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CommuniqueA Magazine of the Junior League of Baltimore Spring 2009The Junior League ofBaltimore: Makingan IMPACT on theCommunityJLB in theCommunity...PAGE 2Meet LeoWanencheck...PAGE 4Govans WinterFestival...PAGE 6

The true meaning of life is to plant trees,under whose shade you do not expect to sit.~NELSON HENDERSONPresident’s LetterDear Members and Friends of the Junior League of Baltimore,As I button up my coat and head out into the chilly spring air I find myself longing for evenwarmer days as it’s these warm days and cool nights which push the budding flowers fromthe still cold ground. I do enjoy teetering in my yard and garden, although I don’t darecall myself a gardener, not yet anyway. What I enjoy about gardening is that even thoughit takes careful planning and constant care it is ever changing and growing. Every daythroughout spring and summer the garden holds a beautiful treasure, it might be a lovelyred spring poppy or a beautiful blue hydrangea. Whatever the garden brings it depends onsun, water, food and protection from my four-legged friends!I can easily draw comparisons between gardening and the ever growing and changingJunior League of Baltimore. While much of the League remains the same year after year, itis also ever changing just like the ever changing garden. The League depends on each andevery member to bring their unique talents, desire to learn something new or share theirknowledge and passion, the willingness to try new challenges and, of course, make lastingfriendships along the way. I have found through my years in the Junior League that I couldbe in a room with 9 other league members and regardless of differences in age, race, religionor even city in which we live we have a commonality, we have something robust to talkabout. The League opens doors to friendships and connections that help sustain us as anorganization by creating change that allows us to thrive and grow.Speaking of growing, we are very close to opening the doors of the new and highlyanticipated Wise Penny and JLB Headquarters!! To me, this building symbolizes the strength,knowledge, wisdom and courage that the women of our organization possess. We did not gethere over night! Everything that is happening in the League today started with the plantingof a seed in 1912 and many seeds planted thereafter have brought us to this monumentalplace in our history. I am proud to be part of this legacy as I know that each of you are;close your eyes and click your heels 3 times as we are almost home!This edition of Communiqué focuses on how our members are making a positive impact inthe Baltimore community. At Govans Elementary School, members are working to engageparents in their school age children’s lives and furthering education. Our 3rd Annual Kidsin the Kitchen took place on March 7th at Port Discovery featuring celebrity chef GeorgeStella. Valuable lessons for leading a healthy lifestyle were taught to the students of GovansElementary School, as well as, other area schools in and around Baltimore. Our WisePenny interns are learning invaluable job readiness skills alongside their member-mentorswho are learning the value they bring to the community. The Larks enjoyed a busy holidayseason bringing the gift of song to area citizens residing in assisted living facilities andhospitals. Longtime member and Larks Chair, Polly Behrens, beamed with excitement at theMarch General Membership as she shared the experiences of the Larks who attended theAssociation of Junior League’s Winter Conference this past February.I’d like to thank our members serving the community, you do make a difference everyday inthe lives of women & children at risk.Board of Directors 2007-2008PRESIDENTHeidi BowenPRESIDENT ELECTStephanie BartalCOMMUNICATIONS COUNCIL VICE-PRESIDENTMary HelfrichCOMMUNITY COUNCIL VICE-PRESIDENTKate SullivanFINANCE COUNCIL VICE-PRESIDENTAnne CampbellMEMBERSHIP VICE-PRESIDENTKathleen GibisonTREASURERNicole LedererNOMINATING AND PLACEMENT CHAIRPolly DouglassSUSTAINING DIRECTORMia WalshPROJECTS, ADVOCACY, & RESEARCH DIRECTORNicole WestrickSECRETARYJen HoldenPARLIAMENTARIANGinger MihalikStaffDIRECTORShelly TerranovaOFFICE MANAGERJessica DonohueBUSINESS MANAGERKen HarperWISE PENNY THRIFT SHOP SUPERVISORVicki WarrenWISE PENNY THRIFT SHOP MANAGERBeatrice “Charly” GibbonsWISE PENNY SALES ASSOCIATEShirley PhillipsCommunity Resource Board 2007-2008Penny AndersonVP COMMUNITY BUILDING,UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL MARYLANDKenneth AnecksteinPARTNER, DLA PIPER US LLPLisa BiseniusDIRECTOR OF MARKETING, GENERAL GROWTH PROPERTIESEmilie BlazeOWNER, LITTLE SHOE BOXJulie CoxVICE PRESIDENT PHILANTHROPY, LIFEBRIDGE HEALTH SYSTEMSSusan Kaskie DriscollCOMMUNITY AFFAIRS DIRECTOR, GOVERNOR’S OFFICEOF COMMUNITY INITIATIVESAlice Ann FinnertyOWNER, THE TURNOVER SHOPElaine HettlemanEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LEADERSHIP BALTIMORE COUNTY,TOWSON UNIVERSITYPhil HolmesVICE PRESIDENT, GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF THE CHESAPEAKESteve KaiserPRESIDENT, KAISER ASSOCIATESGail KaplanDIRECTOR OF MARKETING, CLASSIC CATERINGThomas KiefaberOWNER, THE SENATOR THEATRELenore KoorsDEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, SUSAN G. KOMENBREAST CANCER FOUNDATIONClem MuellerPARTNER, KAWG&FErika MurrayDIRECTOR OF CORPORATE PUBLIC RELATIONS ANDCOMMUNITY AFFAIRS, MEDSTAR HEALTHBryn ParchmanPRESIDENT AND CEO, PORT DISCOVERY,THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM IN BALTIMORERobert SchaeferEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FRANCE-MERRICK FOUNDATIONMalinda SmallVICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATION FOR BGEJulie St. MarieAGENCY PRINCIPAL, ST. MARIE INSURANCE GROUP,ALLSTATE INSURANCE CO.Audrey SuhrCONSULTANTLinda TaylorPRINCIPAL, GOVANS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL1 . COMMUNIQUE . SPRING 2009

Junior League Membersin the CommunityHere is a brief snap shot of a few of the Women in the Junior League of Baltimore who are involved inother organizations in the Baltimore Community. Our members reach out all over the Baltimore areaand add value to the organizations they serve.Maria Johnson, has been a member of the Junior League of Baltimorefor almost 20 years! In addition to serving as the Co-Chair of our ownHeadquarters Capital Campaign, Maria serves as the Vice President of theBoard of Directors of the Govans Business Association, the Co-Chair of theDevelopment & Marketing Committee of the Board of Directors of the VillageLearning Place, member of the Baltimore Campaign Cabinet for the DickinsonCollege Capital Campaign and a member of the Special Events Committeeof the Hampden Family Center. Maria has recently been selected as oneof Maryland’s Top 100 Women for 2009 by the Daily Record.Catherine Frate Witt, a Junior League member since 2001 who transferred to the Junior League ofBaltimore in 2005 is on the Board of Directors two halfway houses in her South Baltimore neighborhood,Safe House and Friendship House.Sustainer, Pam Malester, is on the boards of the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, theHouse of Ruth, and Health Care for the Homeless. She is also on the Steering Committee of the EnterpriseWomen’s Network.New Member, Erin Lineberry, is the President of the Board of the Baltimore Council of Camp Fire USA.She is also a fundraiser for Bulldog Rescue and she walks dogs for Recycled Love, another dog rescuegroup. She has recently formed an alumni association for her former company and a candidate in theNetwork 2000 Mentoring Program.In addition to Maria Johnson, we are thrilled to announce that Mary Jean Herron, Sustaining Member,and Laura Penza, Architect for the HQ Project, are also included in this year’s “Maryland’s Top 100Women”! We salute these women, and the other Junior League Members, who make an impact in theBaltimore CommunitySPRING 2009 . COMMUNIQUE . 2

Spotlight on...The School Parental Engagement ProjectOur committee is focused on working with Govans Elementary Schoolto establish an active, self-sustaining Parent Teacher Organization(PTO). Our goal is to help the parents understand the importance ofbeing involved at the school, helping with homework, communicatingwith the teacher, as well as basics such as the importance of attendingschool and arriving on time. Govans Elementary has pre-K through 5 thgrade with three special education classes. In order to achieve ourgoals, the committee is working with Govans on several projects. Hereare some highlights:Executive Board – Govans has established an executive board for thePTO, which consists of three teachers and three parents. The JuniorLeague of Baltimore attends those meetings to assist and guide theboard toward becoming self sufficient.Back to School Night – At back to school night, our committee spreadthe word to the Govans parents about the PTO organization. Weprovided magnets with the dates/times of our upcoming PTO meetingsand also our JL programs.Junior League Programs – The committee is running three programsover the course of the school year. The first program in Novemberfeatured a pediatrician who gave a short lecture on health relatedissues followed by an extremely successful Q & A with the parents.This program was well attended and received very positive feedbackfrom both the parents and the teachers. In agreement with our goalto involve other community organizations, two local Boy Scout leadersprovided a short program for the older children. In addition, JuniorLeague volunteers provided childcare to the younger children.Treasure Tin – One measurable goal is to have the parent(s) lookin the student’s book bag every day. We are having the teachersrandomly place a treasure tin in one student’s bag each month. Theparent who discovers the tin then turns it in to the teacher to receive agift certificate. Each grade will have one treasure tin.The School Parental Engagement Project is excited about our successthus far in the school year and looks forward to several excitingprograms in the winter/spring. Be on the lookout for fun and excitingvolunteer opportunities in the future. It is a great way to fulfill yourcommunity volunteer hours and to also touch the life of an elementaryschool child!3 . COMMUNIQUE . SPRING 2009

Leo Wanenchak, the musical director of the Larks, hasa dizzying list of commitments – but he can always befound on Tuesday mornings heading up one of JLB’smost venerable community service missions.Keeping-up with Big BirdFrom September to May, whether it is in the practice room at SecondPresbyterian Church or at one of dozens of venues at which the Larksperform – if it is Tuesday morning, you will find Leo Wanenchaktraining, conducting, cajoling, and perhaps even scolding the Larks,the JLB singing group that has been bringing the gift of music to thecommunity for over 50 years.Leo, also known affectionately as “Big Bird,” is a consummateperformer, composer, and arranger. He has appeared in national andinternational venues as a conductor, keyboard artist, vocalist andnarrator and his original works are published by Boosey and Hawkes.Leo stresses skill building and musicianship in his work with the Larks,starting each practice session with warm-ups and “Sol Fa” training – amethod of vocal work that focuses on finding pitches internally ratherthan listening to and mimicking tunes and harmonies from the piano.Although the training can be rigorous at times, “It is not a militarydrill,” says Leo. “It has to be a collaboration - making music is an act ofsurrendering oneself to beauty and community.”But the Larks are not Leo’s only “flock”. In addition to directing for theJLB, a position he has held for 10 years, Leo is the Assistant Conductorof The Baltimore Choral Arts Society (BCAS) and has performed withDave Brubeck, Peter Schickele and Kathy Mattea. As the interimdirector of BCAS, Leo created and conducted Motets, Madrigals andMusicals, and prepared the chorus to appear with the BaltimoreSymphony in Carmina Burana and Beethoven’s 9 th conducted by MarinAlsop, and A Chorus of Hits conducted by Jack Everly.This year, Leo has taken on additional duties as director of UMBC’sCamerata Chorus and musical director of yet another women’s singinggroup, the Canticle Singers.Leo enjoys each of the different communities with which he interacts.“We give ourselves goals and strive to give the best of ourselves in thework we do.”“The Larks represents the best of all worlds,” remarks Leo. “All of thesingers in the group have a strong commitment to and an interest inskills building, creating a supportive community for one another, andbringing music into the lives of others.”As the only male member of the Larks in their 50 year history, “Big Bird”is universally adored by JLB’s singing women. Under his directorshipthe group has grown from 12 singers in 1999 to more than 20 today.“One of the things I love about the Larks is that the ladies are not afraidto get their fingernails dirty.”Leo divides his time between his home-base here in Baltimore, aresidence in California where his partner currently works and lives,and Philadelphia, where he grew up and where his extended family stillresides.A Peabody graduate, Leo has dedicated his life to music education.Twice honored as a National Foundation for Advancement of the ArtsOutstanding Educator, he is a member of the faculty at Peabody’sPreparatory Department teaching piano, organ and musicianship, plushe has been an Elderhostel Lecturer and Piano Department Chair.During the summers, Leo is Academic Dean and Director of ChoralActivities for The Walden School, an intensive musical educationprogram and festival for young people in New Hampshire. Add to that,he has a busy schedule of private piano students.SPRING 2009 . COMMUNIQUE . 4

Smart Tips for Smart WomenAre Your Assets Really Diversified?BY Kathy Paal, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERYou’ve heard the old investment adage, “Don’t put all your eggs in onebasket.” It’s good advice. A diversified portfolio should be at the core ofany well-planned investment strategy. While a worthy goal at any age, it’sespecially desirable as your net worth grows over the years.The basic purpose of diversification is to reduce your risk of loss. It’sprimarily a defensive type of investment policy. Depending on yourinvestment goals and tolerance for risk, your strategy may emphasizeone type of investment over another. But overall, your plan shouldbe diversified. That’s because no single type of investment performsbest under all economic conditions. A diversified program is capable ofweathering varying economic cycles and improving the trade-off betweenrisk of loss and expected return. Of course, diversification cannot entirelyeliminate the risk of investment losses.Forms of Diversification. An investment portfolio consisting of twentydifferent construction industry stocks is not diversified. Diversificationmeans dividing your funds among different asset classes, such as stocks,bonds, real estate and savings accounts. For instance, suppose yourportfolio consisted entirely of bonds. Your money would be at significantrisk if interest rates rose since bond prices generally fall when rates go up.It’s also important to diversify by owning several stocks in differentindustries. Suppose you held just 1,000 shares of a major company’s stockfrom December 31, 2007 through December 31, 2008, and you suffereda loss of $40 per share when the stock fell from 100 to 60. A diversifiedportfolio consisting of many different stocks in various sectors may havecushioned the blow of the loss.Diversification also means not tying up all your funds in long-terminvestments. You’ll need to keep a certain amount easily accessible — thatis, in money-market accounts, savings accounts or short-term certificatesof deposit (CDs) — for on-going expenses, emergency needs, and shorttermgoals such as saving to buy a car or pay taxes. And through dollarcostaveraging, a process of buying stocks and bonds from time to timeinstead of all at once, you can spread the risk over both good and badmarkets. Using this investment method involves continuous investmentin securities regardless of fluctuating price levels of securities. Therefore,investors should consider their financial ability to continue purchasingthrough periods of fluctuating price levels.Sample Portfolio. Your specific investment decisions will depend onseveral factors: your age, tax bracket, risk tolerance, liquidity needs,investment time horizon and investment goals. In general, however, awell-diversified portfolio might include:F Cash Reserves for short-term needs – checking accounts, moneymarketaccounts, savings accounts and shorter-term CDs.F Longer-term, taxable investments that are relatively liquid, such as:lStocks – common or preferredlBonds – U.S. Government, corporatelMutual Funds – bond funds, growth funds, balanced funds,international fundsF Tax-advantaged investments, such as:lAnnuities – fixed and variabllQualified Plans – 401(k), 403(b), IRAs, SEPslMunicipal bond fundsF Real estate – commercial, residentialYou may want to consult a financial advisor regarding designing aportfolio that is right for you and your risk tolerance.Diversify Beyond Investments. Diversification alone may not besufficient to protect your investments. By taking a broader view,a financial planning strategy can put safeguards in place to helpprotect yourself and your family.For instance, purchasing disability income insurance providesprotection for your ability to earn a living. Life insurance isanother form of protection. It can help preserve your estate assetsand reduce the risk that a disaster could wipe out your family’sstandard of living. Life insurance can also provide the necessarycash for your survivors to pay estate taxes and other expenses, orto carry on a family-owned business.A diversified financial planning strategy will not eliminate riskor guarantee success. But it does offer a sound approach to helpaccumulate, preserve and protect your assets, reduce risk andpotentially grow assets over time. Talk with a qualified professionalabout how to put an effective financial planning strategy in place.. . .Kathy Paal, Past JLB President, is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER TM at HeritageFinancial Consultants in Hunt Valley, and is an investment advisor representative,registered representative, and a licensed insurance broker with LincolnFinancial Advisors Corp, a registered investment advisor and broker-dealer,member SIPC, (307 International Circle, Suite 390, Hunt Valley, MD 21030,410-771-5655). Feel free to e-mail Kathy (Katherine.paal@LFG.com) with questionsor to suggest topics of interest for future columns.5 . COMMUNIQUE . SPRING 2009

Govans WinterFestival:A Successful First Event!On a sunny and brisk Saturday morning in December, the childrenof Govans returned to their elementary school to enjoy a specialweekend event: the first Govans Winter Festival! A giant inflatablesnowman greeted the children in their gymnasium, which wastransformed into a festive winter wonderland. The walls were hungwith paper snowman the children had previously made in theirclasses. The stage had been turned into a winter clothing relayracezone. The perimeter of the gym was lined with Junior Leaguevolunteers leading arts and crafts activities, educational gamesand contests, a “book walk”, holiday story time session, hot cocoastations and more. With a clear focus on creating fun activities thatsimultaneously fostered learning, encouraging parent/child interactionand perpetuating the children’s love of the celebratory season,the scarf-and-hat-wearing committee members worked hard todevelop the blueprint for what everyone hopes will become an annualparty on the holiday calendar. Event chairperson Christi Barthnoted that the school was “thrilled and is already looking forwardto next year’s festival!”Additional support from community partners, including Kellog,Ukazoo, Wegmans, and Staples helped contribute to the success ofthe day. The event was co-sponsored by the Govanstowne BusinessAssociation and in participation with the Govans ElementaryParent-Teacher Association.“The Govan’s event was a big success. If you were there, you couldsee it written all over the children’s faces,” said Barth.With over 100 parents and children in attendance, it was easyto feel the enthusiasm and joy while enjoying lunch, playing fungames and celebrating the season together. In addition to highlightmoments like the face painting station, winning raffle prizes donatedfrom the Baltimore Ravens and the Baltimore Ironbirds, thechildren left the event with gift bags decorated and filled with artsupplies donated by neighboring Bryn Mawr Little School children.FALL 2008 . COMMUNIQUE . 6

S AV E T H E DAT ES AV E T H E DAT EThe Junior League of Baltimore’sAnnual DinnerTuesday, May 19thCocktails to 6:00PM . Dinner at 7:00PM~ L’Hirondelle Club in Ruxton ~Visit the Junior League of Baltimore website at www.jlbalt.org to make your reservation and pay on-line.PO Box 11008Baltimore, MD 21212RETURN SERVICES REQUESTED