Ask Norma Serrano Williams, who owns a commercial and residential paint contracting business, what innovation means to her and she says: “Innovation has become, for me, success out of failure.” Inducted last fall into The Society of Innovators, her innovation is hiring and mentoring an all-women crew who are going through tough times and have no experience. In her company called Excellence by Design, which will mark its 10th anniversary this July, she blended a for profit business model with a not-for-profit objective. In demand as a motivational speaker, Norma has more details at www.normathepainter.com.
Serious birdwatchers are marking May 14th as a sort of “W-Day” as the peak time to observe many of the 36 varieties of warblers passing through the region. This date is no accident, but the perfect coming together of science and observation thanks to Ken Brock, a retired geologist from Indiana University Northwest and a birdwatcher for over 4 decades. This foremost authority on birds on Indiana was inducted into The Society last fall for creating what he calls the “Migration Envelope.” His envelope increases the probability of seeing the birds during migration season by providing data that define the arrival and departure of a given species, as well as the peak time for observing the birds. Dr. Brock was nationally recognized for his outstanding contributions to regional ornithology as the recipient of the Ludlow Griscom Award in 2014.
