History Makers

>>A banker, an entrepreneur and an education leader have earned recognition as this year's Women in History, staged each year by the Neapolitan Chapter of the American Business Women's Association (ABWA).

"These are three women who quietly go about doing what they do to help others and improve the area," says chapter president Kellee Newberry. "They are doing what they do because they care."

The ABWA chapter honors three Naples-area women each March at a luncheon, this year themed "Knowledge is Power," and set for March 30 at the Hilton Naples.

The honorees: Susan McManus, president of the Education Foundation of Collier County; Sandy Waite, co-owner of Platinum Total Fabricare and named among ABWA's top 10 businesswomen for 2007; and Gerri Moll, president of Bank of America Southwest Florida.

"All three are involved in education, beyond just what they have done for themselves in education," says Newberry. She highlights McManus' role as president of the Education Foundation, Waite's role as a student mentor, and Moll's service in a number of capacities for Florida's university system.

Strong business backgrounds, status within their fields and community involvement as role models and volunteers all weighed in their selection. They were also chosen because their business achievements make them a source of inspiration for others.

Gerri Moll

When Gerri Moll graduated from Canada's McMaster University in the early 1980s with a finance degree, the job market was less than stellar. "I got into the banking business by default. I was hoping to get into the investment business, actually," she says.

Moll began her career in management training with Barnett Bank, one of Bank of America's predecessors, in 1984. Twenty-three years later, she is still in banking, still with Bank of America, and has been president of Bank of America Southwest Florida since 1997.

Over the years, the lines blurred between functions, and banks began to offer the same services as brokerage firms, trust companies and investment firms. "We are doing all of the things today that I wanted to do when I first got into banking," Moll says. "I've enjoyed every minute of the last 23 years. It's been fun and interesting and challenging every day."

One of the biggest challenges she has faced is mergers-20, to be exact. The changes might upset some people, but Moll has remained optimistic through each one. "People who embrace change usually land on their feet, and people who resist change or who are pessimistic about it sometimes don't," she observes.

She also believes that optimism is contagious, and does her best to support her employees through difficult times. "I believe that if you take great care of your employees and give them opportunities to grow and develop in their careers, they will take great care of your customers and then you will be successful in growing your business," she says.

Sandy Waite

Sandy Waite has this to say about the commitment she and her husband, Joe, have to Platinum Total Fabricare: "We have raised our business as a child."

They started their family in 1989 when they purchased a small Naples dry cleaning business. While Joe had a background in dry cleaning, Sandy had graduated from the University of Florida, hoping to pursue a career in fashion marketing and clothing design.

"After graduating and just jumping into a business, that entrepreneurial feel has been very comfortable to me," she says, and her advertising degree proved useful in the business's early years as she worked to market the company.

Sandy created the company's image and now focuses more on public relations. Although she initially was involved in the daily operations of the business, a staff of nearly 50 employees now allows her to step back and look at the big picture.

Technologies such as a radio frequency identification system to track garments and an automated conveyor system have helped the business grow.

Ultimately, though, Sandy depends on her employees to meet and exceed her customers' expectations, which is the cornerstone of her business philosophy. "If we become complacent, and if we don't continue to train [our staff], then we won't be able to please our clients," she says.

This philosophy places great responsibility for the company's success in its employees' hands, and Sandy feels equally responsible for her employees. "We make decisions thinking of all of our employees as family. They need the job, and our decisions can make or break their job if the wrong decisions are made," she says.

Susan McManus

It seems natural that Susan McManus' career path led to the presidency of the Education Foundation of Collier County. Her mother and grandmother were both teachers and she was an elementary school teacher for four years, first in Nova Scotia and then at St. Ann's School in Naples. Before becoming president of the Education Foundation, she served on its board for three years.

The transition from teacher to nonprofit business leader in 1993 wasn't without its hitches. "I saw the board of directors as business leaders, and I saw myself as a teacher who had gone into the nonprofit world to change the world and make it a better place in education," she says. "I think I had always been in awe of them, knowing that they were running huge banks and developments."

A defining moment came when the chairman of the board told her that she was running a business, and they were looking to her for leadership.

"That was basically when I shifted my behavior and my attitude, and realized that it was important to work with them as peers," she says.

McManus has adopted the board's business philosophy and places utmost importance on honesty and focusing on the interests of the children, teachers and parents. "I just think you work hard and you do what you think is right, even though it may not be the easiest or the most popular decision," she says.