Transitions at WRC

For almost 8 years, Leslie Tilton has been a constant at the Manatee Center. Maybe some of you can relate to Leslie’s story. She and her husband raised two great kids…one was already off to college and their youngest was in high school at St. Stephens. Being the planner that she is, Leslie starting thinking about what an empty nest might feel like and she called WRC to inquire about volunteering. She started working as a resource advisor at the front desk one day a week, and then one day turned into two and then three, and before she knew it, we offered her a job! It is impossible to look around the Center on Manatee Ave and not see Leslie’s impact. When she started, we were still in recovery from the great recession and did not have the funds to invest in preventative maintenance. When she was not answering phones, she had a paintbrush or a scrub brush in her hand. She also recruited her entire family to help refresh the building at 1926 Manatee Ave. I remember walking in one morning and her Dad was removing old light fixtures in the living room. I also recall the joy she expressed when we received an investment from the William G and Marie Selby Foundation for extensive preventative maintenance projects. When Leslie transitioned from volunteering to working, she was my right hand. She set up our first donor database, was point person for all facility maintenance and has been responsible for all of the donor acknowledgments for the past 8 years. We have grown so much in that time, and she has been there every step of the way -- whether it was proofing documents, gently nudging me on a variety of issues or mulching the flowerbeds! Leslie has a wonderful family, and last year, she and her husband, Russ, along with their son, Brice, opened EBikes in Sarasota. Since then, she has been working at the Center three days a week and at the bike shop 3 days a week, leaving little time for herself. She is leaving the Center as an employee to focus her attention on her family business. Because her family has become our family, we are happy for her and them and know that she will always be part of our WRC team. As I was working on this article, the last one I completed because I am still in denial that she will not be with me every day, I could

Leslie, with her husband Russ and son Brice

not help but think of all of the things she and her family have done for WRC. I want to end this article by giving a little overview of their key contributions over the years: Repainted every room in both the main and education building on Manatee Avenue, donated our flagpole, negotiated and managed the installation of our digital sign including donating the structure for the sign. Cleaned out more files, clothing and storage than can fit in one article. Her son Brice has rebuilt more computers than I can count and served as our IT support, handyman and furniture mover for years. She and her family have all made meaningful financial contributions to WRC every year, but most importantly, Leslie has been a wonderful friend to the entire staff and me. Leslie, THANK YOU for all you have done to help build WRC. To your family, thank you for being right there whenever Leslie called you to help us out. We appreciate you! The next time you are driving down US41 toward Sarasota, stop by and see the Tiltons at EBikes. It is on the East side of 41, just north of SRQ airport. Leslie, thank you for your passion, dedication and all of the energy you have put into making the WRC a place where women can come and feel welcomed and comfortable…..we will see you on Mondays as you resume your role as a volunteer resource advisor. WELCOME OUR NEW COMMUNICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, ANNE CARTER And as Leslie is transitioning out of her staff role at the WRC, we welcome Anne Carter to our team. Anne brings a fresh and exciting new perspective to the Women’s Resource Center as our new Communications and Development Manager. Anne was born and raised in Manatee County and has recently moved back home after living and working in California for over 7 years. She brings a unique set of skills to our team after working in multiple tech start-ups and online learning organizations. She is no stranger to a quickpaced, ever-evolving work environment. She enjoys the challenge of utilizing data and feedback to make our process as user-friendly as possible. Technology aside, she believes strongly in the importance of delivering a positive, productive and valuable experience to everyone who interacts with WRC. Anne Carter, Communications & Development Manager

Welcome, Anne! We are looking forward to having you on our team. WELCOME OUR NEW REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF CLIENT SERVICES, LORI ABERLE GENTILE After a thoughtful process and interviewing many worthy candidates, we would like to introduce our new Regional Director of Client Services, Lori Aberle Gentile! In her new role, Lori will be responsible for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the WRC’s programming. Lori Aberle Gentile builds dynamic, bleeding-edge global training programs from the ground up and knows first-hand the importance of remaining at the forefront of learning innovation. She attributes much of her career success to aligning Learning strategy to corporate business goals; and then building innovative, measurable and successful employee development programs. Lori most recently served as President of LXA Consulting Group, a consulting firm specializing in Leadership Coaching and Learning & Development. Prior to LXA Consulting Group, Lori was Senior Director of Learning and Development for Intel Security, formerly McAfee. In this position, Lori developed a competitive benchmarked strategy to accelerate highperforming outcomes through programs that blend classroom and technologydriven learning with mobile

access. In just a few short years, teams under Lori’s leadership were recognized with ATD “BEST” and “Best Place to Learn”, SumTotal, LearnX Impact and Brandon Hall Excellence Awards. As McAfee’s Senior Director of Global Sales Learning, and Senior Director of Technical Learning, Lori modernized training efforts throughout the sales, R&D, IT, and management sectors. Trainees have praised these programs as relevant, interactive and credible. Lori has been at the helm of building top programs including Leadership Development, Employee Sales and Technical Product Education, New Employee Orientation and Training, and strategic selling skills. Her organization’s Sales Kick-Off training was awarded “Best Launch to Organization” by SumTotal, and McAfee’s Sales New Hire Program earned Dallas ATD’s “Best Place to Learn” and LearnX Impact awards. Lori launched her career when co-founding Microbiz Corp., a software provider recognized by Inc. 500 as one of the “Fastest Growing Companies in America” with $9M in revenues. After selling this business, Lori held diverse training and L&D roles for technology firms including Audiovox Corporation, TEK Resources, and Magic Solutions. Welcome, Lori! We’re so excited to have you on our team!

At The Women’s Resource Center, our primary focus is, and always has been, on our clients and our mission to help women and their families thrive. However, we would not be able to provide our services without the support of generous donors and committed volunteers like you.

Over the years, WRC has been fortunate to have visionary supporters who have given their time, energy, and financial resources to bring to life what once was an idea - a place where women who do not have the means or support system to connect to the services they need.

We are asking you to consider donating to WRC this year. The proceeds from your donation will support our programs and services, which are at the core of our mission: counseling, education and training, all of which lead to emotional and financial fulfillment.

Many of the women we serve are facing an uncertain future and struggling with issues such as poor mental health, grief or an unexpected career change.

Last year, the Women’s Resource Center has provided thousands of hours of programming and following are some of our statistics:

• 1,944 Clients Attended 8,300 Hours of Programming • 5,595 Mental Health Counseling and Wellness visits • 1,974 Career Development visits • 731 Legal/Financial and Referral visits • Volunteer Hours: 10,221 • 78% of our clients live below the survival income level in our community • 20% of our clients identify themselves as homeless

Your support gives these women a chance to thrive in our community, bringing comfort to those needing counseling and resources to those needing a career.

Every gift, no matter the size, helps US help HER. Together, YOU can make a difference.

In gratitude,

Lori Aberle Gentile, Regional Director of Client Services