Meet the Team

The Astra Dream Team

The Astra staff is a small but mighty force. With the help our talented board of directors and dedicated member volunteers, our staff directs all of our programming, member activities and events.

Diane McClelland, President/CEO
Co-founder of Astra Women’s Business Alliance, Diane McClelland was a former banker and community leader in the areas of small businesses and has been recognized for her leadership in advocating for women-owned businesses over the last 25 years. Diane is responsible for guiding the vision and assisting the board with its implementation of programs supporting the mission of the organization.

Suzanne Lackman, Vice President/CFO and Program Manager
Co-founder of Astra Women’s Business Alliance and a former owner of two non-traditional women-owned businesses, Suzanne is in charge of managing the fiscal policies of the organization. She also serves as Astra’s Program Manager for the WBENC certification program. Suzanne is a proud community leader in East Portland, where she began an award-winning crime-stopper program, “Let’s Button up Crime.” She also served on the Planning Council for Gresham, Oregon, for several years.

Lori Lackman, Certification Assistant
Lori has been an Astra volunteer for several years while employed by regional and global companies in the area of merchandising and supply chain processes. She began as a full-time employee with Astra almost two years ago and is responsible for processing the certification files, organizing certification meetings and site visits in three states. Lori also represents Astra at community events, where she explains the benefits of WBENC certification and assists with event-related activities.

Scott Strain, Assistant to the President
Scott began working part-time for Astra in the summer of 2008 by assisting Diane with special projects. Scott, a retired government worker and a Vietnam disabled veteran, joined the Astra staff as a full-time employee in January 2009 and now assists Diane with events, special projects and strategic sourcing for our corporate members.

Astra Board

Astra’s board also represents a “dream team” of supplier diversity executives and WBENC-certified women business owners with deep expertise and a fierce commitment to supporting the economic growth of women. The board is responsible for charting our path, guiding finances, articulating our vision and above all, championing opportunities for women in business.

Sheila Lewis, Managing Director, Flyin’ West Strategic Marketing Resource Group
Board Chair
Sheila has more than 15 years of progressive corporate success in consumer marketing and new product development. As founder and Managing Director of Flyin’ West, Sheila leads the company’s strategic marketing services for an impressive roster of clients, including Dun & Bradstreet, Wells Fargo Bank, HSBC, MasterCard International, Nationwide Insurance and Visa USA. Flyin’ West also provides tactical implementation across all communication channels. In 1997, Sheila was also instrumental in starting the It’s Just Business Leadership Development Foundation, a nonprofit organization which helps African American students prepare for greater success in corporate America. In addition to her Astra role, Sheila serves on the board of JustGive.org and the advisory board of the San Francisco Chapter of National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO).

Carol Jackson, Vice President, External Affairs, Macy’s, Inc.
Vice Chair
Carol Jackson is a seasoned executive who directs external affairs initiatives for 250 department and specialty stores within the Macy’s family. In this role, she is responsible for designing and implementing outreach strategies in diverse communities and for directing workforce and supplier diversity initiatives. In addition to her role on the Astra board, Carol is also a board member and advisor for many organizations promoting equal opportunities in business, including the Los Angeles Urban League, Northwest Minority Business Council and American Indian Chamber of Commerce of California.

Bonnie K. Wells, Manager, Procurement Manager, Blue Shield of California
Immediate Past Chair
A dedicated diversity professional with more than 10 years experience, Bonnie manages Supplier Diversity, Commodity Procurement, and Corporate Travel Services for Blue Shield of California, one of the state’s leading healthcare companies. Prior to her current role, Bonnie spent nearly 40 years with PG&E as a Supplier Excellence Manager, where she developed the company’s award-winning supplier diversity program. In addition to her role with Astra, she holds leadership roles in other organizations that work for equal opportunities in business, including the California Disabled Veterans Business Alliance and the National Council of Asian American Business Associations.

Mary Jo Juarez, Consultant, Former Small Business Programs Manager, NAVFAC
Board Secretary
Mary Jo Juarez recently retired from the federal government with a career of more than 30 years in government contracting. She spent the last 10 years working as a Navy Deputy for Small Business to assist the Navy in meeting their small business goals and educating small business firms in obtaining certifications, marketing and opportunities with the federal government. She is the recipient of many awards including Public Advocate of the Year from the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development and Washington State Small Business Veteran’s Champion of the Year Award. She has served on many diversity boards and is currently a board member for Moneywise Women. In her new career, she is using her expertise to provide education and opportunities for small businesses in obtaining contracts from the federal government.

Diana Platika, President, Platika Financial Solutions
Board Treasurer
Diane Platika is an experienced financial planner, consultant, educator, entrepreneur and corporate veteran who specializes in teaching business owners the skills to better manage their assets. In addition to leading Platika Financial Solutions, she teaches finance and cost accounting at Portland State University Free Market Business Development Institute, and serves as a mentor and guest speaker for Mercy Corps’ Refugee and Immigrant Self-Employment (RISE) program. She also contributes her expertise to the Women Entrepreneurs of Oregon, Court Appointed Special Advocates, YWCA, Youth Opportunity Center and Entrepreneurial Women of Portland.

Diane McClelland, President/CEO, Astra Women’s Business Alliance
Diane McClelland has spent more than 25 years tirelessly advocating for women business owners and small businesses in the areas of contracting and access to capital. She is Astra’s co-founder as well as the co-founder of the Foundation for Women-Owned Businesses. She also served as the Vice Chair for the National Advisory Council under President Clinton, and was appointed as a member of the Governor’s Small Business Council of Oregon. Prior to founding Astra, Diane managed a successful consulting practice, Gateway to the Women’s Market, geared toward helping companies develop loyalty from women consumers. Diane currently serves on the WBENC Board of Directors and is a member of the Advisory Board of the National Council of Asian American Business Associations (NCAABA).

Philip Bremond, Diverse/Small Business Program Coordinator, University of California, San Francisco
Board Director
A highly accomplished professional, Philip has more than 20 years of contract experience in government, the public utility industry and academia. In his current role, Philip is responsible for negotiating contracts with vendors on behalf of various UCSF departments. Prior to his role with the university, Philip was Director of California Public Utilities Commission’s Supplier Diversity Program for more than 10 years, where he monitored procurement activities of all major utility corporations to ensure they met the Commission-recommended goals for the amount of commerce directed to women- and minority-owned businesses.

Sandra James, Founder, Private Eyes, Inc.
Certification Committee Chair
A veteran entrepreneur, Sandra founded Private Eyes in 1999 to provide a superior level of customer service to the HR staff of major corporations for all of their pre-employment screening needs. Since then, the company has grown to serve several Fortune 500 companies and today is a multi-million dollar corporation. As the founder of a WBENC-certified company, Sandra is committed to creating opportunities for women-owned businesses. In addition to her work with Astra, she mentors other women entrepreneurs. She is a proud supporter of STAND Against Domestic Violence and the American Cancer Society.

Kim Le, CPA, CEO and Co-Founder, A2Q2
National Leadership Forum Representative
Kim Le’s consulting firm specializes in accounting, business process optimization, and compliance, particularly Sarbanes-Oxley. Prior to A2Q2, Kim held positions with Protiviti and Arthur Andersen, where she led internal audit and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance engagements, conducted financial statement audits and assisted companies with initial public offerings, revenue recognition and SEC reporting projects. A certified women-owned business, A2Q2 was recently invited to participate in the Mentor program at AT&T.

Olsa Martini, President/CEO, OLSA Resources
Leadership Forum Chair, Astra WBENC National Forum Member
Olsa Martini is the President and CEO of OLSA Resources, a nationally recognized staffing and engineering company. Originally from Albania, Olsa came to the U.S. in 1994 and quickly overcame a language barrier before starting her own business. Fortune 500 companies and other nationally known businesses are now on OLSA Resources’ client list, and her goal is to strategically expand by combining efficiency and passion with an energized team of dedicated employees. She received the WBENC Women’s Business Enterprise Star Award in 2008 for her leadership and inspiration.

Glory L. McCallum, Procurement Analyst for Supplier Diversity, Business Planning and Lean Consulting, Boeing
Finance Committee
A 20+ year veteran of Boeing and a committed advocate for supplier diversity, Glory serves on the company’s Commercial Airplanes Supplier Management Diversity Council. In her role as a procurement analyst, she is responsible for facilitating improvement strategies and plans with company business leaders who supply tools, parts, and materials to the Boeing Company. Glory also holds offices at non-profit organizations and currently serves as the ASTRA Program Co-chair.

Nancy Scott-Rogers, Director Supplier Diversity at McKesson Corporation
Marketing Committee
Nancy Scott-Rogers as Director Supplier Diversity at McKesson Corporation, a leader in America’s healthcare system and the nation’s largest wholesale company develops inclusive strategic sourcing plans, internal and external advocacy, and colleague/supplier training and education. A primary responsibility of the role is to strengthen McKesson’s business partnerships with Small, Women-Owned, Veteran-Owned, Service Disabled-Owned, HUB-Zoned-Based, and Minority-Owned businesses. Nancy has over 25 years of marketing and product management experience in the pharmaceutical distribution industry. Nancy has served on a number of industry boards and associations including the HDMA (Healthcare Distribution Management Association), GMDC (Global Market Development Center), California Disabled Veteran Alliance, and HCIG (Health Care Industry Group).

Kathleen Trimble, Director of Supplier Diversity, Robert Half International
Development Committee
As the Director of Supplier Diversity for Robert Half International, Kathleen has spent the last 15 years of her career dedicated to procurement and supplier diversity. In her current role, she is responsible for the development, implementation and management of Robert Half International’s supplier diversity initiative nationwide. Outside of her current role and her board commitment to Astra, Kathleen also champions opportunities for diverse businesses in a variety of ways. She currently serves on the Advocacy Committee of the National Minority Development Council, on the Board of Directors for the Northern California Supplier Development Council, and as an Advisory Board Member for California Alliance for Disabled Veterans.

Maurice Webb, Manager, Supplier Diversity, Apple
Development Committee Chair
A strong believer in the importance of certification, matchmaking and the role of the supplier diversity function, Maurice Webb is the supplier diversity manager at Apple, a position that was created when Maurice rejoined Apple in January 2006. Maurice has been a procurement professional for more than 12 years, working for Apple, Sun Microsystems, Electroglas Semiconductor and the accounting firm Coopers & Lybrand. Prior to his work in the procurement space, Maurice also held engineering and marketing positions with Ampex, Memorex and Konica.