Briefly In Business

Martin to be honored

The National Assn. of Women Business Owners-Orange County (NAWBO-OC) will salute Laguna Beach resident Margarita Martin as Colombo-American Education Foundation’s 2010 OC “Member of the Year” at the 15th Annual Remarkable Women Awards Luncheon on Oct. 5. Martin will join some 15 other women who provide leadership to business, trade and civic organizations in Orange County.

The gala awards ceremony’s theme is “Inspiration, Courage and Hope,” and will also pay tribute to Kathy Gardarian for a lifetime of achievement while recognizing Angela Cortright as business owner of the year and Allyson Ames as “entrepreneur to watch.”

“Margarita embodies the mission of NAWBO-OC and is an inspiration to us all,” said association President Kathy Dawson, of Dawson & Dawson, a national search and local staffing firm. “She exhibits a passion for what she does, and exemplifies the theme ‘Inspiration, Courage and Hope’ with the integrity, tenacity and acumen she brings to her work.”

The dinner will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tues., Oct. 5 at the Hilton Hotel in Costa Mesa. Tickets are $75 per person. For tickets and information, contact Dawn Craig at (714) 630-2983 or go online to https://www.nawbo-oc.org.

Spa helps Komen group

Massage Envy, at 610 N. Coast Hwy. in Laguna Beach, will hold “Massage for the Cure” from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday to help raise money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

One of more than 600 locations nationwide, the Laguna franchise will contribute to the company’s effort to raise $500,000 for the cause, said owner Barbara Meeks, who is also a breast cancer survivor of 17 years.

Throughout the day, the spa will offer one-hour customized massages for $49, of which $15 will be donated to breast cancer research.

“We are very excited to be a part of our first Massage for the Cure since we opened last November,” Meeks said. “We need the help of our friends in the community to help us reach this goal and get one step closer to a cure for breast cancer.

“We plan to make it a fun day and will also offer pink cookies, balloons and special breast cancer candles for sale.”

For more information or to make an appointment, call (949) 357-2000.

Business Club hosts Pearson

Laguna Beach Mayor Elizabeth Pearson will be guest speaker at the next Laguna Beach Business Club meeting, 7:30 a.m. Thursday at the Hotel Laguna.

Pearson has served the last eight years as a Laguna Beach Councilmember, including three terms as mayor. She was born at Ft. Benning, Georgia – and spent a tour in Japan and two tours in Germany with her family when she was growing up. While her Father completed his career, she also lived on Army bases in the South and in and around Washington, D.C.

Pearson began her career marketing apartment complexes and other release estate properties owned by Sam Zell on the East Coast — and landed in Cleveland, Ohio (where her company had transferred her) -- where her first political experience was helping to elect George Voinovich as Mayor of Cleveland. She was “donated” by her company as a “loaned executive” to the city of Cleveland (just following the city’s bankruptcy) to help with the national marketing of the city and to support economic development activities.

She graduated in 1983 from Baldwin Wallace College in Cleveland with a major in Marketing and a minor in British Literature. That year, she moved to Laguna Beach and became involved in the North Laguna Community Assn., where she served on the Board of Directors for 10 years — including three years as president. She was appointed in the early ‘90s to the Laguna Beach Planning Commission, where she served for 6 ½ years. She has also served on the Board of Trustees of the Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Plein Air Painter’s Assn. and Laguna Beach Live!

Professionally, she has worked for Coldwell Banker/Corporate as a national marketing manager; as VP of Marketing for Shearson Lehman Mortgage and as a VP / Business Manager for a start-up of Bank of America. Today, she manages her own business, ADworx, after having worked as the executive director of the South Coast Medical Center Foundation and the marketing director of the hospital, before it was sold.

The cost is $25 including a buffet breakfast. For reservations, e-mail info@lagunabeachbusinessclub.com or contact Rick Cirelli at (949) 494-4701 or rick@rtcmortgage.com.