Headquarters Staff Announcement
July 24th, 2009 by James Paponetti [Comments]
We are proud to announce and welcome Sigma Lambda Gamma’s newest Headquarters Staff members!
Assistant Executive Director – Sister Amanda (Mandy) Berenguel Smolka
Director of Chapter Services – Sister Vanessa Jimenez
Director of Expansion – Sister Nereyda (Neddy) Llorente
Bookkeeper/Administrative Assistant – Katie Schneider
Mandy, Vanessa, Neddy and Katie join Karen Hanes, Administrative Assistant and Mary Peterson, Executive Director, to comprise our Headquarters team.
Organizational changes and growth have led the National Board and Mary to allocate more resources to a dedicated professional staff to better serve the growing needs of our membership.
Excitement and pride fill our organization as we consider how far Sigma Lambda Gamma has come in just a short period of time. As we will soon enter the sisterhood’s 20th year of existence we can be proud to know that our hard work and achievements continue to pave the way for Sigma Lambda Gamma sisters for years to come.
Contact information and short bios on our newest staff members follow. Please join us in congratulating and welcoming each of them to their new roles in Sigma Lambda Gamma!
Amanda (Mandy) Berenguel Smolka, Assistant Executive Director
Mandy @ SigmaLambdaGamma.com
Greetings Sisters!
I am very excited to introduce myself to you as your new Assistant Executive Director! My experiences in Sigma Lambda Gamma have unintentionally prepared me for this amazing position! I truly feel humbled to have been chosen to serve you all and overjoyed to utilize my passion, talents and abilities toward improving our great organization! I look forward to listening to the needs and wants of our sisterhood and doing what is possible to make the necessary enhancements.
Our organization continues to grow and empower women across the nation because you all have cared enough to share your excitement about what Sigma Lambda Gamma has done for you! I thank you all for your hard work and dedication toward being the premier organization because without you, we would not have a Board of Directors or a headquarters staff.
Here is a very short summary of my experience as a sister:
As an associate member, I assisted in the restart of Gamma Chapter at Iowa State University. The Phoenix line had already established colony status and with my line (the first line) we were able to help the colony achieve chapter status in the fall of 2001.
As a neophyte in 2002 I attended my first National Convention in Washington D.C. and also became Chapter President which led to me holding every position (other than New Member Educator) in the chapter prior to graduation.
In 2005 I graduated from Iowa State University with a Bachelors of Science in Child, Adult and Family Services, then in 2007 I received my Master of Social Work degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where I was Delta Chapter’s advisor.
From 2006 – 2008 I served as volunteer through SLG’s transition from Districts to Regions as a District Governor/Regional Director for the Plains District, North Central Region and Midwest Regions. Sisterhood Retreat 2009 I was honored to be selected to serve as a small group facilitator.
As time passes you will get to know more about me but what I am looking forward to is getting to know more about all of you! This is such an exciting time for our sisterhood with having all new staff so we truly appreciate your understanding as we transition into our new positions!
Vanessa Jimenez, Director of Chapter Services
Vanessa @ SigmaLambdaGamma.com
Sister Vanessa "Fortaleza" Jimenez has been a member of the Phi Chapter at Western Michigan University since April 22, 2004. During her undergraduate career, Vanessa was an active member, serving in several positions including President for two years. Vanessa graduated in August 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations and a minor in Creative Writing. She served as Chapter Advisor upon her graduation and has continued to be active in the Central Region. Recently returning to the States after living in Mexico City, Mexico for several months, Vanessa is eager to embark on a new journey within sisterhood. She is looking forward to working with our members on a national level and continuing the mission of Sigma Lambda Gamma Sorority.
Nereyda (Neddy) Llorente, Director of Expansion
Nereyda @ SigmaLambdaGamma.com
Hola Hermanas!
My name is Nereyda "Feliz" Llorente, and I am very happy to share that I have been selected as your Director of Expansion. I am very proud to have such an important role in the wonderful sisterhood of Sigma Lambda Gamma and to be able to represent our organization in such a magnitude. I know first hand how much this sisterhood can enrich and empower a young lady’s life to help them become a better woman. We are one of the fastest growing fraternal organizations and I plan to ensure Sigma Lambda Gamma will continue to focus on quality and not just quantity. I became a sister in December of 2002 at the Glorious Gamma Chapter. As an undergraduate, I held the position of VP of Recruitment. I loved this position because my main duty was to spread the word about how great Sigma Lambda Gamma is! When we love something so much, sharing about it just comes naturally. My excitement and passion when sharing about SLG really helped me with that position, and those are two important characteristics I will make sure to apply in aiding chapters in recruitment and retention.
I am here to serve our sisterhood, so please continue representing Sigma Lambda Gamma so that I may help others join us as women of distinction.
Katie Schneider, Bookkeeper/Administrative Assistant
Katie @ SigmaLambdaGamma.com
Katie Schneider joined West Bank in 2005 as a Personal Banker. She was named Personal Banking Officer/Manager of West Bank’s Coralville branch in 2006 and was promoted to Second Vice President in December of 2007. She has nine years experience in the banking industry, having held various positions as a personal banker and teller.
Katie attended the University of Iowa and Kirkwood Community College. She serves on the board of directors for Systems Unlimited Incorporated of Iowa. She is also a Volunteer Coordinator for projects with the Coralville Family Resource Center, including the Coralville Free Lunch Program and Coralville Elementary Homework Help Program. Katie enjoys spending her free time with her husband Allen and their two sons Jackson and Jacob.
Katie will be serving as a part-time, shared employee bookkeeper as well as filling in for Karen Hanes as she moves to a four-day a week schedule. We are excited to have Katie’s expertise as a part of the Headquarters team.
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