Ellen F. Golden

Ellen Frances Golden (born October 8, 1946) is an American nonprofit executive specializing in micro-enterprise and women's business development. She was senior vice president of Coastal Enterprises, Inc. of Wiscasset, Maine, where she directed the Women's Business Center and CEI Investment Notes. She has testified before congressional committees on women's entrepreneurship and micro-enterprise development, and has sat on the boards of policy-making groups in these fields. She was inducted into the Maine Women's Hall of Fame in 2015.

Ellen F. Golden
Born
Ellen Frances Golden

(1946-10-08) October 8, 1946
Washington, D.C., U.S.
NationalityAmerican
EducationB.A. art history, Barnard College (1968)
M.A. public policy and management, University of Southern Maine (1994)
OccupationNonprofit executive
Years active1978–2015
EmployerCoastal Enterprises, Inc.
Spouse(s)Duane Alan Paluska
Parent(s)Gerald and Rose Golden
AwardsMaine Women's Hall of Fame (2015)

Early life and education

Ellen Frances Golden was born in Washington, D.C., to Daniel and Rose Golden. She completed her bachelor's degree in art history at Barnard College, and earned her master's degree in public policy and management at the University of Southern Maine.[1]

Career

In 1978 Golden joined Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) of Wiscasset, Maine, a nonprofit community economic development corporation that finances and supports small businesses and micro-enterprises created by and employing low-income residents of Maine.[2] Starting as communications coordinator, she advanced to operations manager, project developer, senior program officer, senior development officer, and senior vice president.[3] She directed the CEI Women's Business Center, established with seed funding from the United States Small Business Administration,[4][5] which offers "business counseling, training, and access to financing" for women entrepreneurs,[6] and was managing director of CEI Investment Notes, which furnishes loans for small businesses.[7]

In 1986 she received a $15,000 grant from the Maine Bureau of Vocational Education to survey women business owners across the state and evaluate their needs.[8] This led to the establishment of a series of seminars for women in business the following year, with the participation of Maine's technical college system.[4][9] The survey also led to the 2007 publication of Telling Their Stories: Women Business Owners in Western Maine, a 62-page pamphlet detailing the history of businesses started by women entrepreneurs in the state.[10] In 2004 Golden was one of six women selected by Women Impacting Public Policy to query United States presidential candidate John Kerry on the subject of women in business during a national conference call heard by 2,000 female entrepreneurs.[11]

In her role as managing director of CEI Investment Notes, Inc., Golden organized investor financing in small businesses such as a restaurant venture by an Iraqi refugee couple, and farming operations for young people.[7][12]

Golden retired in December 2015 after 37 years at Coastal Enterprises.[3]

Other activities

In 1994 Golden founded MicroNet, a Maine-based micro-enterprise association, "to share best practices, coordinate services, develop policy and train practitioners across New England in microenterprise development".[4]

Memberships

She has served on the board of directors of the Women's Development Institute in Augusta, the Women's Business Development Corporation of Bangor, and the Maine Women's Lobby. She was commissioner of the Maine Commission for Women from 1988 to 1992.

She is a founding board member of the Maine Women's Policy Center.[13] She was a member of the board of trustees of Maine Initiatives from 1994 to 2000, and also served as president of that board.[14] She sat on the board of directors of the Association for Enterprise Opportunity of Chicago from 1992 to 1996 and 1997 to 2000, and has chaired the Association of Business Women's Business Centers since 1998.

Awards and honors

The United States Small Business Administration honored Golden as Women Business Advocate for Maine in 1987, Minority Business Advocate for Maine in 1994, and Minority Business Advocate for Maine and Region I in 2003. She received the 20th Anniversary Star Award from the Maine Centers for Women, Work and Community.[4] She was inducted into the Maine Women's Hall of Fame in 2015.[4]

Personal life

In June 1983, she married Duane Alan Paluska, a custom furniture maker and contemporary artist.[15][16] They reside in Woolwich, Maine.[7][17]

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References
  1. "Ellen Golden". LinkedIn. 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  2. "Testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Banking and Financial Services Committee". United States House Committee on Financial Services. 26 May 1999. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  3. "Impact Investing: GreenMoney Journal Dialogue Featuring Ron Phillips and Ellen Golden (press release)". Coastal Enterprises, Inc. 5 January 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  4. "Maine Women's Hall of Fame – Honorees: Ellen F. Golden". University of Maine at Augusta. 2016. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  5. "FY 2005 Budget: Small Business Administration: Ellen Golden". Federal Document Clearing House. 12 February 2004. Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016 – via HighBeam.
  6. Swarz, Brian (25 October 2000). "Wiscasset-based Women's Business Center assists entrepreneurs". Bangor Daily News. p. W1.
  7. "Transcription of Coastal Enterprises Inc. #206". Love Maine Radio. 23 August 2015. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  8. Albert, Ursula (14 April 1986). "Women hope to share success". Lewiston Journal. p. C1.
  9. Deveau, Sharon (12 October 1987). "Seminar aims to boost self-esteem". Lewiston Journal. p. 3A.
  10. Genzinger, Neil (16 May 2007). "From Maine, Small Business Stories to Inspire". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  11. "Buzzing Kerry". Sun Journal. 24 May 2004. p. A3.
  12. McCarthy, James (1 April 2013). "CEI loan fund seeks 'socially conscious' investors". Mainebiz. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  13. "CEI's Ellen Golden Inducted into the Maine Women's Hall of Fame (press release)". Coastal Enterprises, Inc. 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  14. "Ellen Golden – Board President". Maine Initiatives. 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  15. "Class Knox: 1958". Knox Magazine. 99 (2): 50. Fall 2015.
  16. Beem, Edgar Allen (30 November 2003). "Sitting Pretty". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  17. "Ellen Golden". Maine Initiatives. 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
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