Lompoc Women in Business

WOMEN

IN BUSINESS

115 North St., Lompoc, CA 93436 (805) 736-2313 • Fax (805) 736-5654 • www.lompocrecord.com A Lee Enterprises Newspaper

Sunday, February 26, 2017

Published Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday mornings at the Santa Maria Times building, 3200 Skyway Drive, Santa Maria, California.

Entered as “Periodicals” in the post office at Lompoc, California, 93438, under act of Congress. Adjudicated legal newspaper from Superior Court Decree No. 47065. The Lompoc Record is a member of the California Newspaper Publishers’ Association, The Associated Press, The Audit Bureau of Circulation and the California Newspaper Youth Foundation.

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Inspired by family, mentors, Lisa Long achieves career

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‘With family support, you can do something at one stage in your life, and then do something equally great at another stage’

Len Wood, Staff

Lisa Long is the Deputy Controller for the Central Coast Water Authority. She is shown in her Buellton office.While raising her family and working for the City of Santa Maria, she earned her bachelor and master’s degrees. She is immediate past president of Rotary Club of Santa Maria.

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Lisa Long spent most of her adult life raising children. Today, she is Buellton Water District’s deputy controller and two classes and one thesis away from earning her master’s degree.

“With family support, you can do something at one stage in your life, and then do something equally great at another stage,” Long said.

Long, who lives in Orcutt, didn’t start working toward her associate’s degree until her own children had reached school age.

“At that point, I never thought I’d have a college education. It turns out that, with family support, applying yourself and a crazy amount of work, you can get a lot done,” she said.

While serving family, she also began serving the community. She volunteered as a women’s Bible study leader at Grace Baptist Church. She got involved with a group of women who traveled annually to Pattaya, Thailand to volunteer at Tamar Center, which provides jobskills training for prostitutes leaving the streets. There, Long and other members of her Team America spoke about their life choices, jobs, careers of women they knew.

She had part-time jobs here and there, she said, but nothing that could lead to a career or provided retirement benefits.

By 2008, her own children largely self sufficient, Long returned to full-time work. At Comcast, her general manager, Christina Villanueva, encouraged Long to continue her education.

“If it hadn’t been for the encouragement of a great, woman manager who helped me see my potential, I wouldn’t have gone on to get my bachelor’s degree, and because of that degree, PLEASE SEE LONG, Page A8

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Pat Silva-Zeitler has been serving Lompoc for a generation Jennifer Best CONTRIBUTING WRITER

While appliance sales, maintenance and repair are in Pat Silva-Zeitler’s blood, it is service to people with special needs that fills her soul.

The second-generation owner of Appliance Center—Maytag in Lompoc doesn’t hit the floor to reach under appliances anymore. Instead, she staffs the office and relies on her younger, more agile technician, Cully Thomas, to carry on the work her family has provided for 70 years.

While technology, visibility and staffing have

changed, their commitment to service, family ideals and friendly tradition haven’t. Though they closed their storefront a year ago, they still work six days a week, nine hours per day from a home office and mobile unit, providing concierge shopping services, maintenance and repair.

“We believe in oldtown customer service.

We still have the same way of hopefully treating our customers like our friends, and we treat our employees the same way.

We’re not a big box, leaveyour-money-and-goaway business. If you have a problem, we’re here to

‘If you don’t know your business, you have no business being in that business’ help,” Silva-Zeitler said.

Silva-Zeitler’s grandparents moved from Santa Maria to Lompoc in 1917, one wagon load at a time.

In 1947, upon returning from his military service, her father, John Silva, went to work for Moore’s Department Store, heading its appliance department.

“After the war, people started building houses,

filling them, buying appliances. There was a massive population of GIs. Mr. Moore asked my father if he would like to run the appliance department,” Silva-Zeitler recalled.

By the time Pat was born her father had opened his own storefront where she recalls playing as a small child while her parents sold and maintained washers and driers, refrigerators and more.

John returned to Moore’s for a short stint before opening the Appliance Center in 1969.

Silva-Zeitler married and moved overseas, following her husband in his assignments to tracking

| Sunday, February 26, 2017 | Lee Central Coast Newspapers

The Dal Pozzo Agency has the experience and commitment it takes to help you protect your family and business. We are a team that knows the meaning of service and want to help you get the coverage you need for the things that are important—your family, home, business, boat and more, So you can feel good knowing that you and the life you’ve worked so hard to build are protected.

A2

Announcing our newly licensed life And sAles speciAlist’s

Insurancesubjecttoavailabilityandqualifications.AllstateInsurancecompanyandAllstatePropertyandCasual InsuranceCompany,Northbrook,Illinois©2009AllsateInsuranceCompany

SusanDalPozzo(AllstateExclusiveAgentandTrustedAdvisor) KellyBlewis(AgencyManager,SeniorLicensedAgent/LifeandRetirementLicensed) AnneSmith(SeniorCustomerServiceRepandLicensedAgent)

Award Winning Agency

• Auto • Life • Retirement Planning • Renter • Condo • Home • Motorcycle • Boat • Commercial The office is located at 418 East Ocean Avenue in Lompoc and can be reached at (805)735-6466.

Susan- a018577@allstate.com Kelly- Kellyblewis@allstate.com Anne- annesmith2@allstate.com Stop by and visit our newly updated office!

Mystique salon de Beauté

is proud to announce their second year in business. Owner/stylist Bettina Gardner has 30 plus years experience behind the chair.

We offer hair care for men, women & children, as well as nails, body & Brazilian waxing. Facials and microdermabrasion. Mystique carries a full line of retail products including Davines, Redken, Nuema, Living Proof and many more.

From left to right: Sharene Guerra, Lyn Powers, Bettina Gardner, Annie Kuzee, Stephanie Federman, Back Crystal Moss Missing in pic: Martha Ramos, Bobbi Ehrlich

Like us on Facebook and Instagram.

Located at 1305-J No. H St You may call us at 819-0097

stations along the equator: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Seychelles, Hawaii. Throughout their travels, she sought out people with special needs, educated their families and provided medical supplies and equipment to hospitals while also teaching people with hearing and speech loss.

“We traveled around to do outreach programs to find disabled individuals.

We would literally pull them out of closets,” she recalled.

She is proud that her own daughter, Jean, was a willing example of what living with deafness could look like. While other cultures hid their citizens with disabilities, SilvaZeitler traveled around the globe with her daughter.

Her service area included Guam, Pohnpei, Palau, Marianas, Majuro and other islands where she helped provide hearing aids and medical audiology equipment to clinics and hospitals.

When they transferred to the Seychelles Islands in the Indian Ocean, she became the director of the state’s special education program.

“It wasn’t that I had the background to run a statewide program. It was a matter of simply having more experience than anyone else who was available,” SilvaZeitler recalled.

With support from Save the Children Fund, her program again explored remote areas to find people with disabilities and provide them assistance.

“It was one of the proudest moments of my life,” she said.

When Silva-Zeitler returned to Lompoc in

1988, her father made her an offer she couldn’t refuse.

“I spent more than 20 years overseas. I loved it.

But you still couldn’t find a better place to live than on the Central Coast of California. I loved coming back to the family business. I grew up in the business, and it gave me the same opportunity I’d had in my previous positions to provide customer service, to become friends and family with customers, and now I’ve been here almost 30 years,” she said.

She returned to school to become a service technician.

“If you don’t know your business, you have no business being in that business,” she said.

In her personal time, Silva-Zeitler got involved with Special Olympics which she has served as a volunteer, coach and assistant coach. Today, she serves as president of Supporting Special Needs Adaptive Programs (SSNAP), a nonprofit which aims to raise awareness and funding for adaptive programs for local people with disabilities.

“We have been extraordinarily fortunate. Should I choose to retire, and I have no plans to retire (my dad didn’t retire until he was 95), Cully will be the third-generation here because, although he is no blood relative to me, he could be my son. I really treasure him in that way.

The business will continue as long as our customers like us,” Silva-Zeitler said.

Jennifer Best can be reached at jbest@bestfamilyadventures.com.

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Pat Silva-Zeitler has been serving Lompoc for a generation Jennifer Best CONTRIBUTING WRITER

While appliance sales, maintenance and repair are in Pat Silva-Zeitler’s blood, it is service to people with special needs that fills her soul.

The second-generation owner of Appliance Center—Maytag in Lompoc doesn’t hit the floor to reach under appliances anymore. Instead, she staffs the office and relies on her younger, more agile technician, Cully Thomas, to carry on the work her family has provided for 70 years.

While technology, visibility and staffing have

changed, their commitment to service, family ideals and friendly tradition haven’t. Though they closed their storefront a year ago, they still work six days a week, nine hours per day from a home office and mobile unit, providing concierge shopping services, maintenance and repair.

“We believe in oldtown customer service.

We still have the same way of hopefully treating our customers like our friends, and we treat our employees the same way.

We’re not a big box, leaveyour-money-and-goaway business. If you have a problem, we’re here to

‘If you don’t know your business, you have no business being in that business’ help,” Silva-Zeitler said.

Silva-Zeitler’s grandparents moved from Santa Maria to Lompoc in 1917, one wagon load at a time.

In 1947, upon returning from his military service, her father, John Silva, went to work for Moore’s Department Store, heading its appliance department.

“After the war, people started building houses,

filling them, buying appliances. There was a massive population of GIs. Mr. Moore asked my father if he would like to run the appliance department,” Silva-Zeitler recalled.

By the time Pat was born her father had opened his own storefront where she recalls playing as a small child while her parents sold and maintained washers and driers, refrigerators and more.

John returned to Moore’s for a short stint before opening the Appliance Center in 1969.

Silva-Zeitler married and moved overseas, following her husband in his assignments to tracking

| Sunday, February 26, 2017 | Lee Central Coast Newspapers

The Dal Pozzo Agency has the experience and commitment it takes to help you protect your family and business. We are a team that knows the meaning of service and want to help you get the coverage you need for the things that are important—your family, home, business, boat and more, So you can feel good knowing that you and the life you’ve worked so hard to build are protected.

A2

Announcing our newly licensed life And sAles speciAlist’s

Insurancesubjecttoavailabilityandqualifications.AllstateInsurancecompanyandAllstatePropertyandCasual InsuranceCompany,Northbrook,Illinois©2009AllsateInsuranceCompany

SusanDalPozzo(AllstateExclusiveAgentandTrustedAdvisor) KellyBlewis(AgencyManager,SeniorLicensedAgent/LifeandRetirementLicensed) AnneSmith(SeniorCustomerServiceRepandLicensedAgent)

Award Winning Agency

• Auto • Life • Retirement Planning • Renter • Condo • Home • Motorcycle • Boat • Commercial The office is located at 418 East Ocean Avenue in Lompoc and can be reached at (805)735-6466.

Susan- a018577@allstate.com Kelly- Kellyblewis@allstate.com Anne- annesmith2@allstate.com Stop by and visit our newly updated office!

Mystique salon de Beauté

is proud to announce their second year in business. Owner/stylist Bettina Gardner has 30 plus years experience behind the chair.

We offer hair care for men, women & children, as well as nails, body & Brazilian waxing. Facials and microdermabrasion. Mystique carries a full line of retail products including Davines, Redken, Nuema, Living Proof and many more.

From left to right: Sharene Guerra, Lyn Powers, Bettina Gardner, Crystal Reyes, Annie Kuzee, Stephanie Federman, Back Crystal Moss Missing in pic: Martha Ramos, Bobbi Ehrlich

Like us on Facebook and Instagram.

Located at 1305-J No. H St You may call us at 819-0097

stations along the equator: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Seychelles, Hawaii. Throughout their travels, she sought out people with special needs, educated their families and provided medical supplies and equipment to hospitals while also teaching people with hearing and speech loss.

“We traveled around to do outreach programs to find disabled individuals.

We would literally pull them out of closets,” she recalled.

She is proud that her own daughter, Jean, was a willing example of what living with deafness could look like. While other cultures hid their citizens with disabilities, SilvaZeitler traveled around the globe with her daughter.

Her service area included Guam, Pohnpei, Palau, Marianas, Majuro and other islands where she helped provide hearing aids and medical audiology equipment to clinics and hospitals.

When they transferred to the Seychelles Islands in the Indian Ocean, she became the director of the state’s special education program.

“It wasn’t that I had the background to run a statewide program. It was a matter of simply having more experience than anyone else who was available,” SilvaZeitler recalled.

With support from Save the Children Fund, her program again explored remote areas to find people with disabilities and provide them assistance.

“It was one of the proudest moments of my life,” she said.

When Silva-Zeitler returned to Lompoc in

1988, her father made her an offer she couldn’t refuse.

“I spent more than 20 years overseas. I loved it.

But you still couldn’t find a better place to live than on the Central Coast of California. I loved coming back to the family business. I grew up in the business, and it gave me the same opportunity I’d had in my previous positions to provide customer service, to become friends and family with customers, and now I’ve been here almost 30 years,” she said.

She returned to school to become a service technician.

“If you don’t know your business, you have no business being in that business,” she said.

In her personal time, Silva-Zeitler got involved with Special Olympics which she has served as a volunteer, coach and assistant coach. Today, she serves as president of Supporting Special Needs Adaptive Programs (SSNAP), a nonprofit which aims to raise awareness and funding for adaptive programs for local people with disabilities.

“We have been extraordinarily fortunate. Should I choose to retire, and I have no plans to retire (my dad didn’t retire until he was 95), Cully will be the third-generation here because, although he is no blood relative to me, he could be my son. I really treasure him in that way.

The business will continue as long as our customers like us,” Silva-Zeitler said.

Jennifer Best can be reached at jbest@bestfamilyadventures.com.

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Sharon Pensabene took a chance, and it was worth it Jennifer Best CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Sharon Pensabene’s story epitomizes that of many women balancing professional careers with family life and community service. Now celebrating 25 years as an agent with New York Life Insurance Company, she has ridden the roller coasters of parenthood and the economy, changes in her industry and in technology.

“Where I am today is light years away from where I started. When I sit back and look, it’s amazing that I stuck to it and have been somewhat successful. It’s been hardfought,” she said.

In 1992, Pensabene was putting in long hours in the hotel and restaurant

industry. She was rarely available to her family.

Looking for a change, she answered an ad in the newspaper which led her to open an insurance agency in her Lompoc home.

That first year, two toddlers often interrupted her work. When her school-age children returned home, there were practices and games, after-school activities of all sorts. She was chief cook and bottle washer, taxi driver and nurse.

One season, all four children were playing softball on different teams, on different fields across town from each other. She’d race from one field to another to try to catch the action.

“Sometimes, it was

Sharon L. Pensabene Insurance and Financial Services Sharon Pensabene at 419 East Ocean Ave here in Lompoc starts her 25th year in business in February 2017! 25 years of hard work and dedication has been so rewarding; building business and personal relationships within the Lompoc community. Angelina Pensabene is in her 7th year as office manager, soon to be licensed as an agent. A quarter of a century serving families and businesses locally.

Sharon provides the personal touch for clients. Listening to you first, then recommending and suggesting plans that may be suitable for you and your needs. HARD topics to discuss such as death, disability, aging, long term care and health insurance.

With today’s financial uncertainties, the peace of mind provided in purchasing retirement plans is immeasurable. Retirement plans for clients include 401K rollovers, IRA’s, annuities and the lifetime income products that are so favorable to retirees today.

Remember, the ‘old white house with the white picket fence’ is where to come for your insurance and financial needs.

office presence.

“If she hadn’t come to me and given me a start with that $100-permonth office space, I would never have started to have a business. That was her gift to me,” Pensabene said.

Through her professional life, she built longterm ties to the community, made close friends, maintained long-term customers. Her volunteer service has run in line with her family-focused life. She joined Kiwanis because of its focus on serving children in the community. She and her

Karin Montoya, Director of Fitness and Juanita Carnahan, PT, Owner are excited about the plans for Pier Fitness in 2017.

We have The Alter G, anti- gravity treadmill and we also have new aerobic equipment coming in March 2017, including new cycling bikes for our group exercise studio. Our fitness class programming is varied with experienced fun instructors who make each workout exciting. Some of our classes include, Cycling, Row and Ride which incorporates our water rowing machines, Zumba, Pilates, Yoga, Strengthening, and Aerobic Circuit Classes. Come check us out!

Whatever your fitness level is when you start, we have something for you.

Give us a call, or come by, we would love to work with you.

803 East Walnut Ave 736-3493

Red Cross.

My job has allowed me to have a career be a part of my life, make wonderful friendships that I can’t even put across in words, be able to service the community because you’re able to carve out time,” Pensabene said.

She said she doesn’t regret, for a moment, her decision to make the career switch.

“You have to take a chance, even if it’s something you think you could never do. Take a risk.

When you get down to brass knuckles, you have more inside than you ever think you do. It’s worth it,” Pensabene said.

Jennifer Best can be reached at jbest@bestfamilyadventures.com.

Jolene’s Elegant Hair Fashions Jolene, owner (left) will celebrate her 3rd anniversary this June, and would like to express her appreciation to all the patrons for their continuous support in her business.

Jolene continues to provide personal and professional service and continues to support the Lompoc Chamber, Beast Cancer Awareness, local schools and businesses.

Celebrating one year at Jolene’s, Stylist Mona, (right) is available to take appointments on Thursdays and Fridays.

Her specialties are long hair, precision cuts and spiral perms, silk wraps, manicures and pedicures.

She is fluent in Spanish.

Still doing professional manicures and pedicures on Mondays only is long time co-worker Ellsie (not pictured).

Please contact us or stop by 122 North A Street for all of your hair care needs.

Call 805-736-4334

A3

Call Sharon L. Pensabene...

(805) 735-2657 • 419 East Ocean Ave

hysterical. Sometimes you wonder how it could possibly go the way it did, how women can actually think they can run a business and raise a family, and sometimes you can’t; you do the best you can,” Pensabene said.

The home-based office arrangement lasted a year before she met Charlotte Benton, once the mayor of Lompoc and an icon in Lompoc’s business community. Benton invited Pensabene to rent a small office space which, in turn, provided a more professional facade, a space to meet people, an

husband, Joe, donate to every youth sporting event, league and team they can find, Pensabene said.

She was also a founding member of Lompoc Business Women’s Network, for which she served as president for years. In addition to networking, the organization focused on volunteer service to women: scholarships, maintenance at the domestic violence shelter, women’s college reentry programs.

She’s taken part in half a dozen breast cancer fundraising walks, including the 39-mile Avon walk. After 9/11, she was part of an effort which raised $25,000 in the Lompoc Valley for donation to the American

Lee Central Coast Newspapers | Sunday, February 26, 2017 |

From left: Sharon Pensabene and Angelina

‘When you get down to brass knuckles, you have more inside than you ever think you do’

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Terri Lee Coleman balances career with giving back Jennifer Best CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A4

| Sunday, February 26, 2017 | Lee Central Coast Newspapers

It might be said that Terri Lee Coleman is a child-led volunteer — as one of the busiest volunteers in Santa Maria Valley she demonstrates the balance of maintaining a professional career with conducting the busy life of volunteer service.

“Ultimately, I’m perfectly content spending my time and energy focusing on making Santa Maria a better community. I thoroughly enjoy being involved in the community,” said Coleman, advancement specialist at her alma mater, Allan Hancock College.

In addition to her professional role seeking out grants and other resources for college

students and programs, Coleman serves on the Santa Maria Police Council Board, Leadership Santa Maria Valley Alumni Association, Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Maria Valley, and is a member of California Women for Agriculture, Rotary Club of Santa Maria, and Pacific Christian Center.

She also spent 20 hears on the board at Santa Maria YMCA. In October, California State Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian awarded Coleman the 2016 Community Impact Award for the 35th Assembly District. She was among only two people honored among the nearly half a million to choose from in the two-county district.

“When I was younger,

Connie Clancy L-R Jessyka, Connie, owner, Jackie, Debbie & Sara.

Connie Clancy is a 3rd generation florist with over 45 years of experience under her belt. Connie is the owner of Lompoc Valley Florist and Home Décor. The shop is a member of FTD, Teleflora and Society of American Florist . Connie has deep roots in the community. She is a member of the Lompoc Hospital Foundation, Lompoc Valley Festival Association and Alpha Club. Connie strongly supports Cabrillo High Schools floriculture program and several other organizations. non-pr Our designers boast over 90 years combined experience and each one has something fresh and unique to bring to the designing table.

Lompoc Valley Florist has been going strong in the community for over 40 years (36 of which under Connie’s direction) We would like to say thank you to our loyal patrons, we truly appreciate all the support and positive feedback we’ve gotten from the community all these years. Follow us on Facebook . Or check us out at www.LompocValleyFlorist.com

Your L Flori ocal st

1026 No H St

736-2700

‘You don’t set out to teach kids to serve. You show through example.’ there were people who gave me a hand, and it’s an opportunity to give back,” Coleman said.

Coleman moved to Santa Maria when she was 8 years old.

She attended Fairlawn Elementary, El Camino Junior High and Santa Maria High schools before heading to Hancock College, from which she is a proud graduate.

As a single parent, she got involved in the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Maria.

“My kids are products of the Boys & Girls Club, so I’ve remained involved

with them,” she said.

It was her son, Manny Martinez, who inspired Coleman to become involved in the Santa Maria Police Council.

For half a dozen years, he served as an Explorer Scout at the department.

Coleman stayed on with the council, a nonprofit which serves to provide safety materials and equipment for the city’s police officers.

Since the council was established in 2007, more than $525,000 has been donated to meet unbudgeted needs. Some items funded through the council have included an armored vehicle, training weapons, crime lab equipment, canine unit and related training, patches for the Explorer PLEASE SEE COLEMAN, Page A8

Ebbert’s Heritage Real Estate & Ebbert’s Property Management

104 South C St. #C Lompoc 805-740-1909 Ebbert’s has been in business for over 50 years in the Lompoc Valley and is one of the oldest and most trusted names around! The ladies at Ebbert’s can help you with all of your Real Estate needs – buying or selling properties, managing your residential or commercial rentals, or finding your perfect rental home! We are conveniently located in the Holloway Building at the corner of Ocean & C Street.

740-1909 / lynnawhite@yahoo.com Pictured above: Lynn White, Broker/Owner of Ebbert’s Property Management and Ebbert’s Heritage Real Estate; Julie Maglinte, Realtor/ Property Manager with Ebbert’s Heritage Real Estate and Ebbert’s Property Management; Consuelo Cisneros, Realtor with Ebbert’s Heritage Real Estate.

Len Wood, Staff

Terri Lee Coleman is probably among the busiest volunteers in Santa Maria Valley. In addition to her professional role at her alma mater, Hancock College, she serves on the Santa Maria Police Council Board, Leadership Santa Maria Valley Alumni Association, member of California Women for Agricutlure, Rotary Club of Santa Maria and Pacific Christian Center. She also spent 20 years as a board member at Santa Maria Valley YMCA.

Bumatay Jewelers Bumatay Jewelers, at 129 West Central Avenue, has been serving the jewelry needs of the Lompoc Valley and surrounding areas since 1983. Bumatay Jewelers was voted Favorite of Lompoc Valley 10 years in a row. In 2014, Bumatay Jewelers was honored to receive The Small Business Excellence Award by The Chamber of Commerce. and has an excellent rating with the Better Business Bureau. Our goal is to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations with the jewelry we have to offer, and great customer service. Come in and see one owner Alane Bumatay, right and let her help you find that very special piece of jewelry to suit your needs. Rosalie Siemsen, left, will be here to help you choose a beautiful gift or help with all of your jewelry needs.

We have beautiful colored stone, diamond, pearl, and gold jewelry for every occasion. Bumatay Jewelers specializes in crafting custom jewelry to your precise needs. Come in and talk with Robert about having an exquisite one-of-a-kind piece made especially for you or someone special in your life. See Alex with your unused jewely and get cash!!! Jewelry repairs are done on premises with quick turnaround time. Bumatay Jewelers is your one stop for all your jewelry needs. Mention this ad and receive an additional 10% off!

Call 736-4850. www.facebook/Bumatay

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Michelle Shipman started her real estate career from scratch Jennifer Best CONTRIBUTING WRITER

as employees, content and happy at work, we’re willing to give our all. When everyone in the office is in that same mindset, it makes us all want to grow,” Shipman said.

Now, she puts it out there: all her dreams, her plans, her desires.

“My big, hairy, audacious goal is to have offices throughout California with the same philosophy, employees that believe and want the same things for their own lives, and through this medium which just happens to be real estate. I don’t know how long it will take, but it will unravel in its proper time. Everything happens in its perfect timing,” Shipman said.

Jennifer Best can be reached at jbest@bestfamilyadventures.com.

Len Wood, Staff

Michelle Shipman is the founder and CEO of Searchlight Properties in Santa Maria.

Carnahan Therapy’s team of professionals in Physical Therapy and Occupation Therapy is still here! We pride ourselves in becoming a valuable part of your team when you need to get your health back on track.

Juanita Carnahan, PT, the owner of Carnahan Therapy for more than 30 years understands the importance of a caring professional environment to empower people to regain control after being sidelined with health issues. She also believes in the staff at Carnahan Therapy, stating” what makes us special is that we care about each other and our patients, and we go the extra mile.”

Give us a call or ask your healthcare professional to send you our way!

A5

805 E. Walnut Ave., Lompoc • 735-3714

Lee Central Coast Newspapers | Sunday, February 26, 2017 |

Part counselor, part educator, part inspirational speaker, Michelle Shipman is becoming a professional force to be reckoned with. The founder and chief executive officer of Searchlight Properties in Orcutt has grown the business into a full-service, residential and commercial real estate brokerage and property management company.

“I’ve worked diligently on investing in working through and past the limiting beliefs, the challenges, all those things we still tell ourselves about what we can and cannot do, that we’re not good enough,” Shipman said.

She challenges herself and her staff to further their education, empower themselves, and to take charge of their careers and their lives.

“If we can train ourselves to take our power back, we don’t have to feel badly about having a feeling or wanting a certain thing. It’s crazy, this dysfunction. We’re all taught to squash our dreams, put them under the bed, ‘you’re crazy,’ ‘success only happens to special people.’ That’s all fear-based and no reflection of our abilities. We have to put it out there,” Shipman said.

After an early career as an executive assistant, earning her bachelor’s degree, moving cross country and back to keep the family together through her husband’s job transfers, Shipman re-entered the workplace as a part-time marketing assistant for the City of Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department.

She moved to Comcast where she ran the marketing department, purchasing real estate on the side,

until her position was eliminated along with 30 other marketing positions throughout the state.

“Real estate was always a passion of mine that wouldn’t go away, but it seemed like such a lowly job. It wasn’t that executive position that I always thought I wanted. But I had to trust God. I believe this was always there,” Shipman said.

Twenty-seven days after leaving Comcast, she passed the brokerage exam, and five weeks later, in March 2010, she hung her shingle.

“We were at the bottom of the bottom of the real estate market in the worst economic crisis of our time, and there I was, doing the craziest thing,” Shipman said.

Making a name for herself in Santa Maria Valley was a challenge.

She was young, a woman, and an outsider. But, she says, she prayed, and she got involved in the community. She joined Santa Maria Women’s Network where she served on the board for five years, two as president.

“It was a great introduction to leadership for me, having to get in front of the group and blow past my fear of ‘I suck at this. How did this happen to me?’ It was the beginning of taking bigger steps,” Shipman said.

She joined Santa Maria Noontime Rotary, and now encourages her employees to join service organizations.

“There’s not really a shortcut to improving your confidence, but by doing the things that are difficult and scary, taking that board position, you’re doing that hard work,” Shipman said.

Finding employees with similar hunger for knowledge has been key to her business’s success.

“When we feel valued

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Mary Nohr works in a man’s world, and succeeds Jennifer Best CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Len Wood, Staff

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| Sunday, February 26, 2017 | Lee Central Coast Newspapers

Mary Nohr is the only female auto mechanic in the Santa Ynez Valley, and one of only a handful of Mercedes-Benz mechanics in the country. She is shown in her garage in May 2015

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Mary Nohr’s natural place is under the hood of a car, wrench in hand.

Since 1987, she and her husband, Richard Nohr, have owned and operated Nohr’s Auto Haus in Buellton, but everyone in town knows it’s Mary’s shop.

Head to the front desk; it’s Mary. Look in the shop; there’s Mary.

“Most of my customers are women. They do appreciate having a woman talking to them, not a man talking down to them,” Mary said.

In fact, she and Richard, who met as airplane mechanics, share the

‘I was the only woman out there, and the only mechanical tech working on the Titan missile’ dirty work specializing in repair and maintenance of BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Volvo and Audi cars.

“There have been a few older men who don’t want to talk to me, who think they’re supposed to talk to Rich, but a little bit of training on their part and they’re OK with it,” Mary said.

Mary grew up on a fruit and vegetable truck farm in Wisconsin where she putzed with trucks and tractors at her

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father’s side.

“I just got into the mechanical stuff. It was always there. I didn’t want to be a desk secretary person, so out of high school, I decided to go to study mechanics,” she said.

Her Catholic high school didn’t offer auto shop, but when she graduated in 1974, she headed to her nearest community college to take up auto technology.

Her sister was a pilot, so it wasn’t long before she advanced to earn her airframe and powerplant license.

“I was a pioneer in my auto mechanics classes and in aircraft mechanics, but I was very well accepted everywhere. I don’t know if it was just the way I was, or what, but I’ve never had any trouble,” Mary said.

In 1978, she became a mechanic at Napa Airport where she and Richard met. A job working on the maintenance crew for a business jet at Santa Barbara brought them to the Santa Ynez Valley.

For a time, Mary worked for Martin Marietta at Vandenberg Air Force Base.

“That was pretty cool.

I was the only woman out there, and the only mechanical tech working on the Titan missile,” Mary said.

She was working at the Buellton shop part time when the opportunity to buy presented itself in 1987. Since then, the

Nohrs have done all the work themselves.

“You have to be a strong woman to do this style of work, a man’s job,” Nohr said.

She recommends that young women considering a career in auto technology take high school shop first to get the basics, then go into community college courses.

“They need to find out if they’re really interested, if they can take the teasing that comes with any shop, whether you’re male or female.

It’s part of working in a shop, and some people can take it, some people can’t,” Mary said.

She advises young mechanics to get out, talk to other mechanics, and start taking stuff apart.

“Practice. Go out and do stuff on your own car.

Get a feel for what it’s like, if this is what you want to do for the rest of your life,” she said.

As for Mary, she can’t imagine another life.

“Every day is different; that’s what’s nice about the work. It’s challenging, and today, it’s very electronic. You need multiple laptops — they diagnose the problem — but then you have to know how to solve the problem,” she said.

When she’s not under the car or behind the counter, chances are good Mary’s playing with glass: stained glass, fused glass, etched glass.

To see her incredible class creations, visit http://www.nohrsglass. com/portfolio_category/ stained-glass/ Jennifer Best can be reached at jbest@bestfamilyadventures.com.

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Laurie Tamura has made urban planning her passion Jennifer Best CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Laurie Tamura is proud of her roles as business owner, Rotary Club president, Boy Scout liaison and mother, but she blanches at requests for the complete list of her community service.

“There are so many opportunities to give back. Find out what your passion is, and explore that,” Tamura said.

Now president of Santa Maria Breakfast Rotary, Tamura also served on the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors for a decade, helped create Leadership Santa Maria Valley and has been appointed to the Orcutt General Plan Advisory Committee. In addition to her professional memberships, she serves the community as a member of the Santa Maria Police Council, Home Builders Association of the Central Coast, and Coalition of Labor, Agriculture & Business (COLAB).

“I think part of receiving so much encouragement when I entered my field here was that I also volunteered to help with a lot of things. It all went hand in hand. I got to know people within the

community,” Tamura said.

Originally from Wisconsin, Tamura moved to the Central Coast in 1972 among 1,000 families transferred by Delco Electronics to their Goleta location.

She graduated from Dos Pueblos High school, and earned her degree in environmental studies at University of California, Santa Barbara.

“I didn’t know a whole lot about the planning profession, but I knew I wanted to do something environmentally related.

Urban planning is the best implementation of a lot of the environmental studies programs,” Tamura said.

She worked for the Santa Barbara County Planning Department before establishing her own business, Urban Planning Concepts, in 1988.

“When I started, I found those leaders in the community were so encouraging to me. Harrell Fletcher, Gordon Gil, George Hobbs. I could go down the list of movers and shakers from 30 years ago. They were very encouraging in helping me in what I was doing,” Tamura said.

She has spent her entire career working with residential and commercial development projects, from determining

a parcel’s best use through the planning, review and permitting process.

“We look at a piece of property someone brings to us, research not only community requirements based on zoning, but environmental constraints of the site and what’s happening around the property, make recommendations to the landowner or developer, then put a team together that includes civil engineers, architects, landscape architects, maybe even biologists and archaeologists. We put a design together in coordination with the city or county, submit applications, work through the permit process and various steps including environmental review and public hearings,” Tamura explained.

Urban Planning Concepts has been involved in a laundry list of Santa Maria Valley projects including the development of Rice Ranch, Los Flores Ranch, Kohl’s, Westgate, Windset Farms, Presqu’ile Winery & Vineyards, Enos Ranch, and Rivergate. Their work extends beyond the valley to include school projects in Atascadero, Guadalupe’s DJ Farms and the Santa Ynez Airport.

“We’ve ridden the highs and lows of

the real estate market,” Tamura said of her 29 years as a business owner.

“During the last recession, we definitely had to be more creative,” Tamura said.

The company focused on working with government agencies as well as agricultural clients to augment their work with the lagging residential, commercial and industrial project market. New projects included wineries, greenhouses and working on oil field permitting processes.

“We work toward planning that’s done with respect to the environment, what the jurisdiction wants and the constraints of the site,” Tamura said.

When not planning, Tamura is likely working on one Boy Scout project or another. Raised by an Eagle Scout, she was an Explorer herself during her teen years. She married a Scout, and together they raised two Eagle Scouts. Though her boys are grown, Tamura has remained involved in the program as part of the council board. She served Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo County scouts as Los Padres Council president for three years.

“I believe they make men out of boys,” she said, “and boys out of men.”

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Left to right: Susie Walker NKBA Certified Kitchen & Bath Designer and Ivone Cortez Owner

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Lee Central Coast Newspapers | Sunday, February 26, 2017 |

HAVE NOTARY WILL TRAVEL

WOMEN

A8

| Sunday, February 26, 2017 | Lee Central Coast Newspapers

IN BUSINESS

Long

Coleman

From A1

From A4

moved on to a great career,” Long said.

The shake-up at Comcast led Long to a new job as business services manager for the City of Santa Maria Utilities Department while she wrapped up her bachelor’s degree from Brandman University.

“I really didn’t think this would be something I could do. I thought I had made a choice that wouldn’t allow me to ever David and Lisa Long are shown in an undated photo. have a career,” she said.

She became a member enjoy that,” Long said. you choose to step back of Santa Maria NoonNow she’s a month into for a while,” Long said. time Rotary, which she her new numbers gig, with Long enjoys speaking also served as president, no plans to leave the water to women’s groups, where and Leadership Santa district until she retires. she emphasizes that Maria Valley.

“I made my choice as a non-standard work his“I loved my job at mom, and I was so happy tories don’t mean an end Santa Maria and had great to have made that choice, to career. bosses, amazing opportu- but it turns out you don’t “Just because you make nities, but I wanted more have to give up the oppor- the choices you have to number work. I really tunity to have a career if make at the time, choices

program, state-of-theart property and evidence systems, and tasers for every officer.

“A lot of people keep their professional life and their volunteer life separate. That’s a struggle.

Their home life is their home life. Their work life is their work life. I’m a different breed,” Coleman said.

She includes her children and grandchildren in community activities as well.

“We can give back at the same time as spending time together. With the grandkids being small, it’s meaningful to them to be involved and to see how much it means to people to help out. It’s a good message to share Jennifer Best can be with them, that commu- reached at jbest@bestnity service is important,” familyadventures.com.

Back row, left to right: Susie Cromp, Sue Requejo, Katie Nord, Maribel Solis Front Row, left to right: Melissa Padilla, Kristen Rosevear, Rebeca Torres Sanchez, Lisa Magers

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805 North H St Lompoc

Contributed photo

that are best for your family, doesn’t mean you have to rule out something else. You can be different things, do different things in different slices of your life,” Long said.

Jennifer Best can be reached at jbest@bestfamilyadventures.com.

Shown in photo are Stacey, Siri, Lori, Maureen, Kim (owner), Heidi, Alicia and Diane. Not pictured: Shuriee and Kary

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Coleman said.

Her husband of 15 years, Doug Coleman, seems to understand after dedicating his own career to public service. He was Santa Maria Police Department’s crime lab supervisor until his retirement in 2008.

Both of her children also have entered careers of service. Her daughter, April Soto, went into nursing. Martinez is a lieutenant with the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Soto is raising her own four small children, and Martinez serves as a big brother in Big Brothers/ Big Sisters.

“You don’t set out to teach kids to serve. You show through example.

That’s all my kids have known: to serve others,” Coleman said.

Tom’s Hamburgers Pictured are Kim Blea (Owner) and daughter Jenn Brooks. These ladies are happy to take your order from the delectable menu at the restaurant; most notably a tasty hamburger from A-Z! After 38 years in business Tom’s has been very supportive in local fundraising activities such as Relay for Life, Special Olympics & Golf Tournaments to name a few. So gather up the gang and stop by 115 E. College Ave. The restaurant is open Monday & Tuesday 8am - 3pm, Wednesday Saturday 8am - 9pm, and Closed on Sunday. The phone number to call is 736-9996.