People to People...
May 2012

EIGHTY ONE LIVES AND COUNTING

If you had 81 cat lives, how many cats would you have? This month's profiled member could tell you, but that's getting ahead of ourselves. Nicole Fielder, (formerly Schmidt), is Vice President and Branch Manager of a branch of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania based PNC Bank. Her branch which was formerly a Bank Atlantic Bank branch is located on North Dale Mabry. Raised on a dairy farm in Amsterdam, N.Y. (near Albany in case you wondered) Nicole would later travel across the country and back before settling down. Hold on to your seat, here we go: Nicole traveled from Amsterdam, N.Y. to Everett, Washington, to Delanson, N.Y. Birmingham, Alabama, to Mobile, Alabama, to Reading, Pa. then finally to Tampa in 1984.

Nicole's travels were as a result of her father's job which took him wherever his profession demanded. Her parents were born in Germany, before coming to upstate New York, where Nicole and her two sisters were born and where she attended Hanburg High School.

In 1984 Nicole enrolled at The University of South Florida with the intent of majoring in Zoology and it was then that she met her husband to be, Kenny. It was a marriage made in heaven, Nicole with her travels and Kenny, who owns his own trucking company with his travels. Rumor has it that when Kenny proposed over 26 years ago, Nicole's response was to sing the country song, Convoy welcoming Kenny into her life. The name of her husband's trucking company is Red Leif. Fielder spelled backwards. Clever, aye?

A career banker, Nicole spent ten years with the old Barnett Bank before joining Bank Atlantic in 1998, working her way up the corporate ladder to where she is today. In June of last year PNC Bank acquired 19 branches from the aforementioned Bank Atlantic, a South Florida based bank giving them 170 branches in Florida. In her capacity as Branch Manager, she oversees the lending, administrative and depository functions of the bank as well as supervising eight employees.

Now to those 81 cat lives. Nicole and Kenny have nine (count them) nine cats and as we all have heard, cats have nine lives. She says that is only a drop in the bucket to the numerous felines she has had as family members over the years.

I first met Nicole after joining the North Tampa Chamber of Commerce and got to know and respect her for the insatiable energy and the dedication she shows in whatever she does. She has served The Chamber as an officer and director and volunteers to deliver meals to the less fortunate for Meals On Wheels. She told me that one of her passions in life is to get to know people, so why don't you stop by and visit her. You never know, she may give you one of those free meals.

Nicole Fielder, Vice President, Branch Manager
PNC Bank
may be reached by phone 813 931-8855
or email Nicole nicole.fielder@pnc.com
or visit www.pnc.com

Submitted By: John S. Richardson, Author
"The Eighth Deadly Sin"
Committee Chair, Member Profiles
may be reached by phone 813-469-5626
or email johnillini@tampabay.rr.com
or visit www.ravenbookwatch.com

People to People...
April 2012

SHUFFLE OFF TO BUFFALO

Since most of you have never heard of North Tonawanda, New York let's just say that this month's profiled member hails from Buffalo; pretty much one in the same. JENNIFER (we call her Jenn) BEAUMONT tells me that every day is a life or death experience for her although it doesn't really matter. You see, Jenn's employer American General Life & Accident Insurance, (AGLA) pays both ways, but that's getting ahead of ourselves.

High school was a pleasant experience for Jenn, good times and very good grades, (an A student) so she had no problem being accepted by Genesco College in Rochester, N.Y., majoring in Communications and Public Relations. After graduation Jenn put her people skills to work, during an eight year stint with a medical diagnostic company in New York. Here at a company called Smurfitt (no, the owners weren't short and blue) she called on hospitals and other medical facilities, and was soon promoted to Territory Manager. It was in 1998 that fate stepped in and we are happy that it did, for her employer transferred her to Florida, so that she could eventually become our good friend.

But before we leave for Florida, lets discuss one of Jenn's passions, singing. During her Buffalo days, Jenn had the opportunity to sing in The Gospel Players, a group that backed up the likes of Jenny Rogers and Lou Gossett in a salute to The University Games, held in Buffalo. She knows what dedication to excellence is, having had to practice three hours a day, seven days a week, for three months for that event.

In 2009, Jenn was ready for a change, so she went to work for Legal Shield, selling legal services to consumers, a relationship that she still maintains today, in addition to her full time job at AGLA where she has been for the past year. At AGLA she functions as a licensed agent. Getting that license in and of itself was no easy task, what with a forty hour course and state exam required in order to qualify. AGLA offers not only life insurance, but business insurance, long term disability and care insurance among others.

Jenn's husband of five years, Eddie is a bail bondsman who brings two adult children to the family from a previous marriage. When Jenn talks about the other family member Bailey, she gets a big grin on her face. Bailey is a Red Tick Hound and as much a family member as anyone.

Jenn's passion in life is helping others, so give her a call and she will tell you about the Life or Death Insurance you don't have to die to use mentioned earlier, along with all the other insurance benefits she offers. She also offers complimentary insurance reviews.

Jenn Beaumont, Licensed Agent
AGLA-American General Life & Accident Insurance
may be reached by phone 813 334-8998
or email Jenn j.beaumont@msn.com
or visit www.agla.com

Submitted By: John S. Richardson, Author
"The Eighth Deadly Sin"
Committee Chair, Member Profiles
may be reached by phone 813-469-5626
or email johnillini@tampabay.rr.com
or visit www.ravenbookwatch.com

People to People...
March 2012

FROM BYTES TO BITES

Imagine coming home from work, opening eight foot windows that overlooked the Seine River and off in the distance seeing the Eiffel Tower? That's not where our profile begins, nor is it where it ends. In fact, it's somewhere in the middle of the life of this month's profiled chamber member. And yes, it is Paris, France. But, let's not get ahead of ourselves; let's go back to Colonial Heights, Virginia where it all began.

TERRY McMAHON, the son of an Army Master Sergeant was raised in this small city twenty miles south of Richmond where he attended high school. After graduation, he enrolled in college at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Virginia, majoring in finance. It was here in 1975 that he met his wife to be, Diane, who by the way majored in English. Terry would continue on at Virginia Tech to earn a MBA, which put him on a direct career path with the likes of IBM, where he began his working career in 1982.

In 1988 after working his way up the ladder, he was rewarded with a transfer to Paris, where he was involved in creating pricing models for IBM's customer base in Europe. (I bet you wondered where the BYTE came from) After three and a half years, Terry returned to the USA, but had caught the attention of a former IBM executive, who recruited him to go to work for AT&T and back to Paris. This time however, he was the executive in charge of pricing for his new employer. Seems as though they thought so much of him, that they gave him a rental allowance of near 18,000 Francs a month( about $3,000), and this is where he came home to that wonderful view of the Seine River.

Here he worked until 2002, when the desire to be back in the good ole USA was too much for him, so he returned. In 2004 he retired from corporate life and did some consulting for small businesses. It was shortly after that I first met Terry, at the Lowry Park Zoo, where we were both docents. (volunteers) Some time later, Terry began consulting for a small pizza chain and while he had no intention of getting in the restaurant business, despite the urging of his client, the seed had nevertheless, been planted. After all, where better to make a lot of dough, so he succumbed to the temptation and went after a new slice of life. (please excuse my puns, I was born that way) About eighteen months ago, Terry opened Amore's Fresh Slice Pizzeria Restaurant. (the other side to the equation, the BITE) I know it's a reach, but computer byte to pizza bite, works for me.

In addition to being active in the North Tampa Chamber, he is also active in CABA and the Greater Tampa Chamber (downtown). Amore's is conveniently located in the Carrollwood Shopping Center on Dale Mabry just north of Linebaugh Ave. In addition to the retail facility, Amore's does catering for all type of businesses and Schools. Amore's was voted Best Pizza, Best Wings and Best Buffet in the Carrollwood News "Best of Carrollwood" competition in 2011. Interesting fact: Amore's sells about 1000 pizzas every month, which if stacked in pizza boxes on top of each other, would stand 125' high. It's not the Eiffel Tower, but hey.

As a final note, Terry tells me that he liked the view of the Seine in Paris when coming home so much that he picked the next best thing. He now resides with his wife and four cats looking out at the Hillsborough River when he comes home each day.

Terry Mahon, Owner
Amore's Fresh Slice Pizzeria of Carrollwood
may be reached by phone 813-443-4598
or email Terry terry@amoresfreshslice.com
or visit www.amoresfreshslice.com

Submitted By: John S. Richardson, Author
"The Eighth Deadly Sin"
Committee Chair, Member Profiles
may be reached by phone 813-469-5626
or email johnillini@tampabay.rr.com
or visit www.ravenbookwatch.com

People to People...
February 2012

HOME SPUN LADY

If you were raised in a town of three thousand people, worked in your family's forty acre apple, peach and pear orchard and went fishing with your dad on the weekends, you might be considered home spun. Add to that a host of kin folks within shoutin' distance, including nine aunts and uncles on her dad's side, and she's without question, home spun. Well after fifteen years, our profiled lady is still home spun. Home Depot spun that is. At age twenty one, Jessica Dorman left Mifflinburg, that small Pennsylvania town, her loving parents, two sisters and a brother and her small town American home to find her own identity. Since there was no Home Depot, (no kidding) in her home town, she found one that had a store. And so it began in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania where she joined Home Depot as a part time cashier; a career that has spanned fifteen years. Shortly after joining H.D. she became a full time cashier and within three years, an assistant manager. Before moving to Florida, she was promoted to Store Manager of an H.D. store in Ashtabula, Ohio.

It was now 2005 and Jessica's parents were talking retirement and where better to retire than Florida. So, seizing on an opportunity to once again be close to family, she took a position as one of the assistant managers in another Tampa area Home Depot store. It was only a temporary step down, as all of Jessica's dedication and hard work paid big dividends, when she was promoted to Store Manager of the Carrollwood store a year and a half ago, making her one of H.D.s 153 Florida store managers. In her position as manager, she oversees 170 employees, including 5 assistant managers. Jessica's store is one of the top revenue producers in all of Florida.

While the opportunity to come to Tampa and ultimately become a store manager again, was in and of itself, one of her proudest accomplishments, it certainly wasn't her most important. Fate stepped in and while working at her first Tampa H.D. store, she met her husband to be, who is also in management at H.D. Now her name is JESSICA KELLEY. When I asked her what her husband's name was, she grinned then told me. His name is Irish and when they met, she is sure that his Irish Eyes were smiling on her. A nineteen year old daughter Samantha and a fifteen year old son Steve were part of her new family and she couldn't be happier about it. Oh, I almost forgot, the family includes three Shih Tzus, a Pomeranian/Chihuahua mix a Jack Russell and a German Sheppard. (I think she has to work just to feed them.)

Have you ever heard the expression, "some things never change?" Well when I asked Jessica what she does in her spare time, I wasn't a bit surprised at her answer. When her parents moved to Florida, her dad bought a boat and they still go fishing, only this time it's in salt water.

I personally think that the service I receive at Jessica's store is second to none, and if you ever need to talk with me and can't reach me on my cell, you will probably find me wandering aimlessly through the Carrollwood Home Depot Store.

Jessica Kelley, Store Manager
Home Depot
may be reached by phone 813 960-0051 ext. 100
or email jessica_l_kelley@homedepot.com
or visit homedepot.com

Submitted By: John S. Richardson, Author
"The Eighth Deadly Sin"
Committee Chair, Member Profiles
may be reached by phone 813-469-5626
or email johnillini@tampabay.rr.com
or visit www.ravenbookwatch.com