Founders

Debra Toppeta and Charlene C. Giannetti, longtime New Yorkers, launched Woman Around Town to help other women — natives and recent arrivals — get the best out of the best city in the world. Debra, an attorney, and Charlene, a journalist, are combining their talents and resources, assisted by an impressive group of people who can’t wait to tell others what they love and sometimes loathe about New York.

Debra worked in financial services industry for twelve years before deciding she had had enough number crunching and went to law school. She spent seven years at a Wall Street law firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance. Realizing she would never get away from number crunching, she left her law career behind to devote her time to raising her two daughters. An avid traveler, Debra was born and raised in Manhattan and she and her husband love museums, the opera, the symphony, Broadway plays, jazz clubs, and entertaining native New Yorkers and visitors.

Charlene, a former newspaper reporter and magazine editor, is the author of 11 books, seven of them for parents of young adolescents, including The Roller-Coaster Years, Parenting 911, Cliques, and Boy Crazy! At Woman Around Town, she will oversee editorial content as well as continue to write about parenting issues. A longtime Manhattan resident who raised two children in the city, she and her husband enjoy exploring neighborhoods and discovering new restaurants.

Contributors

Christine Ansbacher, DWS, CWE is a wine expert with two world-class wine degrees. With the launch of her new book, Secrets from The Wine Diva: Tips on Buying, Ordering and Enjoying Wine, she now appears on national TV, is the wine writer for Chief Executive Magazine, and is a featured speaker at wine festivals from Hawaii, Monterrey and Dallas to Miami, Atlanta and Nantucket. She was dubbed “The Wine Diva” by the media because she instructs with a healthy dose of theatrics and liberally sprinkles her commentary with humorous quips and quotes. Her website is  http://www.thewinediva.com/wine-book

Nina Atwood is a licensed therapist, executive coach, and author of three published self-help books, including Be Your Own Dating Service. Her latest book is Temptations of the Single Girl. She writes a blog for singles on the hit web site www.singlescoach.com. She writes the “Ask Nina” advice column for Woman Around Town. Get Nina’s expert advice for nothing when you e-mail her a question: nina@ninaatwood.com. Perhaps yours will be chosen for a future column. Anonymity guaranteed.

Pat Beckwith, a vice president and one of Stribling’s eight founding members, has been among the company’s top performers in Manhattan real estate for over 35 years. She brings to every deal an extraordinary depth of knowledge. She is a tenacious negotiator, insisting on achieving the very best deal for her buyers and sellers. A native New Yorker with an encyclopedic knowledge of the city’s diverse neighborhoods, Pat graduated from the Chapin School and Smith College. She lives in Carnegie Hill with her husband and three children. pbeckwith@stribling.com

Alix Cohen has been writing since she was in grade school. She’s a cultural sponge and in perpetual exploration of this great city. Her professional life has been serendipitous: illustration, textile design/styling, fashion foundation development, window display, gift buying; children’s products: product development, design, art and merchandising. She’s written copy, catalogs, and press releases. This is much more fun.

Eleanor Foa Dienstag (www.eleanorfoa.com) is a New York-based journalist, author and award-winning speechwriter whose work has appeared in The New York Times, and Travel & Leisure, among others. She writes frequently about food, travel, culture, health and women.

As a writer, editor, and book packager, Pat Fortunato has worked with publishers such as Simon & Schuster, Random House and Harper Collins. Her company, Mega-Books, produced Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys and Bobbsey Twins and many other series, fiction and nonfiction. Pat writes humor for Woman Around Town and has a humor blog for women: ICANTBELIEVEIMNOTBITTER.com.

Susan Goldberg’s company, SGES, conducts retained senior level executive searches for businesses and provides career coaching for both senior-level executives and recent college graduates. Her website is www.susangoldbergsearch.com and Susan can be contacted at susan@susangoldbergsearch.com.

George Guerin, president and founder of PPTS, obtained his degree in Exercise Physiology from West Virginia University School of Medicine.  His background in academics and athletics provided him with a strong foundation for extensive work in the fitness industry.  As a way to continue his own education and understanding of training, George attends mentorship programs with the best trainers in the country such as Mark Verstegan in Tempe AZ and Mike Boyle in Boston.

MJ Hanley-Goff has been a regular contributor to Long Island’s Newsday and the Times Herald-Record, and has freelanced for Orange Magazine, Hudson Valley Magazine, AAA’s “Car & Travel” Magazine, and many other Hudson Valley publications. Her self-published novel, The Bench, was released in 2007, and her second will be published by iUniverse in April, 2010. Read her ongoing journal writings on Open.Space.com. She lives in Monroe, NY with her husband, two teen daughters, and a great dog.

Marie Hansen-Lehmann is a Young Adult Librarian. She has reviewed books for School Library Journal and has a blog about teen lit, librarianship, and sometimes music called The Cupcake Witch. She is part of the anthology Cassette From My Ex (St. Martin’s Griffin) and had a show on 90.1 fm WUSB for six years. She currently lives in Queens and works in the Village.

Pages: 1 2