Women in Business, Jobs, Women Entrepreneurs, Women in the News: News On Women

Susan Martin Made Executive Vice President, General Counsel of Wisconsin Energy

Wisconsin Energy Corporation (NYSE: WEC) appointed Susan Martin Executive Vice President, General Counsel. Susan had been their Associate General Counsel. More in the prnewswire press release.

Paula Boggs Retires as General Counsel of Starbucks and Joins Obama Reelection Campaign

Paula Boggs, General Counsel of Starbucks, is retiring in April, 2012. But Paula will remain committed to helping others and will join President Obama’s reelection campaign. Based in Seattle and Santa Fe, she will be volunteering for the campaign in communities across the country. Paula was appointed by President Obama in 2010 to the White House Council for Community Solutions whose work is focused on identifying and enabling innovative community solutions to youth unemployment. More in the company press release.

Michele Beasley Made Senior Vice President and General Counsel at First Wind

First Wind, an independent U.S.-based wind energy company, appointed Michele Beasley Senior Vice President and General Counsel. Michele had been Senior Counsel at Wells Fargo Bank in San Francisco and Boston. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Meri Glade Made General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at FordDirect

FordDirect, a joint venture between Ford Motor Company and its franchise dealers, appointed Meri Glade General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer. Meri had been General Counsel to Pacific Ventures Law Group. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Cynthia Pevehouse Made Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Staples

Staples, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPLS) appointed Cynthia Pevehouse Senior Vice President and General Counsel. Cynthia had been Senior Counsel at Steptoe & Johnson LLP and before that was Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Allianz of America Corporation. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Leslie Thornton Made Vice President and General Counsel at WGL Holdings

WGL Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: WGL) appointed Leslie Thornton as Vice President and General Counsel. Leslie had been a Partner at Dickstein Shapiro, LLP, and before that had served as Chief of Staff to the Secretary of Education and as a White House advisor during the Clinton administration. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Sarah Olson Made Chief Diversity Officer of Sidley Austin LLP

Sidley Austin LLP appointed Sarah L. (“Sally”) Olson Chief Diversity Officer of the firm. Sally, who holds a JD from Chicago-Kent College of Law, had been with Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon LLP, where she launched the firm’s diversity and inclusion initiative, serving Chair of the firm’s Diversity Committee. Prior to this, Ms. Olson was the practice group leader of the firm’s Litigation Department. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Sharon Ryan Made Senior Vice President and General Counsel at International Paper

International Paper (NYSE: IP) appointed Sharon R. Ryan Senior Vice President and General Counsel. Sharon had been Acting General Counsel since May 2011. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Teresa Wynn Roseborough Made Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Home Depot

The Home Depot®, the home improvement retailer, appointed Teresa Wynn Roseborough Executive Vice President and General Counsel. Teresa, who holds a JD from University of North Carolina School of Law and clerked for United States Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, had been Deputy General Counsel at Metlife. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Tyler Novak Made General Counsel at Books-A-Million, Inc. Limos.com Hires Ann Hoey and Sharon Saffel

Books-A-Million, Inc. (NASDAQ:BAMM) appointed Tyler Novak General Counsel. Tyler had been with King and Spalding, LLC in Atlanta, Georgia and most recently at Bradley Arant Boult and Cummings, LLP in Birmingham, Alabama. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Limos.com appointed Ann Hoey (pictured) their Chief Marketing Officer. Ann had most recently been General Manager at Mediaplex, a division of ValueClick. Limos.com also appointed Sharon Saffel Senior Vice President of Customer Operations. Sharon had been VP of Operations and Global Integrations at LesConcierges. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Catherine B. Callaway Made Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Dynegy

Dynegy Inc. (NYSE:DYN) appointed Catherine B. Callaway Executive Vice President and General Counsel. Catherine had been General Counsel for NRG Gulf Coast and Reliant Energy. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Legal Eagles Kara Baysinger and Michele Coleman Mayes Write About Women General Counsels

Kara Baysinger (pictured left), a regulatory Partner in San Francisco with SNR Denton, and Michele Coleman Mayes, (pictured right) General Counsel with Allstate Insurance, have written a new book called "Courageous Counsel". Kara said, “Michele and I are both passionate about inspiring other women, and thought it would be valuable to those who aspire to become GC to produce a book with first-person histories of women GCs and the wisdom they acquired along the way. Hearing women discuss their paths could help serve a mentoring function.” Some of the women Among the GCs featured in Courageous Counsel are Michelle Banks, Gap Inc.; Pamela Carter, Cummins Engine; Dorian Daley, Oracle; Janet Kelly, ConocoPhillips; Rebecca Kendall, formerly at Eli Lilly; Sandra Leung, Bristol Myers-Squibb; Linda Madrid, Korn/Ferry; Sara Moss, Estee Lauder Companies; Vickie O’Meara, Pitney Bowes; Louise Parent, American Express; Carol Petren, formerly at CIGNA; Teri Plummer McClure, UPS; Gloria Santona, McDonald’s; Amy Schulman, Pfizer; Lauren Seeger,  McKesson; Pamela Strobel, Unicom (Commonwealth Edison); and Jennifer Vogel, Continental Airlines.

“What comes vividly through from the interviews is that there is no road map, no single path or to-do list that leads to the general counsel’s office,” says Kara, mother of 4-year-old twins. “A dominant lesson in their stories is the need for an honest awareness of one’s own assets and liabilities, in order to best take advantage of opportunities that come along.” Michelle, who holds a JD from the University of Michigan Law School, says, “One common thread among the stories was the element of risk-taking, of taking a leap of faith into uncharted waters—whether it was accepting new projects and responsibilities or following opportunity by moving to a new company." Read more about the book.

Gretchen Hamilton Made Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel at Scientia Advisors

Scientia Advisors, LLC, a growth strategy firm for the healthcare industry, appointed Gretchen Hamilton Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel. Gretchen had been a member of the leadership team and associate counsel for Linbeck Group, LLC. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Sandra Jesse Made Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at Haemonetics Corp

Haemonetics Corporation (NYSE: HAE) appointed Sandra Jesse Vice President and Chief Legal Officer. Jesse had been Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Anita Hill Joins Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll "Of Counsel"

Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC announced Anita F. Hill is joining the firm's Civil Rights & Employment Practice group "of counsel". Anita is a Professor of Social Policy, Law and Women's Studies at The Heller School for Public Policy and Management at Brandeis University. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Sue Jenkins Made General Counsel at Accident Fund Holdings

Accident Fund Holdings, Inc. appointed Sue Jenkins General Counsel. Sue had been principal counsel for the Government Programs Practice Group at BCBSM, and prior to that as senior attorney/Medicaid compliance officer for Blue Care Network/BlueCaid. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Andrea Holtzman Drucker Made Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Insmed Inc.

Insmed Incorporated, a biopharmaceutical company, appointed Andrea Holtzman Drucker Senior Vice President and General Counsel. Andrea, who holds a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, had been Senior Vice President, General Counsel for PuriCore plc. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Angela Mariana Freyre Made SVP and General Counsel at the Export-Import Bank of the U. S.

The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) appointed Angela Mariana Freyre Senior Vice President and General Counsel. Angela, who holds a J.D. and LL.M from Georgetown University, had been Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for Legal and Strategic Affairs at The Nielsen Company. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Susan Ervin joins Davis Polk & Wardwell as a Partner

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP announced that Susan C. Ervin is joining the firm as a Partner. Susan had been a Senior Advisor at Securities and Exchange Commission, and before that had been Deputy Director and Chief Counsel of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Division of Trading and Markets. Read more in the Business wire press release.

Cheryl Scarboro Joins Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP announced that Cheryl Scarboro, Chief of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Unit, will join the law firm as a Partner. Read more in the Business Wire press release.