Business Owners Share Expertise, Viewpoints with Bank

CLEVELAND, May 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Key4Women, a KeyBank program for women in business, has appointed a prominent group of successful women business owners and experts to its National Advisory Board. The board is comprised of 23 women business owners, leaders and experts from a cross section of industries across Key's footprint. It includes representatives from the Women Presidents' Organization, the Center for Women's Business Research, Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), ForbesWoman and St. Mary's College Entrepreneurship Initiative.

Originally formed in 2006, the advisory board informs the Key4Women program to understand new challenges women business owners and leaders face in today's economy. It also offers these women an opportunity to share experiences and offer advice to one another. The insights garnered from advisory board members help drive Key4Women's strategy and program enhancements.  

According to the Center for Women's Business Research, 10 million firms are majority-owned by women. As of 2008, these firms accounted for 40 percent of all privately held companies, employing more than 13 million people and generating $1.9 trillion in sales.

"Our advisory board is an important and ongoing way for Key to understand women business owners and leaders, their challenges and their needs in today's economy. As a result, we keep our program fresh, relevant and responsive to help leaders face and address opportunities in their businesses," said Maria Coyne, founder of Key4Women and head of Key's Business Banking segment.

The advisory board will meet twice each year, with the first meeting taking place in Cleveland, Ohio. The members of the 2011 Key4Women Board are:

• Moira Forbes, president and publisher, ForbesWoman and Associate Publisher, ForbesLife magazine
• Patricia Greene,  board  chair, Center for Women's Business Research
• Barbara Kasoff, president and CEO, and Co-Founder of Women Impacting Public Policy, Inc. (WIPP)
• Marsha Firestone, founder and president of the Women Presidents' Organization
• Susan Vance, senior project director of the Saint Mary's College Women's Entrepreneurship Initiative (WEI)
• Danielle Gabriel, secretary/treasurer of Big G Electric & Engineering Inc
• Drue Sanders, owner of Drue Sanders Custom Jeweler
• Kathy Donovan, president of Bake-Rite International and managing partner of Horizon Bradco
• Carol Curran, president and CEO of Phoenix Data Corporation
• Tanya Bell, president of Indiana Black Expo
• Janet Lutz, president and Founder of Calico Gals Inc.
• Kitty Van Bortel, president of Van Bortel Subaru and Van Bortel Ford
• Deborah Donley, president and founder of Vocon
• Jeanette Ladina, president and owner of Flaming River Industries
• Arlene Watson, principal and Creative Director of Mobius Grey LLC
• Karen Hough, founder & CEO of ImprovEdge
• Michelle Kerr Abreu, Chairman, president and founder of Oxford Consulting Group, Inc.
• Cheryle Casar, executive director of Louisville Meal Center
• Susan Baracco, founder and president of Echelon Circles
• Jennifer Harding, president of East Side Athletic Club
• Andrea Heuston, CEO & creative principal of Artitudes Design
• Cindy Delaney, owner of Delaney Meeting & Event Management
• Maxine Turner, president of Cuisine Unlimited Catering & Special Events

About Key4Women

Founded in 2005, Key4Women helps women in business achieve their goals by providing access to capital, customized service, networking events, and educational opportunities. Key4Women has lent $3 billion to qualified women business owners since 2005 and committed to lending another $3 billion by 2012.

About KeyCorp

Cleveland-based KeyCorp is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $93 billion. Key companies provide investment management, retail and commercial banking, consumer finance, and investment banking products and services to individuals and companies throughout the United States and, for certain businesses, internationally. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/.

SOURCE KeyCorp

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