Funded in part through a
cooperative agreement with
the U.S. Small Business
Administration
Advisory Board
| Board Chair: | Sawrie Becker, Commissioner, Erie County Office of Public Advocacy | |
| Forum Chair: | Bernie Aja, Vice President and Retail Leader, Key Bank | |
| Coaching Chair: | Joan Graci, President, APA Solutions | |
| Education Chair: | Amy Remmele Owner, Author, Peak of Success | |
| Networking Chair: | Derek Vanderlinde, Financial Advisor, Five Star Investment |
Board Members
| Christine Bonaguide Partner, Hodgson Russ |
Lisa Coppola Rupp, Baase, Pfalzgraf Cunningham & Coppola LLC |
Andrea D'Alba Paramax Corporation |
| Deborah DiMatteo Vice President M & T Bank |
Deborah DiStefano President-Elect NAWBO |
Lisa Kirisits President Kirisits & Associates CPAs, PLLC |
| Nancy LaTulip Vice President, Retail Banking Lake Shore Banking |
Gail MacCleverty Vice President First Niagara Bank |
Rita Markle Chief Learning Officer Performance Management Partners Inc. |
| Renee Martinez President/Owner Ruby Marketing Communications, Inc. |
Kate Moody Director WNYChamber Alliance |
Meela Moore Owner La Moore, Enterprises |
| Denise Neamon Gaines Kriner Elliott LLPS |
Tom Quatroche Sr. VP of Marketing, Planning, and Business Development ECMC |
Susan Sabio Director of HR T.L. Cannon Management |
| Maryann Stein Dir. International Programs ECIDA |
Sherry Sutton President & Owner Sassy Design Group |
WBC Staff
Melinda Rath Sanderson
Executive Director
Melinda Rath Sanderson returned home in December 2003 after 24 years.
Her 20 years experience include working for one of the " Big 8 " public accounting firms, Lakeland Community College faculty, Nestles, Stouffer Hotels and resorts, and Westin hotels and resorts. In addition she has been a small business owner for 10 years.
The recipient of numerous awards and honors in her personal, professional and volunteer endeavors in several categories including sales and marketing, leadership, innovation and business ownership.
An accomplished speaker in a number of areas including motivation, inspiration, leadership, personal growth, and sales and marketing, she enjoys addressing groups and sharing her success story as well as knowledge and experiences to help others achieve their goals and dreams.
A graduate of the Buffalo Seminary, she holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration in Hotel and Restaurant Management from the University of Denver and also attended the University of New Hampshire and State University of New York at Buffalo.
An active member and participant in numerous business, professional, non profit and volunteer organizations in the past 20 years, she has served in many leadership roles and on numerous Boards. She was also this year's recipient of the U.S. SBA's Women in Business Champion of the Year Award for the Western New York region. In addition, Sanderson has been active in her church.
On a personal note, Sanderson was a competitive downhill ski racer both locally and nationally and currently enjoys skiing with her family. Other sports which she enjoys include tennis, crew, rollerblading and biking. While in high school, Sanderson was a foreign exchange student to Chile and is fluent in Spanish. She and her husband Bruce reside in Snyder and are the parents of Catherine, Sara, and William. Melinda is also the daughter of New York State Senator Mary Lou Rath and the late Supreme Court Justice Edward A Rath Jr.
Amy Rath
WIN Coordinator
Amy Rath joined the Women’s Business Center in September 2004 as the WIN (Women in Networking) Coordinator. Amy founded the WIN groups based on a similar group experience in Cleveland, OH. Amy graduated with a B.A. in Communications from the Newcomb College of Tulane University in New Orleans, LA, and spent most of her time between Southern California and Chicago, IL in medical sales for a small German manufacturer. Afterwards, she established herself in Chicago working for a small, women-owned healthcare publishing firm. Shortly thereafter, Amy worked as a small business consultant for Paychex, Inc., and she credits this experience with all of her knowledge about small business operations. In August 2003, Amy moved to Buffalo to start a family with her husband. She is an active member of the Junior League of Buffalo and volunteers for St. Gregory the Great School in Williamsville. In her spare time, Amy enjoys running, skiing, practicing yoga and baking. Amy is happily married and a full time mother of 3 young daughters.
Blake Carbone
Project Coordinator
Blake Carbone joined the Women's Business Center team in March 2011 as the Project Coordinator. Her main responsibilities focus on coordinating the training and counseling programs, fund development, data management, and administrative activities. If you call into the office, you'll likely hear her voice on the other line.
Blake is a recent graduate from St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY, where she received a BA in English and minors in Communication Studies and Gender Studies. In her four years Blake remained very active and involved on campus. For two years, she was a member of the Women's Varsity Squash team where she earned various accolades including Rookie of the Year. Apart from participating in Squash, Club Hockey, KLSU Radio and the Women's Resource Center, Blake worked as an Admissions Intern and Assistant.
Before coming to the WBC, Blake worked as an Administrative Assistance at Rural/Metro Medical Services. She is currently a Class Agent for the Nichols School in Buffalo, and serves as an Alumni Representative for St. Lawrence University.