Don’t miss Up Close & Personal – the region’s premier event for women dedicated to making a difference! Hosted by Women United, United Way of Northeast Florida’s society for community-minded female leaders, this memorable evening celebrates the spirit of service and philanthropy.

You’ll start the evening networking, then engage in a thought-provoking panel discussion and intimate roundtable conversations with local women leaders making a difference in our community. Grab your friends and RSVP early – this signature event is always in high demand!

Thursday, May 15

6-8:30 p.m.

Private 131

131 1st Ave. N.

Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250

Free for members, $20 for non-members

This year’s panelists are a must-see:

 
Teia Anderson – co-owner, Arble Baking Company; project manager, Accelerate Learning
Beth Angelo – owner, Private 131; entrepreneur and real estate investor
Christina Bottomley – vice president, business development and real estate, CSX
Dawn Lopez – director of community engagement and special projects, Jacksonville Transportation Authority
Sheela Murthy – president and CEO, Murthy Law Firm; president and board chair, MurthyNAYAK Foundation
Stephanie Noel – vice president, human resources and chief people officer, CSX
Connie Thomas – CEO, Impact Clay
Susan Walden – secretary-treasurer and executive vice president, Miller Electric
 

Teia Anderson

Teia Anderson serves as a project manager at Accelerate Learning, where she manages partnerships with grant funders from the Gates Foundation and other technical assistance collaborators while overseeing the development of math curriculum for various strategic initiatives.

Before joining Accelerate Learning, Teia was the district supervisor of elementary math within the Academic Services Department at Duval County Public Schools. In this role, she supported school administrations and district leaders in designing resources and programs aimed at improving student outcomes. Additionally, she led professional learning initiatives focused on best practices and enhancing the effectiveness of core curriculum offerings.

With 25 years’ experience in education, Teia has filled various roles, including teacher, instructional coach, academic coach and content writer for the Florida Department of Education’s Bureau for Standards and Instructional Improvement.

Teia earned a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of South Florida and a master’s degree from the University of Florida. A native of Jacksonville, Florida, she resides there with her husband of 20 years and their two children.

In 2022, she and her husband, along with his family, founded Arble Baking Co., a passion project created to honor a legacy of hard work while providing the community with delicious, freshly baked treats.

Beth Angelo

Beth Angelo is a seasoned entrepreneur and real estate investor with a distinguished career spanning over 25 years in the retail industry. 

As the former chief marketing and merchandise manager of Body Central, a national retain chain with over 250 stores, Beth played a pivotal role in shaping the brand’s identity and growth. She also founded and served as president of Body Central Catalog, expanding the company’s reach into direct-to-consumer marketing. 

Today, Beth owns and leads Private 131, Jacksonville’s first and only upscale private event venue hosting elegant, beachfront views. She is also a private real estate investor where she applies her strategic vision and operational expertise to identify and grow high-value property assets. Her leadership is grounded in a deep understanding of consumer behavior, market trends and brand development. 

A Jacksonville native, Beth is a proud graduate of The Bolles School and the University of Florida. She earned her Master of Business Administration from the prestigious Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. 

Beth has been married to Marc Angelo for over 30 years and is the proud mother of two: Amy, currently pursuing a master’s degree in psychology at Columbia University, and David, who manages operations at Private 131. 

Christina Bottomley

Christina Bottomley joined CSX in 2014 and now oversees industrial development, short lines, joint facilities, passenger operations and real estate.  Her responsibilities include identifying new customer growth opportunities, developing new rail-served customer locations, facilitating relationships and contracts with short line and passenger partners, and acquiring, selling and leasing property.

Previously, Bottomley oversaw capital planning for the entire company, which included identifying and vetting capital projects to support current objectives and future growth. She has also held various roles in accounting and internal audit at CSX.

Bottomley brings more than 20 years of transaction, real estate and finance experience to CSX. Prior to this role, she was the chief accounting officer for Forward Air, a publicly traded trucking company in East Tennessee, where she was responsible for accounting, tax, planning and forecasting, investor relations, treasury, and acquisitions and dispositions. Ms. Bottomley started her career in consulting at PwC in Boston and KPMG in Jacksonville before going into industry at Regency Centers, a public real estate investment trust in Jacksonville.

Bottomley received an undergraduate and master’s degree in accounting from the University of Florida. She is a licensed CPA in the state of Florida. She resides in Jacksonville with her husband, two children and two dogs.

Dawn Lopez

With over 25 years of experience in journalism, I have risen from the very bottom as a college intern at a local station to become a seasoned news anchor. Throughout my career, I have excelled in various roles, from assistant producing to investigative reporting, general assignment reporting and anchoring breaking news. Engaging with the community through hosting events and visiting schools is a passion of mine. Born and raised in Jacksonville, I have chosen to raise my own children in this vibrant city that I love dearly. From its beautiful beaches to its evolving infrastructure, Jacksonville is not just a place to me – it’s home.

Born and raised in Jacksonville, I have developed a deep-rooted love for this city, from its picturesque landscapes to its beautiful beaches and river. As a true “water baby,” I find solace and joy in the water. Growing up, I attended public schools in Jacksonville and chose to stay home for college, where I worked my way through school.

In college, I discovered my passion for sports – excelling in track, attempting volleyball despite my height. I came from a family that loves music, dancing and swimming. I do my best to make my way to Jacksonville International Airport as often as possible to hit the skies for an adventure. My travels may take me far, but it always brings me right back home, here to Jacksonville.
I am deeply involved in my community, working tirelessly to enhance the place I call home. Being a part of various nonprofit and civic boards, I dedicate myself to giving 100% and inspire others to do the same. As a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., I continue to uphold the values of service and community engagement day by day, striving to make the world a better place. And I encourage those around me to do the same.

Sheela Murthy

Sheela Murthy is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, public speaker and internationally recognized U.S. immigration lawyer. She is the president and CEO of the Murthy Law Firm, the world’s pre-eminent U.S. immigration law firm. The firm has a satellite office in Jacksonville, Florida, and affiliate offices in Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai, India.

The firm’s website, Murthy.com, is the most visited law firm website in the world. The Firm represents a wide range of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, mid-sized and small companies, entertainers, entrepreneurs, physicians, researchers and others, pursuing both employment– and family-based immigration options.

Ms. Murthy and her husband, Vasant Nayak, co-founded the MurthyNAYAK Foundation in 2001, a nonprofit organization dedicated to working on socially transformative projects designed to improve the lives of women, children and immigrants, both in her birth country, India and in her adopted country, the U.S.

Stephanie Noel

Stephanie Noel is the vice president of human resources and chief people officer at CSX. She is responsible for driving change through the strategic direction and leadership of talent acquisition, talent management, learning and development, diversity, organizational development and effectiveness, employee relations, as well as human resources business partner consulting.

Noel began her CSX tenure in 1996 as a management trainee, and has gained extensive experience across various departments, including human resources, sales and marketing, car management and process improvement. Her diverse background has provided her with a well-rounded perspective and a deep understanding of the company’s operations. Noel’s passion for cultivating an inclusive and diverse workforce led her to join the Human Resources organization in 2007. Since then, she has held several pivotal director roles, including leading diversity and organization development, as well as talent acquisition and development. Noel was promoted to assistant vice president of talent development and diversity in 2015 and later assumed the role of head of human resources before being named to her current position.

Noel is a graduate of the University of Kentucky, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She subsequently earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Jacksonville University. Noel obtained a Harvard Business Executive Development Program certificate in 2014 and is also an alumna of both Leadership Jacksonville and the National African American Women’s Leadership Institute.

In addition to her educational achievements, Noel holds professional certifications in both Six Sigma and as a Professional of Human Resources. She participates in the Conference Board CHRO Council and World50 Human Resources Executive Group. Noel is also a member of the Department of Management Advisory Council at the University of North Florida. Her commitment to excellence and innovation has earned her recognition, including being named one of Jacksonville Business Journal’s 40 under 40 in 2009.

Connie Thomas

Connie, a native of Duval and Clay counties, is a 1979 graduate of Orange Park High School. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Newberry College and a master’s in clinical social work from the University of Georgia, becoming a board-certified licensed clinical social worker in 1994. Since 2011, Connie has run a private practice at Grace House Counseling Center and became the president and CEO of Impact Clay in 2022.

In 2006, while living in Georgia, Connie led a successful effort to form a local Environmental Task Force in response to a toxic substance crisis caused by a wastewater treatment plant. She testified before the Georgia Senate Oversight Committee and was appointed to a federal panel by the CDC to help address nationwide toxic substance emergencies.

After returning to Clay County in 2010, Connie and her husband, Tony Steve, became active members of their community. Connie was elected to the Orange Park Town Council in 2016 and served as mayor from 2019 to 2020. In 2020, she launched the College Drive Initiative (CDI), which facilitates collaborative efforts among local organizations and the Clay County government.

In 2022, Connie took the helm at Impact Clay, leading initiatives that bring together the business, faith-based, nonprofit and government sectors. One key achievement under her leadership has been the Impact Clay Train, a mobile service providing vital care to underserved areas.

Connie says she has never “worked” a day in her life since 1989, always focusing on leaving the world a little better than she found it.

Susan Walden

Susan Walden is the executive secretary-treasurer for Miller Electric Company. Susan joined the organization in 1974, working for the finance team. She has extensive education and training in corporate finance, accounting, information systems and general management. Ensuring that a company of Miller Electric Company‘s size runs smoothly is no small task, yet Susan has dedicated her career to this responsibility. Over the years, she has built a solid, committed team of administrative professionals who support her and the company in making Miller Electric Company a premier leader in the industry. In her years of experience, Susan has served as the leader for a variety of administrative functions such as accounting, treasury, payroll, employee benefits and risk management.  She is also the trustee for the Miller Electric Company ESOP and profit-sharing plans.