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Meet the Board
The Women Business Owners Board of Directors, elected by its members, comprises a diverse group of women entrepreneurs and business experts. The Board works closely with various WBO Committees to develop and implement programs to further the mission and strategies of WBO. Please contact them with your ideas and suggestions.
Biographies
 Jessica Adair,
Adair Business Consulting
Jessica earned her B.A. in Business Economics/Accounting at the University of California in Santa Barbara; she later earned an MBA from City University of Seattle. After working for the Washington State Department of Revenue and LeMaster Daniels (formerly known as Abramson, Pendergast & Co) as an auditor, she joined Worksite Wellness as a CFO. Jessica sees Women Business Owners as an outlet for thriving professional women to share their knowledge and skills and encourage other women to reach their potential. Jessica is stepping into the role as President for 2011. In 2010 with her can do attitude she stepped into not only the president elect role, but also co-chaired the Nellie Cashman Gala Event. She demonstrates the very strength in character and tenacity that she will flourish within the role of President.
Board of Directors
 Karin Frost Blakley
Waddell & Reed
I am a fifth generation Pacific North westerner, who was raised on Bainbridge Island. After graduating from the University of Washington in 1981 Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa honorary, I worked in field of advertising at Cole and Weber, and then moved to sales and management positions at Entertainment Publications where I stayed until the birth of my first son in 1991.
In 1993, we moved to the Newcastle area, where I built a home, welcomed a second son and became heavily involved in volunteer activities. I served as President of various non-profit organizations, including Hazelwood PTSA, ABWA Lake Washington Chapter, and Kirkland Business and Professional Women. I have also served in various local and national leadership positions with Easter Seals Washington, the last being Chairman of the Board. Recently, I also completed a term on the board of Family Dynamic Services and the University of Washington Alumnae Scholarship Committee, which raises money for full tuition scholarships for worthy students. Additionally, I am an active member of the board for the Newcastle Chamber Commerce. I also enjoy serving as a Planning Commissioner for the City of Newcastle, and was recently elected Vice Chairman.
For over 5 years, I have worked in the Bellevue office of Waddell & Reed. As a Financial Advisor and Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor with Waddell & Reed, I not only share your financial dreams, I help provide resources and direction as you strive to achieve them during these challenging and complex times. My passion is building financial plans and providing support to help business owners, individuals and families. No matter what your financial goal: if you want to retire when and where you want to retire, or you want to provide a college education for your children, or a benefits package for your employees; I would be happy to see if I can help.
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Ginger Buetow
Buetow Law Office, PLLC
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Cindy Dabbs
CCD Consulting LLC
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 Shawn (Mercalde) Harju
Carney Badley Spellman, P.S.
Shawn is a shareholder with the law firm of Carney Badley Spellman, P.S. She concentrates her practice in the areas of collections and creditor’s rights, commercial litigation and construction litigation. Shawn also represents real property owners and managers in landlord-tenant disputes. She is also often relied upon for her experience in performing legal research and preparing briefing that assists clients during the urgent litigation process often seen by contractors involved in construction projects. Shawn advises construction and business clients of the options available to them when collecting monies owed by debtors. In the area of landlord-tenant disputes, Shawn primarily advises commercial property owners and managers in matters related to tenant defaults (whether related to non-payment of rent or otherwise). She assists clients in addressing such defaults, including eviction. Shawn’s success is the result of her skills, experience and tenacity. Shawn was named a Rising Star by Washington Law & Politics magazine for 2006, 2007 and 2010.
Shawn joined Women Business Owners several years ago after attending a luncheon at which one of the Nellie Cashman award winners spoke and realizing she had found an organization where she could feel supported in who she was as an individual and a business person. Shawn also saw being involved in Women Business Owners as a way that she could support others in the same way. In 2010 Shawn has been on the board of directors overseeing the Education and Mentorship Chair. She previously has co-chaired the Ambassador Committee, helping new members become acquainted with Women Business Owners and further building her own relationships with fellow members of the organization. Shawn will be bringing her great leadership skills and her love of Women Business Owners to the table as she steps into an even larger role of President.
Board of Directors
Connie Lewis
CliftonLarsonAllen LLP
Connie is a CPA with Clifton Larson Allen LLP and has worked in public accounting for 25 years. She specializes in tax preparation for businesses whether they are small or national firms as well as state issues both for the State of Washington or other states. She enjoys devoting her time to non-profits as well and enjoys giving back to WBO what she has so generously received.
Connie earned her Bachelor of Accountancy degree at New Mexico State University in 1983 and moved up to the northwest shortly thereafter. After becoming a CPA she has worked in public accounting ever since. She is married with two children and supports the PTF organizations for her children’s schools as well as donating time to another nonprofit, Kid Possible Inc. She looks forward to another year of serving on the Board as Treasurer for WBO.
Board of Directors
Tawnya Patrick
Bee Bookkeeping & Income Tax Services
Accountant and owner, Tawnya Patrick, attributes client focused service as the key to Bee Bookkeeping & Income Tax’s long term success in the Puget Sound area. Open since 1984, we are honored to still be serving many of our original clients. As a shark biologist in her previous life, Tawnya embraced her compulsion to create order out of chaos. Now she satisfies her need by helping small businesses drowning in paperwork. She guides clients through the gauntlet of tax agencies, to successfully fulfill their tax obligations. Tawnya is passionate about being involved in the community. For the past twenty years, she has been involved in wild and domestic animal rescue and rehabilitation. She currently volunteers her services to the local no-kill animal shelter, Camano Island Animal Shelter (CASA). The shelter is dedicated to finding homes for all the animals under their care no matter how long it takes. As a member of Women Business Owners, Tawnya enjoyed becoming further involved as part of the Nellie committee in 2010. Looking forward to 2011, she is delighted with the opportunity to continue her involvement in and support of WBO as Event Chair.
Board of Directors
 Carole Pedersen, PHR
i 2 i Consulting
Carole has been a practicing HR Professional for more than 25 years. She has assisted in the development of companies from inception as well as working with well established companies as they look to make changes. Nothing gives her more jazz about what she does than helping; that phrase ‘Hi, I’m from HR and I am here to help’ always gets a smile – but for her she really does mean it. Carole’s has assisted multi-state and international organizations with their HR requirements. Carole’s repertoire spans multiple disciplines including: handbook creation, recruiting, on-boarding procedures, designing training programs, writing job descriptions, creating performance review processes, benefit management, organizational development, succession planning, employee relations, compliance analysis and management, project management, process improvement, work force planning and change management.
Carole holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration, a Certification in Mediation and has been a member of the Society of Human Resources for over 15 years when she received her PHR certification.
Carole enjoys working with clients that are passionate about their business and want to see not only the business but the employees thrive and grow as well. i 2 i Consulting is committed to teaming with their clients and their staff to create a rock solid sustainable infrastructure from inception to implementation.
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Kathy Sparkman
The Seattle Foundation
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.jpg) Sarah Turner
Gordon & Rees, LLP
Sarah Turner is an associate with the Employment, Labor, and ERISA practice groups. Her practice focuses on employment law and civil litigation. Prior to moving to Seattle, Ms. Turner practiced employment and municipality law with a firm in Boston. Ms. Turner counsels and represents clients on a broad range of employment law issues, including hiring, review, and termination procedures, background checks, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation issues, wage and hour law, Family and Medical Leave Act issues, non-competition agreements, and compliance with HIPAA. Ms. Turner drafts and updates personnel policies, workplace privacy issues, employee handbooks, drug and alcohol policies, employment agreements, trade secret issues, and non-competition agreements. Ms. Turner counsels employers on workplace investigations on all employment issues. Ms. Turner's litigation experience includes matters involving claims for wrongful discharge, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, invasion of privacy, defamation, and state and federal wage and hour claims. She has defended clients in lawsuits filed in state and federal courts, and in matters filed with agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the State of Washington Human Rights Commission, and the Seattle Office for Civil Rights. Ms. Turner frequently conducts employment seminars and trainings, and she has published articles and updates on a variety of employment law topics.
Board of Directors
 Kalai Wineland
Patentique PLLC
Kalai is a partner in the law firm of Patentique PLLC where she assists and counsels clients on the acquisition, licensing and enforcement of intellectual property rights. Prior to joining Patentique, she had extensive experience in intellectual property and complex commercial litigation as part of a large international general practice law firm.
Kalai is also the Secretary and President-Elect of the Board of Trustees of Open Window School, where she most recently led the successfully six-month search for the school’s next Head of School as Chair of the Search Committee. Kalai holds B.S. and M.S. degrees from Stanford and received her J.D. summa cum laude from Seattle University.
Now that Kalai is a business owner herself, she looks to WBO and its members for invaluable support and insight into operating a business. She says that WBO members inspire clarity and purpose in her own efforts. As a Board Member, she will work closely with fellow Board members to further the mission of the organization. Kalai has been the Secretary for the past three years, and has done a fantastic job of holding the history, and keeping the tasks as top of mind for the board. She is looking forward to continuing with the Board by moving into the Nellie Cashman Co-Chair position.
Board of Directors
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