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FEBRUARY 2017

Renée DeLuca Dolan, founder and president of Contempo Communications, publisher of Cleveland Business Connects (CBC) Magazine and alumna of Â鶹´«Ã½, is the recipient of the 2017 Spirit of Women in Business Award.

DeLuca Dolan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in telecommunications from Â鶹´«Ã½. She is a member of the Kent State College of Business Administration Advisory Board and serves as co-presenting sponsor of the Home-plate Celebration event for Northeast Ohio Adoption Services. In addition, she is on the board of the Warrensville Heights Chamber of Commerce. Prior to founding Contempo Communications in 1996, DeLuca Dolan worked as a visual designer for North Coast Cable and American Greetings.

Contempo Communications provides creative/marketing services, publishing and event marketing services in northeast Ohio. DeLuca Dolan leads a creative team in assisting brand and marketing executives with implementation of their initiatives. Contempo Communications specializes in sports/entertainment industries, professional services companies, non-profit event marketing companies and Fortune 500 firms looking for creative themes and branding for their corporate meetings and events.

Cleveland Business Connects Magazine is a monthly publication that focuses on the latest corporate events, networking and business trends in northeast Ohio.

"We are honored to recognize Renée DeLuca Dolan as this year's Spirit of Women in Business award recipient," said Deborah F. Spake, dean of the College of Business Administration at Â鶹´«Ã½. "Renée is an accomplished professional who has positively impacted the Cleveland business community through her business and volunteer endeavors. We are grateful to have someone of her caliber on our National Advisory Board and appreciate the expertise she provides as we make strategic decisions for the future of the College of Business Administration."

Each year, the Spirit of Women in Business Award honors a Kent State business alumna who excels in her profession, paving the way for women in business.

DeLuca Dolan will be honored at the 2017 Spirit of Women in Business Conference on Thursday, March 9, which will feature keynote speaker Rita McGrath, Ph.D., professor at Columbia Business School and one of the world's leading experts on strategy and innovation. In addition to the keynote address, the conference includes a networking lunch and three breakout sessions.

Session topics for this years conference include:

• Climbing the Ladder to Gender Equality: Four Action Steps
• Effective Communication Through Your Professional Appearance
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Investing Throughout Your Career
• How the Great Recession Affects Entrepreneurial Women
• Entrepreneurship

Breakout session speakers include Sally Day, vice president for corporate purchasing, The J.M. Smucker Company; Karen Kaminski, vice president of human resources, Travelcenters of America; Debbie Okey, associate general council, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company; Robyn Gordon, director, center operations, NASA Glenn Research Center; Roseanne Potter, senior vice president and chief financial officer, The Cleveland Foundation; Renée DeLuca Dolan, president, Contempo Communications and Diana Strongosky, senior vice president of research and development, Sherwin Williams.

For more information and to register for the Seventh Annual Spirit of Women in Business Conference, visit http://www.kent.edu/business/swib.