Meet our Provisional Committee Co-Chairs: Jovita Honor and Carrie Peacock

By Michelle Hostrup and Summer Brill
(Pictured: Jovita Honor)

Jovita Honor and Carrie Peacock are the fearless Co-Chairs of this year’s Provisional committee. You can meet them at the Gatehouse at one of our open houses August 7th and 25th. Here’s a brief introduction to them below. Have a great year ladies!

Register to attend an open house online at: http://www.thejuniorleague.org/paloalto/npo.jsp?pg=event&eventid=1776.

To read more about joining The Junior League of Palo Alto•Mid Peninsula, check out our website: http://www.thejuniorleague.org/paloalto/npo.jsp?pg=join5.

Jovita Honor
Why did you join the League and how long have you been an Active?
I joined the league to get involved in the community in a way that worked with my busy schedule and to meet other women. I've been an active member since 2004.

What is your fondest memory from your time in the League?
Attending the Starting Line Breakfast where the JLPAMP was recognized for starting a shelter for homeless youth over two decades prior. I was not involved at all with this project but I felt very proud to be part of a group that would create a solution to a problem they noticed at the time and that now was a big part of the community services.

What most surprised you once you joined the League?
I'm surprised by the diversity of experience among the women in this league. From medical to law to technical, etc.

What are you looking forward to this league year?
I'm looking forward to working with our committee (Provisional committee) in creating a welcoming and energizing atmosphere for our Provisional’s.

What is your favorite vacation destination?
Right now I'm fascinated with Italy having visited for the first time last year and going again this fall.

What keeps you busy when you're not doing Junior League related activities?
Building and managing my Wealth Advisory business keeps me very busy. This year I'm also a volunteer on another non-profit fundraiser that has been a wonderful experience because I'm working with other friends I've met at the Jr. League as well as sustainers I had not had the pleasure of meeting before.

What is your favorite movie of all time?
A Philadelphia Story with Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart.

Carrie Peacock
Why did you join the League and how long have you been an active?
I was new to the area and wanted to make friends and learn about the community. 3 years active.

What is your fondest memory from your time in the League?
In my previous league in Texas, we did a prom dress project and supplied prom dresses to less fortunate high school girls. Seeing the girls get so excited about finding the perfect dress was very heartwarming.

What most surprised you once you joined the League?
I was surprised by how many opportunities there were for me to get involved. I was also very impressed with the structure of the organization.

What are you looking forward to this league year?
Welcoming all the new provisional’s into Junior League!

What is your favorite vacation destination?
Grand Cayman

What keeps you busy when you're not doing Junior League related activities?
Spending time with my husband and 4 year old daughter.

What is your favorite movie of all time?
Seeing that I've only been exposed to kids movies in 4 years, I would say Mary Poppins.

Get to Know Our 2010-11 League President Stefanie Bruggeman

By Michelle Hostrup and Summer Brill


Welcome to the 2010-11 League Year!
We are very excited to welcome Stefanie Bruggeman as our League President this year. She introduced herself to the League at large at our General Meeting in May, but we thought it would be fun to ask her a few questions to get to know her on a more personal level. Our first General Meeting is September 15th at 6:15pm, hope to see you there!

Why did you join the League and how long have you been an Active?
I joined the League 13 years ago seeking to make friends and work in the community, pretty much the same reasons many of us join. I can honestly say that during my years as a League member, both those things have been met.

What is your fondest memory from your time in the League?
I worked on the East Palo Alto Charter School Committee as a committee member. I taught a Character Development Class to 12, 7th-grade girls, once a week, for the year. One day, I came ready to teach and noticed that no one was participating. When I asked around, the students told me they had just come out of a state-testing session and everyone's brains were fried. We ended up talking for 45 minutes about anything they wanted to talk about. It was very loose and everyone participated. It was a great learning session. We talked more about developing character in that one class than we had all year long. I learned a lot about the serious issues those girls were dealing with. One girl's dad was in jail, another's brother had just been killed by a gang-shooting and still another was sharing her house with multiple families. It’s a day I always look back on with fondness.

What most surprised you once you joined the League?
I am continually surprised by how much I've learned over the years. I came into the League a working woman. Soon after, kids took over my life and I eventually left the job I had. The League has given me the opportunity to stay current with working trends, and skills. I feel empowered and confident by all that I'm doing and learning. When I'm ready to rejoin the working world, I will be using the skills I've learned through the League.
I'm also surprise by the number of Jr. Leaguers I run into in my daily life and in the strangest places! Where ever I'm at, I'm bound to see someone I've met through the League. I bumped into a college sorority sister, whom I hadn't seen in years, at an Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. (AJLI) conference this past year. We are everywhere and I love it!

What are you looking forward to this league year?
I'm very excited about the strategic direction AJLI is taking. They have launched a big strategic initiative to ensure that we stay relevant with women's lives today. Angela Espinosa is leading a Strategic Planning task force that will merge AJLI's plan with the needs of our league into one comprehensive Strategic Plan. Look for that report to be published later this year.

What is your favorite vacation destination?
Lake Tahoe! Hand down. I love the ease of being in the mountains. My favorite things to do while I'm there is hike, play on the Lake, and shop at the local boutiques and eating at local restaurants.
What keeps you busy when you're not doing Junior League related activities?
My family. I have three kids, ages 13, 11 and 9. Between their many activities and my husband's travel schedule I end up being the scheduler and chauffeur.
I also like to stay fit and love to run, take a fitness class or do yoga. I've run several half-marathons, and was on a team of 12 women who participated in a relay race that went from Napa to Santa Cruz. I'm always up for a hike at the Dish if anyone is interested!

What is your favorite restaurant on the Peninsula?
With the kids: Fiesta Del Mar II (on Castro in Mt. View), without kids: Bistro Elan (on California Ave in Palo Alto).

What 3 items would you take with you on a deserted island?
My Kindle, my family (maybe . . .) and chocolate.

Read Stefanie's President's message here: http://www.thejuniorleague.org/paloalto/npo.jsp?pg=about3

May 2010 – Inspiration for Leaders

"It's far more impressive when others discover your good qualities without your help."-- Judith Martin

This is the month we sit back and revel in our achievements from this past League year. We take time to tie up loose ends, prepare to sit down with the incoming leader who will fill our shoes, and pass along all the tidbits that will set them up for success. I know you guys are great leaders (I’ve seen you work!) and I trust that you will take the time to share what really worked and what really didn’t work. It’s critical that the League learn from the past so we can enhance the League experience for everyone. No one wants to experience challenges that could be avoided… and we all want each other to experience success.

I set aside a little time for my own reflection recently – and yes, it may have coincided with the task of submitting my end-of-year notes – but I just want to thank you for looking at this leadership inspiration from time to time. It has been a fun “extra” for me to put together throughout the year, and I hope it’s made you smile and think and maybe become a more confident leader too.

Here is something I have been waiting to share in this forum. You may have seen or heard if before, but it’s an effective way to think about leadership and the role each of us play in the “big picture.”

Lessons From Geese

Fact 1: As each goose flap its wings it creates an“uplift” for the birds that follow. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater range than if each bird flew alone.

Lesson: People who share a common sense of direction and community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

Fact 2: When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.

Lesson: If we have as much sense as a goose, we stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help and give our help to others.

Fact 3: When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies to the point position.

Lesson: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership, as with geese, people are interdependent on each other’s skill, capabilities and unique arrangement of gifts, talents or resources.

Fact 4: The geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

Lesson: We need to make sure our honking is encouraging. In groups where there is encouragement, the productivity is much greater. The power of encouragement (to stand by one’s heart or core values and encourage the heart and core of others) is the quality of honking we seek.

Fact 5: When a goose gets sick, wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay until it dies or can fly again. Then they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock.

Lesson: If we have as much sense as geese, we will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.

“Lessons from Geese” was transcribed from a speech given by Angeles Arrien at the 1991 Organizational Development Network and is based on the work of Milton Olson.

All the best to you as you wrap your year up and move forward. Let’s take these lessons from geese and “honk” (in a “v” formation) for each other as the year comes to an end on May 31st. (Totally kidding about the honking…)

Thank you, thank you for all that you’ve done – and will do – for our League!

Just for Fun: Burgers and Beer Social

POST BY TARA ROUSSEL



Remember chili cheese fries? I had completely forgotten about this delicacy but was happily reminded at our casual social Friday night: Burgers and Beer at the Dutch Goose. My $10 ticket bought a giant beer I couldn’t finish, endless baskets of fried cheese, deviled eggs, French fries and buckets of the aforementioned greasy, heavenly wonderment. I just started eating again at lunch today.



Thanks so much to the Enrichment Committee for organizing such a relaxed, fun kickoff to the weekend. It was fun to just change into jeans and pop on over as soon as the hubby got home from work.

April 2010 - Inspiration for Leaders

Giving Credit Where Credit is Due, with Humility

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending." -- Maria Robinson

It’s already April! You may have fast-forwarded a little to think ahead to next year, but, as a leader, there is still some work to do. As you prepare to wrap up and complete your League year, it’s critical to reflect on how successful your committee has been. Whether you’ve knocked a new project out of the park, helped a new idea become reality, or maintained an aspect of the League that already works well – you have no doubt had successes that deserve celebrating.

A tenet to remember is that a good leader should practice humility as successes are celebrated. Humility is one of those words that can sometimes be misunderstood. I looked it up and found the following message about humility:

Humility is all about maintaining our pride about who we are, about our achievements, about our worth - but without arrogance. It's about being content to let others discover the layers of our talents without having to boast about them.

Another mark of a leader who practices humility is his or her treatment of others. Such leaders treat everyone with respect regardless of position. Someone once said: the sign of a gentleman is how he treats those who can be of absolutely no use to him.

Something interesting happens, too, when we approach situations from a perspective of humility: it opens us up to possibilities, as we choose open-mindedness and curiosity over protecting our point of view. We spend more time willing to learn from what others have to offer. We forget about being perfect and we enjoy being in the moment.

Here are a few suggestions on practicing humility:

1. There are times when swallowing one's pride is particularly difficult and any intentions of humility fly out the window, as we get engaged in a contest of perfection, each side seeking to look good. If you find yourself in such no-win situations, consider developing some strategies to ensure that the circumstances don't lead you to lose your grace. Try this sometimes: just stop talking and allow the other person to be in the limelight. There is something very liberating in this strategy.
2. Here are three magical words that will produce more peace of mind than a week at an expensive retreat: "You are right."
3. Catch yourself if you slip into over-stepping or coaching without permission - is your desire to impose your point of view overtaking good judgment?
4. Seek others' input on how you are showing up in your leadership path. Ask: "How am I doing?" It takes humility to ask such a question. And even more humility to consider the answer.
5. Encourage the practice of humility in your committee through your own example: every time you share credit for successes with others, you reinforce the culture for your members. Consider mentoring or coaching emerging leaders on this key attribute of leadership.

There are many benefits to practicing humility: it improves relationships across all levels, it reduces anxiety, it encourages more openness and actually, it enhances one's self-confidence.

While I do not claim to be any sort of authority on this, I believe that showing your genuine interest in others and giving them credit where credit is due, can really propel us toward a whole host of future successes.

Enjoy tying that bow on the work you’ve done… and sincere thanks for everything. It will be fun to celebrate with you in May!

Some of this month’s sources include: content from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_69.htm

Do you feel inspired? Do you have suggestions for future topics? If you have questions or comments, or just want to comment on what you’ve read, please send a note to the Nominating Committee.