ORGANIZATIONS
GETTING DOWN
TO BUSINESS
Tired of being marginalized by maledominated
groups, women joined together
to form their own organization
In 1980, Port St. Lucie was not exactly the busy and
booming city it is today. There were a mere 3,500 residents
and many of the neighborhoods west of the turnpike
had dirt roads. While the population may have been
small, people still had to work and new businesses continued
to open. Many residents traveled south to Palm Beach, Broward
and, then, Dade counties for work.
Career plans and professional concerns became a hot topic
for a group of local women. Charlotte DeVane, Joyce Nix,
Patty Brink and Susan Barber were close friends who all
worked in the banking industry. At a time when there were
no local professional organizations that welcomed women or
addressed their concerns, these women changed all of that.
Since there was not a local organization in the late 1970s >>
12 Port St. Lucie Magazine
ANTHONY INSWASTY
While 2020 was tumultuous for most everyone, the officers of the Port St. Lucie Business Women found ways to make the best of it. From left to right, the
officers are: Dorothy Kamm, print media chair; Lee Hicks, charter member and membership chair; Donna DeMarchi, president; Diane Gallagher, history
chair; Jessica Parrish, community action and grants coordination; and Dana Trabulsy, vice president.
BY RACHEL CUCCURULLO