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Women to Watch For more than 100 years Hood graduates have forged careers for themselves in many fields, from teacher to social worker, from doctor to artist, from research scientist to writer. Today Hood alumnae are among the growing number of women who are starting their own businesses-entrepreneurs or women to watch. We invite you to read about five such women, four graduates and one student, who are pursuing their dreams. Michelle M. Schoeffel ’82
As president and chief executive officer of Pacific American Securities, a successful brokerage firm with offices in California and New York, Michelle was recently a finalist for Working Woman’s “Entreprenerial Excellence Awards.” It is her belief in people, in hard work, and in taking advantage of opportunities as they come along, that has brought her success after 17 years in the investment industry. She is the first to admit that she learned discipline, which is essential to success, at Hood. “I learned how to think,” she explained. “The professors I had were key in the development of my communication and listening skills. It was the support and encouragement of my adviser, Joseph E. Dahms, Beneficial associate professor of economics, which made me believe I could achieve anything. “Dr. Dahms saw talents in me that I did not know I possessed. I don’t think that I would have had the nerve to enter into an industry that was so closed to women and minorities if he had not instilled me with such confidence.” Michelle smiled when she recalled how she came to choose Hood. “My mother says it was predestined,” she explained. “Mom’s high school friend, Elizabeth “Betsy” Healy Shelby ’60, went to Hood, but at that time, black women didn’t attend Hood. Mom says it wasn’t a mistake or accident that I chose Hood—‘I really wanted you to go there,’ she told me many times. Mom knew the quality of a Hood education.” In 1982, when Michelle graduated from Hood with a degree in economics, a classmate, Marianne Billek Kuta ’81, suggested that she become a stockbroker. “I hadn’t considered this career path, but she was doing very well and thought that I could do well too,” Michelle said. “At the very least, I thought it was worth exploring. It would be an exciting change to go from a women’s college to a field dominated by men. “I have remained in the investment industry since I began in 1983,” continued Michelle, noting that she formed her own brokerage firm, Pacific American Securities, with her husband, Tom Schoeffel, in 1997. “I wanted the business to be about competence; I wanted a business where things were done right the first time,” she said. “I have always been focused when it came to my career,” she noted. “I have taken advantage of opportunities. For instance, I left my family on the East Coast to move to California in 1989. At that time, the East Coast was still experiencing the effects of the economic downturn while California was booming. Because I had Wall Street training, I found that I could be successful very quickly. Again, Hood played a role. “I did not have any friends or family in California. The only person I knew was Hilary “Holly” Hooper ’82. If not for Holly, I would never have made the move. It was the smartest thing I ever did,” she said. For Michelle, the best part of her job is signing up new clients, especially large institutional clients like State Street Global Advisors, Barclays Global Investers, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. “I think it’s the David and Goliath aspect that I like,” she smiled. Michelle believes in encouraging her employees, helping them to succeed, to be part of the team. “I have employees that make over $2 million a year and others that make $25,000, yet everyone within the organization plays a significant role. I strive to ensure that everyone receives the respect they deserve from management and each other.” Michelle takes pride in having introduced other women and minorities to the investment industry. “It is a pleasure to watch them flourish,” she explained, adding, “We pride ourselves on being a leader among securities firms, a certified minority business enterprise, and a women’s business enterprise.” She is also proud of having achieved financial success. “Pacific American Securities has been in business for three years,” Michelle said. “Our first year we had revenue of about $2 million, the second year we had revenue of $12 million, last year we had revenue of $24 million.” Is it any wonder then, that Michelle was a finalist for Working Woman’s Entreprenerial Excellence Awards? Claudia Cooper ’95
You may not be able to pronounce the name, but once you’ve entered Bakery & Patisserie in Durham, N.C., you will succumb to its old world charm and fine artisan baked goods. What is the secret to its success? “We use traditional European baking techniques,” explained Claudia Cooper ’95, who opened the bakery with Hartmut Jahn in the fall of 1998. It quickly became known for its fragrant croissants and crusty loafs of rye and sourdough breads, baked fresh daily in a stone hearth oven, and a tempting array of cakes, tarts, and seasonal specialties. Born in Germany, Claudia moved to the United States, eventually completing her education at Hood. “Claudia came to Hood not knowing it was a women’s college,” laughed Carol Kolmerten, professor of English, who first met Claudia while teaching in the Honors Program. “She was living in West Virginia, commuting to campus, and one day noticed that there were very few men around. But she quickly became a true convert, believing that every young woman should have a time in her life when she is able to concentrate on academics instead of appearance.” Following her graduation from Hood, Claudia returned to Germany where she spent two years apprenticing as a pastry chef. “I love to cook,” explained Claudia. “I probably should have become a chef, but opening a bakery in the United States was a good business decision.” According to an article in the Durham Herald Sun, the owners “left corporate jobs in Munich to launch a bakery overseas in a place called the Triangle that they found on the Internet.” Claudia put it this way: “We tried to find an area just coming into its prime, and we wanted to go somewhere fun.” “The ’90s in the United States were marked by a lot of ‘micro’ industry revivals such as organic food, beer brewing, farmers’ markets, and gourmet coffee,” she continued. “It was an interesting time for us to enter the market with our foreign background and access to baking technology for artisan breads.” Claudia believes that a Hood education provided “the analytical tools I needed to dissect the process of planning, opening, and operating a business into a strategy involving several stages. In particular, the coursework in economics and marketing gave me the written skills to create a viable business plan.” In recalling Hood’s professors, she credits Joseph E. Dahms, Beneficial associate professor of economics, “for his patience and open-mindedness toward my ever-changing goals, objectives and varying business ideas.” Because it is a very highly-skilled artisan bakery, Claudia has found that a number of people would like to learn the skills responsible for the success of Guglhupf. “We function as an externship location for the Culinary Institute of America, and we bring in key production personnel from Germany,” she noted. Claudia admits that her first “real world” corporate job was a huge disappointment. “I now realize that it was just the wrong place for me to be. I encourage everyone to pursue a career that truly makes them happy and where they feel fulfilled. We probably spend two-thirds of our waking hours on the job and it is such a waste to be miserable for such a long time.” She also has advice for today’s graduates. “Don’t be afraid to change if your dream career doesn’t turn out to be what you had hoped. Don’t be afraid to change your path, but avoid drifting without a plan, for time is very precious.” Oh yes, explain, please, the oddest-named bakery in town. “It’s very simple. Guglhupf is an Alsatian or Austrian coffee cake baked in a special mold called a guglhupf mold. Our logo is actually our namesake—a depiction of the guglhupf mold.” Denise Jones ’95 and Elizabeth Kelley ’91
“Our primary goal, when we began the search for property, has been to create a place where people can grab a cup of coffee, browse through landscape and gardening magazines while their children play nearby, and dream a vision for their own home,” said Beth. “We want customers to relax and enjoy themselves.” The business was actually incorporated in 1997 as a design and landscape firm, with Denise as president, and Beth as vice president. “It’s been a real learning experience,” said Beth, referring to the lengthy process of obtaining the proper zoning and building permits, working with the architect, and transforming an old dairy barn into a business asset. “I had been in the landscape and garden industry for a number of years when I decided to return to college to earn my degree,” said Denise, who met Beth while a student at Hood. In developing their business, they were guided by the belief that “your garden and grounds are extensions of your home.” “We don’t have mission statements, we have vision statements,” Denise laughed. “It’s an interesting blend,” noted Beth, who is a regional human resource director for Risk Management Alternatives in Baltimore, Md. “My background is in human resources management, and Denise’s is in landscape management. “Denise is the visionary, that’s for sure,” continued Beth, describing her shock when Denise took her to see the dilapidated dairy barn that now serves as the showcase for the business. “The barn had more than a foot-and-a-half of manure on the floors, the roof was falling in, and the windows were all blown out. I said, ‘You must be kidding,’ while Denise kept repeating, ‘It’s perfect, it’s perfect.’ Our friends took one look and said, ‘What have you gotten yourselves into?’” Today, both women take pride in creating a business that is succeeding in a male-dominated industry. The 23-acre nursery and garden center, with its renovated dairy barn, serves as a retail showcase for nursery and home accessory products, including mature stock of some hard-to-find species. “The secret is surrounding yourself with talent, and letting your employees aspire to be the best that they can be,” said Beth, who works with an employee group of more than 600 associates in seven offices from Albany to Richmond to Chicago. Beth also credits Karen Klisch, professor emerita of physical education, for having taught her to have confidence in herself, especially through one of the classes she taught, Dynamics of Leadership. For Denise, who returned to Hood as an adult learner, it was Sandra Blakeman, director of learning enhancement services and assistant director of academic services, who was a key to her success in college. “She provided me with the help and encouragement I needed,” said Denise. “It’s interesting to see people’s reactions when they hear that Morning Glory is owned and operated by women,” added Beth. “Almost always they smile and say, ‘All right! Way to go.’” Tina Wells ’02
At 21, she is the co-founder and president of a company called Buzzteen. “We provide information to teenagers about new products and also to the companies that market to teenagers,” explained Tina. Tina got her start in business at 16, when she began writing product reviews for a newspaper for young girls. Ever the entrepreneur, she began expanding the reviews and submitting her findings to the product companies. After companies began expressing interest, Tina formed The Buzz, a teen-operated company that informed teens of newly marketed products of benefit to them. She sponsored events in schools to find out how teens felt about certain products, establishing a network of teen consultants and trendspotters. In 1998, Tina began her college career at Hood. “When I arrived, I had already had a lot of business experience, but Hood helped me put a name to those experiences, for example, writing a business plan and doing a SWOT analysis [strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats],” Tina explained. “Hood helped me acquire the skills I was missing, encouraged me to analyze the world and everything around me, and taught me to make good decisions.” One of Hood’s faculty played a critical role in Tina’s education, Anita Jose, assistant professor of management. “I remember spending Friday afternoons in her office, working three to four hours at a time on my business plan,” Tina said. “There was one particular instance where I had spent the entire previous evening working on a 30-page plan, which she quickly revoked! When I came to her office the next day, she told me she didn’t think I was ever coming back.” “Dr. Jose always brought out the best in me, and made me work harder than I thought I could. She helped me see the flip side of a situation, which I really appreciated. Today she’s a member of my board of advisors so I still have the opportunity to ask her for advice!” “Tina is a goal-oriented young woman whose energy, ambition, enthusiasm, and dedication to her vision are especially noteworthy,” Dr. Jose said. At the end of her sophomore year at Hood, with a new business plan in hand, Tina decided it was time for some changes with The Buzz. After teaming up with a business partner, The Buzz was reborn as Buzzteen. “Buzzteen provides all of the same services as The Buzz, but it also includes a website and more market research activities for companies targeting teens,” noted Tina. The new business focus required a new location and Tina moved to Chicago to set up shop last year. To devote as much time as possible to the company, Tina took a “study away” from Hood this past academic year, attending classes at Columbia College. “Hood is always in my heart, no matter where I am,” Tina concluded. “I’m a Hood girl, and I’ll always remember that!”
Table of Contents | Hood College Hood College |
Michelle M. Schoeffel ’82 believes that people make a difference. 
It’s been called the best bakery, the oddest named bakery, and the bakery with a scary name.
For the past four years, Denise Jones ’95 and Elizabeth Kelley ‘91 have worked from sunup to sundown and beyond to achieve a dream: the grand opening of Morning Glory Landscapes & Nursery, Inc., in Ijamsville, Md.
It’s not easy to stay ahead of teenage trends but Tina Wells, barely out of her teens, has managed to start her own business and to excel at doing just that. 