Last year, North Shore Women in Business celebrated its 25th anniversary, and as a leader, Rosaleen Doherty could not be more excited about the network's growth. Prior to falling into a leadership position with the network, she was a long-time member. As a young business person who owned her own senior home care center, she actively sought support and connections to the greater community. "The members were like-minded business women," she said. For Rosaleen, her relationship with the group was not a light commitment. Rather, it was a long term business relationship that stretched across the North Shore.

Rosaleen is not a North Shore native, however. She grew up in Frankin Square, NY, right outside of Queens and only came to the Seacoast area for school. She attended the Boston Conservatory for a couple years and eventually transferred to UMass to complete her degree, before settling down in the area. Growing up in a densely populated area in the 1970s, Rosaleen recalls there being a strong emphasis on education and feminist ideals. "It was very clear that we could be anything that we wanted," Rosaleen said, "though most of our moms were stay-at-home moms. On the TV, we were certainly seeing big-shoulder, padded suits and 'super-women'." Though she feels the "super-woman" myth has been debunked, the influence remains strong.

She attended Sacred Heart Academy, an all-girls school in New York, during her formative years and was compelled by a number of female superiors. "The teachers were huge role models," Rosaleen said. "They were trying to foster the women leaders of tomorrow."

It is fair to say that Rosaleen is one of those leaders. After being a member of North Shore Women in Business for quite some time, Rosaleen was motivated and driven by the longevity of the members and the desire to help women who are up-and-coming. NSWIB's mission is to foster opportunities for professional women to increase their business through education, learning and the success of other business women. The network focuses on nurturing business women, both personally and professionally, by offering a variety of networking, educational and social functions. "This group has always helped me," Rosaleen said. Now, with a strong mission as a guide, she hopes to pass on the same experience to other women.

Since she arrived on board as President, she has had the success of recruiting new board members. "When I came on board I asked if they would take on quite a new set of board members with new ideas and let go of the old ideas," she said. [Because of these board member changes] "We have gotten more done this year than we have in three years."

Keeping membership on the climb in this economy is a challenge many networking organizations are facing and North Shore Women in Business is not immune. "We have seen women's groups in the Boston area fold and we don't want that to be us," she said. As someone who is very self-motivated, in addition to the support of her family, her husband, and other networking leaders, she is doubtful this will occur.

And if people continue to give, Rosaleen feels there is no reason the network will not continue to be successful. By giving, she means giving of self. "Use [the network you belong to] first," she says. "See who you can support." By utilizing the talents of other members, and by publicizing what you, as a business professional, have to offer, there's no reason why business should not continue to grow.

For more information, contact 781-484-6368 or visit their website at www.nswib.org or contact Rosaleen directly at either 978-744-5151
RDoherty@rightathomemass.com or check out her business website at www.rightathomemass.net..

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