Executive Committee
Sarah Meyerrose is the principal of SMSS LLC, a consulting company focused on improving the strategic performance and human resources practices for regional and community banks. She has held a wide variety of leadership positions during her 30 years in the banking industry, most of which were spent with First Tennessee/First Horizon National Corporation (FHN-NYSE). Sarah is a member of the inaugural Board of Visitors for the Owen School, as well as a member of Nashville CABLE and Women Business Leaders in Healthcare, among other community and service club affiliations.
Jilaine Hummel Bauer, Secretary
Jilaine Bauer, founder of Bauer Consulting, provides consultancy and project management services to organizations, helping drive strategy, manage risk and improve operating performance. She has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry as general counsel, executive officer, firm principal and business consultant. She is on the Steering Committee of Milwaukee Women inc (MWi). Jilaine has also served on the Board of Governors of the Investment Advisers Association and on various Investment Company Institute committees.
Terry is the president and CEO of Inforum, one of the largest women’s business forums in the U.S. Previously, she served as senior VP/chief external affairs officer for Hospice of Michigan, as VP of university relations for Oakland University, and was the founder and president of Operation ABLE of Michigan. Terry earned a B.A. in Urban Studies from the College of Wooster in Ohio and Master’s from the University of Michigan. Crain’s Detroit Business named Terry one of the region’s “Most Influential Women” in 2007 and one of metro Detroit’s “40 Under 40” outstanding executives in 1992.
Constance Dierickx, Member at Large
Constance Dierickx is founder and president of CD Consulting Group, LLC, in Atlanta, Georgia and has consulted with more than 500 executives, corporate boards and companies worldwide. She has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Chief Executive, Chief Financial Officer, Directorship, Boards and Directors and other prominent publications. Early in her career at a major Wall Street firm, Dr. Dierickx’s curiosity about the negative impact of poor management and short-term performance propelled her to earn her Ph.D. in Psychology. She is a board member of the Board of Directors Network (BDN) and is listed in Who’s Who in American Women.
Sara Meyer-Davis, Member at Large
Sara Meyer-Davis founded Strategic Diversity Advisors to guide executives into a coherent integrated platform for increasing corporate profitability. She was responsible for the development and launch of the award-winning global leadership behavioral skills development program “Keys to Leadership – Unlocking Potential” for mid-level women and under-represented minorities. Sara is an active member of the Financial Women’s Association, on the Steering Committee for the YWCA Academy of Women Leaders Salute and does “pro-bono” consulting for Legal Momentum.
Board of Directors
As former CEO of Special Counsel, Laura managed one of the largest legal staffing companies in the country. She has been recognized by the Daily Record and Baltimore Magazine as one of Maryland’s “Top 100 Women” and “50 Top Women in Business,” among other awards. Laura serves on numerous boards, including the University Of Maryland School of Law Board of Visitors and the Sinai Hospital of Baltimore. She is past president of Network 2000 and the immediate past Women’s Department Campaign Chair of the Associated Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore. Laura graduated cum laude from the University Of Maryland School Of Law.
As president and CEO of Central Exchange, Ellen has expanded the organization’s leadership offerings and launched its annual leadership conference, the Women’s Lyceum. She has served as an attorney for several corporations, as general counsel for a Sprint subsidiary and as a vice president in the corporate law department. In 2007, she was named one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Kansas City and currently is a member of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Council and sits on the board of the Downtown Community Improvement District.
The Board Connection’s founder and president, Melisa helps recruit executive women within three to five years of board readiness and provides programming and development opportunities to facilitate their paths to the boardroom. In addition to increasing the number of women serving on corporate boards and in the executive suites of Texas, she serves as Partner-in-Charge of the International Executive Service Practice with KPMG LLP in Dallas. Melisa was instrumental in leading the KNOW initiative helping women achieve leadership positions at KPMG. She serves on the boards of several national non-profit organizations and the Advisory Board for the College of Business at UNT.
As Director of Connections and Interim CEO for Watermark, Elisa-Marie Dumas has supported more than 1,500 women in top leadership positions. She has 20 years of sales and executive recruiting experience across a variety of industries, including with executive search firms Egon Zehnder, Devine Capital Partners, and Taylor Winfield. Ms. Dumas specializes in promoting connections between executive women to expand their skills and resources, build tight networks, and help them secure funding placements, speaking engagements, and more.
Julie GraberJulie is the CEO of The Institute on Women, an independent research institute focused on improving the lives of Ohio women and girls by serving as a data-rich resource for individuals and organizations working for strategic change. She has served as a board member and officer of numerous organizations, including serving as President of Women for Economic and Leadership Development. In 2007, Julie was recognized by the Columbus, Ohio YWCA as a “Woman of Achievement” and is a frequent speaker on women’s leadership and power. She received an M.A. in Women’s Studies from Antioch University, McGregor and a B.S. in Retail Marketing from Ohio State University.
MarksLaura Marks is principal of LM Resources, an organization that provides outsource solutions in operations and human resources management. Additionally, she serves as president of Women Executive Leadership (WEL), an ION member organization for which she has led the planning, executing and delivering of various gender diversity initiatives. Ms. Marks has extensive experience in real estate and human resources and currently serves as board chairman of the Back On Track Network, Inc., a faith-based career support organization. Ms. Marks has also chaired the HR Business Education and Training Program sponsored by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, an organization in which she remains active.
Amanda Mullins
Amanda Mullins is co-chair of the Women’s Economic Development Council’s (WEDC) Women on Boards Committee and has been a member of the organization since 2003. She is also a financial advisor and second vice president of wealth management with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in Huntsville, Alabama. Previously, Ms. Mullins held positions at Colonial Bank and Nationwide Financial Services and served on the City of Huntsville Tennis Center Board of Control. She holds M.A. and B.S Degrees from the University of Alabama.
PorterPam Porter is executive vice president of strategic consulting at Opportunity Finance Network, a national membership organization for the community development financial institutions industry. At OFM, she leads the organization’s consulting practice, providing services to community development lenders, banks, foundations and social impact investors. She has three decades of experience in the business and finance sectors and is an active member of The Forum of Executive Women. Ms. Porter is also a board member of Colonial American Bank and was appointed by the Department of Commerce to serve on the Board of Examiners for the Baldrige National Quality Award.
Pam joined the Bush Foundation as vice president in January of 2009, where she has helped resolve public issues by engaging and developing leaders under the Foundation’s Goals for a Decade. She chairs the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota board, and the Minnesota Wild Foundation board. In addition, Pam serves on the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs Advisory Council, the board of the Minnesota Women’s Economic Roundtable and the Itasca Project. She holds a Master of Arts in Applied Economics from Marquette University in Milwaukee and a Bachelor of Arts in History from the College of Saint Catherine in St. Paul.
As Executive in Residence at Bentley University, Toni is a resource to faculty, students, and alumnae on issues affecting women in business and the professions. Toni practiced law at Foley Hoag LLP in Boston until 2004. She is a member of the Supreme Judicial Court’s Access to Justice Commission, and a director of The Boston Club. Toni is also founder and leader of Women Corporate Directors–Boston and is an active former director of the Center for Women & Enterprise. She received her B.A. from Smith College, an M.A. from Columbia University and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.
