Tag Archives: Women

Volunteer Spotlight – Enterprising Women’s Conference Chair: Jennifer S. Swisher, SeeKing HR

By North SA Chamber Editor
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Swisher_JenniferJennifer S. Swisher, SPHR
SeeKing Hr

About the Company: SeeKing HR is a certified Small, Woman and Veteran-Owned Human Resources consulting firm.  They offer Employment Services, Employee Development and HR Program Management services.  The Employment Services division focuses on finding winning talent for organizations who wish to outsource strategic recruitment, direct hire placements and temporary staffing needs. Many of the training programs offered through the Employee Development division are designed with core content which is tailored to meet the needs of each client. The third division, HR Program Management encompasses all other human resource related services. The services include, but are not limited to: organizational and individual assessments, strategic planning, compensation strategy, benefit design, employee handbooks, policy development, employee communication plans, affirmative action planning, program documentation and onsite services. Jennifer is the Human Resource Project Director for SeeKing HR.  She develops and maintains excellent client relationships and provides consulting services on a variety of HR related topics.

About the Program: The Enterprising Women’s Conference (EWC) is a full-day leadership and professional development conference that provides a powerful learning environment with informational keynote speakers and breakout sessions and strategic networking opportunities. In partnership with the national ATHENA Foundation, the North Chamber is the exclusive local host organization for the presentation of the ATHENA Leadership Awards® Program that credits rising stars, seasoned professionals and model organizations for achievement, community service and leadership cultivation with the ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award, ATHENA Leadership Award and ATHENA Organizational Leadership Award.

Personally Speaking: Jennifer has been involved with the North Chamber through SeeKing HR since 2011.  In 2012, Jennifer completed Leadership Lab and almost immediately began volunteering for the North Chamber Golf Committee.  In 2013, Jennifer was the recipient of the ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award®.  “Being involved in North Chamber activities and events is very rewarding, both personally and professionally.  I’ve had the opportunity to meet and learn from great leaders in the San Antonio business community.”

SSFCU donates to two San Antonio Nonprofits serving women and seniors

By North SA Chamber Editor
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Security Services Federal Credit UnionSecurity Service Charitable Foundation recently presented San Antonio’s Southwest Outreach for Older People (SWOOP) with a grant of $5,000 and the Battered Women and Children’s Shelter of Bexar County with a grant of $10,000.

SWOOP serves seniors in southwest San Antonio as a free transportation service that helps them get to doctors, pharmacies, banks and grocery stores. It’s a door-through-door service in safe, private vehicles for seniors who have no friends or family to rely on. SWOOP currently serves 230 seniors in just its second year of operation, and the grant funds will be used to support its volunteer program, including mileage reimbursement and training for this dynamic program.

SWOOP_SSFCUFrom left: Eileen Mares, SWOOP treasurer/secretary and SSFCU branch manager; Joan Fisher, SWOOP executive director; Dottye Williams, Ph.D., SWOOP president, and Jim Laffoon: SSFCU President and CEO

The Battered Women and Children’s Shelter is the only shelter in Bexar County for abused women and children. In recent months, the shelter has reached nearly 200 people a month – turning no one away. The grant will be used to provide victims of family violence a place of safety and help transitioning to self-sufficiency.

BatteredWomen's Shelter_SSFCUFrom left:  Mark Jimenez,  SSFCU assistant vice president of network engineering  and support, Marta Pelaez, president and CEO of the Battered Women’s Shelter, and Jim Laffoon, SSFCU president and CEO. 

“It is our great joy and honor to be able to help organizations like SWOOP and the Battered Women and Children’s Shelter that are grounded in building a better future for the most vulnerable in our community, providing important systems and supports to make life easier,” said Jim Laffoon, president of the Security Service Charitable Foundation and president and chief executive officer for Security Service Federal Credit Union (SSFCU).

The Security Service Charitable Foundation helps further SSFCU’s corporate goal of community service by contributing to deserving organizations and causes in the credit union’s market areas.

About Security Service Federal Credit Union
Security Service Federal Credit Union offers competitive, affordable financial products and services designed to meet the needs of its members. Headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, Security Service is an industry-leading financial institution with $7.5 billion in assets and 70 locations in Texas, Colorado and Utah. The credit union is among the top 10 credit unions in the nation. Security Service strives to be America’s best credit union and provides the true benefits of credit union membership with financial services of the highest quality and value. Learn more at www.ssfcu.org or call 1-888-415-7878.

Construction Milestone Celebrated with “Topping Out” Ceremony for North Central Baptist Hospital

By North SA Chamber Editor
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baptist hcs logoExpansion to Meet the Stone Oaks area’s growing need for women’s services.

A major construction milestone has been reached at North Central Baptist Hospital. On Monday, March 18th the last steel beam was hoisted into place on the hospital structure. A “Topping Out” ceremony commemorated the day for hospital employees, physicians, construction team and community leaders. All in attendance had the opportunity to sign the final steel beam before it was raised into place.

Beam3 Beam

The additional hospital floors will increase medical and surgical unit capacity with spacious, beautifully-appointed patient rooms. It also will expand the already comprehensive labor and delivery, postpartum and anti-partum beds, obstetrics pre-op area, nursery and neonatal care unit (NICU) beds and outpatient areas. Specifics include the new 60-bed NICU which will offer private rooms, including around 11 rooms that will be available for parents who wish to spend the night with their babies in intensive care. Expectant parents can continue to rely on the fact that North Central operates the highest level NICU in the Stone Oak area, for an extra measure of care if needed.

“As the first hospital system to invest in the Stone Oak area in the early 1990s, we are excited to continue to grow with this community and accommodate the needs with our facility expansions,” said Graham Reeve, President and CEO of Baptist Health System. “This means our physicians will have additional access to modern, state-of-the-art facilities to practice in and ultimately provide the best patient care for you and your loved ones.”

This investment has been made to meet the Stone Oak area’s growing need for patient services and is expected to open in fall 2013. In addition, it is providing additional jobs to local and regional contractors and sub-contractors, as well as jobs to San Antonio healthcare workers.

Click here to view video

About Baptist Health System
Baptist Health System is a trusted provider of health care in San Antonio and South Texas. The System includes five acute-care hospitals (Baptist Medical Center, Mission Trail Baptist Hospital, North Central Baptist Hospital, Northeast Baptist Hospital, and St. Luke’s Baptist Hospital) which offer 1,674 licensed beds. All five hospitals have earned Accredited Chest Pain Center designation, as well as Primary Stroke Center Certification. Medicare has designated each as Texas’ only Medicare Value Based Care Centers.

The system also includes Baptist Regional Children’s Center, Baptist Breast Center, Baptist Cancer Center, HealthLink wellness and fitness center and physical rehabilitation centers. Other entities include Baptist M&S Imaging Centers, community health and wellness programs, ambulatory services, medical office buildings and School of Health Professions. Baptist Health System supports the work of Faith Family Clinics, Baptist Emergency Hospitals, San Antonio AirLIFE air medical transport and other health-related services and affiliations. The system is part of Vanguard Health Systems, based out of Nashville, Tennessee.

Methodist Stone Oak Hospital Receives Women’s Choice Award

By North SA Chamber Editor
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Selection of Methodist Stone Oak Hospital on list of “Best Hospitals for Patient Experience in Heart Care” is based on women’s preferences, recommendation rating and clinical excellence

MSOH_CLROneWebSiteMethodist Stone Oak Hospital has received the Women’s Choice Award from WomenCertified® distinguishing it as one of the 2013 Best Hospitals for Patient Experience in Heart Care. The award is based on robust criteria that include female patient satisfaction measurements as well as clinical excellence considerations. WomenCertified represents the collective voice of female consumers and is a trusted referral source for top businesses and brands identified as meeting the needs and preferences of women.

“Our heart services combine advanced technology along with a commitment to personal care,” said Dean Alexander, FACHE, chief executive officer at Methodist Stone Oak Hospital. “Our hospital was especially designed with the patient’s overall experience in mind, so it’s with great honor that we accept the Women’s Choice Award.”

Women make or influence more than 90 percent of health care decisions for themselves and their families, according to a study published by the American Academy of Family Physicians. The Women’s Choice Award signals that a hospital meets high standards regarding a woman’s preferences, and the distinction allows women to make an informed decision about where to go for care for themselves or their family.

MHCS heartcare“Methodist Stone Oak Hospital’s selection by WomenCertified as one of the Best Hospitals for Patient Experience in Heart Care differentiates it from other choices in the area,” explains Delia Passi, CEO and founder of WomenCertified, and former publisher of Working Woman and Working Mother magazines. “Women have many choices when it comes to health care and they set the standard for customer service. Women’s Choice Award recipients have demonstrated extraordinary service in meeting the needs of women and their families, and represent the smart choice for women.”

Hospitals qualify for this highly selective annual list based on an in-depth proprietary scoring process. The scoring incorporates a national, standardized survey of patients’ perspectives of hospital care reported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) and an analysis that weighs criteria identified as the most important to women for patient satisfaction. Additionally, the scoring incorporates WomenCertified’s in-depth research on customer satisfaction among women, including a joint study on customer satisfaction by gender conducted with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Hospitals were also screened based on clinical criteria.

“Recognizing the best hospitals for heart care nationwide that are women-friendly and align with women’s identified preferences is important to our mission at WomenCertified, where women help other women with tough, consumer decisions,” Passi concludes. “Most importantly, when a woman sees the Women’s Choice Award at her local hospital, she’ll know the hospital values her experience as a critical component of her and her loved one’s care.”

Alexander noted that for decades Methodist Healthcare has been a leader in heart services. “At Methodist Stone Oak Hospital, we’re taking that legacy to an even higher level,” he said.  Led by a respected team of physicians, the Methodist Stone Oak Hospital Cardiology Department is staffed with certified technologists and nurses and equipped with a thorough array of cardiac technologies including a new hybrid operating room used for complex heart procedures. The facility is accredited by the Joint Commission in stroke care and is designated as an accredited Chest Pain Center.

A full-service hospital featuring women’s services, diagnostic imaging, general and specialty surgeries and emergency care, Methodist Stone Oak in 2012 ranked among the top 18% of Joint Commission accredited hospitals in the nation for meeting quality card standards. Opened in 2009, Methodist Stone Oak Hospital is located at 1139 W. Sonterra Blvd.  For more information, visit www.StoneOakHealth.com.

Free Trade Alliance presents Women in International with Esperanza “Hope” Andrade

By North SA Chamber Editor
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FTA logo colorFree Trade Alliance presents Women in International with Esperanza “Hope” Andrade on Thursday, February 14, starting at 11:30 a.m. at The Venue at Valero, located at One Valero Way.

Hope Andrade served as Texas’ 107th Secretary of State, is a successful entrepreneur, and has been Awarded Avance’s “Mother of the Year” and recognized as the “Small Business Advocate of the Year” by the Small Business Administration.

The Free Trade Alliance invites you to gain valuable insights from a remarkable leader, at this woman only program which will provide insights into how to grow your business globally, improve yourself as a leader and balance career and family life.

The Free Trade Alliance, Women in International program is designed to empower, educate and support women to participate and be successful in all phases of international activities.

Free Trade Alliance Members: $35 per person
Prospective Members: $45 per person
To register, contact: Laura Martinez: (210) 229-9036 or lmartinez@freetradealliance.org
Table sales available starting at $400, Click Here for table sponsor opportunities

Padgett Stratemann & Co. earns industry, community recognition

By North SA Chamber Editor
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Padgett Stratemann Ranked 107 Largest CPA Firm in US

The Platt Group, publishers of INSIDE Public Accounting (IPA), recently released its Beyond the IPA Top 100 –  a ranking of the nation’s Top 200 Accounting Firms.

For more than 20 years, IPA has maintained a tradition of compiling its annual lists of Top 100 Accounting Firms, the Best of the Best, and All-Stars. Each list devoted to showcasing U.S. based CPA firms who have helped to shape industry standards and who have defined the true meaning of customer service.

Padgett Stratemann couldn’t be prouder to be ranked alongside so many innovative CPA firms. Who like us – know the value of building strong teams in order to offer Service. More Than Expected.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas Selects PS&Co. as Corporate Big of the Year  for 2012

When asked why PS&Co. was selected to receive its highest recognition awarded to a corporation, Alida Tallman – Vice President of Development for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas (BBBS) stated – “Padgett Stratemann is truly a unique corporate  philanthropic  partner.  From  sponsoring  several  of   BBBS’ signature events, including the Ice Ball gala and Leadership Circle reception, to volunteering at Bowl for Kids, the Holiday Party, and Hobie Day, Padgett’s year-round commitment to BBBS is unparalleled. The true giving spirit of Padgett’s leadership and staff represents the best in corporate commitment to helping children in need. In addition to the company’s ongoing support, their Director of Marketing – Maria Barrett – will serve as judge for the Texas Big of the Year submissions in January 2013.

PS&Co. Execs Rank Second in NSIDE Magazine’s Corporate Executive Fit Challenge

Partners: Bill Dimick and Joel Perez – HR Director: Michelle Wiederstein, and Senior Manager: Marc Sewell – competed in the Executive Fit Company Challenge hosted by NSIDE Magazine and Fit Company.

Contenders from across the city of San Antonio were put to the test to determine their levels of endurance and fitness. Competing against the clock and their personal best, the PS&Co.  team received two awards – a second place overall team ranking and an individual ranking by Michelle Wiederstein who received the Most Inspirational contender award. Michelle was a last minute step-in and completed the course in just over 24 minutes – bringing in the top ranking for the team, which helped to secure the teams 2nd place position over Digital Defense, Inc.

South San Antonio Chamber Awards Padgett Stratemann Silver In 2012 Healthy Workplace Awards

With a deep commitment to helping team members stay healthy in order to be the very best they can be for both their families and the communities in which they serve, the firm was pleased to be recognized for it’s wellness efforts by the South San Antonio Chamber.  PS&Co. will continue its efforts to educate team members on what it means to live healthy and strong, support their wellness efforts, and provide healthy alternatives in and outside the workplace.

In addition to our firm recognitions, several team members were recognized by the San Antonio Business Journal as leading business professionals for their commitment to excellence, including:

Denise Bendele Receives 2012 Women’s Leadership Award

Each year, the San Antonio Business Journal selects a group of leaders from the Alamo City to receive its coveted Women’s Leadership Award.  Although 100 nominations were submitted for the 2012 program, only the very best rose to the top – including Denise Bendele, who heads-up the firm’s Audit practice. Denise was one of two female business leaders to receive the Corporate Executive award.

“I am proud that I have been with the same company since I graduated from college” – stated Denise. “I have done just about every job here”, she continued.

Denise heads-up the firm’s construction industry practice, serves on its Executive Committee, and is the partner-in-charge of Padgett Stratemann University – the firm’s commitment to continued professional development of its team members. A Certified Public Accountant and Certified Financial Analyst, Denise leads by example in all she does.

Will Kothmann Named One of SA’s 40Under40

Each year, the San Antonio Business Journal selects 40 exceptional individuals under the age of 40 who are making great strides in their professional careers and are contributing positively to the San Antonio community.

This year’s winners were selected from a pool of more than 200 nominations – and although the competition was tough, Senior Manager – Will Kothmann – rose to the top as a business professional who more than understood the importance of family, community, and professional commitment.

The firm’s congratulates Will for immolating the characteristics needed to serve with the strongest of ethical convictions.