Thank You 2008 Gala Donors

Thank you to all the 2008 Auction Donors to the Second Chance Employment Services annual gala Last Kiss of Summer. A listing of all the donors are listed with corresponding links to their businesses in the right column under the heading "Donor List for Silent and Live Auctions for Last Kiss of Summer Gala 2008" and will remain posted until September 2009.

Cynthia de Lorenzi Partners With SCES

Second Chance Employment Services is proud to welcome a new partner, Cynthia de Lorenzi!

Cynthia de Lorenzi has given so much to the community. SCES is pleased that a woman of such dynamic background has partnered to help at-risk women find suitable employment. Ms. de Lorenzi’s many accomplishments include:

- Co-founding Success in the City (SITC) in 2004. SITC is the unconventional networking organization for senior level executive women to encourage, embrace and celebrate the value of meaningful peer relationships and friendship.

- Business ventures in GoGawGaw, an international Web development firm and de Lorenzi Group, a business development firm dedicated to connecting business to opportunity.

- Co-founding the North Texas Technology Council in 2002 and served as its CEO and continues to serve as an Advisor.

- Served as the Southwest Regional Director of the Concord Coalition, a nonpartisan, grassroots educational organization advocating fiscal responsibility and reform of entitlement programs to ensure the viability and fairness for all generations.

- Serves as a Board member of the Community Business Partnership & Women’s Business Center to provide the training, assistance and support women need to start and grow successful small businesses in Northern Virginia.

- Ms. de Lorenzi’s has been vital in the regional efforts of the Telework Coalition, including leading by example and implementing telework programs in her own businesses and serving on the planning committee for Washington Area Council on Telework (WACOT) conference.

- Founded the Bob de Lorenzi Scholarship fund at George Mason University in honor of her late brother. The Bob de Lorenzi Scholarship will be awarded annually to an adult man or woman, returning to school after a personal or career interruption, to complete an education delayed or postponed.

- Helped initiate the Bob de Lorenzi Telework Award given to individuals or entities that demonstrably followed the ideals and commitment to foster telework and telecommuting, as pursued by Bob de Lorenzi, a founding member of the Telework Coalition.

- Selected by Washington Business Journal as one of 2006 top 25 Women Who Mean Business awardees
- Winner of the 2003 Bob de Lorenzi Memorial Telework Award
- Co-founder of Success in the City
- Co-founder the Washington Bureau for ISP Advocacy
- Board Member, Community Business Partnership & Women’s Business Center
- Board Member, TelecomHUB

- Board Member, Telework Coalition
- Board Member, Livingston Communications, LLC
- Special Advisor, Stargazer Foundation
- NVTC – Tech Emergence Committee – Vice Chair
- Capital Gaines – Advisor for a new Distributed Work Concept
- Forum Moderator for Capital Society Forum – An organization of CEO’s seeking to further develop leadership skills
- Finalist for 2004 Women in Technology Entrepreneur of the Year
- Served on the Virginia Joint Commission on Technology and Science’s (JCOTs) Advisory Committee on Computer Crimes
- The Association of Contingency Planners (ACP)
- The Mid-Atlantic Telecommuting Advisory Council (MATAC)
- Co-founded the North Texas Technology Council (NTTC)
- Time Magazine's Person of the Year 2006
- Advisory Board of Vitalia MedSpa

Cynthia de Lorenzi also writes the blog for Success in The City called “Powder Room Diaries”. A link to Ms. de Lorenzi's Blog is found in the right column of this page. You know I love that she is a blogger!!

I am so excited and would like to give a warm welcome and thank you to Cynthia de Lorenzi for partnering with Second Chance Employment Services.

Last Kiss of Summer IV Host Committee

As I had reported before, the Second Chance annual Last Kiss of Summer gala in 2007 was a huge success! Above is a picture of the Host Committee. Here are just a few of the people in the above:

Front Row: Ludy Green (center in white), David Blanken (2007 gala chairman, right of Ludy in black), James Schenck (2006 gala chairman, left of Ludy in blue)

Back Row: Barbara Freedman (behind David Blankin in black), Stephanie Willson (left of Barbara), Joseph Green (far right in dark suit)

Thank you David for chairing this event and making it so memorable!

Special Thank You to Mr.George W. Koch

Second Chance Employment Services held a very successful meeting tonight Wednesday, August 22nd at the law firm K&L Gates regarding the exciting upcoming, Last Kiss of Summer which will be held on September 22nd at the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown. Second Chance would like to take the opportunity to give special thank you to Mr. George W. Koch who is with the of law firm K&L Gates for his generosity in hosting our meeting for us.

Mr. Koch has also served in many top level positions as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Grocery Manufacturers of America, Inc., Director of Federal Affairs for Sears, Roebuck & Company, and Associate Director of the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants.Mr. Koch is also a firm believer in giving back to the community, not only through Second Chance, but also has served in other Professional and Civic Activities for the Advisory Council of the International Executive Service Corps. (Board of Directors), Borden Chemicals & Plastics, Inc. (Board of Directors), 2004 Bryce Harlow Foundation’s Business & Government Relations Award recipient, Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (Former member of the Board of Directors), McCormick & Company, Inc. (Former member of the Board of Directors), andWatchdogs of the Treasury (Board of Directors).

Thank you also to everyone who attended!!

Second Chance Gala Speaker Announced!

The following is a press release for Second Chance Employment Services upcoming special guest speaker at our annual fundraiser, Last Kiss of Summer!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Media Contact: Kirk Monroe
(202) 486-7144
kirk@kmpcr.com

Hollywood and Washington to Join Forces
for Victims of Domestic Violence in Last Kiss of Summer IV

WASHINGTON, D.C. August 4, 2007—What do tickets to the Academy Awards, the Four Seasons in Georgetown, and Nicole Brown Simpson’s sister have in common?

They all will be key parts of one of Washington’s most unique events, the Second Chance Employment Services annual fundraising gala to be held September 27th. The event is called Last Kiss of Summer IV, and has become an annual affair that has raised more than $1 million to help hundreds of abused, elderly, welfare-recipient, and otherwise at-risk women attain long-term employment.

Tanya Brown, internationally acclaimed domestic violence advocate, author, and sister of Nicole Brown Simpson will give the keynote address. Based in California, Tanya Brown founded the Nicole Brown Simpson Foundation and has dedicated her speaking and writing career to educating the public about the dangers and impact of domestic violence. She has joined forces with Second Chance Employment Services to promote its mission of independence and empowerment through the gala.

The black tie dinner/dance event will also feature an exclusive auction to include Academy Awards tickets, Emmy Awards tickets, unique embassy dinners and tours, along with numerous other one-of-a-kind experiences. Although the primary purpose of the evening is fundraising through the sale of individual tickets, corporate sponsorships, table sales, and auction proceeds, the gala has established a reputation as one of Washington’s most elegant and spirited events.

Second Chance Employment Services (SCES) is a non-profit organization of human resource (HR) professionals that seeks to promote financial security for victims of domestic violence and their dependents through comprehensive training and career placement services in the Metropolitan Washington area and New York City. SCES founder, Dr. Ludy Green, is a fifteen year veteran of HR management. Along with her many accomplishments, Dr. Green has a heart for volunteering and has made it her organization’s mission to provide less fortunate women with comprehensive support, free of charge.

Upcoming Meeting in August

This is a reminder that there will be an upcoming meeting for our upcoming gala Last Kiss of Summer next month on Wednesday, August 22nd at 6pm.

There will be more details to follow later!

Donation Forms Going Out and Online!

Our Last Kiss of Summer Gala is kicking off in excitement for our upcoming event! The picture above is from our silent auction from our 2006 Gala. Nancy Mraz, President of HP Productions, Inc., (seen in the center with the sassy print top) and Janice Nicols of Serenity Day Spas (seen at the right in the lovely black dress), are both admiring some of our donated auction items.

Second Chance Employment Services will begin taking donation forms soon for our silent auction. In the right margin of this blog we will soon be hosting a list of those who have donated their items to our silent auction as we count down to September 27th! Click here to download our Donation Form so you can be included in the list!

Additional contributions can be made through Network for Good and Paypal.

We free services to help abused women enter the workforce. The only way we can continue to aid at-risk women in becoming independent of their abusive situation is with your help!

Support Second Chance With A Banner

Second Chance Employment Services has a banner for it's upcoming Gala: Last Kiss of Summer. We would like to thank The Family Groove for inspiring us to make this banner. We would also like to thank Jason Waag for giving me ideas on making the banner. I worked on making this banner over the Memorial Day weekend and will list websites and blogs in our right hand column that post this banner on their website until after our exciting Gala on September 27th.

To host this banner on your website or blog and be listed under our "Internet Sites Hosting SCES Banner" on our blog. It is through your support and generosity that Second Chance is able to help at-risk women for free. Thank you!

Upcoming Gala!

Here is a picture of me, Stephanie Willson (red dress), at the Last Kiss of Summer 2006 Gala. Second Chance Employment Services is so excited about our upcoming 2007 Gala: Last Kiss of Summer! We have updated our website so that you can now download Our Letter to Our Friends, Donation Form, and our exciting Sponsorship Opportunities!!

Second Chance continues to receive media attention; FOX News, CNN, and Washington Business Journal is only to mention a few from the long list. We’ve just received an Award from the US Attorney General’s Office as the most innovative business in the country for battered and abused women.

Additional contributions can be made through Network for Good and Paypal.

We provide the following free services to help abused women enter the workforce: Job search training, resume development, interview counseling, as well as medical and dental care, housing, clothing, childcare, transportation and food needs. The only way we can continue to aid these families in becoming independent of their abusive situation is with your help!

Successful Committee Meeting

Yesterday Second Chance Employment Services held its committee meeting which was generously hosted by Napoleon Bistro owned by Fatima Popal. There was a houseful of 26 attendees of renowned benefactors in the community, such as Dr. Ronald Pearlman our Chairman, Dr. Tina West, George Webb, and Dr. Claudia Cotca to name a few of the many young and energetic members of our committee. There was much excitement and discussion regarding sponsorship of our upcoming gala called Last Kiss of Summer to be held on September 27th!

Upcoming Gala: Last Kiss of Summer

Second Chance Employment Services will be holding it's annual gala on September 27th! This is a worthwhile cause that benefits in helping real women at-risk gain financial independence. Contact me through the website, by e-mail at stephaniewillsonconsulting@gmail.com, or phone at (202)331-7451 for ticket information, sponsorship event, making a donation and/or gift, or further details.

We provide the following free services to help abused women enter the workforce: Job search training, resume development, interview counseling, as well as medical and dental care, housing, clothing, childcare, transportation and food needs. The only way we can continue to aid these families in becoming independent of their abusive situation is with your help.

Thank you for your generosity and support!