Meet Us

PRESIDENT Lisa E. Platt	FOUNDER Linda M. Herold
DIRECTOR 2013 Laurie Castillo   WOMAN OF THE YEAR 2013 Michelle R. Dionisio 2012 Elaine Scruggs 2011 Pat Horton 2010 Candace Hunter Wiest 2009 Karen Wellert, CSA	AMBASSADORS 2013 Jennifer Cameron Laura Malamud Pamela Prine   PHOTOGRAPHER Michele King Bruen
PAST DIRECTORS Phyllis C. Brown – 2012 Linda Cavanaugh – 2011 Kelly Ettenborough – 2010 Sharon Levinson – 2009	Kate Cox – 2008 Victoria Bushnell – 2007 Karen Wellert – 2006 Sharon E. Ravenscroft – 2005
PAST AMBASSADORS Barbara Kendrick – 2012 Pamela Prine- 2012 Laura Malamud- 2012 Patricia Leupp – 2011 Mayra Ciribassi – 2011 Jeannie Drobina – 2011 Norma Richardson – 2010 Beverly Stokes – 2010 Laurie Castillo – 2010 Elizabeth Hartigan – 2009 Patty Thompson – 2009	Paulette Goldman – 2008 Christine Siler – 2008 Sharon Levinson – 2008 Karen Luu – 2007 Kate Cox – 2007 Amy Lindsey – 2007 Lynn Williams, CSA – 2006 Jennifer Burns – 2006 Emily Fourmy Cutrer – 2005 Victoria L. Bushnell – 2005

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West Valley Women is a division of The Platt Company

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Bios:

 

Laurie Castillo, Paramedical Aesthetician, North Valley Plastic Surgery

Director, West Valley Women

Laurie Castillo is a native of Arizona, she attended ASU and Kar’che.  After 15 years with a successful career with American Express, she wanted to make a change.  At age 40, she left a high level position, returned to school and became a Licensed Paramedical Aesthetician and Certified Laser Technician. Laurie agrees this is one of the best decisions she’s made to full fill a passion.  Laurie is also a Permanent Make-up Technician and specializes in the Micro pigmentation for women recovering from cancer.

Laurie volunteers her time to a few different programs including Delta Therapy Dog organization.  She and her Therapy Dog, Deniro, visit local schools. Their goal is to visit hospitals and nursing homes.  Her other dog is  Sissy, and she’s smart too!

Since completing her internship, Laurie works as a Licensed Paramedical Aesthetician and Certified Laser Technician at North Valley Plastic Surgery.  During this time, she has been a member of West Valley Women and our sister group, Women of Scottsdale.  Laurie is grateful for her spirituality, health, skills, friends and dogs.  And try’s every day to stay thankful.

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Jennifer A. Cameron, A & C Properties, Inc.

2013 Ambassador, West Valley Women

Jennifer Cameron is a commercial property manager with A & C Properties, Inc. – a full service management company in Phoenix.  She is a licensed real estate sales person who has been in the industry for 20 years, focusing on retail and office management for client owners/developers.  She also recently completed brokerage classes and is well on her way to obtaining a State brokerage license

In 2008 Jennifer and her husband, Gene, relocated to Glendale, where she also currently holds a part-time position as an account representative at Champ’s Auto Repair Service located at 51^st & Peoria Avenues.  Coming “back home” to the West Valley, Jennifer was surprised to see so much positive growth and wanted to be part of the community and action and so she joined West Valley Women in 2011.  She is also part of other Valley business associations such as Metro Business Alliance, AZ CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women), and in the past has worked with City officials of Phoenix and Glendale on various business development and community projects.

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Laura Malamud

2013 Ambassador, West Valley Women

Laura Malamud is a long-time communicator, with experience in developing strategic plans and rich content for public relations, employee communications, partnership marketing and social media campaigns. Throughout her career, she has developed and executed effective messaging campaigns for a variety of audiences, including corporate employees, executive management, agency clients and media outlets.

Currently, she is part of the Public Affairs team at Cancer Treatment Centers of America’s^® (CTCA) Western Regional Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona.  Prior to CTCA she worked as Director of Marketing at VIVA Creative, designing and implementing marketing materials and website and social media content. She also spent six years within GEICO’s Communications and Public Affairs departments, working on all elements of the company’s communications and partnership marketing, as well as working as a founding member of GEICO’s social media team.

She received her undergraduate degree in Journalism from the University of Arizona, and graduated with a Master’s Degree in Public Relations and Corporate Communications from Georgetown University.

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Pamela Prine

2013 Ambassador, West Valley Women

Pamela B. Prine is a Senior Director with Holt Capital Management Group, LLC – a wealth preservation practice in the West Valley that focuses on the growth and protection of client assets.  Pam is a dedicated advocate for women when it comes to money and finance.  She focuses on “women in transition” – whether it be a successful business owner, a widow, single, or married woman who for whatever reason has decided to take charge and move forward in a successful financial direction. Pam has both a professional and personal understanding on the unique issues and challenges that face women.

Pam and her husband Dave have been married for 32 years.  They moved to the Valley 26 years ago where they raised 3 children and are now enjoying their 5 grandchildren.

Pam is active in her church where she has served in many leadership positions over women’s groups, youth groups and even taught on a volunteer basis a religious course for youth 16-18 at 6am every morning for two years.  She is a popular speaker for Women’s Conferences in the community, church and in her profession.  She is currently serving as President of the Advisory Board of the Golden W.H.E.E.L Organization – a women’s group that raises money for scholarships for high school seniors of the West Valley and also supports organizations such Arizona Friends of Foster Children and West Valley Child Crisis Center.  She has always wanted to be a volunteer for Hospice and hopes to be able to make that happen in 2012!

She values the relationship of her clients, friends and professional business partners.

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Michele King Bruen

President, StraightLine Publishing

Volunteer Photographer, West Valley Women

Michele King Bruen is the President of StraightLine Publishing, LLC.  Founded in Virginia in 2007, StraightLine Publishing is a BBB accredited, licensed, insured, and certified woman-owned small business located in Surprise, AZ. Michele specializes in research and analysis, technical writing and editing, and desktop publishing projects for telecommunications companies and Federal Government agencies. With her strong administrative and customer service background and attention to detail, she is a capable, analytical professional with extensive experience supporting the telecom industry and Federal Government contracts. Previous positions include analyst at SAIC, climbing instructor at REI, piano teacher, church pianist, executive administrator, retail sales, and background investigator for a Federal Government agency.

Michele spent the first 38 years of her life in various parts of Virginia. She received her B.S. in Computer Information Systems from Strayer University in 2004. She moved to Arizona in 2010 and married her best friend and true love, Chuck Bruen, in August 2011. They were married in Las Vegas on the 21^st anniversary of the day they met in college. Chuck & Michele live in Surprise with their dog and cat. Michele enjoys music, hockey, poker, hiking, camping, shooting, reading, winemaking, gardening, and photography.

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Lisa E. Platt

President, West Valley Women

An event management specialist and entrepreneur, Ms. Platt is the founder and CEO of The Platt Company, a business concierge firm that works with small organizations and busy professionals. Under this umbrella, Lisa has successfully worked with networking organizations for over 15 years serving as manager, administrator and now President/Owner of West Valley Women.

Additionally, Lisa serves as the Executive Director for the Arizona Homeopathic & Integrative Medical Association (AHIMA), the state association for Arizona’s Licensed Homeopathic Physicians, MD(H) & DO(H)’s. Her responsibilities include coordinating details for monthly lectures, special workshops and semi-annual dinners, maintaining membership records, sending weekly newsletters and meeting reminders, working closely with our lobbyist and president on legislative projects and serving as the liaison between the Association and Licensing Board.

In 1996, Ms. Platt founded Errands Galore, a personal concierge firm working with busy professionals. Many of her clients were small business owners who needed reliable help with specific business projects on a part-time contract labor basis.

In 2006, Lisa earned her Distinguished Toastmaster Award, She loves animals, enjoys musicals and comedies, relaxing on a quiet beach and is equally comfortable wearing a pair of jeans or cocktail attire. She adores her two nephews and spending time with family and friends.

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Linda M. Herold

Founder, West Valley Women

Linda M. Herold is the President of Herold Enterprises located in Scottsdale, AZ. Herold Enterprises produces WOMEN OF SCOTTSDALE and West Valley Women, monthly meetings designed to connect local women, and includes IDENTITY ARTS, a consulting practice. Linda also writes THE SOCIAL LIFE column for frontdoors Newspaper.

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 WOMAN OF THE YEAR 2013

Michelle R. Dioniso

President & Chief Executive Officer (Benevilla)

A visionary in senior services, Michelle Dionisio grew the nonprofit Interfaith Community Care, established in 1981 among the West Valley faith communities to provide care to their neighbors in need, into Benevilla, the premier human services
organization in western Maricopa County. Benevilla is a multi-faceted volunteer-based, organization providing  intergenerational human services on a campus artistically and functionally designed to grow with the community’s needs. Drawing on a career of private and public sector experience, Dionisio joined Benevilla as a program director in 1990 and has served as president and chief executive officer since 2000. Creatively inspired since early in her career to reach beyond the senior adults her programs served to youth and families, she has seen her vision become a reality with Benevilla. Dionisio led the successful 7.9 million dollar capital campaign to build the intergenerational campus offering adult day health care services, preschool for children, a family resource center and Birt’s Bistro, a community gathering place for dining and entertainment. The innovative Benevilla serves as a national model for providing community-based services. Boasting a team of 700 volunteers providing a variety of supportive services, Benevilla also employees nearly 100 people. Passionate about caring for seniors, Dionisio is a champion of the Communities for All Ages concept, a national initiative that helps communities address critical issues from a multi-generational perspective and promote the well-being of all age groups. Benevilla is a site leader for Surprise. Dionisio was also instrumental in organizing the Northwest Valley transportation stakeholders group to create short/long-term solutions for seamless transportation needs in the Northwest Valley. Recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Arizona Association of Adult Day Health Care and as a Virginia Piper Trust Fellow, Dionisio’s leadership and inspiration has reached beyond Arizona. She served as a delegate to the White House Conference on Aging and was selected as a member of the American Delegation to China to study the economic and social concerns of the elderly. A native of New York, Dionisio has a Bachelor of Science degree from Brockport State University. Despite her busy schedule, Dionisio still finds time to teach dance to the employees and seniors at Benevilla.