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HOME ~ NEWS/EVENTS ~ December 10, 2007


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 10, 2007

 

Mirick O’Connell Executive Director Appointed to Advisory Board of Female Leadership Interest Council


Diane Power

WESTBOROUGH, MA. _ Diane Power, the first female Executive Director for the law firm of Mirick O’Connell, has never let challenges stand in her way. Her belief in “being whatever you want to be,” has led her to extremely high levels of personal and professional success. It is that mindset, which has brought her to the newly formed Female Leadership Interest Council, Inc. (FLIC), as one of its Advisory Board members.

 

FLIC is a non-profit organization founded on the principles of female leadership, mentoring and the belief that when you can help someone else succeed, you personally grow and prosper. The Council’s mission is to provide educational instruction to women to assist in developing their capabilities in the business world, which will increase the likelihood that their successes will benefit the community.


 

According to Power, it was an article in her local paper about FLIC, which sparked her interest in the organization.

 

“I read the article and thought the focus of FLIC was great,” Power said.  “Shortly after reading the article, one of our attorneys who knows Deborah Penta learned about what Deborah was hoping to accomplish through FLIC and was intrigued by its potential to help women. He suggested that we meet me and thought I would be a nice addition to the Advisory Board.”

 

“I was looking forward to meeting Deborah,” Power said.  “I heard Deborah was a real dynamo. She seems to be known everywhere in the New England area and is so giving of her time.  She leaves her footprint behind wherever she goes.”

 

“After meeting Diane, I felt as if I’d known her for a long time.  We immediately clicked,” Penta said. “We had a lot of synergies both personally and professionally and I was very impressed with her. She has accomplished so much in her life, and shares the same beliefs regarding continuous improvement and the possibility that one can achieve greatness in whatever one strives to accomplish. She is also a tremendous role model for women in professional services who yearn to inspire positive and progressive change in the workplace.”

 

“We shared our professional experiences as women working in executive level positions and connected about our personal lives.  I asked Deborah to tell me about FLIC and how I could become involved,” Power said. “She asked if I’d be interested in being on the Advisory Board, and I said yes. The Female Leadership Interest Council will touch upon all different facets and various levels of women. I look forward to making a difference both personally and professionally.”

 

Power’s background is an eclectic mix of technology and people integration.

 

“At Gadsby Hannah LLP in Boston (where Power was the CIO for six years) the managing partner was constantly challenging our executive team.  He defined the word; mentor.  I borrow a lot of his methodologies and they work!

 

Power said throughout her career she has used common sense and applied simple principles to work with both men and women in the industry.

 

“The technology industry is very male-dominated, especially in higher level management,” she said. “Unlike some women, I didn’t encounter a struggle in senior levels of management. Being on the technology track and achieving a higher role (CIO), was really about knowing the difference between how men and women think, capitalizing on it, and figuring out what’s going to sell or market an idea. In some ways, being a female in a male industry is a welcome change. We are leaders like men. We’re strong and we bring a different element to the work force.”

 

Mentors have played a big part in Power’s life, and she is thrilled to be able to work with FLIC’s mentor match program.

 

“I have been fortunate to have enjoyed both male and female mentors.  You have to seek out that person who can help you get where you want to be. You need to find positive people and surround yourself with them. I’d never be where I am today without the support of others. I’ve been blessed to have a wonderful husband, family and colleagues.  I truly believe you become more fulfilled by enriching the lives of others. I want to help other women who haven’t been as fortunate and give these women renewed hope through FLIC.”

 

Power noted that the world has changed for women in the last 25 years.

 

“Balancing work, life and family is challenging, we are not living the lives of our parent’s generation.  There are five in my family and we are one year apart. My Mom focused on raising the children while my Dad worked to financially support all of us. The families of today are very different.  Many are now married to a working partner and are constantly trying to find the right balance.  What worked 25 years ago doesn’t work today.”

 

Power said at Mirick O’Connell, 30 percent of the firm works a flextime schedule, even the partners and attorneys, to accommodate the new lifestyle changes of today.

 

Power said recent women graduates are going to need additional help and coping skills as they enter the work force.

 

She feels FLIC can deliver this assistance to female college graduates, who have a lot of mentoring experiences in school, but find when they enter the work force that often changes.

 

“I think that’s when life can begin to crumble for women and mentoring can be instrumental in assisting women,” she added. “It is truly disappointing to see women flounder and have nowhere to turn for advice.”

 

According to Power, a particularly inspirational woman for her was one she met while attending college courses in Boston. The woman was in her 70s, and said to the class for years she’d drive by the college saying, “I should, I should,” but never did.  Eventually, she enrolled in classes and began saying, “I am, I am!

 

“I do believe you can be whatever you want to be,” she added.

 

“Part of our mission through FLIC is to inspire women to believe in themselves and provide effective and strong mentoring opportunities and leadership training so they will also recognize that you can achieve that dream of living a life that is meaningful,”  Penta said. “We have so much to offer, to inspire and to generate with regard to creating an environment where women will develop a strong and supportive network to help one another through shared experiences. I believe that FLIC will make major strides in this area and it is through the support and guidance of our strong Advisory Board and membership that we will make a major difference in our professional and personal worlds.”

 

“There is always a workaround,” Power added. “If you apply that belief to your everyday life, you will be able to find a solution to personal and professional challenges.”


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