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Meet
Donna Gadea Co-founder, co-publisher, and bookkeeper, Donna Gadea, knows how to keep things running smoothly in a large enterprise, and as The Sierra Reader and El Sol de la Sierra's co-owner, she also celebrates in the successes of the businesses (in English and Spanish). Gadea is well-known for juggling many projects, including assisting with the publishing of two newspapers (for over 20 years), The Wash Tub laundromat, and numerous investment properties. She's done her fair share of inputting text and classified ads, and changing loads of laundry for customers, and as the primary bookkeeper, she's in charge of making sure the businesses' finances are in order. Mother, wife, friend, pet-sitter, and business partner, with her husband, Noe, Donna manages many aspects of daily life, and her sense of humor and smiles keep the large family together, through thick and thin. It's a tall order for the life-long resident, but she seems at home with the tight deadlines, and multiple loads of business.
236 N. Warren St. • Bishop 760-873-4747
THE SIERRA
www.TheSierraReader.com
E ASTERN S IERRA C OMMUNITY B ANK Celebrating Women in Business
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ACSM ACSM Bishop Bishop 760.874.2262
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ACSM ACSM Mammoth Lakes Mammoth 760.923.1513
ACSM ACSM Mammoth Lakes Mammoth 760.923.1519
ACSM ACSM Bridgeport Bridgeport 760.932.1534
The women of Eastern Eastern S Sierra ierra Community B ank would like to invite Bank Mono all IInyo nyyo and M ono county rresidents esidents owners byy to and business o wners to stop b E xxperience xp Moountain n of Difference Differreence Experience the Mountain today!
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Bishop Bishop 351 N M ain S trreet e 351 Main Street 760.874.2265
Mammoth Mammoth Lakes 307 307 Old Old Mammoth Mammoth Rd 760.924.0990
Bridgeport Bridgeport ain Street Streeet 166 Main 1 66 M 760.932.7926
www.escbank.com www .escbank.com
2018
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Women in Business - A Supplement to THE SIERRA READER
A Kitchen Store With So Much More
• Bakeware • Cookware • Home Decor • Dinnerware • Gadgets
• Gourmet Foods • Personal Care • Barware • Entertaining • Baby
WOMEN’S WISH LIST Friday, Nov. 16 Leave the men and kids, you and your girlfriends are invited to our ladies night out Christmas Wishlist Party! Come join us at Anne Marie’s for wine and hors d’oeuvres while shopping with your girlfriends and making wishlists for your family and friends! Get what you really want this Christmas
Y HOLIDA OPEN HOUSE y, 336 N. Main St. Saturdath Bishop, CA Dec. 8 www.annemarieshomeboutique.com
760-872-4433
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Women in Business - A Supplement to THE SIERRA READER
$25.00 plus tip Jen’s Call to schedule your Pickup Thursday car wash... 760-872-2070 and Delivery • Every Wednesday is Ladies Day • Auto Detailing Available
For pickup and delivery call 760-920-0619
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Women in Business - A Supplement to THE SIERRA READER
POOL & SPA SUPPLIES
SALES / SERVICE
PAMPER YOURSELF GET A SPA TODAY
Debbie Christensen showing this beautiful spa with a FREE cover if you purchase it before November 30, 2018.
Right-Way Pool & Spa Supplies • Sales / Service 487 West Line Street-Ste C • Bishop • 760-873-7727
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Women in Business - A Supplement to THE SIERRA READER
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SterlingHeights ASSISTED LIVING Name: Vanessa Jones Business: Sterling Heights Favorite Season: “It's a tie between fall and spring. Neither too hot or cold.” Favorite Place: “I recently discovered Tuolumne Meadows [Yosemite]. It's gorgeous.” Mentor / who do you look up to: “Professionally, my boss. She's the definition of a woman in business. A mother, and grandmother too.” Also, “My parents. They would jump into a situation. My mother exudes warmth.” Personal Motto: “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”
“Every bit you can do makes a difference in their day” Vanessa Jones, Administrator at Sterling Heights, private assisted living community, says “care giving” is about “meeting residents' needs,” and you must have a “caring personality” to go into the profession. Care giving is also about being “understanding, sympathetic, carrying a sense of humor, and multi-tasking.” “Every bit you can do makes a difference in their day,” she explains, and Sterling Heights currently serves 50 private residents, who are able to care for their needs with assistance. “It's a people industry,” says Jones. There is also “extensive training” involved in being a “care giver, or medicine technician, or director,” Jones continues. “Meeting resident care needs and wellness” takes experience, and an interest in serving the community of residents too.
Jones took courses in communications and elder care, and then obtained her administrator's licensing. However, Jones initially did not plan on being in the care giving profession, and she says she met “her boss” as a fellow classmate, and after being “grouped together,” Jones “changed her mind” about her career path. With her work experience, she's learned a few key points for success with assisting people. “If you have understanding, a certain amount of patience is built in. Look at all of the aspects. Think on your feet. Remain calm. Only change is constant. Being there for them in your mind.” And, “if you keep it interesting” things go along well. “Laughing shaves off age,” Jones adds, as she grins. Laughing and joking creates “comfortability,” and “the goal, in the end, is to crack a smile.”
Independent Living • Respite Care • Many Amenities and Programs
369 E. Pine Street • Bishop • 760-873-3100 x15 www.bishopseniorliving.com
Women in Business - A Supplement to THE SIERRA READER
2018
Women in Business A Day in the Life of Lieutenant Sherry Hooper
The Salvation Army Bishop, CA
A day in the Life of . . . Lieutenant Sherry Hooper’s days at the Salvation Army in Bishop, CA are all about giving, sharing, and volunteering for service to the communities in Inyo and Mono Counties. She’s been in her post in the Eastern Sierra for nearly three years, and she’s been with the Salvation Army Corps for most of her life. The Salvation Army, and its programs, are proof for Lt. Sherry that the Salvation Army changes people’s lives. “This [month] starts off our [Salvation Army] busy season,” says Lt. Sherry. Hundreds of Thanksgiving and Christmas boxes for the holidays are assembled every year by volunteers through the Salvation Army. This year could be a record, and Lt. Sherry expects to help nearly 400 people enjoy a complete meal this year at Thanksgiving. There are also programs for toys for children at the holidays, and Coats for Kids (an annual coat drive for children in need), and the Kettle Kick Off (to help educate people about the holiday fundraising program) allyou-can-eat spaghetti dinner is coming up on November 16, 11:30 AM, in the Tallman Building at the Tri-County Fairgrounds. Lt. Sherry is fully responsible for, with the help of volunteers, running the offices, food pantry, and the center, where there are a number of services provided, including fellowship, women’s groups, kids’ programs, and church services. She participates in a number of camps during the year, including kids, women, and senior camp sessions around the state. She also performs marriage ceremonies, vow renewals, funerals, and celebrations of life in the communities. And, she adds, “The doors are open for counseling,” for those in need. The building renovation continues with new lighting, and the kitchen is a fully equipped facility for preparing many of the holiday boxes.
Lieutenant Sherry Hooper, with the Salvation Army, in Bishop, CA, helps hundreds of residents annually by providing shelter, feeding individuals, helping people surviving disasters, providing counseling, and creating a safe and supportive environment for those facing obstacles or hardships.
Her motto this year is “Go Big, or Go Home,” as she strives to make a daily difference in the lives of residents. She is an IMACA Board of Directors member, a Sunrise Rotarian in Bishop, and mentors for REGAL leadership camp. Originally from Alaska, where she has family, and a sister, Jennifer, in the Salvation Army (serving as a Major), Lt. Sherry notes she was able to visit this summer, and enjoyed fishing, hiking, and sightseeing. Lt. Sherry is also engaged to be married, and she’s looking forward to her nuptial next year.
SALVATION ARMY 621 W. Line St. • Suite 106 • Bishop • 760-872-2124
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Pioneer Home Health Care: It all began with passion
Northern Inyo Healthcare District salutes all of the women who are improving our communities, one life at a time. NIHD’s recent partnership with Pioneer Home Health Care added a number of caring, knowledgeable, and talented staff focused on improving our communities. Setting the pace at Pioneer Home Health Care (PHHC) is administrator Pat West. She’s been meeting the many challenges of providing healthcare in the home for more than 28 years. Passion is the basis for everything Pat believes and does. Coming of age in an era where career choices for women were limited, Pat found herself shadowing her mother’s footsteps in nursing. Attending Los Angeles County General Hospital School of Nursing, Pat was immersed in the 24/7 live-in education program, gaining valuable experiences and igniting a work ethic that would carry her through her career. Southern California in a post-graduation world offered Pat incredible growth opportunities. She worked as an RN at Burbank’s St. Joseph’s Hospital, then at Northridge Hospital. A merger between Northridge and Van Nuys’ Hospital led to a chance to step away from bedside nursing and into nursing leadership, where she developed two floors of an acute Rehabilitation unit. The unit served 25 people. “It was the first opportunity I had to use skills beyond nursing,” Pat explains. “But then politics got in the way, and I don’t do well with politics, so I left and ended up back at Northridge in its Home Health agency. I knew right then and there that I found my niche. The one-onone with the patients in the community, teaching them, empowering them, helping them in their home environment – it was all I ever
Meet some of the team members of Pioneer Home Health Care, from left to right, administrator Pat West, Janie Maughon, Ruby Allen, Sandra Johnson, Tracy Watterson, Royce Cornett, and Marianne Rogers. Photo courtesy Pioneer Home Health Care could ask for.” Pat came to Bishop a few years later for the same reasons numerous people do: to raise her children outside of Southern California. She found herself loving the community, its people, and its unique geography. Only one thing was missing. “I had gone to work for the county’s Health Department, and I enjoyed it, but I kept wondering where home health care was,” Pat says. “I never intended to open a business, to be a business woman, I just didn’t think that was part of my makeup. I just liked being a good nurse, but because I enjoyed home health so much, it led to creating Pioneer Home Health Care.” Pat and her then-business partner Susan Bravo established PHHC in 1990. Pioneer Home Health Care is a state-licensed, community-based, not-for-profit 501c3 organization, dedicated to providing professional services in the home. PHHC believes that allowing patients to remain at home speeds recovery time and helps to maintain independence and dignity, as well as improving the overall quality of life. PHHC employs nearly 30 people and presently offers three distinct
services: home health care, personal aide care and hospice care.
programs so they can make a difference every day in people’s lives.”
So how did a woman who never saw herself running a business find herself running a business?
Keeping the motivation to advocate for others is not always easy, but for Pat it’s second nature, because again, its ties back to her core. “I believe in what I do and I believe that what I do makes a difference,” she says. “There have been many times we were in the precipice of not being here, but because I believe, I will go to the ends of the earth to move it forward. It’s that simple and really that is all there is to it.”
“Once I’m passionate about something, it’s like trying to get the ball out of the pit bull’s mouth,” she explains. “I’m going to take it to the next level. I became a crusader and an advocate for home health in general.” As a growing business, PHHC joined state and national home health associations. That led to Pat attending conferences and seminars. That led to appointments to boards, which led her to chairing many boards. “It just happens because the passion continues and you begin looking at how else you can make a difference. For me it’s been a question of how we could help make the home health industry better for the people who need it,” she says. Pat’s passion has even led her to Washington, D.C., to meet with Senators and Congressmen where she pressed, begged, and cajoled them to support home health and hospice. “Don’t chew these programs up and spit them out,” Pat recalls telling a politician. “Support these
Pat points out that those who choose to follow their passion often feel that what they do isn’t work, rather it is life. “That varies from generation to generation, and I feel each generation approaches passion in its own manner,” she says. In closing, when asked what advice she would offer to the next generation seeking a leadership career in healthcare, Pat pauses before answering. “Don’t do it for a job,” she cautions. “Only do it if you truly believe in it, and want to be an advocate and a crusader. We need more advocates. We need more crusaders. They are the ones who will make a difference in people’s lives.”
NORTHERN INYO HEALTHCARE DISTRICT One Team. One Goal. Your Health.
Women in Business - A Supplement to THE SIERRA READER
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Women in Business A Day in the Life of Diane Corsaro
Diane Corsaro Insurance
A day in the Life of . . . Diane Corsaro’s day is just as different as the people coming in for insurance, and her expertise in Medicare. She answers the phone and questions, and she is known for helping clients navigate the health insurance and coverage plans. In many ways, she also creates a peace of mind for individuals, who may have a lot of questions about health care coverage / insurance. “Things are going to be changing in 2020, and people can come in to discuss the plans,” Corsaro says, and “many of the plans need to be applied for,” and do not automatically apply to individuals when they turn 65 years of age. Medicare supplements, which can offer better health care, are complicated to understand. Corsaro adds, in our area, some of the Medicare programs (like Medicare Advantage) are not available. New to Corsaro’s day is the Sierra Life Flight insurance, which allows individuals and families to purchase emergency medical flight insurance, based on a provider at the regional airport in Bishop, CA, or other points in the US. “It’s a life saver, to say the least,” Corsaro says, and she is selling this insurance product. “Everybody wants it.” Corsaro is a 60-year resident of the Owens Valley, and her days are filled with meeting and counseling clients, and mainly these are people she knows from the valley. She was inspired to get into the field of insurance when she was working at the Chalfant Press, in Bishop. She smiles, and notes, “I was looking for a career.” Helping one customer in his business paperwork lead to another meeting with an insurance salesman in Bishop, who Corsaro worked for, and gained experience in the industry. Corsaro went on to become the first licensed woman insurance agent in the Owens Valley. “I’m always here to answer any question,” she adds. “Don’t spend three or four days trying to understand online [Medicare or health insurance or Covered California] enrollment, when I can sign you up in less than an hour.”
DCI
DIANE CORSARO’S Insurance Agency Local, Hometown Ownership
CA License #OF89813 • CA License #0-565770
Individual Health Insurance Medicare Insurance Life Insurance • Group Insurance 475 W. Line St., Ste. E • Bishop
Fax: 760-873-0047 • diane@dianecinsurance.com
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IMAH...
Inyo Mono Association for the Handicapped
Fromt left, bottom: Jenny Park, Adelina Rico, Beth Himelhoch, Sandra Marquez, Cheryl Hames; Back: Cathy Liberato, Julie Robbins, Witney De La Riva, Misty Andreas, D’Lisa Fanta.
“The goal is to change people’s lives” IMAH, Inyo Mono Association for the Handicapped, is a 501(C)(3), formed in 1973, “by a group of concerned parents and community members.” IMAH serves adults, age 18 and older, and the programs are available to any adult who utilizes the regional center services. IMAH supports the adults with working opportunities, at the thrift store, through training and resource services, workshops, job coaches, independent and supported living services, and transitional services. This includes 625 miles of transportation services provided daily for the adults in the program. IMAH is the first in the state of California to have an employee at Manzanar's Historical Site, a National Park. Employment includes, cashiers, a Head Start teacher's aide, Bishop City Park staff, and the staff at the thrift store in Bishop, CA. Jenny Park, Day Program Director, and Adelina Rico, Administrator for Independent Living Services share the newest IMAH accomplishment, and the staff is excited to introduce “TAGZ,” a boutique store within the IMAH Thrift Store, in Bishop. This addition features all new clothing, with tags still on
the clothing, accessories, and outdoor gear. “These items have never been worn,” says Park, and for the fashion-minded, with no items at full price, the boutique is “very affordable,” Park adds. The store- within-a-store is completely client run, and it's a chance for IMAH's clients to get involved with running a cash register, inventorying items, and dressing the mannequins in fashionable clothing. The IMAH Thrift store is in full swing also with furniture refurbishing, and a recycling program, where the clients cut up and sort old rags, and then sell them to Mammoth Mountain Ski Area for its maintenance program. The range of job opportunities is opening up for IMAH clients too, and help with landscaping / yard work is another way for adults to gain independent life skills. “Making their [clients] dreams come true,” says Park, is the goal. “Make it happen.” “We have great clients, and great staff,” Rico adds. “The sky's the limit.”
INYO MONO ASSOCIATION FOR THE HANDICAPPED 371 S. Warren St., Bishop, CA • 760-873-8691
Women in Business - A Supplement to THE SIERRA READER
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Women in Business Roberta Carlson, owner
Pampered Pooches
A day in the Life of . . . The holidays are here, and “grooming is a tradition with clients,” says Roberta Carlson, owner of Pampered Pooches, specializing in pet cleaning, boarding and grooming. Carlson has been in the grooming business since 1987, and boarding since 2004, at Millpond Equestrian Center, outside of Bishop, CA. She says, matter of fact-like, she “just fell into it.” She's done many other, very interesting jobs in the Great Basin, and she has a real affinity with animals. And, she's handled “hundreds and hundreds” of animals, large and small, she adds, including cats, if they are well-behaved. Pampered Pooches maintains high standards at the business, and Carlson only handles animals with up-to-date vaccinations. She will also board animals with special medical needs, or pets who aren't used to being away from their owners. Her attention to the details of custom feeding programs, and which animal can be with others, is a part of the loyalty, from both animal and pet owner. There is a commitment to safety, procedures, and the facility Carlson has built from the ground up, changes with the seasons. During winter months, boarded pets get outdoor exercise, and indoor warmth and creature comforts, like the pet's blankets and toys. Summertime brings pools for swimming, and shady spots. Carlson also does extensive research about animal breeds, and is very knowledgeable about traits, grooming, and boarding needs. And, clients frequently learn more about their pets from Roberta's research, than they might have known if they hadn't visited Pampered Pooches. Many of her clients come to her by word-of-mouth, and the pets and owners come from “all over the place.” Building trust is important to the health and happiness of the animals in her care, and getting a shy pup to trust and enjoy themselves is a huge factor in Carlson's business. The “regulars” know that Roberta carries treats in her pockets, and it's not uncommon to hear the dogs “talking” to her as she takes them out for exercise and socializing. All the while, Roberta is earning the pet and owner's confidence, which keeps all the clients happily coming back year-afteryear.
EXPERT GROOMING • CLEAN BOARDING FACILITIES CALL FOR APPOINTMENT
Millpond Equestrian Center • Sawmill Road • Bishop
760-872-7387
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Women in Business 2018 A Day in the Life of Teri Jo Felkel
TJ’s Firing Line Bishop, CA
A day in the Life of . . . Teri Jo Felkel’s day never starts the same, and as the Eastern Sierra’s only female, owner-mechanic, STAR smog station and smog tech, entrepreneur, Teri Jo’s life every day begins and ends with TJ’s Firing Line, her shop in Bishop, CA. The business has expanded in the past two years, exponentially, with her small one-woman operation growing from one bay, at the former Marsh’s Automotive, to the present day, three-bay, complete business renovation (including purchasing Marsh’s Automotive business in April 2017). The business’ hallmarks remain cutting-edge technology, complete diagnostics, based on a “scientific approach,” lots of detailed information about the vehicle’s servicing or repairs, and a business owner who is a tech-savvy detective, when it comes to finding, and fixing automotive problems. “I have taken a lot of diagnostics training,” she notes, “We do quality repairs that will last.” In business since 2013, she says, “putting my nose to the grindstone,” and investing in top-notch coursework from Wyoming Technical Institute, Laramie, Wyoming (she is a proud alumni of “Wyotech”), with continuing education in advanced level ASE (Master Auto Technician), emissions, and smog certifications, made all of the differences in her business’ expansion. She is a Subaru-guru, too. And, TJ’s Firing Line’s remodeled office and work surroundings are another of Teri Jo’s accomplishments this past year, with upgrades in STAR certified smog station (STAR stations are smog check stations that meet higher performance standards by Bureau of Automotive Repair) equipment taking center stage in the shop. TJ’s Firing Line adds three new employees this year, with the additions of Jake Titus, assisting as lube tech and mechanic; Shane Stroud, covering service / work order writing, and Keri Guant, helping as office assistant and doing the bookkeeping. The additions in staff allow Teri Jo to “focus on doing smogs,” which is the foundation of the business. The smog diagnostic technology continues to change, and Teri Jo is taking a proactive approach, in business and in the servicing and maintenance of customer vehicles. This is “a severe area to live in,” she explains, and with proper scheduling, and servicing, “you can prevent about ninety percent of the problems.” She adds, “This is the information age, and you have to read. Stay open-minded on information.”
TJ’s Firing Line’s owner-operator, woman mechanic, Teri Jo Felkel, expands her automotive shop, with three additional employees, renovations in the front office, and work surroundings. Staff additions allow Teri Jo to continue being the only STAR smog station in the area. Along with smog inspections, Teri Jo is trouble-shooting, with extensive training in diagnostics, and she’s somewhat of a detective when it comes to her approach to automotive and mechanical problem-solving.
Specializing in Subarus, Computer & Electrical Diagnosis, Hybrid Certified, Smog Repair and SMOG INSPECTION
386 S. Sneden St. • Bishop, CA
760-258-1342