President's Awards given out at May 2008 Dinner Meeting.

Notable Newcomer-Sandy Jereb	Trailblazers-Ruth Gatling & Amanda Puppo
Beacon Of Light-Lisa Snyder	Unsung Hero-Stephanie Sharp

Awards Not Pictured: 

Team Players: Grazina Crisman, Sharon Rose, Robin Fogel 

Bridge Builder: Terri Petry

Awards Nominations:

The Teal Heart Award -- This service Award acknowledges members for outstanding service and dedication to the State and Chapters and provides public recognition of members' achievements. You may nominate someone throughout the year. Please send nominations to Awards Coordinator, Stephanie Sharp at stefs@sharpdes.com. Please include the nominees name, company name and describe why you feel she deserves this award.

NJAWBO awards to members include the Nancy C. Righter Award, Businesswoman of the Year, Teal Heart, and Communications and, to a non-member, the Rose and Scroll Award.  Awards criteria are described on the State's website www.NJAWBO.org, click on the Membership bar, then scroll down to the Awards bar.

 Yes, it's true!  The Mercer Chapter boasts of having one of its members selected as the winner of the NJAWBO Statewide Businesswoman of the Year Award for three years in a row.  In 2007, Kathy Morolda Cranbury Station Gallery, received the Award.  In 2006, Linda Richter ,Personal Paperwork Solutions and More, Inc., brought it home. And, in 2005, Linda Principe, Linda Principe Interiors, LLC, accepted the honor.  Scroll down for more details on our 2007 BWOY! 

 2007 Business Woman of the Year

Our Mercer Chapter is happy to boast that we have as a member, the State's 2007 Businesswoman of the Year, Kathleen Maguire Morolda, Cranbury Station Gallery.  Kathie was named the Mercer Chapter's Business Woman of the Year for 2007 and was our Chapter's nominee for NJAWBO State Business Woman of the Year. As you may have heard the exciting news, Kathie is the recipient of the State award and received this high honor at the NJAWBO State Conference in Atlantic City on May 15th. She received a Certificate from the Chapter at the April 12th, 2007, regular dinner meeting. 

In Kathie's words:

I started my business, Cranbury Station Gallery, because of a Dream that I had from an early age to be able to combine my love of art and my entrepreneurial tendencies into a “living”.

In 1978, the year Betty Simonetti and the original founders of NJAWBO were forming this group, my first child, Adam, was turning one, and my second child, Casserly was on the way. My husband Nick and I had purchased our home with the intent that some day I would be able to open an Art Gallery in an old black smith building shop on the property. I had decided by that time to stay at home and raise my children on a full time basis. My Dream to start my own business would be “on hold” for a while. However, with encouragement from my husband, we took time out each week to work on a business plan for that dream (although I don’t know if we actually called it a “business plan” back then!).

By the time Betty became the first NJAWBO State President (1981) I was expecting “Baby #3”. The actual business had not opened yet, but along with the baby, the Dream continued to grow stronger each day. In 1983, I “opened” Cranbury Station Gallery. When I say “opened” I mean I converted a spare room in our home into an Art/Framing Studio and began taking orders. I learned early, about the importance of networking, and gave everyone I knew my business card…at the grocery store, at my son’s   pre school, neighbors…anyone. My first corporate client, Heritage Bank (now PNC), was a result of giving my card to the branch manager.

An early obstacle for me was to overcome the stereotype of the “stay at home mom”.    It was not considered “cool” to give up a career and stay home with your children. We (women) had come so far and we seemed to be on a roll!   Many friends thought I was “selling out”.    The perception was that   I was just planning on doing my “crafts” to keep busy. But perhaps my bigger obstacle was myself.   Having been out of the workforce for the past five years, I had begun to lose some confidence about meeting with professionals. However, with constant positive encouragement from my husband not to let the Dream die, we were able to figure out a way to renovate the black smith shop. In order to address the financial obstacles during those days, we performed most of the labor and construction ourselves, along with our family, and in October of 1984, we celebrated our Grand Opening. (By the way, three years later “Baby #4” arrived.)

Over the past 24 years, my business has been fortunate enough to provide fine art and custom framing services to many prestigious companies, from that first assignment with the Heritage Banks,   to restoration of historic frames for Princeton University. Many wonderful people have trusted me to frame their valuable art and possessions.     I have also framed artwork for many famous people, from Bill Bradley and Toni Morrison to Bebe Neuwirth. Back in 1995, when the movie “IQ” was being filmed in Princeton, I was selected by Paramount Motion Pictures to frame all of the art in the scenes of Albert Einstein’s home. This was a real accomplishment, because the artwork had to be “authentic” to the era, and completed usually within 24 hrs!    I was recently hired by the Toy Industry Association to conduct seminars at their four day Toy Fair at Jacob Javits Center in NYC, on a variety of business challenges faced by Independent Business Owner, which was held earlier this month.

Although I am proud of all these accomplishments (and many more), perhaps the accomplishment I am most proud of is the courage I had to hire a manager for my business two years after I opened it. I had originally hired a caretaker for my children while I worked in the Gallery. Even though the Gallery was located on my property and my children were in my home, it became apparent to me early on, that I wanted to be with them, in our home, raising them myself. I believe one of the most difficult obstacles for business owners is the reluctance to delegate, and I was no exception. After figuring out that the monetary difference between hiring a manager for the Gallery and eliminating child care, was not great…I decided to “let go”.   However, I never relinquished my responsibility as being an owner while I oversaw the operation from my kitchen table.   The woman I hired stayed with me for eleven years, helping me to grow the business. This was probably the most important business decision I made.    I was happier and much more relaxed. While working from home, I was able to advance my skills as an artist, and began to sell my own artwork at the gallery. Shortly after that I was signed by Apple Arts as one of their published artists.     I continued to work from home during nap times, and started to hand out those business cards again, anywhere I took my children. The networking was alive again!

Before becoming President of the Borough Merchants for Princeton, I served on the Board for five years. I also was a member of, and played a prominent role in the Community Based Neighborhood Retail Initiative of Princeton Future (CBNR) a group consisting of residents, government officials, Princeton University representatives, and business owners.    My participation was the voice of the independent, smaller businesses in the Princeton area, addressing our immediate concerns, and where we would like to see independent businesses   in the future. This was a very successful venture. As an active member in the Princeton Chamber of Commerce, I am often asked to represent the Independent business owners on many panel discussions. As a result of my exposure on these panels, a new respect was emerging for the smaller businesses. With those concerns in mind, I was asked to sit on the Selection Committee for the Chamber’s new President/CEO. The women I supported was selected for the position.    I am often asked by local governmental officials to take part in Town Meetings, and earlier this month sat on a panel in front of several hundred people in a Town Meeting, addressing safety and community acceptance of all residents.

Part of my vision at the gallery is to mentor aspiring female artists in their business dreams. I encourage our part time employees to gain as much business experience as they can while working at the gallery, by exposing them to both   technical and business disciplines. One former female employee after graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design, started her own jewelry line in California. Another former female employee will graduate this June from Penn State. She is planning to start her own business detailing artwork on automobiles. Both women were employed by Cranbury Station Gallery throughout their high school years, and summers while at College. Currently, I am mentoring two female employees working at the gallery. Lorraine Morris is growing her clothing/home fashion design business, and Amy Krazinski is an art major at Montclair State University, and has her Dream to start her own jewelry business.  

In 1999, shortly after joining NJAWBO, I joined the Board, and signed up to be the Meeting Coordinator, where I served for several years. I felt this would be a good position for me. Having held many Gallery Openings, and Art Shows/Auctions,   I had experience in event planning. At that time, we didn’t have email addresses, so the attendees had to call the “hot line” stating their names, food choices, how many from their businesses would be attending. The hot line had to be checked almost daily, then reported to the restaurant. I would have to do the “head count” and pay the check at the end of the evening.   Understanding the importance of the NJAWBO goal to provide our members with the best learning and collaborative environment possible, it was very important to me to have the evening run smoothly, and I took my position seriously. I have always believed the Meeting Coordinator is one of the most valuable positions in NJAWBO, because every month I had the opportunity to greet and talk to each member… no matter what, they had to “sign in”, allowing me the opportunity to network with every member.

In 2000, I was able to again support the NJAWBO Mission and Vision by co chairing the State Conference when Mercer County was selected to host this important event. Along with Lisa Harrah, I was able to research and obtain high quality speakers to lead our many workshops, with subjects pertaining to challenges unique to women business owners. We were able to lead our committees and succeeded to provide NJAWBO women with a successful conference, which helped me to earn a Teal Heart Award later that year.    I have continued to be an active member by serving on our “Give Back”

committee for the past four years. At this point in my career, I consider this to be the most rewarding of all my positions. I have been involved in collecting toiletries and cell phones for Womenspace (a shelter for domestic abuse victims), collecting food for our Trenton Soup Kitchen, Clothing for a back to work program for women in need to have “interview” clothes. For the past three years, I have chaired our Silent Auction, where we raise scholarship funds for a deserving chapter member to attend the State Conference. Through my involvement in other networking groups, I have been able to share my positive experiences in NJAWBO and have successfully recruited several members.

I continue to be a proud, active member in NJAWBO for many reasons. I truly believe people do business with people they know and trust. Thru my association with this organization I have had the good fortune to get to know, and do business with, some of the finest women in the State of New Jersey. I continue to be inspired and impressed with the drive, dedication, and education I have been exposed to in this organization. It is encouraging for me every time a new young woman joins. I am fortunate to be at a stage in my career where NJAWBO allows me to contribute, through experience, to the success of these new business owners. Whether it is at a dinner meeting conversation or serving on a committee, it is a privilege to share my experience. I thank you for this opportunity.