CW Speakers: Understanding Career Options

Deborah L. Frett
Chief Executive Officer,
Business and Professional Women/USA

Deborah L. Frett is the CEO of Business and Professional Women/USA and Business and Professional Women’s Foundation, an organization dedicated to achieving equity for all women in the workplace through advocacy, education and information. Deborah is a frequent speaker and panelist on work-life effectiveness, pay equity and advocacy issues as they pertain to working women. She is heavily involved in policy discussions and is an advocate for veteran issues and support
for women and families. Deborah is an accomplished executive with 27 years of experience providing strategic direction and executive management to associations, for-profit and start-up organizations. She is a creative leader and has demonstrable experience growing organizations while helping them remain relevant to their constituencies.

Using her collective knowledge as a leader and executive, Deborah became an entrepreneur serving as an independent consultant and chief executive officer for DFA Project Solutions. She provided senior level management and consultation on business strategy development, marketing, management and operations for various projects and initiatives. Clients included the Virginia Commonwealth University’s Tompkins-McCaw Health Sciences Library, Women’s Health Virginia Program and Charlotte K. Roberts Women’s Health Resource Center.

Prior to this position, she served as the Executive Director for an online start-up, SeniorNavigator, a public-private partnership initiative with Virginia Health Care, AOL Time Warner and CollisWarner Foundations. This internet-based program links families and caregivers with a wide range of essential information on health, legal, financial, and housing issues. As Executive Director, she was a successful fundraiser and developed relationships that increased the organization’s visibility. She was also involved in the organization’s grass roots advocacy on the state level building coalitions on issues and bringing the necessary resources together to implement successful efforts.

Deborah began her career at the American Hospital Association holding a number of key positions during her tenure including COO of the Health Forum, Inc.; President of Healthcare InfoSource, Inc.; Vice President for the Data and Information Group and Vice President of Special Membership Services.

Deborah holds a Bachelor in Sociology from Quincy University in Quincy, IL. She has earned advanced certification in Nonprofit Management through The Nonprofit Organizations Program at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Allison Hickey
Brigadier General, USAF
(USAFA, 1980)

Brig. Gen. Allison A. Hickey is the Director, Future Total Force Directorate, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington D.C. She oversees the development, advocacy and leadership of the implementation of Future Total Force concepts, initiatives and polices for the Air Force. She is also responsible for the day-to-day staff operations, personnel actions and policies of the directorate. General Hickey is a 1980 graduate of the U.S.
Air Force Academy, the first class to admit women. She has served in all three of the Air Force components: 10 years active duty, one year with the Air Force Reserve and 12 years with the Air National Guard. General Hickey has held a variety of positions at the unit, state, National Guard Bureau and Air Staff levels, and she has spent more than 12 years in Washington, D.C., in the field of strategic planning. Prior to her current assignment, she was Assistant Deputy Director, Air Force Strategic Planning, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs. General Hickey has more than 1,500 hours in the KC-135A and KC-10A as an aircraft commander and pilot.

Marjorie James
Founder & President, Hire America’s Heroes

Marjorie James manages the diversity program at Volt Technical Services in Redmond, Washington. As Diversity Manager, she provides overall direction and leadership in the planning, design, development, implementation and tracking of diversity projects at Volt. In 2006, Marjorie launched an initiative through the Washington State Business Leadership Network (WSBLN) focused on addressing the systemic challenges that limit exiting military service members’ opportunities in America’s corporate workforce. The initiative, “Hire a Hero: Bridge from Military
to Civilian Workforce,” resulted in the formation of a new organization, “Hire America’s Heroes,” a 501(c) 3 non-profit corporation. The purpose of Hire America’s Heroes is to promote best practices and success strategies by which America’s military service members are welcomed into the corporate workforce. Marjorie currently serves as President of the organization.

Marjorie spent her early career teaching high school special education classes and later serving as principal of Gateside High School, a California institution dedicated to serving special needs students. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Program Evaluation and Adult Learning Theory as well as an Administrative Services Credential, both from U.C. Berkeley. She became part of the computer industry in 1982, initially as owner of her own computer store, “Micropotentials,” and later in the training organization at ComputerLand Corporation in California.

Between 1990 and 2000 Marjorie was active in the technology training industry, serving in sales and sales management roles for Microsoft Solution Provider training centers and with independent training providers. She has also developed and delivered technical training curriculum and, more recently, courses exploring diversity topics.

Marjorie takes an active role in her profession and her community. She helped found and served on the Board of the BackOffice Professionals Association from 1995 to 1999 and on the Board of the Society for Information Management between 2000 and 2003. She currently serves as Chairperson on the Board of the Washington State Business Leadership Network (WSBLN), a chapter of the USBLN, an organization of American businesses dedicated to hiring and retaining people with disabilities.

Linda Malczewski
Site Plant Engineer, Procter & Gamble
(USMA, 1985)

Linda Malczewski is a Site Plant Engineer at the Cape Girardeau, MO plant of Procter & Gamble. This1300 acre manufacturing facility with 80 acres under one roof, produces several million Pampers diapers, Bounty towels and rolls of Charmin each day. Linda graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1985 with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. Upon completion of graduation leave, she reported to Ordnance Officer Basic at Aberdeen, Maryland. Along the way she married
her classmate, Jerome. Linda first served in the 125th Support Battalion (SB), 1AD as a Platoon Leader, Company XO and Battalion S-1. It was during this assignment in Germany, that she gave birth to her daughter Katherine. Upon returning from Germany, Linda completed an assignment as Assistant S-3, 75th SB at Ft Knox, KY before resigning in June 1990. Linda enrolled at the University of Michigan and was awarded an MS in Material Science and Engineering in August 1991. Immediately upon graduation she joined General Dynamics Land Systems Division, in Sterling Heights, MI where she conducted research and development for new armor materials and failure analysis of M1A1 component field failures. In continuing to manage their dual career, Linda and Jerome decided to follow an opportunity for Jerome to Chicago in 1993. Linda left General Dynamics and concentrated her focus on being a mom and homemaker with a little part-time commissioned sales thrown in for fun. In 1997 her family followed another career opportunity, this time for Linda. The family moved to Cincinnati, Linda’s hometown, where she joined Procter & Gamble (P&G) as a project engineer. Over the next 9 years at P&G Linda led the execution of over $200MM in capital projects across 5 US sites, and earned a well known reputation across the company as an expert in project and capital management. In September 2007 Linda began her current assignment as a Site Plant Engineer at the Cape Girardeau, MO plant. With Katherine away at the University of Richmond, Jerome and Linda now enjoy small town life in Cape Girardeau as empty nesters.

Char McCreadie
Top Independent Sales Director
Mary Kay Cosmetics
(USAFA, 1993)

Char McCreadie is a Top Independent Sales Director for Mary Kay Cosmetics. Char is a business coach for hundreds of independent women nationwide with entrepreneurial spirits. She is a speaker across topics ranging from motivation, time management, self-confidence and esteem building to relationships, marketing and emotional management. Prior to and while working in her current leadership position, Char was a
career active duty Officer in the United States Air Force. She is now retired and is truly grateful for the Mary Kay Career Opportunity and the joy of enriching women’s lives all around the world. Her unit’s motto is “Serving our Country & making it beautiful at the same time as the Million-dollar examples to women around the world!”

Char and her Mary Kay Unit, the “Dream Weavers”, completed their first year as a Unit in grand style. The “Dream Weavers” earned the Company’s prestigious Honor Society Award, finishing in the Company Top 10 for first-year units (Class Size was around 600). They were also recognized as the “Rookie Unit of the Year”. In 2003, Char was recognized in the Circle of Achievement - $300,000+ Unit Club and received the prestigious Double Star Award.

Char received her undergraduate degree in General Engineering & a Russian History & Language Minor from the United States Air Force Academy, and completed her Graduate Education with dual-Masters Degrees in Business Administration & Computer Science/Management at Arizona State University.

Char is married to Rob, Lt Col USAF (ret), is a mother of two incredible children and has two awesome dogs. She currently resides in Arizona with her family.

Yolande Nanayakkara
Director of Membership and Educational Program Management,
Business and Professional Women/USA (BPW/USA)

Yolande Nanayakkara is the Director of Membership and Educational Program Management for Business and Professional Women/USA (BPW/USA), an organization dedicated to achieving equity for all women in the workplace through advocacy, education and information.

Yolande has over 13 years of experience in membership relations, marketing management, meeting planning and development within non-profit organizations. In addition to her current role in BPW/USA, Yolande will serve as the Staff Director for BPW/USA’s Women Joining Forces – Closing Ranks Opening Doors; a program designed to assist women veterans transitioning from the military into the civilian workforce.

Previously Yolande served as the Membership and Annual Fund Manager for the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice. In that capacity, she created successful recruitment campaigns, developed marketing collateral materials and organized development events.

She has also served as Director of Membership Services for the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare, Director of Membership Marketing for the National Institute of Governmental Purchasers, and Director of Member Relations for the National Foundation for Consumer Credit

Yolande received her Bachelor in Psychology from St. Mary’s College and lives in Rockville, Maryland.

Elexa Diana (Wills) Orrange
Olympian, Sales Professional, Entrepreneur
(USMA, 1990)

Elexa Orrange is a true renaissance woman who considers herself a very blessed “country girl” whose life has continually defied the odds. She lost her mother at the very young age of ten. She endured a stepmother who continually told her that she would “never be anything.” How? She learned early to utilize the philosophy she now regularly imparts to her daughters, “You can do ALL things with God‘s help ... Nothing is impossible! … Don’t let others define who you are and what you can achieve ...
Do your part by working hard, getting up when you fall down, and finally … trusting God to act supernaturally on your behalf.” It was these beliefs that helped her achieve success as a high school student-athlete and that continue to impact her life currently.

Elexa is a 12 time NCAA All-American in track and field. While at West Point, Elexa was undefeated versus Navy (32-0) and lead Army to a perfect 8-0 record. She was inducted into the Inaugural Class of the Army Sports Hall of Fame; holds the longest triple-jump ever in NCAA Division II Championship Competition; represented the United States at the 1996 Olympic Games, the 1995 World Championships and on the 1994 Pan American Team and placed third in the finals of the 1996 U.S. Olympic Trials. Elexa’s personal record ranked number two in the United States while competing and she still ranks sixth among U.S. women of all-time in the triple-jump.

Today, she enjoys her many roles as mother, sales professional, business owner, and motivator. Elexa is a sales executive with Sanofi-aventis Pharmaceuticals and the Owner of a personal training company, Fit to Be Woman. Elexa lives in Houston, TX with her daughters, Amber and Alexa. She holds a BS in Psychology from the United States Military Academy and an MA in Counseling.