Get ready to celebrate inspiration, resilience, and the unique journeys of women in our community at our annual Women’s Expo event.
Every October Your TIMES hosts the annual Women’s Expo event and presents the Sallisaw WomenIn-Business group with a check for their scholarship fund. This year our theme will be ‘Denim and Diamonds’! This exciting gathering will take place on Thursday, Oct. 17 from 11 am until 2 pm at the Sallisaw Middle School Cafeteria. Over thirty vendors will be set up to share goods and services, door prizes will be given away throughout the event, and a free lunch will be available to everyone in attendance.
Guests will enjoy a vibrant atmosphere where denim meets elegance, encouraging attendees to embrace their unique styles. The event will offer opportunities for networking, learning about services geared toward women, door prizes, fun with friends and a chance to connect with fellow community members, ‘Denim and Diamonds’ is set to be a day to remember.
Within these pages we shine a spotlight on a few local women who have made significant impacts in various fields. From entrepreneurs and artists to educators and advocates, these remarkable
individuals share a little bit about themselves; what inspires them, brings them joy, their biggest accomplishments and advice to those of your joining the workforce. Mark your calendars and get
ready to be inspired! A perfect reflection of the women in our community, the ‘Denin and Diamonds’ theme shows how our local ladies embrace both resilience and glamour, as well as grit and grace as
they balance family life with their careers.
We can’t wait to see you at the Women’s Expo as we celebrate the women that weave our community together!
The ladies with the Sallisaw NOW Coalition are a great example of the ‘Denim and Diamonds’ theme, balancing families and careers. Pictured from left; Micki Kimble, Amy Pace, Summer McGarrah and Heather Silva.
Amy Pace
What advice do you have for women joining the workforce? I would say to those
women to just keep trying at whatever goal you set for yourself and don’t take no for an answer.
What gives you inspiration? My 3 boys are definitely my inspiration.
What brings you the most joy? Joy comes from being a mother, wife, traveling and enjoying the simple things in life.
What is your favorite sweet treat? I love ice cream as a sweet treat.
What hobby do you enjoy? My favorite hobby is running.
How do you create a good work/life balance? I try to always make a list while at work, that way I can check things off
and that’s less to bring home with me at the end of the day.
What is your biggest personal accomplishment? One of my biggest accomplishments is some of the marathons I’ve ran. I ran NYC in 2018 and I’ll be able to do it again next month, on November 3rd.
What is your biggest professional accomplishment? Professionally, I’m proud of the team I have. We are able to provide so many resources, all free- within our community and surrounding areas.
What do you attribute your success to? I attribute my success to the people I surround my self with!
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Micki Kimble
Place of business/position: Sallisaw Now Coalition, Coalition Manager
What gives you inspiration? My mom. She is selfless and always helping others.
What brings you the most joy? My family
What is your favorite sweet treat? Frozen yogurt twist
What hobby do you enjoy? While it’s not a hobby I enjoy serving our youth at church.
How do you create a good work/life balance? Remembering you family is your first ministry.
What is your biggest personal accomplishment? The life my husband I have created for our children.
What is your biggest professional accomplishment? Getting to be part of a team that helps those in need in our community.
What do you attribute your success to? Everything good I have or have done is attributed to God’s mercy and grace.
What advice do you have for women joining the workforce? Do not lose yourself trying to climb the ladder, instead enjoy the journey.
Lisa Holt
Place of business/Position:
People Inc. I am the Human the Resources Director and have been here for 30 years!
What gives you inspiration?
My faith in Jesus Christ inspires me to get up every day. I am also inspired by People Inc. and our mission to help those who are less fortunate. During my time at People Inc., I have seen us help change the lives of so many people who have been dealt many unfortunate circumstances.
What brings you the most joy? Spending time with my husband and our three wonderful children.
What is your favorite sweet treat? That’s a hard question! I have a lot of favorite sweet treats but probably if I had to name just one it is my mother-in-law’s chocolate pie.
and watching them become successful adults who are pursuing their dreams.
What hobby do you enjoy? I enjoy the outdoors! I like to go out in the boat with my husband while he fishes, I just relax and enjoy God’s beauty.
How do you create a good work/life balance? My family always comes first and I am very thankful to work for a company that is considerate of family time. There are certain times when I do have to spend more time at work and my family understands that is just part of my job.
What is your biggest personal accomplishment? Raising three kids to adulthood
What is your biggest professional accomplishment? Working for a great company for 30 years!
What do you attribute your success to? Being a believer in Jesus Christ and working with a wonderful management team.
What advice do you have for women joining the workforce? Be sure to find a good balance of work and family life. Don’t be afraid of hard work and have good work ethics! You always have to start at the bottom to work your way up. When I started at People Inc., I was a payroll clerk processing payroll for 80 employees!
Heather Silva
Place of business/position: Sallisaw NOW Coalition, Special Projects Coordinator
What gives you inspiration? My kids, my people
What brings you the most joy? My kids and my dogs
What is your favorite sweet treat? Nutella & Strawberries
What hobbies do you enjoy?
Reading
How do you create a good work/life balance? Try to leave work at work, but also involve my family in my work as much as I can.
What is your biggest personal accomplishment? Graduating college while starting a family.
What is your biggest professional accomplishment? 1-Managing over 50
individuals, while going to school full-time and starting a family. 2-Writing a grant that got approved and awarded. 3-Working with kids to help them learn how to say no to drugs and having them remember me and things I taught them years later. What advice do you have for women joining the workforce? Be sure to find a good balance of work and family life. Don’t be afraid of hard work and have good work ethics! You always have to start at the bottom to work your way up. When I started at People Inc., I was a payroll clerk processing payroll for 80 employees!
Sabrina Odom
Place of business/Position: Century 21 First Choice Realty Sallisaw
Branch Broker/Arkansas Principal Broker
Lions’ Den School of Self Defense co-owner
What gives you inspiration? My children! I want to better myself so
they can live a better life.
What brings you the most joy? Activities with my husband and children, community outreach, teaching kids about Jesus!
What is your favorite sweet treat? Anything chocolate!
What hobby do you enjoy? I don’t do a lot of hobbies on my own, but I help my husband by teaching his little kids karate class at his dojo - Lions’ Den Self Defense along with a Women’s Self Defense course on Wednesday evenings.
How do you create a good work/life balance? It’s hard, but we homeschool, so I do get to bring my kids to work with me some and they enjoy it, but I also make sure to set times where I’m just with them and doing things with the family.
What is your biggest personal accomplishment? Raising triplets who love Jesus with my husband of 13 years.
What is your biggest professional accomplishment? Becoming Oklahoma and Arkansas broker and helping families achieve their dreams of homeownership.
What do you attribute your success to? Hard work & God’s many blessings.
What advice do you have for women joining the workforce? You can do it! Lean on God and your family and ask for help if you need it!
Summer McGarrah
Place of business/position: Sallisaw
NOW Coalition, Outreach Coordinator
What gives you inspiration? My kids and my family
What brings you the most joy? My kids
What is your favorite sweet treat? Ice cream
What hobby do you enjoy? Reading, cooking, playing games with my family
How do you create a good work/ life balance? Making sure to leave work at work and trying to be present with my kids and family when away from the office.
What is your biggest personal accomplishment? Raising 2 amazing kids that are not only good, kind people but also love serving their community.
What is your biggest professional accomplishment? Being in a position to help my community and be a part of local groups that also serve our community. This is by far my favorite job I’ve had and I love being a part of this team.
What do you attribute your success to? My family and support system. I wouldn’t be the woman and mother I am today if it wasn’t for them.
What advice do you have for wom-
en joining the workforce? Know your worth and don’t let anyone make you feel less than that.
Brianna Gibson
Place
What gives you inspiration? My
What
What is your favorite sweet treat? Oreos and milk
What hobby do you enjoy? Sitting on the front porch
How do you create a good work/life balance? The only way that I have been able to successfully manage my real life and work life is
by loving them both.
What is your biggest personal accomplishment? Becoming a mother
What is your biggest professional accomplishment? Being able to work for Kelsey at a job that I truly enjoy coming to
What do you attribute your success to? Faith that I am going to work where I can make a difference
What advice do you have for women joining the workforce? The right company and the right boss will change the whole work world for you. Find someone and somewhere that serves your heart.
Susie White
What gives me inspiration? God and my family
What brings you the most joy? My grandsons
What is your favorite sweet treat? Hershey chocolate
What hobby do you enjoy? Junkin and estates sales
How do you create a good/work life balance? Keep focused and move forward
What is your biggest personal accomplishment? Having good health.
What is your biggest professional accomplishment? Being a Respiratory Therapist
How do you attribute your success to? Believe in myself everyday with discipline and accountability.
What advice do you have for women joining the workforce? Give it all you got.
Melodie Dobson
What gives you inspiration? Jesus
What brings you the most joy? Helping others
What is your favorite sweet treat? Coffee
What hobby do you enjoy? Crafting and event planning
How do you create a good work/life balance? Planning ahead
What is your biggest personal accomplishment? Being a great wife, mom and friend
What is your biggest professional accomplishment? Leading in the community of the Lord
What do you attribute your success to? Self motivation, being my own cheerleader is important.
What advice do you have for women joining the workforce? It’s OKAY to fail. Failure is a setup for big comeback!
PAFFORD EMS
Trailblazing women who changed the world
Throughout history, many dedicated, intelligent and perseverant women have made an impact that not only affected their lives, but also the lives of millions of others. Many of these noteworthy women blazed trails and opened doors for others, forever changing the world with their efforts.
Marie Curie
Curie founded the science of radioactivity, which proved vital in treating cancer. Curie also was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the first woman professor at the University of Paris. Curie also holds the distinction
of being the first person to win a second Nobel Prize.
Jane Austen
Few students will make it through a high school or college English seminar without reading at least one Jane Austen book. In fact, Austen may be credited with establishing the romantic comedy genre that still has its devotees in the twenty-first century. Her “Pride and Prejudice” remains a popular novel and has been adapted to film and television many times.
Grace Hopper
After earning a doctorate in math-
ematics, Hopper became one of the very few women to obtain such a degree. She became a rear admiral in the United States Navy, and helped develop a compiler that was a precursor to the COBOL language used for computers.
Sally Ride
Ride was an American physicist and astronaut who joined NASA in 1978. She was the first American woman and the third woman to fly into space.
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana Spencer was the first wife of Charles, heir apparent to the British
throne, who has since become King of England. The Princess won acclaim for her charitable work for children and for raising awareness for HIV/AIDS and mental illnesses.
Lucille Ball
Not only a prolific woman comic, which was not so common during her tenure, Ball also was a savvy business woman. She and her husband spearheaded her own production company. Ball also was known for tackling groundbreaking topics (at the time) on her television show, including women in the workforce, marital issues and pregnancy.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ginsburg made history as the first Jewish woman to be appointed to the United States Supreme Court. She was a strong women’s rights activist, and she co-founded the Women’s Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union.
Elizabeth Blackwell
In 1849, Blackwell became the first woman in the United States to earn a medical degree. Blackwell was inspired to become a doctor after a deathly ill friend insisted she would have received better care from a female doctor.
Throughout history, many women have helped to change the course of the world, blazing trails for future generations along the way.
Lola Baldwin
Baldwin became the first sworn woman police officer in 1908, when she was hired to work in Portland, Oregon. Her work mainly revolved around protecting women, including acting as a lobbyist for laws to protect women and advising other departments on women’s law enforcement issues.
Kelsey Orendorff
Place of business/position: Progressive Therapy Solutions, owner OTR/L
What gives you inspiration? Hope for the future
What brings you the most joy? Helping others
What is your favorite sweet treat? Shangrala Pie
What hobby do you enjoy? Yoga, walking my dog, my kids’ activities
How do you create a good work/ life balance? Setting boundaries, go home and be present
What is your biggest personal
accomplishment? Raising two good humans, Adalynn and Malloy
What is your biggest professional accomplishment? Opening Progressive Therapy Solutions
What do you attribute your success to? My husband, Matt. He is so positive and sees the good in everything and everyone.
What advice do you have for women joining the workforce? Never stop dreaming or chasing them. Take each day one at a time and find a field that feeds your soul.
Alisha Priddy
Place of business/position: Edward Jones, Financial Advisor
What gives you inspiration? My community, the people I’m surrounded by-they are always helping others and doing what they can to improve the lives of people and animals. I want to be a positive impact to my community.
What brings you the most joy? Nothing in the world brings me more joy than my sweet pups, Daphne, Dyzeal and Dixie. These 3 keep me occupied and loved more than any single person could ever.
What is your favorite sweet treat? You
can’t do any better than Baskin Robbins Cotton Candy ice cream-yummy! What hobby do you enjoy? This is a tough question-I like DIYing. That means I could literally be doing anything from refinishing furniture, making a blanket, painting, or messing with a flower bed.
How do you create a good work/ life balance? My work and life intermingle. I am lucky enough that my work and personal life allow me to do the things I enjoy as part of my job. What is your biggest personal accomplishment? My biggest person accomplishment was buying my house in 2020 and being financially independent. What is your biggest professional accomplishment? In addition to passing all the required licensing needed to have my current role, having a career where I
can have a positive community impact.
What do you attribute your success to? My faith. I believe that God has given me everything I need and put the things in my path that I could have never expected, to continue livign a happy life.
What advice do you have for women joining the workforce? Don’t be afraid to take the risk. The first try may just be the stepping stone you need to get to your dream.
Maranda Williams
Place of business/position: Firstar Bank, Loan Officer
What gives you inspiration? Seeing people that intentionally navigate through this life to better themselves and the others around them.
What brings you the most joy?
Spending time with my two sons, whether it’s a fun outing or working livestock.
What is your favorite sweet treat?
Blue Bell Birthday Cake Ice Cream
What hobby do you enjoy? Thrifting and Road Trips
-How do you create a good work/ life balance? It’s not always easy but working for an employer that recognizes the importance of family does help, and I strive to be present and a good steward in both capacities.
What is your biggest personal accomplishment? I might be a little biased but raising two well-rounded young men with strong work ethics.
What is your biggest professional accomplishment? Staying fully committed to my personal goals regardless
of life’s inevitable challenges; with this it’s allowed me the opportunity to help others in my work.
What do you attribute your success to? Of course, God, and being raised to have a good work ethic, along with compassion for others, and surrounding myself with people that truly want the best for me.
What advice do you have for women joining the workforce? Stay focused and consistent despite inevitable challenges.
Taylor Morgan
Place of business/position: Progressive Therapy Solutions, Speech Language Pathologist
What gives you inspiration? My family, my faith and my patients
What brings you the most joy? My son and helping others
What is your favorite sweet treat? Cookies-any kind
What hobby do you enjoy? Cooking, baking and reading
How do you create a good work/life balance? Setting boundaries for week nights and weekends
What is your biggest personal accomplishment? Raising a sweet, wild one year old
What is your biggest professional accomplishment? Helping start a speech program with Progressive Therapy Solutions
What do you attribute your success to? My husband and my mom for always being a source of encouragement
What advice do you have for women joining the workforce? Don’t be afraid to dream big! Set big as well as realistic goals and find the people who can help you to achieve them. We are stronger as teams and are all here to help build each other up!
Women-owned businesses are thriving
Women entrepreneurs are not to be underestimated. Data affirms that women-owned businesses are growing and thriving.
According to North One banking, women-owned firms account for more than 12 million businesses in the United States. In addition, the 2024 Wells Fargo Impact of Women-Owned Business Report, in partnership with Ventureneer, Core Women and Women Impacting Public Policy, found the number of womenowned business increased at a rate of 4.5 times between 2019 to 2023. Women-owned businesses are driving economic growth, and a deeper look at some of the numbers supports that notion.
• The Women’s Business Enterprise Council says there are 12.3 million women-owned businesses in the U.S., which comprises about 40 percent of the total number of businesses.
• Women-owned businesses bring in nearly $2 trillion every year, says the National Women’s Business Council.
• During the pandemic, women-owned businesses added 1.4 million jobs and $579.6 billion in revenue to the economy, says Wells Fargo.
• World Bank indicates that roughly onethird of principal owners of all businesses are female.
• WBENC advises that 64 percent of new women-owned businesses are started by women of color.
• Women’s Business Enterprises Canada says more than 85 percent of buying decisions are influenced by women. The Canadian Minister of Small Business notes that women business ownership is growing. In 2023, approximately 18.4 percent of all businesses in Canada were majority owned by women, compared to 15.6 percent in 2017.
• According to Forbes, women-led tech companies achieve a 35 percent higher ROI. A Forbes study with First Round Capital, a venture capital firm, found female-founded businesses in their portfolio outperformed malefounded companies by more than 60 percent. Women-owned businesses
Independent Insurance Agent
Evan Breedlove
Kassandra Briggs
Place of business/position: Oklahoma State Department of Health, Health Educator
What gives you inspiration? My faith and family continue to build me up and encourage, whether it is through church or work, my families always inspire me. I am surrounded by some many incredible people.
What brings you the most joy? I find joy when I am able to be an impact on those around me or when I can serve.
What is your favorite sweet treat? My true weakness is any combination of chocolate and nuts but as a health educator I will also mention my love for fresh mangoes with a sprinkle of lime juice and tajin!
What hobby do you enjoy? Usually writing books and collections of my poetry but I also enjoy going to new restaurants and trying different cultural dishes.
How do you create a good work/life balance? First and foremost, prayer and filling my cup through scripture. I also try to go on walks and practice Tai Chi with my students to relief some of that stress.
What is your biggest personal accomplishment? I wouldn’t say it was all personal because I know the Lord has given me the ability and grace to do it. But I am proud to be a published poet of 16 books in the past 2 years, it is a ministry I never saw coming.
What is your biggest professional accomplishment? Being able to just call myself a public servant and mean it, I am always accomplishing new goals every day through this position but I know with my team I have achieved the impossible in a short amount of time.
What do you attribute your success to? All glory be to God. What advice do you have for women joining the workforce? Don’t give up and stay focused, there are so many things that we go through as women in today’s world that will work against you. So I encourage you stay on track and surround yourself with prayer warriors and family (whatever that looks like for you). Philippians 4:13
Qualities women bring to business
Women continue to thrive in the workforce. Wells Fargo reports that, from 2019 to 2023, the growth rate of women-owned businesses outpaced the rate of men-owned businesses in relation to number of firms, rate of employment and revenue earned. LinkedIn also indicates there are 114 percent more women entrepreneurs now than there were 20 years ago.
Every business owner or employee brings something unique to the employment landscape and certain characteristics are universal, regardless of gender. Still, there are certain qualities that women bring to the workforce that can help businesses excel. Forbes indicates women employees offer traits that can help drive engagement, productivity, satisfaction, and various other attributes. The following are some of the traits women may bring to business.
Emotional intelligence
Women First Jobs says that women often bring high emotional intelligence to the table.
Emotional intelligence involves understanding and managing emotions and the emotions of others. Women may be more inclined to understand different perspectives and to help resolve conflicts and build relationships.
Collaboration
Women employees often have traits that can foster collaboration in the workplace, such as reading non-verbal cues and willingness to take turns in conversations, indicates Forbes. This can help everyone collaborate more effectively.
Room for improvement
Women in the workplace continually seek opportunities for improvement, advises Sparklight Business. This can involve taking advice from other workers and peers. Women leaders embrace opportunities to do things better and work to improve their skills for the greater good.
Communication
The IWEC Foundation, which empowers
women entrepreneurs, says women tend to be effective communicators and often make great leaders because of this trait and their ability to inspire others. Communication often is key to any relationship, whether personal or in a business setting.
Organization and planning
Women may excel at organizing and planning. Women can look at things with a detail-oriented eye and recognize flaws in plans even before getting started. This means women can be in charge of distributing workloads or organizing the schedules of others.
Adaptability
Even though it is a cliche, women tend to be natural multi-taskers. Handling multiple jobs at the same time means women can adapt to changing situations.
Generally speaking, there are some inherent characteristics women may possess that can make them viable assets as business owners or leaders in their fields.
Kayla Tyler
Place of business/position: Progressive Therapy Solutions, Occupational Therapist
What gives you inspiration? My one year old daughter. She inspires me by reminding me of hope, optimism, and excitement. She inspires me to push harder and work harder.
What brings you the most joy? Spending time with my daughter and husband on our small farm.
What is your favorite sweet treat? Homemade banana pudding
What hobby do you enjoy? Raising chickens!
How do you create a good work/life balance? Working in an enviroment with people who value work, maintaining a healthy self-care routine and unplugging to spend quality time with my family.
What is your biggest personal accomplishment? Raising a family on a small farm, maintaining a happy/health marriage and pursuing my dream career.
What is your biggest professional accomplishment? I am still really early into my career, however I am proud to say that I have spent the last few years learning and strenghening my skills to continue to provide the most client centered, evidence based services to all children and families that I see!
What do you attribute your success to? Being raised in a supportive family and marrying into a supportive family that support my personal and professional dreams.
What advice do you have for women joining the workforce? Be confident and believe in your abilities. Build your social network and find a trusted mentor to help you along the way. Most importantly, set boundaries and take care of yourself and your family unit.
Natalee Taylor
What
What
What
What hobby do you enjoy? Gardening!
How do you create a good work/life balance? Personally, I thrive off creating/having a schedule and/or a routine.
I try my best every day to get all work-related tasks done before I go home so that I can be a present mother and wife.
What is your biggest personal accomplishment? The life my husband and I have created for ourselves and our daughter!
What is your biggest professional accomplishment? The biggest accomplishment for me is when my kids are happy to see me! There is a lot that factors in a kids’ success. I believe creating an environment where they feel comfortable, safe, and loved will contribute to their progression.
What do you attribute your success to? My family, most definitely! I have had the best support system I could ever ask for.
What advice do you have for women joining the work force? Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone!
Tracie Isley
Place of business/position: Merrill Properties/COO
What gives you inspiration? Getting to work with so many creative people makes me want to be more creative.
What brings you the most joy? I get the most joy when I see my son succeed in whatever it is that he is doing.
What is your favorite sweet treat? Peanut butter no-bake cookies
What hobby do you enjoy? I love to work out and do interior design. How do you create a good work/life balance? I am able to have a good balance by focusing on my family at home and focus on my work while I am at work.
What do you attribute your success to? My success has come from listening and learning. I try to learn something everyday.
The benefits of shopping local during the holiday season
Millions of people enjoy shopping for gifts and loved ones each holiday season. The spirit of giving is alive and well each December, and that can extend to giving back to one’s own community.
In addition to supporting local charities when making donations during the holiday season, shoppers can patronize small local businesses over big box retailers and national chains. The decision to do so can benefit communities in myriad ways.
• Small businesses inspire young entrepreneurs. The United States Department of Commerce reports that nearly half of all small business owners in the U.S. in 2018 were 54 or younger. Six percent of those owners were 34 and under. Young entrepreneurs at the helm of thriving local businesses provide inspiration to the next generation of innovators.
• Thriving small business owners can send
a positive message to traditionally underrepresented groups. The National Women’s Business Council Annual Report for 2022 indicated women-owned employer firms increased by nearly 17 percent between 2012 and 2019. Similarly, the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 Annual Business Survey found that there were more Hispanic-owned and minority-owned businesses in various sectors than a decade earlier. The success of women- and minorityowned businesses sends a positive message to young entrepreneurs and locals who are part of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented in business. That can help to create a more diverse and inclusive Main Street, the success of which depends heavily on locals’ willingness to patronize locallyowned businesses.
• Shopping local supports many small business owners. Family meals and social gather-
ings with friends and coworkers are a big part of the holiday season, and it’s not uncommon to break bread and share a few drinks during a night on the town. Choosing to gather at a locally owned restaurant or tavern instead of a chain restaurant can have a ripple effect on an assortment of local businesses. Local restaurants often source their ingredients from local farms. A family meal at such a restaurant benefits both the restaurant owner and the hardworking local suppliers of the food that ends up on the plate. Local restaurants also are more likely to list locally produced wines and craft beers on their menus than national chains. That adds to the ripple effect of celebrating the holidays at a locally owned restaurant.
A thriving small business sector is vital to a strong local economy. Shoppers can keep that in mind and patronize local businesses during the holiday season.
Sallisaw Special Victims Unit
Charity Henderson
Place of business/Position: Penmac Staffing/Area Manager
What gives you inspiration? Helping people find positions that allow them to provide for their families as well as positions that they can grow into careers.
What brings you the most joy? My family and friends!
What is your favorite sweet treat? Homemade Pecan Pie
What hobby do you enjoy?
Many would say that I enjoy shopping, I also like gardening.
Call:
How do you create a good work/life balance? I feel when you truly love your job, doing that job does not feel like work; it’s just a part of you. Working for a company that supports a good work/life balance is such a plus and also makes it easier to create those boundaries.
What is your biggest personal accomplishment? Being a mother, I’ve loved being able to be there for my son!
What is your biggest professional accomplishment? Choosing to further my degree and changing my major shortly after starting with Penmac knowing that I had found the organization that I wanted to be apart of.
What do you attribute your success to? Having the mindset where I always want to learn and do more to help the associates we place and the clients we partner with.
What advice do you have for women joining the workforce? Don’t be scared to get outside of your comfort zone, growth can be difficult and sometimes a mentor will see something in you that you do not see in yourself.
Laura Kuester
Place of business/position: Executive Director of Help In Crisis
What is your biggest personal accomplishment? I would have to say my biggest personal accomplishment is raising three amazing kids who are generous, kind and making a difference in the world.
What is your inspiration? I wake up each day motivated and inspired to make sure that my staff and advocates have all that they need to help survivors of domestic violence live a life of safety and freedom.
What is your biggest professional accomplishment? My biggest professional accomplishment is assembling an excellent team of passionate people who believe in the mission of Help In Crisis and work hard day in and day out “loving people back to life”.
What brings you the most joy? Watching someone walk away from a life of abuse and completely start over with nothing but the clothes on their backs and break free from control and abuse and finally start LIVING brings me absolute joy.
What is your favorite sweet treat? My favorite sweet treat is brownies with ice cream, What hobby do you enjoy? My favorite hobbies include CrossFit, hiking, scuba diving and spending time with my family.
How do you create a good work/life balance?
Work/life balance in a profession that provides crisis emergency response is difficult. I do try to take days off and turn my phone off when possible.
What do you attribute your success to? I believe that it is important to surround yourself with wonderful people. I believe I am successful because of the people around me. My family is supporting and encouraging, the founding mothers of Help In Crisis are so loving and kind to me, my board of directors support my decisions, the Help In Crisis staff are successful which makes me successful and my closest friends cheer me on each day.
What advice do you ahve for women joining the workforce? My advice for women joining the workforce is to believe in yourself. Believe that you have what it takes to do whatever you set your mind to and don’t let anyone or anything stop you.
Tricia Walls
What
to those around me. His joy fills me up to overflowing and so I can’t help but share my joy with others!
What brings you the most joy? So many things bring me joy. God’s love and promises, people’s laughter, the beauty of the earth, and seeing others needs met.
What is your favorite sweet treat? Sweet coffee and scones
What hobby do you enjoy? Talking to people, taking photos, playing with my cats and singing.
How do you create a good work/life balance? Communicate! I talk to God about every-
thing. I talk to my co-workers, friends and family about projects, needs, and concerns, drink coffee to settle down, establish solid boundaries, make lists on my phone, laugh A LOT!
What is your biggest personal accomplishment? Being the first in my family to get a college degree and helping people in various jobs/situations of my life.
What do you attribute your success to? My success is based on the love and support of God, family and friends. I am like a helium-filled balloon floating and bouncing from one idea/ focus to the next. The afore mentioned entities keep me tethered to a firm foundation.
What advice do you have for women joining the workforce? My advice to women joining the professional world is to know who you are, know your strengths and your weaknesses, be honest and upfront with all you work with. Keep your eye on the goal and never ever allow yourself to be someone else’s doormat!
Michelle Mings
Michelle Mings is the Vice President of Marketing for Firstar Bank. She began her banking career in July 2001.
Michelle serves on committees of the Sallisaw Chamber of Commerce & the Sequoyah County Women In Business.
She is the Public Relations Officer for Firstar Bank in market areas of Coweta, Fayetteville, Fort Gibson, Fort Smith, Muskogee, Roland, Sallisaw, Stigler, Tulsa & Van Buren.
She is a Life Church volunteer and avid runner, most recently competing in the Oklahoma City Memorial Full Marathon.
Michelle is the United Way campaign coordinator across the Firstar market footprint.
