September 11, 2002-at the 911 Memorial Event honoring the fallen Heroes of Flight 93. I volunteered by managing over 700 members of the  media in attendance to cover this global event in Shanksville, PA.  I'm talking with Homeland Security Director, & former Governor,   Tom Ridge.

Volunteering for organizations that support women and children is my passion: Board Member, YWCA of the Capital Region & Communications Committee Chair Board Member, Miss MidState Scholarship Pageant Founding Board Member, Best 50 Women in Business Scholarship Fund Mentoring- Mentor for National Association of Female Executives Steering Committee, Governor's Conference for Women Volunteer, Progeria Research Foundation

LEFT: my endlessly supportive husband, Timothy, and I grab a quick picture before heading off to the Governor's Inaugural Ball.

LINKS OF IMPORTANCE TO ME~ I whole-heartedly support the mission(s) of the organizations and woman-owned businesses listed below: GoodSearch.com GOODSEARCH FOR CHARITY Give to charity just by searching the Web -- An Internet search engine aims to make philanthropy as easy as surfing the web, Fortune (Mar 22) -- Want your searches to help others? GoodSearch.com sends a portion of its ad revenue to charities. "GoodSearch.com is powered by Yahoo! (Research) and raises money for charities using a model similar to paid searches on Yahoo or Google (Research): Advertisers pay a fee whenever Internet users click on a given link. Last year search engines generated almost $6 billion through such searches. In the GoodSearch. com version, a sliver of that goes to a nonprofit the computer user designates." (3/26/2006 Internet News blog) Missionfish.org Give to your favorite cause by selling on eBay! It's safe and easy to donate proceeds from an eBay sale to your favorite nonprofit. Just list your items with eBay Giving Works - the easiest way to sell certified charity items on eBay. Through eBay Giving Works you can do well for yourself and do good for someone else at the same time! MissionFish makes it safe and easy for nonprofits to benefit from eBay, The World's Online Marketplace®. Nonprofits can register for free and give new prospects and active supporters alike a fun way to support their mission. Whether you need an easy way to convert in-kind donations into cash or a new way to invigorate your fundraising efforts, eBay Giving Works lets you turn millions of registered users into potential donors to your organization. Progeriaresearch.org The mission of The Progeria Research Foundation is to find the cure and effective treatment for Progeria and its aging related disorders.  PRF is supported by the National Mrs Pageant Program, and I encourage you to click on the link and learn more about this debilitating disease that robs children of their childhood. Worldofbeautyinc.com Operated by my friend and pageant sister, Robin Fleming, I’m certain you’ll find something that would look just dynamite on you or a woman you love. The site also offers tips, articles and other timely advice for pageant competitors as well as aspiring models and those of us who just want to look our best. Visit Robin’s site today! Lacasahermosa.com Should a unique, couture look be what you crave… La Casa Hermosa has what you desire. Owned and operated by pageant veteran and stylish friend Robin Fleming, she has everything from one of a kind competition wardrobe items to classic high end business attire that’s individually tailored to your style. Crown1Communications.com Crown 1 Communications seeks to provide the most complete and individualized pageant and public appearance preparation by customizing your consultations specific to your needs. By focusing on the total package, Crown 1 will help you to define your image as not only a competitor and contestant, but as an individual. ywcahbg.org Eliminating Racism and Empowering Women. I’m proud to serve on the board of this organization leading its Communications and Public Relations efforts. The YWCA of Greater Harrisburg emphasizes the empowerment of women and children by providing quality services designed to maximize their spiritual, emotional, educational and physical development. The YWCA of Greater Harrisburg is committed to eliminating racism, sexism and any other barrier or prejudice which impedes personal growth. The YWCA actively serves as an advocate and resource to the community on issues that impact women and children.  Please support your local YWCA today, and make an investment in your community. http://mysite.verizon.net/pageant2/midstate.htm missamerica.org The Miss MidState Scholarship Organization is a preliminary pageant to the Miss Pennsylvania and Miss America Pageant Organizations.  This local title is the launching pad that eventually sent me to the Miss America stage in 1994.  The largest scholarship provider for women in the world, this system provided me with the ability to pursue and earn my masters and doctoral degrees, nearly debt free! I’m now a board member of this organization and I urge you to get involved with your local Miss America preliminary pageant to bolster its efforts to support the educational aspirations of America’s young women. best50womenpa.com Pennsylvania's Best 50 Women in Business past award recipients in cooperation with the Central Penn Business Journal, are proud to support the Pennsylvania's Best 50 Women in Business Scholarship Fund. The Fund, created and supported by past Best 50 Women in Business award recipients serves as a means of extending support to the next generation of women business leaders in Pennsylvania communities. As one of the youngest recipients of this award, I’m currently a founding board member and Public Relations Committee Leader. Join me to encourage others to help nurture PA’s future businesswomen! Messiah.edu I’m enjoying immensely my experience as a professor in the communications department of Messiah College. Messiah is a Christian College of the liberal and applied arts and sciences. Its mission is to educate men and women toward maturity of intellect, character and Christian faith in preparation for lives of service, leadership and reconciliation in church and society. Beauty.com This is one of my favorite sites for lots of reasons, among them: reasonable prices on easy to find and hard to find items; huge selection of products; simple returns; and really useful user ratings. You usually get free shipping, too! Womenmatter.com Girlsmatter.com WomenMatter is a content-driven, nonpartisan web-based organization that is designed to educate women about political processes and help them to use those processes to better their own lives. To women who cope and have no time, WomenMatter is the political mentor site that helps them personally and politically influence the issues they already care about. Thewhitehouseproject.org The White House Project, a national, nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization, aims to advance women’s leadership in all communities and sectors, up to the U.S. presidency. By filling the leadership pipeline with a richly diverse, critical mass of women, we make American institutions, businesses and government truly representative. Through multi-platform programs, The White House Project creates a culture where America’s most valuable untapped resource—women—can succeed in all realms. The Crown Closet Norieta has graciously assisted me, and many other pageant competitors in finding just the right wardrobe item(s) for that special competition. Check out thecrowncloset.com for all the goodies Norieta has to offer! Patty Rose Consulting Patty Kozak has had a very successful career in the pageant industry as both a contestant (top 10, Mrs United States) and a coach across several systems. Get the personal, individualized, attentive counsel you deserve with Patty. Email PattyroseP@yahoo.com for more information!