Voice Professional Women’s Advisory Council

In keeping with Voice’s aim to reach a wide readership of women with its books, we’re delighted to have an impressive and diverse group of professional women who will act as advisors. They represent a wide range of ages, backgrounds, lifestyles, and industries — from entertainment and publishing to academia to economics to finance, to the online community and more. The women are all accomplished in their fields and together create a formidable brain trust that will further distinguish Voice from other publishing ventures. They are:

Before publishing bestseller The Gotham Diaries in 2004, Crystal McCrary Anthony practiced entertainment law, specializing in theatre production, publishing contracts and director’s agreements. She has been featured as a regular pop culture contributor for CNN’s American Morning, and most recently, as a guest co-host on ABC’s The View. She resides in New York City with her two children.

Susan Shapiro Barash teaches gender studies at Marymount Manhattan College. An established writer of nonfiction women’s issue books, she has written nine books, including Tripping the Prom Queen: The Truth about Women and Rivalry. She resides in New York City.

Subha Barry is Managing Director and head of Multicultural Careers and Inclusion for Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. In this role, she is responsible for managing and integrating existing and new diversity efforts across the corporation globally. A three-time cancer survivor, she supports and coaches newly diagnosed patients with coping strategies and work/life balance. Ms. Barry lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children.

Willow Bay is an award-winning journalist and author. Currently, she is the executive producer and host of the Lifetime Television special and research initiative, “Spotlight 25.” Prior to that, she anchored CNN’s flagship financial news program Moneyline. At ABC, she served as co-anchor of Good Morning America/Sunday, and as an ABC News correspondent. She is also author of the book Talking to Kids in Tough Times.

Heather Boushey is a senior ­economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR). Dr. Boushey’s work examines current trends in the U.S. labor market and U.S. social policy, with a particular focus on how families balance work and family. She lives in Washington, D.C.

Candace Bushnell is the author of four international bestsellers: Sex and the City, Four Blondes, Trading Up, and Lipstick Jungle. Her first book was the basis for HBO’s Emmy Award-winning TV series, Sex and the City. She was the winner of the 2006 Matrix Award for Books. She lives in New York City.

Joni Evans was most recently Senior Vice President at the William Morris Agency. Previously, she was Executive Vice President at Random House Adult Trade Division and held numerous other executive publishing postions at Simon and Schuster, William Morrow Publishers, and elsewhere.

Most recently, Evans started her own corporation, Joni Evans, Ltd., which will endeavor to serve the book publishing community into the digital future. She lives in New York City and Westchester County.

Nancy Evans is co-founder of iVillage, which is now the world’s leading women’s internet site. Prior to her work with iVillage, Evans founded Family Life and served as the magazine’s editor in chief, was previously President and Publisher of Doubleday, and prior to that Vice President and Editor in Chief of the Book-of-the-Month Club. Ms. Evans won the Matrix Award for Books in 1989. She lives in New York City.

Joi Gordon is chief executive officer of Dress for Success Worldwide, an international grassroots organization that provides professional attire, support, and career development tools to disadvantaged women. Previously, Joi worked as an assistant district attorney in the Bronx Criminal Court; she received her J.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. She lives in Queens with her husband and their two children.

Carlotta Jacobson is president of Cosmetic Executive Women, Inc. (CEW), a nonprofit trade association of executives in the beauty, cosmetics, fragrance, and related industries. Carlotta is also president of the CEW Foundation, the philanthropic arm of CEW founded in 1993, and she created the foundation's first independent initiative, Cancer and Careers, a resource for working women with cancer.

Liz Kaplow is president and CEO of Kaplow, a New York public relations firm. She founded the company in 1991 after an extensive career in beauty, fashion, consumer health and lifestyle public relations. She graduated from Vassar College and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Cosmetic Executive Women.

Thelma Kidd began her career as an individual and family therapist. She feels her greatest professional accomplishment is being one of the women who created and nurtured the growth of Davis-Kidd Booksellers, a large, general, independent bookstore in Tennessee. Kidd now works as a personal coach and lives in Nashville, TN.

Ellen Levine is the Editorial Director of Hearst Magazines. Ms. Levine was the first woman to be named Editor in Chief of Good Housekeeping since the magazine was founded in 1885. During her tenure, she was instrumental in launching new titles at Hearst Magazines, including O, The Oprah Magazine in 1999, the most successful magazine launch ever. She won the Matrix Award for Magazines in 1989. She resides in New York City.

Martha Pease is President of Pease Enterprise Group, consultants for a wide range of clients on brand strategy and business development. Prior to founding PEG, Martha held various executive marketing positions including: EVP Marketing and Enterprise Development for Lifetime Networks; EVP Global Business Director for the L'Oreal Paris account at McCann Erickson Worldgroup; SVP Marketing for Neutrogena. She lives in Bronxville, NY with her husband and two children.

Andrea Wong is Executive Vice President, Alternative Programming, Specials and Late-Night, ABC Entertainment. Her many successes include Dancing with the Stars, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Wife Swap, Supernanny, The Bachelor, and The Bachelorette. She lives in Los Angeles, CA.

Laurie Younger is President, Buena Vista Worldwide Television. Ms. Younger has more than twenty years’ experience at The Walt Disney Company. A native New Yorker, she is based in Burbank, CA.