WOMEN MEAN BUSINESS
Tuesday, October 04, 2005 -

By Lisa Ferrell
Managing Editor

Recently at a business social gathering I found myself in a conversation with two very successful business women who were looking back over the past 30 years. With laughter they reminisced what it was like to be the only one with makeup and pantyhose and high heels (if you were allowed to wear them) in the corporate world.
Listening to those stories it’s easy to see just how far we’ve come. Being a 25-year-old woman in the workforce it’s incredible to hear what many women have gone through and what barriers have been broken. Those trailblazing ladies paved the way for generations to come.
Being the leading business news publication in Collin County, Inside Collin County Business recognizes the importance of hitting that “women in business” market. It’s important to provide the resources, the articles, the information that they need to be successful in their businesses. But more importantly, it is important to the newspaper to provide the information women in business say they want.
With a dedication to making the best information possible to women, the newspaper went right to the source. We developed a focus group of women with varying backgrounds all doing business in Collin County. These women met over a six month period providing insight and feedback that led to the development of this page. Why they gave of themselves was because of a strong belief in what we were trying to accomplish.
This page, which will run in each issue and is being sponsored by Hibernia Bank, is intended to be the place women in business can go to for advice, trend stories, profiles, resources and tools they need to do business in the county. And hey, guys can look too. If you’re wanting to target women business owners or get connected to powerful women in the corporate world, this page will have the leads you need to be successful.
It’s thanks to the women in the focus group who emphasized the importance of providing that information and helped develop the format the page would take. And as a way to show our readers who helped in making that decision, I’d like to introduce you to the Inside Collin County Business women in business focus group.
Kerri Lusk-Barnes facilitated the group meetings. And of course the discussion was in turn focused and beneficial because the questions that needed to get answered got answered in a more precise way. Kerri, acting as the facilitator, was only doing what she does best. In fact her marketing company, Focus Forte, purchased EWF International, a franchise designed to create forums where a group of women in a non- compete environment discuss real business issues in their companies. Kerri, a Nortel Networks veteran, knows what it’s like to survive in the corporate world. While at Nortel she worked in a variety of areas including marketing, project management, product line management, and account management. She also spent time in Europe working on a five-year project for Nortel. While there she earned her MBA. Kerri, now in her role as owner of EWF International, is motivated by knowing she has created a space where people feel comfortable, welcome and safe. That can be anywhere from a Christmas party at her house to a Forum meeting where women are solving their most intimate business problems. Kerri, a Texas A&M graduate, is married to Mike Barnes since 1990. She has a 24-year-old stepdaughter, Tara Barnes and two dogs, Murphy and Sydney. She also has family who live in the Dallas area. Kerri currently serves on the Leadership Plano Board and American Business Women’s Association. She just stepped off the board of Turning Point, Rape Crisis Center after serving four years as VP of the board, fundraising chair and gala director.
Carin Stein is also a corporate veteran turned business owner. As the owner of Cartridge World franchise located at the corner of Parker and the Tollway in Plano, she draws from her experience in the mortgage banking industry and her 16-year career at Electonic Data Systems. While at EDS she held various positions in finance, marketing and business development. Carin has a bachelor of business administration from the University of Oklahoma. She is passionate about organizations that support the advancement/improvement of women whether it be charitable, educational, spiritual, or business. Carin is an active member of the Plano Chamber of Commerce and its Women’s Division as well as Exceptional Women, an organization for Christian businesswomen. Carin and her husband Bill live in Plano.
Keresa Richardson graciously welcomed the women in business focus group to meet at her business board room. Keresa is the president of Benjamin Franklin Plumbing in McKinney. She is a graduate of Texas A&M University and holds two master’s degrees in business and industrial technology. She and her husband J.R. have owned a commercial construction company, Lawton Mechanical Contractors, for 22 years. But Keresa, after receiving not-so-great service from a plumbing company decided she would start one herself that would supply service from a woman’s perspective. That’s how Benjamin Franklin Plumbing came about. She also has a hand in another company, Lawton Services, which specializes in repair plumbing for commercial buildings. Keresa is involved in the Collin County community where she is active in 10 chambers of commerce. Her company also supports local charities including Habitat for Humanity and Fun with the Son. Their company was also able to work on converting the old Wal Mart in McKinney to a shelter for Hurricane Katrina evacuees. Keresa says she has a very supportive husband, J.R., three children and five “wonderful” grandchildren. They attend Cottonwood Creek Baptist Church where Keresa sings in a ladies ensemble and plays the flute iin the orchestra.
Sue Moore is who is credited for the name of the women in business page. It was her idea to title it “Women Mean Business,” and she knows that first hand. Sue is currently the vice president, business development officer, business banking for Hibernia Bank. She has over 25 years of banking experience including 12 years with Legacy Bank. She started there as an assistant vice president and within 10 years was promoted to senior executive vice president and the first woman elected to the board. She has focused her whole career to the areas of sales, marketing, strategic planning and corporate leadership. Her motivation today comes from connecting women in business and executive/professional women with the necessary sources of banking and finance by educating them in how to maximize their banking relationship and in teaching women how to use their bank to make their lives easier. Sue is involved in the community in a number of ways including Practical Parent Education, the YMCA, and ABA Marketing Network, the Collin County Community Prayer Breakfast, local chapters of NAWBO and Women’s Business Council-SW and the Center for Women’s Business Research in Washington, D.C.
Sharon Easley is an attorney and an attorney-mediator who has been in the legal profession for over 24 years. Her practice is primarily in family law but she has also been a commercial litigator and handled criminal and juvenile matters. Sharon’s passion in life is to mentor other women in their search for excellence in their own endeavors. She is very involved with organizations like the American Business Woman’s Association and the Women’s Division within the Plano Chamber of Commerce. She was named the National American Business Woman of the Year for 2000 and is currently running for district vice president of the national organization. Sharon is also spending her time planning the ABWA National Women’s Conference that will take place at the Gaylord Texas in November. She and her husband Mitch have four adult children, two of whom are also parents. One of Sharon’s daughters is also an attorney and her son is an architect. One of her daughters recently had twins and her youngest just completed training to be a massage therapist. Sharon is proud to be a Plano attorney, business owner and resident.
All of these women contributed numerious hours and lots of opinions that led Inside Collin County Business to publish a page dedicated to givng women a place a resource they can use to better their business or career.
And we want to know what you think. Story ideas and feedback regarding the newest addition to our lineup of signature pages in the newspaper are welcome. E-mail me at f.lisa@insidetxbiz.com.

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