Welcome to the City of Newton, Massachusetts

WEI EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS

 

Patricia Forde, Former Director of Entrepreneurial Studies and Assistant Professor of Management; Pine Manor College, Chestnut Hill, MA, Partner at Achieve Business Success

fordepat@verizon.net

Patricia has been actively engaged in Entrepreneurial Initiatives for over ten years. As former Director of Entrepreneurial Studies and Assistant Professor of Management, she has developed, facilitated, and coordinated initiatives and provided support to women of all ages in their quest for entrepreneurial guidance. She has acted as a consultant to the Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and been a site supervisor and consultant for the MADE-IT Grant, a program that assists mothers and teenaged daughters in developing businesses together. She has served on the Board of Directors for the South Shore Women's Business Network. Patricia was selected as a finalist for Ernst and Young's Supporter of Entrepreneurs Award and a recipient of the Millennium Leader Award for the City of Boston on the Board of Directors for the South Shore Women's Business Network. She has appeared on local television and radio programs and is published in HR Today.

Additionally, Patricia regularly consults with local and national companies in the area of Human Resource Management and Development and is the Vice Chairperson of the Personnel Board for the Town of Needham.

 

 

Elizabeth Brown, M.Ed., President and Founder Softeach, Inc., Newton, MA

(617) 244-0037; ebrown@softeachusa.com

Elizabeth is president and founder of Softeach, Inc., a 17 year old computer training and consulting firm for business users. With a staff of over forty instructors, Softeach, Inc helps clients stay productive and competitive through customized, on site computer training and web site maintenance. Clients include Hill Holiday Advertising, The Boston Beer Company and Astra USA as well as lawyers, insurance agents, graphic design firms, public relation firms, engineering firms, food brokers and others. Elizabeth is a past president of New England Women Business Owners (NEWBO), a member of Small Business Association of New England (SBANE), the Independent Computer Consultants Association, and The Boston Club. Softeach, Inc. is a member of the Better Business Bureau. Elizabeth was selected as a CEO Success Story by Inc. World in 1995 and was recently appointed to the City of Newton, Massachusetts Economic Development Commission.

 

 Rona S. Hamada, President Andrews Telecommunications, Newton, MA
(617) 969-0200; rhamada@andrewstel.com

Rona S. Hamada is president and founder of Andrews Telecommunications, a 17 year old, Newton-based independent agency that represents a variety of suppliers of domestic and international telecommunications services. Using a consultative approach, the Andrews Team specializes in creating a sense of trust and comfort in a rapidly changing and often confusing industry. Rona's 35 years in the telecommunications industry have been spent in the areas of network services, equipment, and consulting. Her background includes experience in all aspects of business: administration, finance, operations, and sales. Immediately prior to founding Andrews Telecommunications, Rona was president of American Private Line Services, Inc., a supplier of dedicated voice and data circuits. She has written numerous columns on telecommunications issues and has been a resource person for various publications including CNNfn, Entrepreneur Home Office magazine, and The Cape Cod Times. She is a past president of New England Women Business Owners, a former a member of the Executive Board of The Alliance of Women's Business & Professional Organizations, and as a past vice-president and board member of the Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce. She is currently one of the steering committee of the Women's Enterprise Initiative and sits on the City of Newton Telecommunications Advisory Board. In the early 1980's she was the founding president of Input, a network for women in high technology.

 

 

Danielle Bailey, Community Development Planner Planning and Development Department,
City of Newton, MA
(617) 796-1139; dbailey@newtonma.gov

Danielle currently works as a Community Development Planner for the City of Newton’s Planning and Development Department. She administers the City’s business loan programs which aim to assist low- and moderate-income entrepreneurs to start or grow their microenterprises. In addition, she is responsible for managing the implementation of various neighborhood improvement projects. Danielle hails from Cleveland, Ohio. Ms. Bailey holds a Master's degree in Urban Planning, Design and Development from Cleveland State University and a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from Case Western Reserve University.

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