As many Outstanding Women in Business winners have delivered heartfelt and eye-opening tales of their journeys, Powered by Women serves to connect women leaders through these stories that will leave them feeling empowered and informed to succeed in their endeavors.
Powered by Women features five successful women leaders from different career backgrounds and perspectives, who will give 10-minute talks highlighting themes from their personal and professional experience. The event will conclude with a 45-minute panel discussion.
Renee Plummer
(2014 OWB Recipient)
Vice President, Two International Group
Topic: Taking risks
Renee oversees the leasing and marketing efforts at Two International Group, a commercial real estate firm in Portsmouth. She is a familiar face to many business and community leaders and has assisted over 250 companies.
While Renee prides herself on her ability to help businesses find the space they need to flourish, she is equally as proud of her involvement with numerous community and charitable organizations. Renee is currently on the board of directors for Portsmouth Regional Hospital and Hope For NH Recovery, and she is perhaps most proud of her involvement with Veteran’s Count, a nonprofit which helps our veterans and their families while they are deployed and once they return home. Renee’s organizational prowess, creative thinking, endless list of personal connections and huge heart have made her the cornerstone of too many events to count.
Lisa Guertin
(2020 OWB Recipient)
President, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield New Hampshire
Topic: The importance of saying yes ...and no!
As the president of the largest health insurer in the state, Lisa Guertin has been at the center of all major healthcare decisions. She has more than 30 years of experience in the field, rising up in the ranks from a part-time health education coordinator for Matthew Thornton Health Plan, the state’s first HMO, which was acquired by Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Hampshire and subsequently Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in 1999.
Lisa has become a trusted resource, appointed by multiple governors and lawmakers to serve on state advisory boards, helping to tackle the initial rollout of the health insurance exchange and Medicaid expansion. Facing increased competition and radical transformation under the Affordable Care Act, Guertin’s deep understanding of health insurance combined with her strategic vision have long helped Anthem maintain its market leadership position.
Jennifer Parent
(2015 OWB Recipient)
Director and Chair of McLane Middleton’s Litigation Department
Topic: Charting your own course today
Jennifer Parent has over 24 years of experience litigating and resolving disputes for companies and business owners in a wide range of complex commercial cases and employment matters. She has litigated in state and federal courts in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, where she has represented companies in business litigation involving contracts, real estate and other business disputes.
Well respected in the state’s legal community, Jennifer succeeded in helping to create the New Hampshire Women’s Bar Association, a statewide network for women attorneys formed in 1998. She served as president of the association from 2000 to 2002 and still works on the Past Presidents’ Council. From 2011 to 2012, she served as president of the New Hampshire Bar Association.
Marcia “Marty” Sink
(2014 OWB Recipient)
President and CEO of CASA of NH
Topic: Staying true to your mission
While serving as a foster parent — and subsequently adopting a foster child who became one of her three sons — Marty Sink realized the victimized children of New Hampshire needed advocates to give them a voice in court. While a court-appointed guardian ad litem, typically an attorney, would make recommendations to the court, it was being done hastily and without all information.
With no legal expertise, in 1988, she founded CASA of NH, bringing the Seattle-based concept of providing trained volunteer court advocates to the victimized children of New Hampshire. Through vision, diligence, hard work and integrity, CASA NH’s staff and its network of 600 vetted volunteers have been welcomed into District and Family Courts all over the state.
Donnalee Lozeau
(2017 OWB Recipient)
Executive Director of Southern New Hampshire Services, Inc.
Topic: The path from Head Start to Executive Director
Donnalee Lozeau has been the executive director of Southern New Hampshire Services, Inc., since 2015, returning to the nonprofit agency where she worked as the director of program and community development for 15 years while serving as a volunteer legislator. She has focused her work in the areas of economic opportunity, elderly housing, housing for homeless women and expanding Head Start.
A lifelong resident of Nashua, Donnalee began her public service at the age of 24 when she was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives in 1984. She served eight terms as a citizen legislator representing Nashua’s Ward 5. She served as deputy speaker to Speaker Donna Sytek.
In November of 2007, Donnalee was elected the 55th mayor of Nashua.
She was reelected, having run unopposed, in November 2011. After serving eight years, she did not seek a third term and returned to SNHS.
Moderator
Liisa Rajala
Associate Editor, NH Business Review
Liisa Rajala covers a variety of business topics for NH Business Review including broadband build out in the age of remote working, high-tech startups and international trade.
Prior to joining NH Business Review in 2014, Liisa covered industry trends for The Kiplinger Letter in Washington, D.C., for three years.
She credits landing the best reporting job in New Hampshire to launching her career early through internships, starting with her hometown paper, the Kennebunk Post, in southern Maine, and notably writing features and news articles for Roll Call and USA Today.
Liisa earned her bachelor's degree in international relations with a minor in communication from American University in Washington, D.C.
She lives in Manchester with her husband, Ryan, and their nine-month-old son, Liam.
