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Businesswomen honored for helping others
BUS[NESSBRIEFS
By GORDON WEEKS
gordon@ma~'o~co~i~y.com
One Shelton businesswoman overcame
drugs and life on the streets to thrive and
help needy families. Another, described as
"the smile of Green Diamond," is dedicated
to helping children succeed in schools. A
third works tirelessly to expand and im-
prove local libraries, to make them "one of
the hearts of the community."
They are, respectively, Stephanie Fyfe,
Diana Goldy and Patty Ayala Ross. All
three were honored for their exemplary
dedication to community life at Mason
General Hospital Foundation's 15th an-
nual American Business Women's Award
luncheon Sept. 21 at St. Edward's Catholic
Church in Shelton.
Fyfe, the owner of Steph's Espresso,
earned her GED at age 16 and then gradu-
ated from a technical school with a degree
m building remodeling and repair. But
drugs and aimlessness derailed her life.
Relatives in Shelton offered her a job and
a place to live. These days, as one employee
wrote, "She takes care of her employees,
and a lot of other people as well."
Throughout the past eight years, Fyfe has
raised almost $50,000 to help needy fami-
lies with Christmas. Fyfe and her friends,
relatives and other volunteers have stuffed
goodies into more than 175,000 plastic eggs
for Easter egg hunts the past five years.
Last year, Fyfe filled 25 backpacks with
clothing and new shoes for children stay-
ing at the Turning Pointe domestic violence
shelter. She supplies Thanksgiving dinners
to 10 needy families each year, sponsors
sports teams, assists with donations to local
4-H groups and participates in the Shelton
Relay For Life to help find a cure for cancer.
"This is a small town, but there's a lot of
/~ heart," Fyfe told the au-
dience. "If you need help,
you just need to ask."
Goldy was still a stu-
dent at Western Wash-
ington University when
she began her career
with Simpson/Green Dia-
mond in 1975. She spent
her summers working as
Stephanie a mill tour guide and per-
Fyfe sonnel clerk. '
Her positions at Simp-
~!~i: #-'~ ~ i:: ~ son have included shop
clerk/time keeper, weigh
~:~:~.a~J scale attendant, recep-
~ ~iI tionist and telecommu-
nications
coordinator.
~i~ii~i~ii!!l Geldy is .now office ser-
~t>~~?::~ vices manager.
~i~ii~. i : Edward Jones financial
advisor danis Byrd, a past
Diana president of the Mason
Goldy General Hospital Foun-
dation who emceed the
~lawards event, pointed out
that Goldy installed and
managed the phone sys-
tems throughout Simpson
locations in Washington,
Oregon and California.
She has also served on the
Mary M. Knight School
District board of directors
and as a Mary M. Knight
Patty Ayala Parent-Teacher Orgauiza-
Ross tion officer.
"This is a lady of a lot
of talents, and different
talents," she said.
Goldy said providing rural children with
opportunities outside their regions is im-
portant to her. The native of rural Matlock
told the audience that when she told city
kids at camps where she was from, they
asked her if she knew how to square dance.
Over the years, Goldy has donated her
time to such educational endeavors as the
Building Bridges/Readiness to Learn Con-
sortium, the Norm Cook Scholarship, the
Mark E. Reed Scholarship, the Educational
Service District #113 representing Mason
and East Grays Harbor counties, and as a
board liaison to the ESD #113 Policy Coun-
cil for Head Start and ECAP.
"It's an old clich6, 'It takes a village,q~ut
it really does," she said.
Ross, who has been the manager of the
Shelton Timberland/William G. Reed Pub-
lic Library since October 2006, said she was
reluctant to move to Shelton.
"I Came here kicking and screaming.
~You're taking' me where?' And (now) I
swear no one is taking me from Shelton?'
The native of Kelso/Longview oversaw
the library annexation vote of 2009, and
the library remodel of 2011.
Several people nominated Ross for the
honor, and one of her employees described
her as "dynamic, supportive and vision-
ary." In turn, Ross thanked "my incredible,
talented staff.., my cheerleaders and sup-
port groups."
Those who don't think a library manager
is a business person should take into ac-
count these numbers: Ross oversees 22 em-
ployees, about 100,000 pieces of inventory,
about 30,000 annual customer transactions
and an annual budget of $3.4 million.
"Every day, I think of how I can improve
our customer service, our patron service,"
she said.
The Harstine Island resident is active on
the SOUND Learning Board, the Shelton
Kiwanis Board, the United Way Fund Dis-
tribution Committee, the League of Women
Voters, and the newly formed Mason Coun-
ty Early Learning Coalition Committee.
Shelton photographer captures, beauty, tells stories
By GORDON WEEKS
gordonGrna;~onco~nty°con~
A good portrait ]photographer is
"anyone who wants ~ make their cli-
ents feel good about' ~emselves," said
Doni McCullough, who this week offi-
cially launches DJMdesigns Photogra-
phy in downtown Shelton.
"The greatest joy is to get a hug
from someone who says,'"Eou made
me look beautiful' ... It's important to
bring out the beauty in everyone," Mc-
Cullough said.
DJMdesigns Photography cel-
ebrates its grand opening with a rib-
bon-cutting ceremony at noon Friday
at 218 W. Cota St. McCullough spe-
cializes in wedding and engagement
photography and senior portraits.
McCullough first picked up a cam-
Journal photo by Gordon Weeks
Travis and Doni McCullough explored five or
six locations for DJMdesigns Photography
before renting space at 218 W. Cota St.
'Can I do this for a living?"
McCullough and her hus-
era while working as an intern writing band Travis have two sons,
articles and shooting photographs for a Alden and Seamus, who are
newsletter at the Leschi Center in Se- autistic. Wanting to supple-
attle. She also draws, which gives her
a background in light and shadows.
Years later, she photographed a
friend s wedding as a gift. People check-
ing out the portraits said, 'Oh, this is
what you, do for a living?" McCullough
recalled. 'It was a light bulb moment:
Half the Time, a most Half the Price,.
Now that's something to smile about!
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ment her husband's income
while remaining close to
home for her sons, Mc-
Cullough photographed two
or three weddings a year for
a couple years.
"Someone called one day
and asked, 'Do you do en-
gagement pictures?' This has
all been a comedy of, 'Oh, I
guess I could do that!"
Three years ago, Mc-
Cullough started shooting se-
nior photos, and then added
events. Then McCullough's
father told her, "It's time
to do it, or get off the pot"-
meaning launching her busi-
ness outside the home.
McCullough said she tries
to tell a story while shoot-
ing senior portraits, creating
images that can be enjoyed
long after the teens have out-
grown their current interests
and looks. Working with the
portrait subjects helps her
with her shyness, she said.
"Taking pictures has
brought me out of my shell."
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Shelton-Mason County Journal- Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012 - Page B-3