Go Red For Women is a national movement of the American Heart Association that has been raising awareness among women about the threat of heart disease to the lives of our friends, mothers, sisters and families. Go Red is thriving here in Richmond with the support of our generous sponsors and a passionate group of volunteers, and together we are saving lives.

As women, we often place the needs of others before our own. Now is the time to add personal well-being to our list of important ‘to-dos’. Together, we can educate ourselves, and our friends and families, about the signs and symptoms of heart disease in women, and on the small steps they can take to change their lifestyles and lower their risks of heart disease and stroke. There is great information to get you started at www.GoRedForWomen.org. You can also share your personal story on this site, get connected with other survivors, or start the BetterU 12-week program to eat better and get active.

I would like to personally invite you to make a donation to Go Red For Women, join our Circle of Red, or volunteer your time on our Passion Committee. As a supporter of this year-round campaign, you will be helping to change women’s lives throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Contributions are tax-deductible and specifi cally restricted for women’s heart disease research, advocacy and education. Find out more at www.heart.org/richmondvagoredluncheon or “Like Us” at facebook.com/RichmondAHA.

Heart disease kills one in three women, women just like you and me. Together, we CAN make a difference.

View a part of the Go Red for Women insert which is featured in this month’s Richmond Magazine.

Marilyn H. West
2012 Chair, Go Red For Women

The Go Red for Women Luncheon promises to offer a spectacular sight in Richmond: A sea of women wearing red.

Their attire will accentuate a good, eye-catching purpose: To show that women, in a display of togetherness, can make a difference in improving women’s heart health.

The 2012 Go Red for Women Luncheon is a benefit to raise awareness and much-needed funds for cardiovascular research by the American Heart Association. It will be held next month at The Jefferson hotel.

Marilyn H. West, a prominent Richmond businesswoman, is this year’s Go Red volunteer chair. She enthusiastically accepts the challenge of making the heart-healthy luncheon a total success. What drives Mrs. West to be involved in this benefit?

“I am committed to promoting wellness and healthy lifestyles in women,” she says. One in three women die from heart disease.

For that reason, Mrs. West, 67, willingly is making the time to lead this event despite her already busy schedule. She is chairwoman and CEO of her own company, M.H. West & Co., Inc. a management, planning and education consulting firm she launched 21 years ago.

Mrs. West also sees benefits in volunteering. For her, it “keeps me current and up-to-date on trends and issues” in professional, trade and nonprofit groups.

She also enjoys being involved in Richmond efforts “toward growth and positive change.”

Known for her energy and resourcefulness, Mrs. West is using her skills and business experience to help Go Red for Women build on its past fundraising success.

Last year, Richmond donors raised $350,000 through the Go Red movement, ranking the Richmond region No. 10 in the country among Go Red programs.

Mrs. West says this year she hopes to boost that amount to $500,000, which would move the region to No. 5 among such programs.

She says the group is making strides in expanding and adding sponsors, such as the VCU Health System and Virginia State University.

But she also is seeking to develop emerging leadership, expand the volunteer pipeline to advance causes like Go Red and recognize the “good work of small businesses and ordinary people who are making a difference.”

A close-up of this week’s Personality, Marilyn H. West:

Place of birth:
McKeesport,Pa.

Current home:
Richmond.

Alma maters:
Waynesburg College (now University), bachelor’s degree; University of Pittsburgh, master’s degree.

Family:
Husband, Edward G. West; two adult children, Meaghan B. West and Brennan E. West.

How I find time to support Go Red:
Set priorities, manage time, work efficiently, start my day very early and avoid thinking about the time of day it will end.

Luncheon’s No. 1 challenge:
To sustain the commitment and interest of our supporters to engage in behaviors that promote healthy hearts for themselves and their network of employees, family members, colleagues and friends. Another challenge is to make sure that we reach out and touch all segments of the community, especially trying to reach children and youths at the earliest possible age.

When planning began:
Planning on my clock for Go Red began unofficially when I became vice chair and officially on the day of the February 2011 luncheon, where it was announced that I would chair the 2011-12 campaign. I am honored to do so with a group of very committed, competent and talented women who are diverse in their views and experiences.

How I’ll feel when the luncheon is over:
It won’t be over for me. I have been involved with the Go Red movement in central Virginia since its inception. I will continue a role with the upcoming leadership as immediate past chair and will continue to share knowledge and resources as appropriate.

How I got involved with the AHA and Go Red:
Mary Ann Graf of the Bon Secours Richmond Health System invited me to become involved.

Advice to aspiring young people interested in business:
Among other things, create and market a quality product; stay in touch and continue to identify approaches to promote customer satisfaction; employ and surround yourself with talent and with individuals who can complement your skills; give back and get involved; smell the roses and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

How volunteering helps my business:
I look at the volunteer experience as my continuing education.

Key to business success:
Never become satisfied with where you are. Keep customers and staff satisfied.

The three words that best describe me:
Strategic, resourceful and persistent.

Leadership is:
The vehicle that drives success, growth and change in individuals and organizations.

If I had more time, I would:
Trace my roots and connect with individuals who may be strangers but actually relatives.

Friends like me because:
I am committed, dependable, honest, humorous and willing to share what I know.

My hero:
My husband, who has been a thought partner for more than one-half of my life and who has overcome health problems through a positive attitude and willingness to make lifestyle changes to promote wellness and health status.

What I do to unwind:
Go fishing, play tennis or bridge or volunteer.

Hobby:
Creating digital art.

What really turns me on:
The strategies used by an “underdog” (individual or organization) to achieve success under adverse circumstances.

What I like most about Richmond:
Persistence to leverage its people and other resources toward growth and positive change.

The least:
Resurrecting ideas that have failed more than once.

What Richmond needs most:
To develop further emerging leadership; expand the volunteer pipeline to advance causes such as Go Red; promote the region’s resources and progress; and recognize, to a greater extent, the good work of small businesses and ordinary people who are making a difference.

Nobody knows:
I am in conditioning mode to return to playing tennis competitively, but as a senior.

If I’ve learned one thing in life, it is:
To be prepared, learn from positive and negative experiences and share your talent and resources with others.

Next goal:
Keep a healthy heart, maintain energy levels and sustain my business for another decade.

Field trips are not the staple they once were. With growing pressure on school budgets, many schools with largely at-risk student populations can no longer afford transportation fees to bring their students to places like the History Center. M.H. West & Co., Inc. has stepped forward to fund transportation costs for 40 classes over the next two years. “This locally based management consulting company knows the Richmond area school system well and understands the importance of broad educational experiences for all school children.”

Generous support from corporations like Target, Wachovia, MWV, and VCU Health Systems, has allowed the History Center to offer free education programs to Richmond Public Schools. Forgoing the student fee allows schools the flexibility to send more students on field trips.

Thanks to the generosity of these members of our corporate community, students from around the area will continue to visit the History Center to learn firsthand about Richmond history. Just as they have been doing for the past 75 years.

M. H. West & Co., Inc.’s Chair and CEO, Marilyn West, her husband Edward West and WEST associates Tom Wilkinson, Radcliffe Chambers, Nanci Kapoor, Meaghan West, Julian House, Erica Cage and Joe Armstrong attended the 144th Greater Richmond Chamber annual dinner on November 30th. M. H. West & Co., Inc. was happy to be a corporate table sponsor for this premier event. The highlight of the evening was the IMPACT Award, which honored a handful of emerging businesses from the region. The award recognizes local businesses that have made an impact on the Richmond region’s economy, the community, their employees and their industry through innovation.

A Petersburg-based solid-waste-disposal company, Container First Services won the 2011 Impact Award. Container First Services was among five finalists for the award. The company is working on several projects to make landfills more environmentally sustainable.

The other 2011 Impact finalists were:

• Dominion Digital Inc.
• Health Diagnostic Laboratory Inc.
• Dominion Packaging Inc.
• LeClair Ryan

Previous winners of the Impact Award include The Pediatric Connection, Uppy’s Convenience Stores, American Family Fitness, SnagAJob.com, Intercept Youth Services and HeloAir Inc.Other awards presented during the dinner included the Young Professional Workplace Award, which recognizes the region’s best workplaces for younger professionals.

The Martin Agency won the Young Professional Workplace Award in the large-business category. In the Small-Business Category, the award went to Madison + Main.

Four companies received Business Council awards recognizing outstanding companies in Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico counties and Richmond. The award winners were:

• Chesterfield Business Council Award Winner — Progressive Design
• Hanover Business Council Award Winner — Kings Dominion
• Henrico Business Council Award Winner — Elephant Insurance Services LLC
• Richmond Business Council Award Winner — Health Diagnostic Laboratory Inc.

Many members of the WEST staff commented on how much they enjoyed the food served at the event. Marilyn West thought the food was delicious, but catching up with old acquaintances was her favorite part of the evening.

Each year, the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) honors individuals and organizations that, through their tireless work and dedication to philanthropy, have improved the quality of life in their communities and around the world. Recipients of the Awards for

Philanthropy candidates are nominated for demonstrating outstanding commitment and leadership in all aspects of philanthropy. AFP recognizes these outstanding honorees that embody the true meaning of philanthropy—the love of humankind.

AFP’s 2012 honorees, announced this year on Nov. 15, National Philanthropy Day, include:

• MeadWestvaco – Corporate Philanthropist of the Year
• Saints $100 for 100 – Youth Philanthropist of the Year
• Linsey Kornblau – Spirit of Giving Award
• Lisa Schaffner – Volunteer of the Year
• Jessie Ball duPont Fund – Foundation Philanthropist of the Year
• Alan I. Kirshner – Individual Philanthropist of the Year
• John W. and Jane M. Roberts – Lifetime Achievement in Philanthropy

M. H. West & Co., Inc.  Chair and CEO, Marilyn West was inspired by the event and happy for all the award recipients. Marilyn and her company invest in many of the organizations that make a difference in the region’s people, culture,  economic growth, workforce,  education, healthcare and environment.

M. H. West & Co., Inc. was proud to be a participating sponsor for the 2011 Richmond Kidney Walk. WEST had five participants this year:  Meaghan West,  Nanci Kapoor, Julian House, Sallie Armstrong and Joe Armstrong.  Over 200 walkers were involved in the event on a  perfect Sunday afternoon. So far the event has raised nearly $60,000. Their is still time to donate and help them reach their goal: Make a Gift to the 2011 Richmond Kidney Walk.

The Richmond Kidney Walk is a great event and all the WEST  members were happy to donate their time and effort to this worthy cause.

Participating M. H. West Staff from Left to Right: Nanci Kapoor (Cowgirl), Julian House (Rick James, won most contemporary costume), Meaghan West (Hippie), Radcliffe Chambers (Alien), Joe Armstrong (Steve), Marilyn West (Cheerleader), Erica Cage (Hokie Fan) and Tom Wilkinson (Skeleton, won scariest costume)

Not pictured in the photo above were WEST associates Justin House who won best overall costume as a Ninja and Michael Byrnes who won the most original costume as a  Cereal Killer which had several small cereal boxes attached to an overcoat. It was a fun-filled day at M. H. West & Co., Inc. and a great way to kickoff the extended holiday season.

Charles Sepich. Fisher House Medical Center Director states, “We are pleased to have the Richmond Chapter of The Links, Inc . support the Richmond Fisher House. This Gift will enable us to enhance our ‘Project Wellness’ for families residing at our facility”.

The Chairperson of the Special Projects Committee which organizes the biennial auction is Jill Bussey-Harris, owner of Beautiful Smiles Dental Practice and the Chairman of Corporate Giving is M. H. West & Co., Inc. CEO and Chair, Marilyn H. West.

M. H. West & Co., Inc. CEO and Chair, Marilyn West was once again proud to give the closing remarks at the Senior Connections 8th Annual Empty Plate Luncheon. M. H. West & Co., Inc. is a proud sponsor of the event and has been for several years. In addition to Marilyn, other WEST associates that attended the luncheon were: Justin House, Radcliffe Chambers, Nanci Kapoor, Joe Armstrong, Erica Cage, Michael Byrnes and Tom Wilkinson. Marilyn serves as the Chair of the Advisory Council for Senior Connections and this is the third year in a row that she has given the closing remarks.

Chip Tarkenton, the Director of Community Relations at Owens & Minor, was this Keynote Speaker. He inspired the audience with idea of putting team goals ahead of individual goals. This year’s award winners included: Cora Dickerson and Joe Doetzer, Eva Teig Award for Corporate Service; Patricia Joy Johnson Brown, MaryEllen Cox Memorial Award for Advocacy; F. W. Taylor, III, Richard Hogan Memorial Award for Volunteer Service; Area Planning and Services Committee on Aging with Lifelong Developmental Disabilities (APSC), Virginia Center on Aging at VCU and Dr. Edward Anselo, E. Harris Spindle Award for Service to Seniors and Joani Latimer-Fergusson, Mary C. Payne Leadership Award.

Despite the rainy weather, the mood inside the Thalhimer Pavilion at the Science Museum of Virginia was decidedly upbeat. The Empty Plate Campaign assisted 615 seniors last and is well on its way to exceeding its goal of helping 1000 seniors this year.

For one night only, Philadelphia will have to manage without its own native R&B living legend, as the lights go down and the curtain goes up on Grammy Award-winning singer, author and actress Patti LaBelle.

Richmond CenterStage with SunTrust presents An Evening with Patti LaBelle at the historic Carpenter Theatre on September 10, 2011. Concert-only tickets will be available to the public on Friday, July 15 at 10:00am and are priced at $48, $78 and $125. VIP Gala Tickets are $250 per person, and includes a concert ticket for one of the best seats in the house, and a seat in the exclusive Gala tent on Broad Street, where you can enjoy an open bar, butlered hors d’oeuvres and gourmet dining options. Then dance the night away under the stars to the sounds of the Upper East Side Big Band.

M. H. West & Co., Inc. is a proud sponsor of this event, click here for more information.