Note from the president:

Happy 2018 Blessings to all of you! Hope your Christmas Season was full of memorable grace-filled moments for you and your loved ones and that the first month of the year was good to you. As we begin a new calendar year, it’s always full of promise and new beginnings. I feel that way personally and for the NCBWL as well. We have several exciting updates to share with you, how you can take action and get more involved if you wish.

We finished 2017 strong in membership, fiscally strong and with new goals for 2018. We will share with you a list of the 23 new members on our new website. For those of you who have been attending recent meetings, you know we’ve been working on our new website, new logo (used above) and an enhanced comprehensive marketing and communications plan. Thanks to Barbara Esteves-Moore, the new website is in the process of being published. The domain transfer from our old site may take a few days but as soon as it is live, we will email out an announcement.

The new board members, who were installed in April 2017, are working well together and have generated many new initiatives for the League. We are committed to growing our membership and to better serving our current members. 

In the greater Nashville Catholic Community, we mourned the loss of our dear Bishop Choby in 2017. Now, we are thankful for the news of our Bishop Elect, Mark Spaulding who will be installed on Friday, February 2. We are making plans to have him with us in September at our Annual Luncheon and/or a regular monthly meeting to speak to us. 

Our three Catholic High Schools are thriving. We have visits scheduled to each one to deliver our $12,000 check to fund the Aurelia Varallo Mariani Scholarship we sponsor at each school. This is always an opportunity to further build our relationship with the administrators and the development staff. 

I am humbled to be serving you as the current president. Please know that I welcome any and all input on ways we can better serve you and our mission of the NCBWL. Please feel free to contact me at da.lassiter@yahoo.com or 615-519-8388. Hope to see you soon at an upcoming meeting.

With gratitude,
Debbie Lassiter 

Highlights from 2017

• Annual Spring Open House -  The open house was held in May with Fr. Kevin McGoldrick as our guest musician. We enjoyed another great turnout, several guests and subsequent new members. See photos here.
• Annual Luncheon, Auction and Fashion Show - Our centerpiece fundraising event was held on September 16, 2017 at Richland Country Club. Our Treasurer, Paula Harris reported at the Oct. 18 meeting that we raised $44,800 with net proceeds of $37,800. A new record.
• Business Networking - The League is re-energizing an initiative in earlier years with business networking. Members are encouraged to bring and exchange business cards at each monthly meeting. In addition, one or two members spotlight their business during the regular meetings so everyone can learn more about the contributions our members are making to the business community and beyond with their work. This also helps members to patrionize other members businesses or services when needed.  NCBWL is currently planning a business expo for 2018.
• Fall Outing, Annual Christmas Service and Christmas Party – We were very grateful to First VP, Teri Gordon for planning our fall outing on Oct. 28, Christmas service project on Dec. 9 and Christmas Party on Dec. 13. Members enjoyed a visit to historic Columbia, TN and a tour of the James K. Polk Home and Museum. Members made our annual visit to the retired Sisters of Mercy and the Dominican Sisters in their infirmary. They always appreciate our small gift bags and poinsettia, but the sweet visit time together is the best part for all of us. For our last event of 2017, Angela Vogeli graciously hosted our Christmas party at her home again for all of us.

Coming up next in 2018:

• Exciting monthly program speakers are scheduled this year, including the Webers, who are pictured above and will be at our February meeting. Watch for the website launch announcement for more dates and details. You can also register and pay online as soon as the website is up. To submit program speaker ideas, please email our second vice president Lisa O’Neill Sullivan at lonvet@bellsouth.net.
• The Spring Spiritual Lenten Retreat will be at St. Philip on March 24 and our Business Expo will be April 18 in lieu of the regular monthly meeting. The expo will be held at Christ the King from 5:30 -8 p.m. Dee Hausman and Therese Anderson, co-chairs of the Business Networking Committee, are planning the event. If you are interested in having a table to share your business with members and guests, please contact Dee at deestoffer@gmail.com or Therese Anderson at therese.anderson@academymortgage.com.
• We are working to confirm a date in May for our Annual Open House for members and guests.
• The Annual Luncheon/Auction/Fashion Show at Richland Country Club is set for Sept. 15, 2018. New leadership team is forming and we welcome anyone who is interested in helping plan this event. We are exploring new retail options for the fashion show to include Nordstrom, Talbots and Ann Taylor.

In 2017, she started her own marketing and communciations firm, Two Roads Communications, providing services to business, schools and organizations on a contract basis. She is married to Jay Moore, director of communications for the Tennessee Health Care Association and a realtor with Crye-Leike. They have a 16-year-old daughter, Emily, who graduated from Overbrook School in 2015 and is currently a junior at Father Ryan High School. They are members of Holy Family Catholic Church.

"I was attracted to join the Nashville Catholic Business Women's League because it is a natural fit for me as a new business owner," Barbara said. "I also wanted to maintain all of the relationships I had established within the Catholic community while working on The Dominican Campus. I'm thrilled to be a part of the group and honored to be working with the board to create a new website and logo for the organization."

Barbara said she will contribute her skills in marketing and communications as a member taking over management of the new website once it is launched and handling league communiciations. 

"I love the quote from Mother Teresa, 'Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.' I hope to contribute that as a member of this organization."

Member Reminders:

• Amazon Smile Program – When you make your Amazon purchases via www.smile.amazon.com and select “Nashville Catholic Business Women’s League Inc.” as your charity. Amazon will donate 0.5% of all sales from eligible purchases to NCBWL – click the link under our “About Us” tab on our website for more information.
• Kroger Cares program – go to Krogers website to choose NCBWL. 
• “Like” us on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/ncbwl

            If you know someone who is interested in joining the NCBWL, please have them complete the membership form on the website or contact Kathy Langan,

            membership chair at Kathy.langan@comcast.net.

Mission of the NCBWL

•     To empower members and other women through the sharing of our resources;

•    To stimulate interaction among Catholic women of all ages;

•    To strengthen and encourage members and all women of all ages;

•    To support through prayer, example and work, the improvement of life for women; and

•    To promote and perpetuate Catholic education.