Women TIES Advisory Board

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Women TIES is a success because of the sage advice, enthusiasm, and insight of these outstanding business women. The Women TIES Advisory Board consists of women who are true believers in the success of other women, especially women entrepreneurs.

You can learn more about their companies by viewing their corporate listings in the membership directory. They are listed below in alphabetical order by first name.

Becky Bayne is a seasoned entrepreneur and owner of Becky's Graphic Design, a business she began in 1992 with a high school diploma and a belief in her talent as a calligrapher and artistic designer. As an independent graphic designer working from home, Becky was a pioneer in the home-based business model long before it became a topic of national interest.

A true entrepreneur, Becky found a way to make money using her natural abilities while maintaining the flexibility to be home with her two young children. Along the way, Becky developed professional skills by taking advantage of continuing education and by leveraging on the job training opportunities. For nearly 20 years, Becky has created images, logos, websites and newsletters for dozens of small businesses, not for profits and government agencies.

Her graphic design practice, now in its 17th year, has won numerous awards including the US Small Business Administration 2003 Excellence in Small Business Award and the 2004 Home Based Business Champion Award. Becky was the Publications Coordinator for the Women Business Owners Connection for 9 years, a Member of the Syracuse Chamber of Commerce, and a Women TIES Advisory Board member.

In May 2009, Becky moved to Nashville with her husband to be closer to their children and in a warmer climate. She continues to operate her business in CNY from Nashville and looks forward to building a new clientele in this new region.

Betsy L. Powers' career in the financial industry in central New York spans a 25-year period. Beginning at a major stock brokerage firm, her early experience included securities trading operations, internal compliance audits, and pension plan management. Subsequently, she worked with individual clients on asset accumulation strategies by educating them about asset allocation. An unexpected fiduciary responsibility within her family spurred her transition to Sagemark Consulting as a fee based financial planner. Sagemark's cross-disciplinary approach resulted in a broadening of her focus to include asset protection, insurance, business succession planning and estate distribution. Betsy is currently a Select Planner with the Private Wealth Services Group of Sagemark Consulting.

In particular, Betsy works with business owners who want to eventually and successfully exit from their business but aren't sure how to accomplish that goal. She applies a systematic process that integrates personal, financial and estate planning objectives with the goals of the business.

Betsy is former President of the CACDA (Cazenovia Area Community Development Association) Board of Directors. Betsy is a member of the Advisory Board for Women TIES and also is a current member and former officer of the Corinthian Club. As past Chairperson of the Greater Cazenovia Area Chamber of Commerce (GCACC), she also served as Chairman of the GCACC Economic Development Committee. She is a past Vice President of WBOC (Women Business Owner Connection), a former member of the WBOC Leadership Committee, and past member of the Syracuse YWCA Board of Directors. Betsy graduated cum laude from Syracuse University with a B.A. in Psychology.

Betsy was selected in each year from 2005 through 2009 as one of 65 out of 2200 financial planners across the nation to join the Select Planner Group of Lincoln Financial Advisors Corporation/Sagemark Consulting as a part of the firm's Private Wealth Services Group Program qualified to work with clients on highly complex financial solutions. Betsy was also among 20 women honored for her business and civic accomplishments at the sixth annual Women in Business awards for the greater Syracuse area (Women in Business Honoree).

Cynthia A. Scott, ChFC is the founder and president of OMC Financial Services, Ltd. In 1982, Cynthia Scott moved to Syracuse to open her own financial services company. Her goal was to provide her clients with a level of advice and service that went beyond the traditional brokerage business model. She also desired to marry institutional-type money management with a personal, one-on-one working relationship.

As an investment manager, Cynthia personally manages her clients' investments and is involved in every facet of the investment process including idea generation, screening, research, asset select ion, and asset allocation. She re-assesses each individual investment as well as the overall investment mix on a regular basis and takes appropriate action when an investment no longer meets OMC's criteria. As president, Cynthia is actively involved in every aspect of the daily operations of the firm. She is also the Chief Compliance Officer of OMC.

Cynthia is currently a weekly financial guest on WSTM-TV3's noon news. In addition, she was a columnist for the Eagle Newspapers and a weekly columnist for the Post Standard's "Personal Business Asks..." segment of the "Moneywise" section for seven years. She previously co-hosted "The Cynthia Scott and Susan Suben Financial Hour" on WSYR Radio. As a frequent guest on WCNY's "Financial Fitness" program, she covers topics such as international investing, technology stocks and retirement planning. On her appearances on WCNY's "Hour CNY" and on "Women's Voices," she addresses finance and women's issues.

Cynthia is a member of the Government Relations Committee of the Syracuse Chamber of Commerce. She is a board member of the Museum of Technology and Science (MOST); Syracuse Tomorrow; 20/20 Modernization Committee and the Women's Fund of Central New York. She is also an advisory board member of Women TIES.

In 2007, Cynthia was recognized at the annual Women in Business Awards Luncheon. She was nominated for her exemplary achievements in business, civic leadership, and personal development, and was one of the only 20 highly successful women in Syracuse to be honored. In November 2003, she received the "25 in Women in Leadership" award for professional success and active participation within the community. Cynthia is a graduate of Penn State University.

Ellie Hayman has been a significant player in the Syracuse real estate market since 1975. A top producer for the last two decades, she's sold over 300 million dollars in real estate. She has come to be recognized as one of the Syracuse region's top agents.

Throughout her illustrious carrer, Ellie has been the recipient of numerous awards honoring her professional achievements, including: Women in Business Award in 2001, Howard Brinton Superstar Award, The Distinguished Sales and Marketing Award, The Better Homes and Garden Hall of Fame.

Ellie has also be been featured in a variety of regional and national publications, including CRS Magazine and National Relocation Magazine. She also authored an article for Real Estate Professional Magazine. Ellie is also a member of the Syracuse Jewish Federation, the Senior Professional Network, the Women's Fund and is a Women TIES Advisory Board member. Ellie strives to give back to the community that has supported her throughout her distinguished career.

Gwen Webber-McLeod, M.S., is President and CEO of gweninc. She has 30 years of experience in leadership development, professional facilitation, and motivational speaking. Her clients are CEOs, executive and mid-level managers, and leadership teams in public, private, and education organizations throughout the state of New York.

The Leadership Connection: A Resource Centered on Great Leadership^TM, the hallmark product of gweninc, provides an array of services for emerging and established leaders through education, facilitated work sessions, technical assistance and motivational events.

Gwen is a successful 25-year career professional with three businesses to her credit and has held a number of executive and senior level positions at Central New York area institutions, including Wells College, the National Women's Hall of Fame, and the Cayuga/Seneca Community Action Agency.

Gwen's board affiliations are numerous. Among them are Planned Parenthood of the Rochester and Syracuse, The Central New York Women's Fund, Pathfinders CTS Authentic Leadership for Women Program, the Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce, and the Women TIES Advisory Board.

Gwen has been the recipient of The Academy of Diversity Achievers award in 2008; the Phyllis Goldman Encouragement Award for Women in 2007, and was one of 20 Women in Business Honorees by the CNY Business Journal in 2005. In 2009, Gwen joined the devastating divas of the Syracuse Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, a nationally renowned public service sorority for African American women. Gwen writes The Leadership Journey, a monthly newspaper column for The Citizen in Auburn, NY. Gwen resides in Auburn, New York, with her husband Tracy and their three children Andrew, Ashley, and Travis. She is the proud grandmother of Julian Tracy McLeod born in 2008.

Joan Powers is a Senior Business Adviser with the New York State Small Business Development Center. In her role as a business adviser she advises clients in the preparation of business plans and financial projections, funding packages, financial analysis, and marketing plans. Joan also provides guidance in preparation of payroll, payroll taxes, NYS sales taxes, and federal taxes that are required for government reporting. Prior to this Joan worked in the private sector for eighteen years in the accounting department of a Fortune 1000 corporation. She received her BA and MS degree in accounting from Syracuse University.

Joan received the SBA's Syracuse District Women's Business Champion Award for 2004 and the New York State Small Business Development Center 3rd Runner Up for Business Adviser of the Year in 2004, 2008 and 4th Runner Up in 2009.

Karen McMahon is a Central New York native, life coach and President and CEO of ShopforMuseums.com, an online shopping site where businesses and individuals can do their everyday shopping with hundreds of national retailers and at no extra cost, have a percentage of the purchase amount donated to a museum, park, zoo, nature center or other related organization of their choice.

Known for her creative insight, purpose-driven leadership, marketing skill and her ability to handle logistics, Karen now manages what is recognized nationally as the fastest growing museum fundraising program on the web. While building strong partnerships with museums, shoppers and leading e-commerce retailers including Ebay, Macy's, Best Buy, Amazon, Lands' End and many more, Karen encourages "shopping online with purpose." In the simplest of ways, we can each give back much needed funds to our communities. Karen is a Women TIES Advisory Board member, board member of the Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation, and active in several state museum associations.

Leslie is the Managing Partner of Dale Carnegie Training in Central New York, Past Chairman of the Syracuse Chamber of Commerce Training and Education Committee and past Chair of the Syracuse Chamber Brown Bag Committee and current member of the Advisory Board for Women TIES as well as a member of the Leadership Greater Syracuse Alumni Committee.

Since her career began with Dale Carnegie in 2000, Leslie has received yearly sales recognition worldwide as a top producer and award recipient within Dale Carnegie. Yearly, she has placed in the top 10% of over 2000 consultants worldwide. Her awards include: Rookie of the Year, Silver Award Recipient for Top Sales Growth, and consistent production of over $350,000.00 per year. As Managing Partner, Leslie oversees all aspects of operations within the CNY Franchise that include; developing and coaching her sales team, marketing, instructor development, and product delivery. A 2010 purchase of the CNY Franchise is currently underway.

The Syracuse Dale Carnegie Office has also recently been awarded the Chairman of the Board Award for significant growth and production, which is the highest, most prestigious award the Dale Carnegie Worldwide Organization presents to their franchisees.

Within her role at Dale Carnegie, Leslie has had a tremendous opportunity to develop and coach professionals in effective public speaking and leadership skills from over 500 companies and positions throughout Central New York. She has been invited as a guest presenter for organizations such as The National Rotary Society, Leadership Greater Syracuse, Junior Achievement, Lockheed Martin Women's Affinity Group, Future Business Leaders of America Association, the Syracuse Chamber of Commerce.

Shannon is a principal owner of Colden Corporation, a privately held company, wholly owned and managed by five senior professionals, all actively involved in the practice. Shannon serves as vice president of health sciences and co-chair of the litigation support practice. She aids clients in determining the origin and nature of workplace health concerns and provides litigation support in suspected cases of occupationally or environmentally induced illnesses. Over the course of 10+ years, Shannon has evaluated myriad industrial and nonindustrial settings and a wide range of health effects. She has investigated occupational and environmental clusters involving reproductive, cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory illness.

Shannon holds a doctor of science in environmental health from Harvard University with a concentration in occupational epidemiology. Her thesis focused on evaluating the cardiovascular health effects of airborne particulate air pollution. She also holds a master of public health in epidemiology and biostatistics from Boston University, a master of science in engineering science from Dartmouth College, and a bachelor of science in bioengineering from Syracuse University.

Shannon continues to perform air quality research and teaches and advises students through academic appointments at the Harvard School of Public Health, SUNY Upstate Medical Center and the L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science at Syracuse University where she is advising Engineers Without Borders students working on the health and safety aspects of developing a kitchen in an orphanage in Kenya. Shannon is also a member of the Women TIES Advisory Board.

Theresa Slater is a professional Sign Language Interpreter and the owner of Empire Interpreting Service. Theresa is a native of Cortland, NY, who attended college at RIT and Gallaudet University. She holds her BS in Cultural Studies with a minor in Business Management.

Theresa started Empire Interpreting Service as a home-based office in 2003 in Cortland, NY. Today its financial offices are still based out of their building in Homer, NY, but its headquarters now reside in downtown Syracuse and two satellite offices are located in Charlotte, NC and Manhattan, NYC. In 2008, Empire Interpreting Services reached a million dollar in sales as its expansion in location and services created more growth opportunities.

Theresa's influence into the business world extends beyond the scope of Empire Interpreting Service. She is a co-author of a bi-weekly column in the Syracuse Post Standard called "Ask the Entrepreneurs." She serves as an Advisory Board Member to the entrepreneurial organization Woman TIES and is a Member of the Women Presidents' Organization.

Trisha Torrey was a mild-mannered marketing consultant when, in 2004, she was diagnosed with a deadly lymphoma and given a few months to live. Turns out, the system that was supposed to diagnose her accurately and help her battle that rare cancer was wrong. She didn't have cancer at all.

Today she calls herself "Every Patient's Advocate." Instead of handling marketing tasks for others, she has turned herself into an expert in the field of patient empowerment and healthcare navigation, teaching other patients how to advocate for themselves to find their best medical outcomes.

Trisha's first book, You Bet Your Life! The 10 Mistakes Every Patient Makes will be published in October 2009. You can find her newspaper column bi-weekly in the Syracuse Post Standard. She hosts a weekly radio show, HealthLink on Air (WSYR 570 AM) on Sunday mornings, and is the Guide to Patient Empowerment at About.com. She's been quoted by CNN, the Wall Street Journal, NPR, US News and World Report, Angie's List, BoardRoom Publications and others. You'll find her on Twitter (@TrishaTorrey), Facebook and LinkedIn. Trisha is a Women TIES Advisory Board Member.

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