Tri-County Women in Business Luncheon
Name:
Tri-County Women in Business Luncheon
Date:
December 15, 2016
Time:
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM EST
Registration:
Register Now
Event Description:
The Tri-County Women in Business group is an initiative by the three Chambers to engage women across all three counties, and surrounding areas, for professional development and networking opportunities. Women in Business unites, educates and supports all women through a platform designed to inspire and empower. Join us for December's quarterly luncheon with speaker Susan Gravely, founder and Creative Director of Vietri.
Susan's Bio:
Susan Gravely is the Founder & Creative Director of VIETRI, Inc., a lifestyle brand offering Italian inspired and artisan crafted dinnerware and home and garden accessories.
After over 30 years of managing the daily operations of VIETRI as both CEO and head Product Designer, Susan is now solely focused on leading VIETRI’s product development team and overall creative vision, utilizing her greatest strengths.
Susan decided at the end of 2015 that balancing her dual roles was not in the best interest of VIETRI. She and Bill Roberts, formerly the Chairman of the Northern Division for Belk, met numerous times to discuss the potential opportunities arising with VIETRI. After first meeting with VIETRI executives, and then meeting with VIETRI’s Board of Directors, Susan and Bill agreed that he was the perfect choice for CEO, freeing Susan to focus on her passion for product design.
Founded in 1983, VIETRI began with a trip to Italy where Susan and her mother Lee and sister Frances fell in love with the hand painted Italian dinnerware on the Amalfi Coast. Today, VIETRI is America’s largest Italian ceramics importing company, partnering with numerous manufacturers in various regions throughout Italy and Europe. With approximately 40 employees, VIETRI serves a customer base of over 1,500 specialty retailers and department stores in all 50 states as well as Canada, Haiti, Mexico, South America, Asia, and Australia.
Although the recent involvement by all three Gravely women has changed, the spirit of these three women and that first trip to Italy live on in the VIETRI brand. Frances Gravely retired in 2012 from her official role as VP of Brand Development and has since continued to be an integral part of the business as a member of the Board of Directors. In October 2015, Lee “Momma” Gravely passed away peacefully at the age of 90. In her quest for experiencing life, Momma embraced and embodied the passion, lifestyle, and artistry of the Italian culture, and introduced it to her family and to VIETRI.
Susan remains the heart and soul of VIETRI and spends much of her time mentoring her team, as well as serving as an inspiration to other young people she meets along the way. Her travels around the world, and especially in Italy, have made her a citizen of the world and a friend to many. With impeccably chic taste and a genuine interest in people, culture, and community, Susan is a world-class innovator in not only design but in the way she lives her life. With over 30 years of experience, Susan creates VIETRI’s fresh and trendsetting style.
In 2015, Susan, Frances, and Lee were inducted into the Twin County Hall of Fame. The event presented by Twin County Community Pride honors distinguished citizens of Nash and Edgecombe counties in North Carolina and the Gravely women were honored for their many accomplishments and contributions to the community.
Susan is proud to be a former member of the Executive Committee of the Women’s Leadership Council at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. She is a frequent guest speaker and panel participant at the Business Schools of UNC - Chapel Hill, Duke University and other universities and organizations in the area. She sits on the Rocky Mount Cord Company Board of Directors, the Advisory Board for VISION, the Beyond Expectations Board of Directors, and the Advisory Board for SunTrust Bank in the North Carolina Eastern Region. She was the keynote speaker at the Atlanta Southern Women’s Conference in November 2010 and in 2014, Susan was named the Legacy Award winner by WithIt, the women’s leadership development network serving the home furnishings industry. In 2008, Susan was a finalist for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Susan was named Entrebizneur of the Year by North Carolina Business Leader Magazine in 2004 and in 2003, she was the recipient of the Salem College Distinguished Alumni Award. In 2002, Susan became an Honorary Citizen of the town of Nove, Italy.
Susan attended Salem College and holds a BA in Education and an MS in Recreational Therapy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Susan is married to Bill Ross and has two stepdaughters. Her favorite things in life are her family, her home, her friends – and VIETRI!
Susan's Bio:
Susan Gravely is the Founder & Creative Director of VIETRI, Inc., a lifestyle brand offering Italian inspired and artisan crafted dinnerware and home and garden accessories.
After over 30 years of managing the daily operations of VIETRI as both CEO and head Product Designer, Susan is now solely focused on leading VIETRI’s product development team and overall creative vision, utilizing her greatest strengths.
Susan decided at the end of 2015 that balancing her dual roles was not in the best interest of VIETRI. She and Bill Roberts, formerly the Chairman of the Northern Division for Belk, met numerous times to discuss the potential opportunities arising with VIETRI. After first meeting with VIETRI executives, and then meeting with VIETRI’s Board of Directors, Susan and Bill agreed that he was the perfect choice for CEO, freeing Susan to focus on her passion for product design.
Founded in 1983, VIETRI began with a trip to Italy where Susan and her mother Lee and sister Frances fell in love with the hand painted Italian dinnerware on the Amalfi Coast. Today, VIETRI is America’s largest Italian ceramics importing company, partnering with numerous manufacturers in various regions throughout Italy and Europe. With approximately 40 employees, VIETRI serves a customer base of over 1,500 specialty retailers and department stores in all 50 states as well as Canada, Haiti, Mexico, South America, Asia, and Australia.
Although the recent involvement by all three Gravely women has changed, the spirit of these three women and that first trip to Italy live on in the VIETRI brand. Frances Gravely retired in 2012 from her official role as VP of Brand Development and has since continued to be an integral part of the business as a member of the Board of Directors. In October 2015, Lee “Momma” Gravely passed away peacefully at the age of 90. In her quest for experiencing life, Momma embraced and embodied the passion, lifestyle, and artistry of the Italian culture, and introduced it to her family and to VIETRI.
Susan remains the heart and soul of VIETRI and spends much of her time mentoring her team, as well as serving as an inspiration to other young people she meets along the way. Her travels around the world, and especially in Italy, have made her a citizen of the world and a friend to many. With impeccably chic taste and a genuine interest in people, culture, and community, Susan is a world-class innovator in not only design but in the way she lives her life. With over 30 years of experience, Susan creates VIETRI’s fresh and trendsetting style.
In 2015, Susan, Frances, and Lee were inducted into the Twin County Hall of Fame. The event presented by Twin County Community Pride honors distinguished citizens of Nash and Edgecombe counties in North Carolina and the Gravely women were honored for their many accomplishments and contributions to the community.
Susan is proud to be a former member of the Executive Committee of the Women’s Leadership Council at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. She is a frequent guest speaker and panel participant at the Business Schools of UNC - Chapel Hill, Duke University and other universities and organizations in the area. She sits on the Rocky Mount Cord Company Board of Directors, the Advisory Board for VISION, the Beyond Expectations Board of Directors, and the Advisory Board for SunTrust Bank in the North Carolina Eastern Region. She was the keynote speaker at the Atlanta Southern Women’s Conference in November 2010 and in 2014, Susan was named the Legacy Award winner by WithIt, the women’s leadership development network serving the home furnishings industry. In 2008, Susan was a finalist for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Susan was named Entrebizneur of the Year by North Carolina Business Leader Magazine in 2004 and in 2003, she was the recipient of the Salem College Distinguished Alumni Award. In 2002, Susan became an Honorary Citizen of the town of Nove, Italy.
Susan attended Salem College and holds a BA in Education and an MS in Recreational Therapy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Susan is married to Bill Ross and has two stepdaughters. Her favorite things in life are her family, her home, her friends – and VIETRI!
