Women Who Make a Difference
(continued)
MONICA MEREL
When Monica Merel was
younger, assembling motor drives and electronics equipment was how she spent
her vacation days. Little did she realize that these early experiences would
serve as the foundation for a rewarding career as a widely respected
electrician and entrepreneur 25 years later.
“As a kid, my parents had
an electronics company, and my dad was an electronics engineer,” said the
45-year-old Maplewood, N.J., resident.
“But it was my own personal
interest in the field that prompted me to pursue a career that has been both
personally and professionally challenging.”
As a fully certified
electrician and the founder of MGM Properties Electrical, based in South
Orange, Merel has achieved significant success by doubling her company’s
revenues in the past year – a remarkable feat during a period when the
construction industry faced its highest levels of unemployment in decades.
Established in 2000 as a
construction management firm, MGM has evolved into one of the state’s foremost
female-owned electrical contracting companies that boasts more than $1 million
in annual revenue. According to Merel, the key to
her success has been two-fold – identifying and pursuing public construction
projects requiring electrical work and establishing a pipeline through the
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 164 to gain
access to the most highly trained, skilled electricians.
“MGM is able to reach out
to Local 164’s Referral Resource for an electrician who possesses a specific
skill level for a specific type of job. When that individual reports to the
jobsite, he or she has the knowledge and ability to get right to work,”
explained Merel, who is one of Local 164’s telecom and electrical signatory
contractors. “From apprentices, who are receiving their initial training, to
an experienced foreperson, the ability to staff on an as-needed-basis has
enabled my firm to remain agile and respond to project and market demands.”
Prior to establishing MGM,
Merel gained a comprehensive understanding of the electrical field and the
construction industry by pursuing a wide range of professional pursuits in the
industry. These included positions in contracts management, purchasing and
sales of electrical parts and equipment.
“I feel it is important to
gain an overall understanding of an industry before embarking on any business
venture,” she explained. “One can’t obtain success unless you have a passion
for the field and cultivate an incredible depth of knowledge.”
A graduate of
Sarah
Lawrence
College
where she pursued a general liberal arts curriculum including physics, Merel
then studied business earning a master’s degree through the Rutgers University
Executive MBA Program. She also successfully completed an Electrical
Apprenticeship Program with the assistance of IBEW, which offers a fully
certified, five-year curriculum that addresses the training needs of today’s
electrical workers.
“Monica Merel demands the
highest level of professionalism and skill. For this reason, she has
distinguished herself as one of New Jersey’s most savvy electrical
contractors,” noted Richard Dressel, Local 164’s business manager. “She is
committed to safeguarding our profession and the safety of all New Jersey
residents.”
While the construction
industry is recovering, and upstarts are rising, Merel remains cautious about
the future. “The industry as a whole is confronted by numerous challenges,
which are already having a negative impact,” she said. “The questionable
hiring practices of untrained laborers is compromising the safety and
integrity of our buildings. As a result, end-users, who happen to be office
workers, families and children, are at risk. Contractors need to honor the
professionalism and skills of trained craftsmen and women, otherwise we are
undermining ourselves and our industry.”
FELICIA PALMER
Felicia Palmer, CEO of
4Control Media, co-founded the company along with her husband Steve Samuel in
1994. The Bronx,
NY native and
Cornell University graduate has utilized her business savvy and extensive
experience in the media to create both Hip Hop’s longest standing and largest
online portal in the music industry, (www.sohh.com). Under Palmer’s
leadership, Sohh.com has built its user base to more than 1,500,000 monthly
unique visitors.
Understanding the power of
the Internet and importance of evolving your business, Palmer spearheaded the
merger of Sohh.com with The Urban Box Office (UBO). The merger allowed
Sohh.com to build invaluable relationships within the music industry to create
the annual Online Hip Hop Awards which initiated in 2000.
Recently, the awards show
was named by Entertainment Weekly as “the online Grammy’s of Hip Hop.”
Today Sohh.com is credited with providing its audience with the most up to
date news, gossip and informative blogs to keep music fans in tune with their
favorite artist.
Added under the 4Control
Media umbrella will be a new Website offering audiences downloadable urban
films. Powered by Brightcove technology, which allows the creation of
broadband video distribution and is used by companies such as AOL, MTV
Networks, New York Times, etc; the new site helps separate 4Control Media as
the first to offer this technology for the urban online audience.
Prior to founding 4Control
Media, Palmer served as the New Media Manager at Essence magazine where
she launched Essence online and Executive Produced the award winning CD-Rom,
Essence Virtual Makeover by Segasoft.
Felicia Palmer is a married
mother of one who resides in New Jersey.
ANGELA REDDOCK
Angela Reddock, founder of
Reddock Law Group, has been a notable and leading attorney in the Southern
California legal community since 1995. Known for developing creative solutions
to challenging legal problems, Reddock advises corporate executive, in-house
counsel and human resources professionals on employment and labor matters.
In addition to managing a
thriving law practice, She is an active participant in government at the local
and state levels. In 2004-05, Reddock was a candidate for Los Angeles City
Council. Since 2002, Reddock has served on the Los Angeles City
Transportation Commission and was appointed to co-chair the Transportation
Committee of Los Angeles City Councilmember Bill Rosendahl’s 11th District
Empowerment Congress.
“I have the utmost respect
for Angela,” Councilman Bill Rosendahl said. “She is a dedicated public
servant, an extraordinary civic leader, and a brilliant attorney. Angela is
truly one of our city’s rising stars.”
Reddock sits on the Los
AngelesCounty Local Government Services Commission
and the State of California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. She is also a
hearing officer for the
County
of Los Angeles Civil Service Commission
and the City of
Los Angeles
Civil Service Commission.
Reddock chairs the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles African American
Women’s Public Policy Institute and the Governance Committee of Ability First.
She is a member of the Los Angeles Urban League Executive Corp and provides
pro bono legal counsel for the African Marketplace and Cultural Faire and
Social Concerns of Los Angeles. She also a member of the National Bar
Association, the Black Women Lawyers Association and the Langston Bar
Association.
“I believe every business –
and that includes my own – should be a good corporate citizen,” said Reddock.
“My involvement in civic affairs benefits my local community, the state and my
clients while providing me with a deep sense of personal satisfaction about
how I choose to donate my free time.”
Before opening her own law
office Reddock was a name partner in Collins, Mesereau, Reddock & Yu, where
she managed the firm and headed its employment, business litigation and
government relations practices.
The Reddock Law Group is
making a name for itself by focusing on prevention as opposed to litigation.
“That doesn’t mean we won’t litigate if that’s the best solution,” said
Reddock. “More often than not, however, other resolutions are more beneficial
for a company that hopes to create and maintain a positive, growth-friendly
environment.”
One of those preventative
solutions is managerial training. A large component of her practice involves
on-site training seminars that address such hot-button legal issues as sexual
harassment and effective hiring, discipline and termination practices.
Reddock represents private
companies, government and public sector clients and non-profits, including
international transportation giant Connex/Veolia Transportation; the Screen
Actors Guild; national media conglomerate Radio One; regional franchisee Exxon
Mobile/West L.A. Car Wash; publisher L.A. Focus; clothing manufacturer the
Romar Group; restaurant chain Ventmac, Inc.; public relations and advertising
firm Voices, Inc.; the African Marketplace and Cultural Faire, Inc.; the Black
Business Association of Los Angeles; the Martin Luther King Legacy Association
of Los Angeles; Social Concerns of Los Angeles; and the Southern Christian
Leadership Conference of Los Angeles.
“Businesses that invest the
time up-front ensuring the workplace is in compliance with the law save in
time, expense and negative exposure when potential lawsuits never arise
because the people in charge aren’t breaking the law to begin with,” said
Reddock.
“What I do helps CEOs sleep
better at night.”
A cum laude graduate
of Amherst
College with a Bachelor of Arts in English and political science, Angela
Reddock earned her juris doctor from the University of California, Los
Angeles School of Law. She also is a graduate of the distinguished Coro
Fellows program in public policy and public affairs.
KIMBALL WILLIAMS
Kimball Williams’
dedication in helping others has gone beyond the call of duty. She has been
serving health organizations, senior citizens and the youth of Atlanta, GA for
the past 25 years.
Williams grew up in
Ohio,
a gifted singer and orator. In the late 80’s, she moved to
Georgia, but after a series
of events she was left homeless on the streets of Atlanta. She was not
udeterred, however, from helping others, as she began volunteering for both
Dr. Jacqueline Brown of the Atlanta Children’s Shelter and Kit Mason, then
with Grady Memorial Hospital, while sleeping on a park bench in downtown
Atlanta.
Her incredibly strong will to survive, and a God-given talent to sing, helped
get her life back on track.
Since then, she’s been a
community activist. She doesn’t volunteer to help others in her ‘spare time,’
she devotes her entire being to make sure those less fortunate receive the
help they need.
Every year, Williams
emcees ‘Feed The People’ Christmas Party, one of Atlanta’s
largest Christmas parties for homeless, abandoned, abused and generally
underprivileged children. This past Christmas, many of the children were
evacuees from New Orleans.
Williams stays active in
raising funds and providing volunteers, celebrities and entertainment for many
charities such the “Can-a-Thon”, in association with Atlanta NBC
affiliate Channel 11; WCLK Clark Atlanta Radio Fundraiser;
NFL Alumni Atlanta Chapter Golf Tournament; The “Gift Of
Life” Prostate Cancer Awareness, and many others.
The Honorable T. Jackson
Bedford, Jr. of the Atlanta Bar Association, teamed up with Williams to
provide a Christmas party at Metro Atlanta Respite. She has worked with Susan
L. Reardon of Ernst & Young since 1993, planning holiday events to benefit
Georgia Regional Hospital; most notably cooking and serving Thanksgiving
dinner to the hospitals’ residents, and also providing dinner for the opening
of the Christmas season at Chateau Elan.
Nancy C. Panoz, founder of
Chateau Elan, acknowledges all that Williams has done for charity, including
The Lighting of the Chateau, The Petit LeMans Grand, The Evander Holyfield
Golf Tournament and Riverdance for Crack Babies.
Williams is the Special
Events Director of the Atlanta Chapter of ‘Sister To Sister,’ a national
organization that sponsors one day, free yearly heart screenings for women
nationwide. She has received numerous awards and honors for her various
charity endeavors. Cast as one of the voices in the
upcoming movie, Boston Rooftops, Williams plans to donate a
portion of the film’s proceeds to a charity benefiting pancreatic cancer.
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