Newsletter June 22

June Meeting … Wednesday, June 8, 2022 … Starmount Country Club

Meet Robin Davis, Founder of Maxi B’s Bakery

Robin Davis, the founder and owner of Maxie B’s Bakery in Greensboro, NC, will be speaking to us about “The Homegrown National Park”, a garden revolution, started by Doug Tallamy. She is an active member of the NC Native Plant Society and has developed a Certified Wildlife Habitat right outside her store.  

A North Carolina native, she grew up at the end of a dirt road in the town of Kernersville surrounded by woods, a creek and plenty of wildlife.  She graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a BA in Business Administration in 1985 and opened her business later that summer.  37 years later, she’s still at it, but with many evolutions and missions that have sprouted along the way!  

One of her greatest passions is sharing about the power of native plants to heal and rebalance our ecosystems, and in doing so, reconnect us to the healing power of nature for the human spirit.  Planting natives that support wildlife is something that we all can do no matter where we live.  Even a tiny patio container garden or the pots on your front doorstep make a difference in supporting the “quilt” of our ecosystem.  

WPF FOUNDATION NEWS: A Note from Jean

A Message from Jean Pudlo, WPFF President Jean Pudlo

Thanks to WPF members over the decades and today, the Foundation continues to thrive. Thank you so much to those who made their gift in the last month since our May celebration!  

This spring was busy with stewarding our funds for the impact we seek for women and girls.  Choosing which grantees get our support can be a challenge.  This year, our grants committee, under co-chairs Robin Hager and Jen Mencarini, did a great job narrowing the choices.  There were a record number of proposals to choose from!  All meriting support, but not all quite fit these guidelines: 

• opportunities for women and girls to aspire to or further their careers;

• education and leadership development of women and girls;

• education of the public on the status and rights of women; and

• recognition of achievements and contributions of women.

2022 Grantees

YWCA of High Point … $5,000 … Girl’s Leadership Edge program delivery funding support for 2 groups

The Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship … $6,000 … Promote Economic Self-Sufficiency for Women through Entrepreneurship – 5 women entrepreneurs will get funding to go through the program

The Beloved Community Center … $6,500 … Convene intergenerational dialogue of veteran and emerging women leaders in social justice to promote and establish a new pool of women leaders active in NC Truth, Justice & Reconciliation Committee

AAUW -American Assoc of Univ Women … $2,500 … College Women’s Leadership Program. By providing local Start Smart workshops along with support to attend the national conference, AAUW Greensboro extends our mission of diversity, equity, inclusion, and opportunity for women.

Action Greensboro … $7,000 … Women Owned Business Internship Stipend to connect young bright college student talent with women owned business partners and leadership training with CCL. Fund 4 women to participate

We are delighted to fund two sessions of Girls Leadership Edge at the YWCA!  The Nussbaum Center and Action Greensboro programs support women entrepreneurs and young women considering their careers.  And the AAUW and Beloved Community Center provide leadership development for women.  These groups fit nicely with our goals to impact and support women and girls in our community.  These grants will provide opportunities that extend their options and build their abilities to make their own impact in the world.  

And special thanks to a board that is a real team!   Everyone has been stepping up to do their part to increase the Foundation’s impact in the community.

FOUR MINUTE SPECIAL!!

CATENA BERGEVIN

My name is Catena Bergevin, and I currently work as the Director of Advancement and Grants at ArtsGreensboro, where I am honored to serve and support our local art community. I moved to Greensboro in 2018 from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. However, I am a California girl born and raised in San Diego. 

I graduated from the University of San Diego with a BA in Fine Art and a minor in Art History. Originally starting as an artist, I’ve worked in arts administration for over 30 years at the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego; The Mattress Factory (a contemporary art museum); The Kelly Strayhorn Theatre; and The Westmoreland Museum of American Art (all located in Pittsburgh). I’ve served on many boards, such as the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council and Artists Image Resource. Currently, I serve on the boards of WPF, the Association of Fundraising Professionals NC Triad Chapter, and Reconsidered Goods (a creative reuse center), and am a member of the Development Committee at Elsewhere. I am a Greensboro Cultural Arts Commissioner, guiding the City’s Office of Arts and Culture, better known as Creative Greensboro. I am also a lecturer at UNC Greensboro, recently teaching a class on Managing and Leading in the Arts. 

I am the proud mother of two amazing children, my daughter Analise and my son, Ludy (short for Ludwig). I live in Westerwood with my husband Anthony, our dog Julio, and three rescue cats. We are a proudly tattoed family as my future son-in-law owns and operates Old North State Tattoo in Winston-Salem (shameless plug). 

A lesser known fact about me, I worked for 11 years as a Company Manager for my brother’s company, Elsen Associates. Elsen Associates was one of just a handful of theatrical wig and makeup design firms. During the ’80s and ’90s, Elsen Associates’ clients included opera companies such as Washington Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Syracuse Opera, Wolftrap, Pittsburgh Opera, Cincinnati Opera, and San Diego Opera, to name a few. We also traveled to Sydney, Australia; Caracas, Venezuela; and Teatro Alla Scala in Milan, not to mention designing for several NYC off-Broadway shows such as Angels in America and Jelly’s Last Jam. Unfortunately, the AIDS epidemic claimed many of our amazing designers. My brother was diagnosed with HIV in the late 90s and is currently living in Pittsburgh with his husband Doug, who cares for him with incredible love and dedication. 

I am very grateful for the friends I’ve made in WPF and thankful to Denny Kelly, Nancy Radtke, and Altina Layman for introducing me to this great organization. When I’m not at work, you can find me tending to my small vegetable garden, walking Julio, attending art exhibitions, and teaching myself to sew. 

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE UPDATE

The Membership Committee is so excited to accept new member applications until June 1st.  The Committee will review all applications in June with the approved new members being presented at our September meeting and a New Member Social also planned for September.  We look forward to welcoming the new class of members for 2022!

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Jody Susong at jsusong@triad.rr.com.  

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SUMMER SOCIAL

Save the date!

Our annual Summer Social will be on Thursday, August 11 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. More details to come soon!