Women @ work on Cape Cod
When we encountered the 2007 calendar published by the Cape Cod chapter of the American Business Women’s Association, we were intrigued by the images of a dozen professional women illustrating January through December.
They represent far more than months of the year. They are a microcosm of the Cape’s diverse economy and environment. Photographer Julia Cumes brilliantly captures their images among extraordinary backdrops of this unique place – from oyster beds to marshes, from kitchens to piers.
For this edition of Cape Business, we asked Cumes to share her images with all of our readers, and we assigned editors to develop narratives that frame the photographs.
We share 10 profiles that span the Cape’s geography and provide insight into unique – but surprisingly interconnected – industries.
These profiles surely celebrate the accomplishments and capabilities of businesswomen, but they just as easily could be about businessmen in the same fields. Rarely, if ever, during our interviews did any of these women choose to distinguish themselves by pointing either at some sense of discrimination or advantage due to gender.
The emerging economic and demographic trends reflected in their business models apply equally to companies owned or managed by men. These women’s emotional bonds with Cape Cod transcend gender. Their discovery and development of best business practices apply to any company that strives for success on this unique peninsula.
If there is one overarching theme that does emanate from these distinctive stories, it is one of balance. Balancing home and work; balancing time and place; balancing business pressures and quality of life. Each in their unique way talks eloquently about how Cape Cod itself inspires a well-balanced life – and the responsibility Cape Cod imposes on business values and choices.
To read the profiles, click on the name:
Cathy Cugini, co-owner, Dennis Inn
Theresa Cullen, audiologist
Karen Kraus, bridge tender
Dianne Langeland, editor, Edible Cape Cod
Katie Lynch, harpist
Catherine Jane Paulson, horticulturist and yoga instructor
Shafeena Rahman, banking executive
Judith and Rachel Smith, The Giving Tree Gallery and Sculpture Garden
Teresa Martin, director, Cape Cod Technology Council
Terry Warner, land surveyor
O'Hara Martin and Micki Quinn, shellfisherwoman and stable owner
Originally published in the March/April 2007 issue of Cape Business.
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