Get To Know Our 2011-12 Board of Directors, Part XIII

By Michelle Hostrup, Communications Committee 2011-12

This is Part XIII of a series of interviews of our 2011-12 Board of Directors. Be sure to check out our introductory post on 5/19/11.

Jovita Honor Finance VP 2011-12

Jovita joined the League in 2003, and most of her roles since then have been finance related. Her first committee was the Habitat for Humanity IDA program in which she worked with adults who had purchased homes with the help from Habitat on their budgeting and financial skills. From there she went on to serve as the Holiday Boutique Treasurer for two years and was then on the Board as Treasurer and Finance VP. Most recently she was a Provisional Chair, a departure from the rest of her finance related League career, but one she immensely enjoyed.

Having served as Finance VP once before, she couldn’t be more prepared for the role. She has also worked with Meaux on committees in the past, and didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to work with her again. Jovita is especially looking forward to getting to know the other members of the Board. She mentioned that working on the Board allows for the greatest impact, and is the best way to meet more people.

Jovita admitted that this past year allowed her more balance between work and the League because it was not a financial role. I was surprised to hear that since I know that chairing the Provisional committee can be extremely time intensive. But Jovita is accustomed to working hard, because the harder you work, the more you can "play". And Jovita is not one to shy away from the social activities!

When Jovita's not working, she likes to read, plan trips or hang out at home with her husband and dogs. She is always up for a new challenge and trying new things. Although the Finance VP role comes with more familiarity, the economic landscape will certainly put a twist on managing the financial components of the League. But she never walks away from a challenge; to prove it, she just started learning to play golf. Good luck Jovita!

That's it for our Board of Director interviews! Thank you ladies for participating!

Get To Know Our 2011-12 Board of Directors, Part XII

By Michelle Hostrup, Communications Committee 2011-12

This is Part XII of a series interviewing our 2011-12 Board of Directors. Please check out our introductory post on 5/19/11.

Rahela Abbas, President Elect 2011-12

Rahela transferred to the JLPA-MP from the East Coast, and started out with only a single friend in the Bay Area. Today she probably has hundreds of friends because of her involvement with the League. She met Vanessa Roach and other members at a JLPA-MP Open House when she first moved to the area and knew immediately that this was the League for her.

Rahela is the President-Elect this year, and although she'll focus on being a sponge to Meaux in preparation for her Presidency, she plans to stay busy with her involvement on the Strategic Planning Council. The Strategic Plan is a huge priority, one which Rahela believes can take our League to the next level. And Rahela is the kind of motivated and organized leader to make those changes happen!

This will be the fourth year Rahela has been on the Board. She is currently wrapping up her position as Membership VP, and in the past has Co-Chaired Spring Gala, Provisional Committee, and worked on Done in a Day and The Shop committees. She is also active in the community as a Board member for Rebuilding Together Peninsula and is currently the Director of Donor Relations in the Development Office at Stanford. She's lucky that her career and Junior League activities are closely related which I'm sure benefits both parts of her life.

Rahela will be celebrating her 10 year wedding anniversary next year, and keeps busy at home with her two children. But aside from her family, the Junior League is her top priority. She is working on saying "no" to other organizations who want her involvement, because her priority is with the League.

Rahela is an events gal - she loves to eat, drink and socialize. But in her free time, what she really loves the most is connecting with friends - old and new. She told me during our conversation that she would walk to the ends of the earth for her friends if she had to. Staying in touch is very dear to her. She shared with me a personal practice that she's implemented into her daily life, something I think we all could follow. Every day Rahela strives to acknowledge four different people in small and big ways. She might thank a colleague for getting her a report, or thank her husband for putting gasoline in her car. I think whether you thank one or four people, just that change in perspective and way of carrying out your day can make a huge difference in the world.

Stay tuned for more Board Member interviews!

Get To Know Our 2011-12 Board of Directors, Part XI

By Michelle Hostrup, Communications Committee 2011-12

This is Part XI of a series interviewing our 2011-12 Board of Directors. Please check out our introductory post on 5/19/11.

Polly Neumann, Sr SPAC Delegate 2011-12

For those who don't know what SPAC is, it's the State Public Affairs Committee, and I promise this won't be the last time you hear or read about SPAC within the League. Polly Neumann is the Senior SPAC Delegate for this League year, and she has a busier job than ever. Polly never imagined she would be this involved with government affairs and legislation, but like so many Leaguers, she has a tremendous League mentor that has influenced her to get involved in SPAC. Cat Carlton is the California SPAC 2011-2012 President, a huge honor, and the reason Polly is the Sr. SPAC delegate for next year.

Cat and Polly met as Provisionals and have been close friends since. When Cat began to coach Polly on the power to make changes through SPAC, Polly was immediately hooked. Polly considers herself very fortunate to have found a mentor like Cat, and feels that as a team they can accomplish anything. They have already come so far, celebrating both of their leadership positions and their sponsored bill that will be presented in Sacramento (you will hear more about this soon).

Although my intention was to speak about Polly, I cannot talk about her role and success in the League without mentioning Cat. Without her support, Polly might not have gotten to where she is today, which is an important one because she has the power to make real change in the world. Polly is a real estate agent and works long hours, but she partners with her mom so they're able to balance the work load between the two of them. She also leverages her husband, who couldn't be more supportive of her Junior League involvement. The power of support, whether by friend or family, can allow you to tackle the challenges of the League and might possibly make a difference in the world. And in Polly's case, passing a bill that would give the parents of foster children the same rights as birth parents (in terms to accessing their child's health records), could really change lives.

Stay tuned for more Board Member interviews!

Get to Know Our 2011-12 Board of Directors, Part X

By Michelle Hostrup, Communications Committee 2011-12

This is Part X of a series of interviews of our 2011-12 Board of Directors. Please check out our original introductory post on 5/19/11.

Joy Peacock, Membership Development VP 2011-12

Joy Peacock will be championing Membership Development next year. She has recently experienced a lot of newness in her life including a new job at the Santa Clara University Law School. When she started her new job she told her manager, who was already aware of her Junior League involvement from the interview process, that she would be highly involved in the Junior League and that her participation in League activities was a priority. She is acutely aware that she will have a lasting impact on the Junior League community, and her success and learning will allow her to do the same for the law school community. And her boss totally agreed. Way to set priorities, Joy!

Joy is very much aligned with Meaux in terms of membership goals. They both agree that a large part of the strategic plan for the League needs to be towards new member recruitment, training current members and retaining them. Membership Development has combined Membership Enrichment and Training, which were previously separate committees. Joy's focus for next year is to align her committee with active members, ensure that Nominating is placing the right person in the right leadership position, and that overall there is more open communication and interaction.

Joy realizes that it's a huge challenge for non-profits to retain their volunteers, and even harder during a down economy. The JLPA-MP has a healthy membership, but must continue to focus on expansion and growth. She acknowledges that women join the League to meet other like-minded women and to volunteer in the community. But where we take that next step, how we attract and retain, is the same reason Joy continues to be a very active member and not sustain - she constantly meets new and interesting people, who have added to her personal and professional network of friends. And to provide that opportunity to prospective members and current members who may not be as front and center will make the biggest difference in our membership.

Stay tuned for more Board Member interviews!

Get to Know Our 2011-12 Board of Directors, Part IV

By Michelle Hostrup, Communications Committee 2011-12

This is Part X of a series of interviews of our 2011-12 Board of Directors. Check out our introductory post 5/19/11.

Meaux Costello, President 2011-12

Meaux Costello didn't plan on being the 2011-2012 President of the JLPA-MP - she actually never planned on being League President. But somewhere down the line, after holding multiple placements and sitting on the Board for four years, she realized all her learning and development experiences had enabled her to be a strong and effective leader. This realization prompted her to get in the line to be a future JLPA-MP President. And as life would have it, everything got moved ahead when the originally slated President Elect had to step down.

Although Meaux had planned to have an extra 12 months to prepare for the role, she accepted the position a year early like a true leader.

Meaux is all too familiar with changing directions. She recently left her job after being a lawyer for twenty years to care for her sister who was recently diagnosed with cancer. It was a big decision, but with the support of her husband and family she has been able to make it all work. The League is such an important part of her life that she accepted the role during a time when it probably would have been easier to focus only on family.

Meaux has a strong sense of pride and ownership in the League and is fiercely committed to its cause. Her top priorities for the year are finance and community. She mentioned in our conversation that the impact on the economy was delayed in how it has affected the JLPA-MP. There has been a decrease in underwriting for the Home Tour, a decrease in donations and purchases at The Shop, and fewer anticipated new members in the League. As a result she is determined to turn things around. Meaux also plans to stay in close contact with our Community Board of Advisors, evaluate our grant process, and ensure that we engage the best projects that are fulfilling for League members while satisfying the Junior League Mission.

Meaux clearly has a lot of big plans for next year, and fortunately has a great team to help her accomplish these goals. Many of the Board members expressed their excitement and eagerness to work with Meaux. She has many supporters and mentors in the League who have enabled her to get to where she is today. The League has helped her in her professional and personal life, including running better meetings and being more persuasive and greater examples like being a better lawyer, sister, wife and friend. Meaux has been inspired by the League and its leaders since she joined, and is a firm believer that the League offers some of the best practices for home, work and life in general. She plans on pushing that philosophy forward and establishing an even stronger sense of connectedness among League members, because she believes that we all have the potential to be great leaders and sit in her seat one day - and she's going to do her best to help us get there.

Stay tuned for more Board Member interviews!