing of career opportunities; to educate members and
the public on issues affecting women on the East End; and to promote the interests, conditions and positions of women in science, business,
industry, labor, government, the arts, education and public service,” according to the EEWN announcement.
The Woman of the Year event starts with networking at 5:30 p.m., dinner and program at 6 p.m. The price for the dinner is $55 for EEWN members
($80 at the door), $70 for non‐members ($80 at the door).
For more information and to make reservations visit EEWN website www.eewn.org or contact Ceil Carpenter, (631) 727-3777.
BARBARAELLEN KOCH PHOTO Caroline London (left) speaks with East End Women's Network incoming president Paula Daniel at Ms. London's Riverhead business J. Sauer Opticians.
Thirty years after its founding, the East End Women’s Network is undergoing a rebirth of sorts.
It’s not that the group has died away — it still has 80 active members — but at its height there were about 150, said Paula Daniel, the organization’s president. Now the group created by women to support women-owned businesses is making a new push for new members.
Their membership drive kickoff takes place at the Hotel Indigo in Riverhead on Wednesday, Sept. 28.
When Jeanne Block who owned Hampton Greenery in Westhampton first launched the network, it was with the realization that career-minded, but geographically scattered, East End women could benefit from interacting and supporting one another’s ventures, Ms. Daniel said.
“Jeanne would be so proud to see the network celebrate its 30th anniversary,” she said about the group’s founder, now deceased.
But there was another force that gave rise to the network 30 years ago. Rotary, the Lion’s Club and other such business-oriented groups were closed to women back in 1981. There was no business organization where women found a welcome, Ms. Daniel said. All have since had a change of heart and opened their memberships, but the network still affords a special place for its members to find a camaraderie they haven’t always found elsewhere, she said.
“These women really make best friends for life,” said Carolyn London, one of the group’s early members and a former Woman of the Year honoree, chosen for her support of women in the community. Those honored aren’t always network members, Ms. Daniel said.
This year, for example, the network recognized Stacy Quarty, president of Lucia’s Angels, an East End organization supporting women with late stage cancers.
To honor Ms. Quarty, the network has pledged $50,000 to create Lucia’s Room at Southampton Hospital for patients going through difficult surgical procedures who need palliative care and/or end-of-life services.
The network also supports holiday food drives for Island Harvest, and Dress for Success, contributing gently used clothing for disadvantaged women in need of professional attire for job interviews and jobs.
In addition, EEWN It provides scholarships for students based on essays they write on why it’s important for women to support one another.
And it publishes a directory of services members offer and promotes members’ companies in other ways.
“I owe East End Network,” said Ms. London, who operates Sauer Optical in Riverhead. She credits the network’s support for helping expand her customer base and providing business advice that she, in turn, wants to pass on to younger businesswomen.
That’s an indication of the networks non-competitive nature, Ms. Daniel said.
“You get uninhibited because people are so nice,” Ms. London agreed.
Ironically, nothing in the EEWN bylaws prohibits men from joining and there was a time when a man from PrimeAmerica, who was looking to expand that companies female workforce, joined the group. But he has since transferred out of the area and no other men have stepped forward, Ms. Daniel said.
The group holds monthly dinner meetings at various restaurants on both the North and South Forks where members network with one another and have opportunities to showcase their businesses, exchange advice and often hear from speakers on various topics such as email marketing, small businesses publicity, negotiating and resolving personnel issues, Ms. Daniel said.
Annual membership dues is $50 or $25 for junior members between the ages of 16 and 23.
The celebratory dinner at Hotel Indigo on Sept. 28, begins with cocktails and networking at 5:30, followed by dinner at 7 p.m. Tickets are $35 for members with advance reservations or $40 for members who don’t book ahead and for non-members.
Call Ceil Carpenter at 727-3777 or email her at [email protected] or visit the group’s website at eewn.org.