WoTech Holiday Festivities
Hello Bend Oregon WoTechers!Instead of lunch this month, we’d like to extend an invitation to a no-host night of socializing at the new Bistro Corlise at 916 NW Wall Street Wall Street, where Vino Mercado used to be, right next to Merenda’s. My dear friend Allison works there, and she says the food is fantastic and they welcome groups, especially fun people.So, let’s say Wednesday night, December 12th, at 6:30 p.m. Please RSVP to me, so we can give Allison a head’s up on how many people to expect.Bistro Corlise
916 NW Wall St
“50 Women to Watch”
The Wall Street Journal ran a wonderful story on Monday, November 19th. Writer Carol Hymowitz says, “A new generation of women leaders who grew up watching pioneering women break into the executive suite has moved into the corner office of some of the world’s largest companies.” You can find podcasts and videos at www.WSJ.com/Reports , but here are the names, and their titles, to awe and inspire:
- Angela Braly, President and Cief Exeutive of WellPoint
- Indra Nooyi, Chairman and Chief Executive, Pepsico
- Neelie Kroes, Antitrust Chief, European Union
- Zoe Cruz, Co-President, Morgan Stanley
- Sheila Bair, Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.
- Clara Furse, Chief Executive, London Stock Exchange
- Anne Mulcahy, Chairman and Chief Executive, Xerox
- Patricia Woertz, Chief Executive, Archer-Daniels-Midland
- Margaret C. “Meg” Whitman, President and chief Executive, eBay
- Irene Rosenfeld, Chief Executive, Kraft Foods
- Mary Sammons, Chairman and Chief Executive, Rite Aid
- Susan Arnold, Prsident, Global Business Units, Procter & Gamble
- Amy Woods Brinkley, Global Risk Executive, Bank of America
- Ann Livermore, Executive Vice President, Hewlett-Packard
- Ursula M. Burns, President and Chief Operating Officer, Xerox
- Patricia Russo, Chief Executive, Alcatel-Lucent
- Susan Decker, President, Yahoo!
- Safra Catz, President and Chief Financial Officer, Oracle
- Sheryl Sandberg, VP, Global Online Sales and Operations, Google
- Andrea Jung, Chairman and Chief Executive, Avon Products
- Charlene Begley, President and CEO, GE Enterprise Solutions, General Electric
- Melinda Gates, Co-Chair, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- Hu Xiaolian, Deputy Governor, People’s Bank of China, State Admin. of Foreign Exchange
- Diane Greene, Chief Executive, VMWARE
- Ellen Kullman, Executive Vice President, Dupont
- Cynthia Carroll, Chief Executive, Anglo American
- Amy Pascal, Co-Chairman, Sony Pictures Entertainment
- Angela Ahrendts, Chief Executive, Burbery Group
- Lorraine Bolsinger, Vice President, General Electric
- Melanie Healey, Group Pres., Feminine and Health Care, Procter & Gamble
- Wei Sun Christianson, China Cheif Executive, Morgan Stanley
- Frances Aldrich Sevilla-Sacasa, President, U.S. Trust, Band of America Wealth Management
- Delphine Arnault Ganica, Member of the Board, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton
- Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Economy Minister, United Arab Emirates
- Maureen Mahoney, Partner, Latham & Watkins
- Hyun Jeong-Eun, Chairwoman, Hyundai Group
- Dottie Mattison, Senior Vice President, Wal-Mart Stores
- Janice Fields, Executive Vice President and Chief Operation Officer, McDonald’s, USA
- Deborah Wahl Meyer, Chief Marketing Officer, Chrysler
- Toni Hoover, Senior Vice President, Pfizer
- Nancy McKinstry, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board, Wolters Kluwer
- Julia Steward Chairman and Chief Executive, IHOP
- Manisha Girotra, Managing Director and Chairperson, India, UBS
- Carolyn Reidy, President and Chief Executive-Designate, Simon & Schuster
- Erin Callan, Chief Financial Officer-Designate, Lehman Brothers
- Sharon Hom, Executive Director, Human Rights in China
- Denise Morrison, Senior Vice President and President-North Amera Soup, Sauces and Beverages, Campbell Soup
- Andrea Wong, President and Chief Executive, Lifetime Entertainment Services
- Carol Tome, Chief Financial Officer and Executive VP-Corporate Services, Home Depot
- Anna Burger, Secretary-Treasurer, Service Employees International Union
Rock-on, girlfriends, I hear the roar.
Share This Sphere: Related ContentIn Memory of Elaine Litman- An Inspiring, Artistic Woman in Technology
Elaine Litman was a wonderful woman who touched many lives. She died last month after a long battle with ovarian cancer. I met Elaine when I was the manager of Mirror Pond Gallery, and was so moved by her paintings of her trees of life, burned by the Chemo, which she showed at our “Sacred Journeys” show last year at the gallery. We talked about her career in IT, and her love of art and the creative process.
Her husband Burt has graciously shared her obituary with us, and he writes: Aside from her technical expertise, she was a sought after mentor of those who worked for her and her family and friends. As much as there is in her obituary, there is more that could be said. Elaine started her career in computer technology and applications in the 60s and as a woman in a man’s world, accomplished many firsts. This led to some amusing experiences along the as well as many hurdles to overcome. Throughout her career, when she felt her thinking was getting stale, Elaine would take an art course to revitalize the left brain-right brain connection. I believe this was a great aid in her creative approach to problem solving. Once retired, she enthusiastically pursued her art.
The following appeared in the Bend Bulletin in early October:
Elaine Freeman Litman, 68, died September 29, 2007 from complications of ovarian cancer. Elaine was the first woman to chair a NATO management board and was the recipient of multiple distinguished service medals. In retirement she was an artist whose paintings included the beauty of Oregon’s landscapes.
Elaine was an early adapter to the computer age. She received her B.A. in mathematics from the University of Minnesota in 1960 and subsequently moved to Eugene, Oregon with her husband, Burt. She took courses in anthropology and worked as a research assistant in the sociology department of the University of Oregon where she introduced the use of computer techniques to analyze questionnaire data. In 1966, she moved to Charlottesville, Virginia where she rose to the position of Associate Director of Academic Computing at the University of Virginia and spearheaded the installation of one of the first Local Area Networks in a university setting.
In 1986 she took a position in the Department of Defense (DoD), in Washington, D.C. as Chief of the Scientific Computing Division of the Defense Nuclear Agency. She was then recruited to be the Director of Information Systems for the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization, commonly referred to as the “Star Wars” Program. While in this position Elaine was promoted to the very selective Senior Executive Corps. In 1993, she joined the Office of the Secretary of Defense as Director of Continuous Acquisition and Life-Cycle Support and Electronic Commerce Programs. In her service with the DoD, Mrs. Litman became a representative to NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and in 1994 was appointed a board chair.
She was awarded the Meritorious Service Award (1996), the Exceptional Civilian Service Medal (1996), and the Meritorious Civilian Service Medal (1998) during her service in the DoD. She published several papers in the Journal of Logistics Information and in 1998 was honored with the best paper award. She retired from the Defense Department as a member of the Senior Executive Corps in 1997 and subsequently worked as a consultant for PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC).
During her career, Mrs. Litman held executive positions in a variety of professional organizations including Women In Technology, The International Women’s Alliance, The Association For Enterprise Integration, and The International Computer User Organization. In retirement she volunteered at the Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution where she maintained the database and catalog for the Mineral and Gem Division.
In 1999 she retired from PWC and turned her interest to art and watercolor painting, a pastime she had studied at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, VA. In retirement, she studied drawing and painting, selecting watercolor and pastels as her favored medium. Her work was recently exhibited in a one-person show in July 2007 at the Sage Gallery in Bend, OR.
She was a member of Plein Air Painters of Oregon and Art Central. Elaine’s paintings were an expression of her love of the scenery she and her husband enjoyed while hiking in the Oregon mountains and along the coast, and during their world travels. Their adventures took them to all parts of the globe including China, Moorea, France, Spain and Israel, always returning to Oregon to enjoy its beauty and serenity.
Elaine first experienced Oregon when she and her husband attended the University of Oregon and traveled extensively about the state, camping with their small children. Later, the family returned for vacations loving the hiking, the scenery, and the mountains of central Oregon. In early 2002 Elaine and Burt began the search for a retirement home in the Bend-Redmond area, finally retiring here in early 2006.
Born in Boston, Massachussetts January 5, 1939, Elaine Litman was the daughter of Rose and Philip Freeman. She married Burton Litman, her childhood sweetheart, in 1958 in Brookline, Massachussetts.
Although a successful professional, Elaine was most proud of her accomplishments as a wife, mother, sister, grandmother, cancer awareness advocate, and friend and mentor to many. She is remembered for sharing her love openly, mentoring many personally and professionally, and inspiring others with her love for life and courage.
She is survived by her husband of 49 years, Burt; her daughter Deborah of Arizona; her son and daughter-in-law Daniel and Kim and grandchildren Stephanie and Justin of North Carolina; her mother Rose Freeman of Florida; sisters Cynthia Schmidt, Jeanne Nolan, Marsha Castiglioni and Ruth Block; and her many nieces and nephews who visited and called during her final days.
Elaine Freeman Litman:
January 5, 1939 - September 29, 2007
Share This Sphere: Related ContentWoTech Talks to Alison Ward of PV Powered in Bend, Oregon
- Alison, I heard you sell metal boxes. What does PV Powered make, and why is it important?
PV Powered produces inverters, or a box full of components that ultimately turn DC (direct current) electricity into AC (alternating current) electricity. DC is produced by solar panels and in order to use the power in your home (that operates on AC electricity) the type of electrical current needs to be changed (enter said metal box). The essence of our product is that it is grid-tied, or communicates with utility companies, so if a solar array produces more energy than is being used our product helps sell it back to the utility company or spin the electrical meter backwards. To top it all off, we have a web based monitoring program so one can watch the activity of their inverter 24 hours a day.
- Give us the condensed version of the life and times of Alison Ward.
As the marketing operations manager of PV Powered, I’m the brand police. My job is to oversee and facilitate any work that has our logo on it, from printed materials to tradeshows, co-branding projects with customers, and advertising.
Personally I enjoy playing! From every form of it in the snow, water, or dirt I have to be outside and exercising to feel grounded. This makes it tough being a desk-jockey by trade.
- What’s your favorite food?
Mac and cheese or pizza for comfort. But every day I have to eat a ton of veggies, I just love fresh produce.
- What do you like best about your job?
Every day is different, and I constantly have to figure out creative ways to bridge the gap between engineers and the outside world.
- Do you have a dog or a cat, and why?
I have a 10 month old Border Collie dog named Bridger. She forces me to get outside and exercise, a lot. Plus, she’s amazing at cuddling.
- If you could get Samantha Stephens of “Bewitched” to wrinkle her nose and make a gadget instantly appear, what would the gadget be?
A gadget that gave me the ability to control time – stop and start it, extend or condense it, go forward or backwards - all at my will.
- Is your life as an adult the same or different than you envisioned it would be when you were a child imagining your future?
In a personal sense it is different for I never imagined myself being able to live the lifestyle I do which is focused on playing outdoors. Realizing I had to arrange for that in my life became my number one priority as soon as I saw it slipping away. In a professional sense it is not different for I always knew I’d be engrossed in lots of fulfilling work. I always knew I wanted to make a difference through my work, and contributing to renewable energy in a creative way is very rewarding.
- What’s the most important advice anyone ever gave you?
To trust my instincts because there are many external influences giving us daily messages that contradict our internal thoughts.
- Who do you think is smart, and why?
I think someone is smart if he or she has a rich and well balanced life yet excels in each area of their life. It is tough to keep all the balls in the air all the time and be good in each realm. Anyone who can do this and keep a calm demeanor throughout any situation wins a gold star.
- What environmental issue concerns you the most?
I’m most scared of the perpetual and irreversible damage being done - just the thought that there may eventually be no glaciers or falling snow, or later generations will never get a chance to witness nature as we do today. Knowing an animal has gone extinct in my life feels like the greatest disaster I can ever know.
- Who is the funniest person you’ve ever met and how did you meet?
I traveled to Munich,
- In what ways are you creative?
I can always turn anything into a tool. Give me a junk drawer and I’ll make something work for me. I also love to build things, in fact as a child I was constantly making tables, boxes, and adding to my tree fort with the scrap wood from the side of the house. It perpetuates to this day! This spring I somehow convinced my father to fly up here to Bend on vacation to help me build a huge shelving and work bench system in my garage – it is 17 feet long, 12 feet tall, and 3 feet deep. All of my guy friends are jealous and I even designed a special ski, snowboard and boot rack that has a drainage system into trays to dump out after throwing on the wet gear.
- What books are you reading now?
One Hundred Years of Solitude, again.
- Is there a woman in your life who you’d consider a mentor?
This is tough to not seem cliché. I immediately think of my mother. She taught me to never compromise myself or my beliefs, nor sit by quietly when I disagree with something I am witnessing.
- What cartoon character do you most identify with?
Gosh, I guess the easiest answer is Smurfette. I have always been surrounded mostly by men in the work place and therefore get labeled the token woman from time-to-time, like I’m expected to know the answers for all of womankind. It’s not hard to imagine Smurfette felt that way a lot.
- What’s one thing you wish people knew about you?
How much I appreciate all the friendships and relationships in my life, without them I am nothing. And that I am constantly trying to quit coffee, without success.
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Welcome to WoTech! So what is this?
- WoTech is a blog for and about women who work in technology
- WoTech is a place for networking, educating, mentoring, building community, and sharing ideas
- WoTech will bring together innovative people who see the value of encouraging and supporting women in their technical career choices
- WoTech will actively support initiatives to encourage girls and young women to pursue careers in technology
Check back here often and, in the meantime, please provide your comments. See you around!
