Ellen Cabaniss Bawcom

Ellen Cabaniss Bawcom (born 1959), established La Tienda Inc., D.B.A. LaTiendaUSA.com., in 2003. LaTiendaUSA offers handcrafted home décor items from master artisans in the Dominican Republic. The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) named her one of "Pennsylvania's Best 50 Women in Business" for 2008. [ [http://www.newpa.com/default.aspx?id=34] ]

Education

Bawcom attended classes in the MBA program at the University of Georgia and while there started and sold a profitable business, MicroRecords, Inc. After obtaining her Bachelor of Arts degree, Cum Laude, with a double major in Political Science and Economics from Duke University, Bawcom graduated from the MBA program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Professional accomplishments

Following her education Bawcom’s industry of choice was telecommunications. A twelve-year career with Virgin Islands Telephone Corporation/ITT included work in marketing and product development managerial positions. Bawcom then moved to Progressive Communications, Inc. in Honolulu, Hawaii as a Technical Consultant and then as Communications Consultant. During the time at Progressive Communications (the authorized dealer for all of AT&T in Hawaii), she was recognized by AT&T Western Division and awarded for outstanding sales performance (1991) and further promoted to Sales Manager in 1993. Bawcom continued her career with AT&T after transferring to Texas as the Business Development Manager for Outside Plant Systems. After her career with AT&T, Bawcom initiated plans for her own web-based business, in conjunction with Sr. Jose I. Morales [ [http://www.dominicanaonline.org/Portal/english/cpo_arquitectura_sex2.asp] ] a renowned metal work artisan from the Dominican Republic. The business, La TiendaUSA.com is a web-based marketplace of handcrafted home décor items from master artisans in the Dominican Republic. In 2008, Bawcom was recognized for her business efforts when she was nominated and named as one of ""Pennsylvania's Best 50 Women in Business". [ [http://www.newpa.com/download.aspx?id=1328] ] An independent panel of judges selected the top 50 candidates based on their dedication to business growth, professional and personal accomplishments, community involvement and advocacy for women in business. Recipients must be a female resident of Pennsylvania, be employed in the state as an owner, partner, president, chief executive officer, board chair, in a senior executive management-level position, or a woman with significant authority in decision-making in a business or company. [ [http://www.latiendausa.com/uploads/File/PoconoNews-Best50.pdf] ] [ [http://www.latiendausa.com/uploads/File/State%20names%20top%2050%20women%20_%20Eastern%20Pennsylvania%20Business%20Journal.pdf] ]

Community Involvement

Since her move to Milford, Pennsylvania in 2003, Bawcom has been a contributor to its Business Council (a specialized entity of the Pike County Chamber of Commerce) and an active member in Pike County Arts and Crafts. [ [http://pikecountyartsandcrafts.org/] ] She embraced the welfare of the local retail community and took on an organizing role in the Business Council to address larger issues and develop plans for the town’s retail prosperity.

References