Publisher’s Letter

March is Women’s History Month. At County Lines, we are celebrating by telling the stories of our women leaders, both historical and current. We also take a close look at their role in nonprofits and invite you to mark your calendars for worthy events throughout the year.

Our cover feature, “Women Leaders,” profiles eight outstanding women in our community: Dr. R. Lorraine Bernotsky, incoming president of West Chester University; Patti Brennan, founder of Key Financial; Molly Giordano, Executive Director of Delaware Art Museum; Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania’s 6th District; Janice Nevin, CEO of Christiana Care; Aimee Olexy, owner of Talula’s Table; Sandra Riper, owner of Sunset Hill Jewelers; and Karen Simmons, President of the Chester County Community Foundation. Each has a compelling story and offers her advice for future women leaders.

Women dominate the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors in the U.S. In “Women in Nonprofits and Philanthropy,” Beth Krallis of the Chester County Community Foundation explains why. And see our “Resources to Support Women and Girls” for a list of nonprofit organizations in our community impacting the lives of women and girls, and consider volunteering at or contributing to them.

Malcolm Johnstone cites four women who’ve had an outsized role in shaping the history of Chester County and Pennsylvania: Hannah Callowhill Penn, Patricia Crawford, Genevieve Blatt and Alice Kent Schooler. In “Brandywine Stories,” he shares their stories and how they inspire other women striving to make a difference.

Once again Marci Tomassone has prepared a “Datebook Calendar” for the year, collecting many of best fundraisers for worthy causes. Keep it handy. Plan to attend as many as you can. And for more planning, since summer is only a couple months away, have you thought about what will your child be doing? Peruse our guide to “Summer Camps” to get ideas.

Success deserves to be recognized. So raise a glass to toast women this month. Liz Tarditi writes “Elevating Every Glass: Celebrating Women Leaders in Wine and Spirits.”

In “Differences in Women’s Health,” we turn to health professionals to learn about three pressing issues: autism which is underdiagnosed in girls, migraines that happen three times more often in women, and heart disease, the top cause of death for women.

Many tales — of statesmanship, spycraft, medicine, activism and leadership — are being told by and about women. Shelley Laurence of Main Point Books writes “Sisters are Doing it for Themselves.”

In our Brandywine Table column, Courtney Diener-Stokes writes she was immediately drawn to Maria Rodale for her leadership in the food sector. Rodale’s diet these days is free of refined sugars and gluten and low in salt. In “Journey into the Heart of Maria’s Garden,” we learn some no-fuss recipes making use of early goodies from the garden.

As always, we’ve included plenty of ideas for things to do in our Family Fun and Best Local Events sections.

At CountyLinesMagazine.com, you can read the March issue’s articles online. And at Issuu.com, you can enjoy the complete digital issue FOR FREE. You can also click Get A Copy on the website to find locations to get a print copy.

We hope you’ll subscribe to County Lines. Do it online or call 610-918-9300. For single issues, try Carlino’s, Kimberton Whole Foods, Janssen’s, Crop’s Fresh Market, Country Butcher, the Well, the Foodery, Harvest Market, Wellington Square Bookshop, Reads & Company, Main Point Books or your local library.

Copies are also available this month at nearly 400 locations. Visiting an advertiser is a great — and free — way to find copies!

Ed Malet, Publisher

610-918-9300

Women Leaders

We’ve selected eight extraordinary women to profile, representing a range of backgrounds and careers. They describe their upbringing and education, their role models, mentors, formative experiences and key challenges. What the eight have in common is a willingness to step up, meet their challenges and seize opportunities. Their visions and histories inspire and are an apt celebration of Women’s History Month.

Four Women Who Shaped Chester County and Pennsylvania

These women made an impact on our region and inspire women today seeking to make a difference. Three are responsible for political change. The fourth became a leader in historic preservation and helped transform our communities. In short, each is a champion of her time and shaped our area by instilling positive values that remain with us today.

Journey into the Heart of Maria’s Garden

As CEO of Rodale Press and author of six books on health and wellness, Maria Rodale has sustained the legacy of her grandfather and father. Her latest book is about her spiritual relationship with gardening, transforming the way she gardens and interacts with nature. Today, she has stopped weeding her garden and found it to be just as beautiful with weeds. Her cooking now centers on a diet that’s free of refined sugars and gluten and low in salt.