Woman of the Week: Kate Underwood

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Here at Executive Elements, we like to feature fantastic women we think you should know. Some of these women are clients, some are friends, some are women we’ve only just met. But they all have this in common: they are dynamic, interesting gals who have agreed to share with us their insights and secrets to success.

Kate Underwood

My Current Job/Company:
Executive Assistant to President/National Church Residences

My Birthdate:
9/22/80

My Work:
I assist the President and other SVPs at National Church Residences. I work as a liaison with the board and ensure all of the details are taken care of so we can leverage their time, talent and energy to help steer our organization and strategically plan for future endeavors.

My Passion:
My family, my faith, my relationships and anything that I invest my time in.

My Family:
Chris (he’s the one who keeps me grounded), Alex (my strong and playful “sun” – 3-year-old son), Sadie (my ray of sunshine – 4-month-old daughter)

My Heroes:
I have so many – my parents, my husband, and my friends all inspire me in some shape or form.

My Escape:
Time off the clock, mountains, fresh air and hiking some amazing trails.

My Pet Peeve:
Drivers who are in a hurry

My Indulgence:
An Audrey Hepburn flick, a date night with my husband or a day at home with my kids.

My Roots:
Adventurous, nomadic Missionary kid who has tromped all over the world and seen lives changed by God’s love. I live a very rich life!

My Future:
Unknown, but positive and an adventure!

My Quote on Life:
“A good name is more desirable than great riches, to be esteemed is better than silver or gold” – Proverbs 22:1

My Accessory:
I love dramatic necklaces and lipstick

My Advice to Young Women:
Don’t waste your time with jealousy or envy; it’s a dead-end street. Don’t take yourself too seriously and laugh as often as possible. Know that you’ll make mistakes, own up to them and work to do better next time. Forgive people who hurt you, then strive to love and be kind to everyone. Always be true to yourself and live on purpose.

How I Balance it All:
Lots of prayer, choosing to be grateful for what I have and surrounding myself with exceptional people who love and inspire me every day.

Woman of the Week: Aisha Allen

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Here at Executive Elements, we like to feature fantastic women we think you should know. Some of these women are clients, some are friends, some are women we’ve only just met. But they all have this in common: they are dynamic, interesting gals who have agreed to share with us their insights and secrets to success.

Aisha Allen

My Current Job/Company:
Director P&C Sales Coaching, Nationwide

My Birthdate:
02.08.77

My Work:
I lead a team of sales coaches at Nationwide who coach and develop our sales leaders across the different Property and Casualty businesses. Through this work, we are able to help our sales leaders be more effective leaders and drive sales productivity. At Nationwide we value protecting our members, so it’s been a wonderful role to help our sales leaders to have a greater impact with our agents and, ultimately, our members.

My Passion:
My passion is my relationships. I truly love helping others develop and grow.

My Family:
My mom, many great friends, two goddaughters, Kennedy (7) and Taylor (3).

My Heroes:
My family. I think of my grandparents and my father, who are no longer with me. I learned so much from them. Through their example, they taught me the value of hard work, unconditional love, and the optimism to enjoy life no matter what it may bring your way.

My Escape:
Ideally, I love to get away to a beach, but locally my escape is the movies. I love getting away for two hours where I can shut out the world and just be entertained.

My Pet Peeve:
Rude people

My Indulgence:
Anything that satisfies my insatiable sweet tooth.

My Roots:
Hometown – Toledo, Ohio. I grew up in a small nuclear family (only child), but had an incredibly large extended family.

My Future:
I’m open to all possibilities.

My Quote on Life:
The Serenity Prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.” – Reinhold Niebuhr

My Accessory:
Handbags. I am addicted.

My Advice to Young Women:
Believe in yourself. Decide what you would like to do and plan how you will get there. Don’t limit yourself.

How I Balance it All:
I’ve learned that if I don’t care for myself spiritually, mentally and physically, I will not be able to be there for my loves ones and all of my responsibilities. To maintain that level of strength, there is a certain amount of nurturing that must take place. I try to make sure that I am balancing my life spending time with friends and family in addition to all my day to day responsibilities.

Woman of the Week: Michele S. Gregory

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Here at Executive Elements, we like to feature fantastic women we think you should know. Some of these women are clients, some are friends, some are women we’ve only just met. But they all have this in common: they are dynamic, interesting gals who have agreed to share with us their insights and secrets to success.

Michele S. Gregory

My Current Job/Company:
Senior Vice President, Development/Children’s Hunger Alliance

My Birthdate:
04.30.69

My Work:
At Children’s Hunger Alliance, I have the pleasure and awesome responsibility for the coordination of development and marketing function areas, including all aspects of annual/major gifts fundraising, special events, grants, volunteer management, marketing/communications, and media relations.

My Passion:
My family, my work, sports and recreation activities (as both an active participant and passive observer) and baking.

My Family:
Chip-my patient husband; Olivia Grace (13) and Sydney Faith (8)-my smart and sweet daughters; Jack (3)-my energetic black lab.

My Hero:
My mother, Sandy Kawa. She lived by the following motto: Always try your best but be sure to have FUN along the way!

My Escape:
A long, solitary run – by water if at all possible.

My Pet Peeve:
Negative people and saying in an email what is better said face-to-face.

My Indulgence:
Good wine. A warm fire. A good book.

My Roots:
My mother raised my three siblings and me after my parents divorced and made it a point to stay connected with our extended family. My fondest memories as a young child are of spending time in the kitchen with my grandmothers or on the New Jersey shore with my aunts and uncles.

My Future:
Long-lasting and full of opportunity!

My Quote on Life:
I have two that I like….

“I can’t think of many things more attractive than a beautiful person whose beauty isn’t what actually attracts you.” – Dau

“May my heart be kind, my mind fierce and my spirit brave.” -Anonymous

My Accessory:
Plaid winter coat, felt hat and aviator sunglasses

My Advice to Young Women:
Train your mind to see the good in everything – it is there; just be patient and keep looking.

How I Balance it All:
I am learning as I go along….some days are easier than others. I do know that taking time to take care of myself each day, whether it be through an intense workout at the gym, game of Uno with my daughters, a cup of coffee, listening to my husband strum his guitar or a conversation with a good friend or colleague, it makes a difference in how I feel and how I see the world.

Woman of the Week: Miranda Morgan

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Here at Executive Elements, we like to feature fantastic women we think you should know. Some of these women are clients, some are friends, some are women we’ve only just met. But they all have this in common: they are dynamic, interesting gals who have agreed to share with us their insights and secrets to success.

Miranda Morgan

My Current Job/Company:
Partner at Ice Miller, LLP

My Birthdate:
08.30.79

My Work:
My legal practice is concentrated in tax law, with a focus in gift, estate and trust taxation. I advise individuals on estate planning, succession planning, charitable planning and wealth transfer planning. I represent fiduciaries in estate administration matters and counsel trustees on trust administration and fiduciary responsibilities. I also represent clients in controversies with the Internal Revenue Service, including examinations and other proceeding at all administrative levels of the IRS.

My Passion:
My family, my work, my friends

My Family:
My husband, Ryan, our three daughters, Mya (5), Ava (1), Ella (1) (twins!), and Dempsey (our 8-year-old boxer)

My Heroes:
I do not have one particular hero. In lieu of having a hero, there are many people in my life who have traits I admire (a great parent, a great lawyer, a great friend, a great communicator, a great philanthropist) that I look to as role models as I aspire to be the best I can be in that aspect of my life.

My Escape:
Vacationing. All inclusive resorts are our favorite getaway.

My Pet Peeve:
Being late.

My Indulgence:
Starbucks Peppermint Mochas and massages.

My Roots:
I grew up on a farm in a very small town. I attribute my work ethic and dedication to this upbringing.

My Future:
Busy. Fun. Challenging.

My Accessory:
I love all accessories, but the one I never leave home without is my watch (which ties in to my pet peeve).

My Advice to Young Women:
Don’t let your own self-doubt hold you back. If you don’t have confidence in yourself you can’t expect others to.

How I Balance it All:
I have a great husband and a great nanny who share the burden of my household responsibilities, which leaves me more quality time with my children. I am constantly working at becoming more efficient, delegating more, and stressing less about the little things both at home and at work.

Woman of the Week: Cynthia Peters

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Here at Executive Elements, we like to feature fantastic women we think you should know. Some of these women are clients, some are friends, some are women we’ve only just met. But they all have this in common: they are dynamic, interesting gals who have agreed to share with us their insights and secrets to success.

Cynthia Peters

My Current Job/Company:
VP Of Marketing/Highlights for Children

My Birthdate:
11.28.66

My Work:
I am the Vice President of Marketing over the Direct-to-Consumer business line at Highlights for Children. I lead a terrific and talented marketing team, overseeing the strategic development of all marketing initiatives for our magazines, book clubs, merchandise, and digital products.

My Passion:
Making a positive impact on children.

My Family:
Frank – My wonderful husband and best friend since college
Lauren (age 14) and Elise (age 12) – My two terrific, funny daughters
Leo (our 4 yr old Border Collie), (Pixie and Patch – 2 rescued cats of unknown age), (Finn-our 12-yr old goldfish)

My Heroes:
My mother and her mother – both trailblazers
My father – who showed up to every one of my soccer games and rooted me on in his quiet, gentle way

My Escape:
Heading into the great outdoors – for days at a time

My Pet Peeve:
Blame – “When you blame others, you give up your power to change.” ~ Robert Anthony

My Indulgence:
Long baths and a good book (or magazine)

My Roots:
Supportive, close family who valued hard work, education, and humor.

My Future:
Staying amazed, enthused, and pleasantly surprised each day

My Quote on Life:
“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

My Accessory:
Handmade silver rings I collect when I travel

My Advice to Young Women:
Your voice is as important as anyone else’s in the room. Use it wisely.

How I Balance it All:
I rely more on family and friends than I used to. This has not only allowed me to accomplish and grow more, it’s made that growth even more enjoyable. And I laugh whenever chaos creeps in – laughing makes it easier to push back out.

Woman of the Week: Yvette McGee Brown

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Here at Executive Elements, we like to feature fantastic women we think you should know. Some of these women are clients, some are friends, some are women we’ve only just met. But they all have this in common: they are dynamic, interesting gals who have agreed to share with us their insights and secrets to success.

Yvette McGee Brown

My Current Job/Company:
Partner, Jones Day Law Firm

My Birthdate:
07/01/60

My Work:
I do business and tort litigation, handle appeals and a little corporate governance.

My Passion:
My family and my community. I think Columbus is a special place. I like to make a difference for the generations that follow us. I am really committed to helping women maximize their potential and to having the courage to live their dreams.

My Family:
A wonderful husband, Tony; 3 children and 2 grandchildren – Belinda and her husband Marcus – Sophia and Joshua; Laura, and David;

My Heroes:
My Grandmother and my mom. Both women taught me to be strong and work hard. They were exceptional role models with challenging lives. They didn’t have the opportunity to “Lean in” or have “work/life balance.” They did what was necessary to support their families and never gave up hope that their children’s lives would be better than their own.

My Escape:
Reading, travel and spending time with friends

My Pet Peeve:
People who are blessed and complain.

My Indulgence:
Wine.

My Roots:
Humble. Filled with love. Happiness

My Future:
Busy and Bright. Challenging, engaging

My Quote on Life:
“Life is 90% attitude and 10% aptitude.” Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re probably right.

My Accessory:
My smile – it’s always with me.

My Advice to Young Women:
Quit trying to be perfect, there is no such thing. Find something you love and do it well. Your kids will be fine if you don’t observe every waking moment of their life. Give them the gift of independence.

How I Balance it All:
I have a great husband who picks up a lot of slack. And what I can’t/won’t do, I hire out. I manage my time and decide what is important to do. And most importantly, I don’t feel guilty about an empty fridge (my kids prefer take out) or an occasional night out with the girls. A happy me is a happy home.

Woman of the Week: Kelli Baxter

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Here at Executive Elements, we like to feature fantastic women we think you should know. Some of these women are clients, some are friends, some are women we’ve only just met. But they all have this in common: they are dynamic, interesting gals who have agreed to share with us their insights and secrets to success.

Kelli Baxter

My Current Job/Company:
Vice president of client relations for Scitrain, ltd.

My Birthdate:
9.3.63

My Work:
Building relationships with organizations’ decision makers and sharing with them scitrain’s unique, progressive, impactful leadership development process; it’s effective for accelerating leaders’ development and readying them for their next-level leadership roles. The scitrain approach is truly transformational – on both the professional and personal level.

My Passions:
Family, friends, and yoga (:-)

My Family:
Rod (soulmate and husband); Dorothy (97-year-old grandmother); Sondra (mother); Karla, Kris, and Kyle (siblings)

My Heroes:
My grandmother, mother, and sisters – they are strong, patient, resilient, remarkable women

My Escape:
The American Southwest – the desert, sun, dry air, and spectacular landscapes are relaxing for me

My Pet Peeve:
Hypocritical types

My Indulgence:
Comfy lululemon clothes

My Roots:
Big family, traditional values, small town, hard-working, and fun-loving

My Future:
Exciting, fulfilling … ready!

My Quote on Life: “An open heart is an open mind.”
– Dalai Lama XIV

My Accessory:
Neck scarves. It’s rare I’m seen without one – even during summer

My Advice to Young Women: Trust your instincts, learn from your mistakes, take risks, surround yourself with mentors who will give you honest feedback.

How I Balance it All: Hmmm … yoga helps…..

Woman of the Week: Kelli Jo Gargasz

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Here at Executive Elements, we like to feature fantastic women we think you should know. Some of these women are clients, some are friends, some are women we’ve only just met. But they all have this in common: they are dynamic, interesting gals who have agreed to share with us their insights and secrets to success.

Kelli Jo Gargasz

My Current Job/Company:
Senior Vice President & Director, Private Banking; Fifth Third Bank

My Birthdate:
12.05.69

My Work:
I lead a Team of 11 highly skilled and tenured private banking professionals. Our mission at Fifth Third Private Bank is to assist families of affluence in their day to day cash management needs. We help simplify our Clients’ daily finances so that they and their designated Private Bank Team can focus on achieving their long term goals.

My Passion:
My family, my friendships, my employees and their success.

My Family:
My husband of 15 years, Tim, our twin boys, Ben & Joe (10) and our six year old daughter, Anna. We lost our first son, Nicholas, to S.I.D.S. when he was 3 months old in 1999.

My Heroes:
My Mom, Suzanne Coburn and my “Mammaw,” Johnnie Thompson. My Mom was a very young, single mother to me and my brother, Ryan. She and our Mammaw worked as a team. While my Mom was juggling 3 jobs at a time, my grandmother was caring for us. I had no idea, at the time, how difficult that must have been for a 19-year-old woman, but now I understand the amount of sacrifice that took, on both their parts. They were (are) amazing role models for compassion, tenacity, and courage.

My Escape:
A true vacation must include sunshine, my girlfriends, and a great book. I’m OK to skip the beach….sand is not my friend! But, it doesn’t get any better than your own private pool!

My Pet Peeves:
Narcissism and Rudeness.

My Indulgence:
Potato Chips, French Onion Dip and Coca-Cola.

My Roots:
Small town, family ties and great friendships.

My Future:
Focused, successful, making a difference in the lives of my children, working women and the community.

My Quote on Life:
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” (Eleanor Roosevelt)

My Accessory:
A great purse!

My Advice to Young Women:
One of the most important decisions you will ever make, for many reasons but specifically for your career, is the person you choose to spend the rest of your life with. If you want to be a working woman and a mother, you must find a partner that respects that goal and is willing to help you achieve it. They do this by choosing to be flexible in all the “traditional” roles of marriage and partnership. Show me a happily married working Mom and I’ll show you a progressive, amazing partner / husband!

How I Balance it All:
I call it “work-life strategy” because there is no such thing as “work-life balance.” I am lucky to have an amazing husband who has a flexible work schedule (see note above!). I also have a great Nanny whom I trust running my kids back and forth when necessary. Additionally, one of my God-given gifts is the ability to say, “No” and I use that gift often. In fact, my friends and co-workers ask me to step in and use my “gift” on their behalf every now and again! Which leads me to my last tip, have great friends and co-workers who care about you and your success and whose you care about.

Woman of the Week: Tanya Crawford

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Here at Executive Elements, we like to feature fantastic women we think you should know. Some of these women are clients, some are friends, some are women we’ve only just met. But they all have this in common: they are dynamic, interesting gals who have agreed to share with us their insights and secrets to success.

Tanya Crawford

My Current Job/Company:
Director/Deloitte Tax LLP (for all 21 years of my career)

My Birthdate:
12.19.69

My Work:
I lead the Japanese Service Group for the Deloitte Columbus office and provide tax consulting to many multinational companies and their shareholders and employees. I also serve as the Women’s Initiative leader for the Deloitte Columbus office. In this role I help recruit, promote and retain our very talented female professionals and lead our annual “Wise Women” program that brings together 25 of Central Ohio’s women business leaders to mentor and network with 125 up-and-coming female leaders from the community. Further, I serve as the Inclusion leader for the Deloitte Columbus office where I’m involved with the recruiting, promotion and advancement of diverse talent, work/life fit issues and the promotion of our business resource groups.

My Passion:
I love helping other women succeed. I also love spending time with my family, whether on vacation at a great beach or just reading a bed-time story to the boys. Finally, I love giving back to the great community in which we live. Over the years, I’ve been privileged to serve on numerous not-for-profit boards including The Dublin Arts Council, The Worthington Arts Council, Columbus Urban League, Japan-America Society of Central Ohio, Black Tie Ball, Inc. (benefitting Nationwide Children’s Hospital) and City Year Columbus.

My Family:
Brian (my understanding and supportive husband); Hunter (my basketball-playing violinist who is 11); Chase (my budding artist/chef/world traveler who is 8).

My Heroes:
My parents. They’ve been together for 43 years and have been great role models.

My Escape:
I have two favorite escapes….one is to Grand Cayman with the family to relax and rejuvenate and the other is the annual “date weekend” with my husband in Vegas…..it gives the two of us time to reconnect away from the kids.

My Pet Peeve:
People who don’t take ownership of their actions.

My Indulgence:
A relaxing massage whenever I can fit one in.

My Roots:
I grew up in Delaware, Ohio the oldest of 3 children. I was fiercely independent and went away to college in Philadelphia (University of Pennsylvania), vowing never to come back to Central Ohio. Long story short, I’ve been back in Central Ohio since graduation (except for minor stints on assignment for Deloitte in Toronto and Duesseldorf, Germany). You just can’t beat this area for the cost of living, friendliness of the residents and great school systems!

My Future:
I want to continue giving back to our community and help women succeed in all walks of their lives. I want my sons to grow up healthy and strong and know that they can achieve whatever they want to accomplish. And I want to always be able to look back and know that I made a difference to my company, to my colleagues and to my clients.

My Quote on Life:
“Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.” (Helen Keller)

My Accessory:
The birthstone ring I received on my birthday a few years ago from my boys & my gold hoop earrings

My Advice to Young Women:
Understand the importance of self-promotion and take control of your own destiny. Take time to reflect on your goals and let others know what direction you want to head. It’s amazing how other people will help you achieve your goals if they know what you’re striving for. And above all else, help other women along the way. Paying it forward is the best way women can give back and help generate more success for our future generations.

How I Balance it All:
I don’t think I ever have anything in complete balance. My husband has stayed at home full time with the boys since Hunter was born which helps me out a great deal. And the boys always say that the “S” days are their mommy time…..I try to devote weekends to family and get all my other tasks accomplished during the week. Every day I have to prioritize my time and while I don’t think I have it all figured out, I feel pretty fulfilled at the end of most days.

Woman of the Week: Alison Barret

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Here at Executive Elements, we like to feature fantastic women we think you should know. Some of these women are clients, some are friends, some are women we’ve only just met. But they all have this in common: they are dynamic, interesting gals who have agreed to share with us their insights and secrets to success.

Alison Barret

My Current Job/Company:
Executive Director, Thurber House

My Birthdate:
03.04.1965 March Fourth! I like to use my birth date as a challenge to my friends to March “Forth” into the community and serve.

My Work:
Helping to lead and promote an amazing Columbus treasure — Thurber House, a nonprofit literary center based in the family home of author and New Yorker cartoonist James Thurber. What could be better than working in a place where its very foundation is rooted in humor, writing and storytelling?

My Passion:
Connecting people to each other, to charitable causes and to all that that Columbus has to offer. Columbus is a stellar city!

My Family:
I am single but far from solo. I am the youngest of six kids, proud aunt to 12 and great-aunt to 5 (and one on the way). And I have a very supporting circle of Columbus friends that I consider family.

My Heroes:
My mom, who has endured tremendous health issues, great pain and limitations for the majority of her adult life — and yet she is grateful, compassionate and has a wicked wit and a ready laugh. Another would be my friends, Jerry & MJ. They both taught me about courage, dignity, humor and true, abiding love.

My Escape:
My family cabin in the middle of the Pennsylvania woods. Cool green trees, roaring bonfire and my extended family telling well-worn, giggle-inducing, sometimes irreverent stories.

My Pet Peeve:
Whining. You woke up today, right? Move on. And to break my own no-whining rule, I hate when people fail to flush those paper toilet seat covers. Think about the hypocrisy.

My Indulgence:
Reality TV on occasion, I can’t lie. And anything potato.

My Roots:
Small town girl that grew up in an era when you truly were raised by the village. I still stop in my tracks if Mrs. McCambridge yells my name….and I’m still very close with dozens of my grade school friends.

My Future:
Exciting, promising, full of new people to meet, lessons to learn and stories to discover.

My Quote on Life:
“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” (Mae West)

My Accessory:
Inexpensive, quirky rings. People are always keen to check out what colorful bauble I am wearing. I have an old printer’s box on my wall, filled with dozens of rings. And the happiest part of my day is when I peruse my collection in the morning and select the day’s shiny ring before I walk out the door.

My Advice to Young Women:
Stay curious; there is always more to learn. Keep your promises & use words carefully. And be authentic: a $1,500 outfit can never mask a fifty-cent soul.

How I Balance it All:
Balance Schmalance. I have perspective. My life is much less hectic than so many others, especially my mom-friends. Yet, busier than your average bear, as I attend charitable and arts events, have work meetings or connect with friends practically every night of the week. The plates I AM able to keep spinning are colorful. And any plates that do drop make this melodic tinkling sound.