North Bay Business Journal

May 17, 2012: Sonoma State University’s School of Business and Economics held their First Annual Alumni & Community Celebration with D’Argenzio Winery and Santa Rosa Vintners’ Square who joined SSU in the ceremony

SANTA ROSA — A 46-year-old custom fabricator and dealer of winery equipment has expanded to Santa Rosa after decades in Napa Valley.

NAPA — Tourism in the Napa Valley has seen positive growth over the last 12 months and is poised to climb upward in the near future, as the region readies for the upcoming America’s Cup while the Napa Valley Destination Council rolls out several new aggressive marketing strategies, industry leaders said Thursday.

GREENBRAE — Both sides in a long-running feud between Marin General Hospital and Sutter Health are claiming victory in last week’s arbitration ruling awarding $21.5 million to the hospital district.

Over the past 12 years, more than 100 women leaders have been honored by the awards.

2012 winners: Rachel Berliner, Co-founder and “chief taster,” Amy’s Kitchen, Petaluma, Organic Foods; Liz Bishop, Senior vice president and branch manager, Heffernan Insurance Brokers, Petaluma, Insurance; Joni Fritsche, Tax director and accredited estate planner, Burr Pilger Mayer, Santa Rosa, Accounting; Jonna Greene, Vice president of operations, La Tortilla Factory, Santa Rosa, Human Resources; Camilla Gray-Nelson, President and founder, Dairydell, Petaluma, Entrepreneurship; Sherie Hurd, Executive vice president, marketing and administration, Empire College, Santa Rosa, Education; Suzi Kaido, President, Manzana Products, Sebastopol, Agriculture; Maggie McDonogh, Captain and owner, Angel Island-Tiburon Ferry, Tiburon, Recreation; Katherine Philippakis, Partner and chair, Wine & Beverage Alcohol Industry Practice Group, Farella Braun + Martel LLP, St. Helena, Law; Kathleen Pozzi, Interim Public Defender, County of Sonoma, Santa Rosa, Public Law; Beth Reizman, Senior vice president and commercial banking manager, Bank of Marin, Novato, Banking and Finance; Debbie Ross, President, Clear Focus Imaging, Santa Rosa, Technology; Viveka Rydell, Chief executive officer, Pediatric Dental Initiative, Windsor, Nonprofit; Jo Sandersfeld, Vice president of mission integration, St. Joseph Health–Sonoma County, Santa Rosa, Health Care; and Suzanne Smith, Executive director, Sonoma County Transportation Authority and Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority, Santa Rosa, Transportation

As CEO of Title Nine, a high profile retail and catalog company she founded in Berkeley specializing stylish performance apparel for women, Missy Park knows what it takes to break down barriers and build a business in an industry once dominated by men-only sportswear companies. A self-described sports evangelist and keynote speaker for the June 28 Women in Business Awards Gala, she helped launch, define and shape the female sportswear and equipment market.

Tax director and accredited estate planner, Burr Pilger Mayer, Inc., Santa Rosa.

In my earliest days in the CPA world, there were very few professional women partners. I had no real role models. In fact, I was told by male bosses in the early days that, although I was very good at what I was doing, I should never strive to be a CPA; society would not accept it. … I persevered in my career, learned everything I could, took on more and more responsibility and proved them wrong.

President and founder, Dairydell, Petaluma.

The entrepreneurial bug bit early and by 1981, I was on my path. I started Dairydell in 1989 — a dog training hobby that soon became my livelihood.

Raised on my family’s Petaluma dairy, I learned the language of animals and that skill was to lead meto my eventual profession. I now own and operate Dairydell Canine Doggie Dude Ranch & Training Center — on a family ranch which I converted from cows to canines.

Executive vice president, marketing and administration, Empire College, Santa Rosa.

In late 2011, I had the privilege of crafting an application for recognition at the national level of Empire College’s multi-faceted community service to the North Bay Community. As I wrote the application, I became more excited and impressed with the totality of the College’s impact in providing free legal, health, and income tax assistance to North Bay residents, as well as the volunteer hours and money raised for local non-profits by students, faculty and staff of each of Empire’s program areas.

I was proud to have played a role in fostering this culture of giving and to shine the spotlight on my colleagues’ and our students’ achievement. In March 2012, we received notification that Empire College had not only been named to President Obama’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, but we were in the higher level “With Distinction” category along with Stanford University.

Chief executive officer, PDI Surgery Center, Windsor.

Listen to your heart as much as your brain. Win on your own terms, not someone else’s. Be true to how you want to show up as a business person; just because someone else does it a certain way doesn’t mean you have to “because they do.” Intelligence, knowledge and training can only take you so far; some business decisions truly are based on intuition and emotional intelligence. Dare to take risks that feel right. Dream big.

President, Clear Focus, Santa Rosa.

Clear Focus perforates, converts and supplies One Way Vision film all over the world for use as a medium for advertising, promotional messages, identity, and security on any glass surface — from windows and doors of retail outlets and commercial buildings to public transit and other vehicles.

Kathleen Pozzi is interim Sonoma County public defender, leading an office made up of 27 lawyers and a total staff of 53. I am a fourth-generation Sonoma County resident, growing up on a dairy ranch in West County. I was the first in my family to attend college, earning an AA , BA, and JD degree. I always knew that I wanted to be a criminal defense attorney.

Senior vice president and commercial banking manager, Bank of Marin, Novato.

I’m very proud to be associated with Bank of Marin, as it represents my personal values of integrity, accountability, and giving back to the community. As the top community and business bank in the North Bay we’ve grown over the past 21 years by establishing strong customer relationships based on mutual trust and respect. Our customers are truly among the most well respected local businesses in the community.

Vice president of mission integration, St. Joseph Health–Sonoma County, Santa Rosa.

My primary responsibility is assuring the community and organization that our mission, vision and values are part of what we do and how we do it. I am charged with ensuring, for example, that our core values of dignity, justice, excellence and service are not just words we display on a wall, but that we really live them, and all who encounter us know the difference.

Partner and chair, Wine & Beverage Alcohol Industry Practice Group, Farella Braun + Martel LLP, St. Helena.

Because many of my wine industry clients don’t have their own legal teams, I frequently work with clients from purchase to entitlement and continue to service them with everyday legal needs that arise.

Vice president of operations, La Tortilla Factory, Santa Rosa.

I think a lot more of business leaders’ time will be spent in communication, education and collaboration outside the walls of their businesses in order for America as a whole to remain prosperous.

Rachel Berliner is co-founder and “chief taster” of Amy’s Kitchen, Inc., a Sonoma County-based company that produces frozen and canned meals made from vegetarian, organic ingredients, has been a family-owned, family-run business for the past 25 years.

President, Manzana Products, Sebastopol.

Manzana was a small business started by my grandfather. I grew up in this business, picking up apples as a child. At 14, I was in the cannery trimming apples; at 15, peeling apples; at 16, in the office. This continued until I left for flight attendant training. When my children were old enough for me to return to work, I returned to Manzana to work in quality control seasonally.

Executive director, Sonoma County Transportation Authority and Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority, Santa Rosa.

A major accomplishment in the past year was completing Highway 101 improvement projects from Petaluma north to Windsor and initiating work in the Marin/Sonoma Narrows …. [It] was achieved through a partnership with the state to fund construction and relied heavily on our locally approved transportation sales tax measure as well as State Proposition 1B bond funds. We leveraged every $1 in local funds with $6 from the state and delivered more than $700 million in transportation improvements in the Highway 101 corridor.

Senior vice president and branch manager, Heffernan Insurance Brokers, Petaluma.

Working for a company that has a commitment to the community and not purely to making a profit resonated so strongly with me, that I knew immediately that I made the right choice to join the firm. We have grown substantially over our humble beginnings almost 25 years ago, going from $1 million in revenues to $80 million.