The recipient of this week's Ben's Bell is Tiana Ronstadt, who runs a financial advising company and uses her skills to help disadvantaged women get ahead in life.
Ronstadt was nominated by her colleague, Terri Marshall, who described her volunteer work as "inspirational."
"No one else is there to help them," Marshall said. "It builds their self-confidence and empowers them. It's a very powerful thing."
Ronstadt has been involved in financial planning for years and started her own company last June, called Power Women Investing, which focuses on female clients, although men are welcome, too.
Throughout her career, Ronstadt has made time for volunteer work, taking part in YWCA seminars and more recently working with a Phoenix-based group called Fresh Start, which helps women achieve emotional and financial independence.
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She also has been involved with Casa de la Luz Hospice for several years and is the foundation's board president.
Both missions were instilled through her life experiences, Ronstadt said.
Her father died unexpectedly when she was 18, leaving her mother without an estate plan.
Later, Ronstadt's first marriage fell apart when her husband stole her money and defrauded her. Both events showed her the importance of being financially educated, she said.
That was combined with a childhood infused with helping others — volunteer work, for sure, but also kind acts, such as how her father always paid the toll for the driver behind him.
"I grew up giving back, and I've always done it," she said.
"Women don't feel they can leave an abusive relationship because of money. I've always realized the financial side of money, but there is the emotional side of money, of being trapped, too."
Marshall, the executive director of service and operations at Power Women, had heard about Ben's Bells and decided to nominate Ronstadt for a bell after she joined the company in January.
"I was just so impressed with all the giving back that Tiana does," she said. "It's just so inspirational, to hear her speak and see what she's about."
The Ben's Bells folks agreed, and went to the office Thursday to surprise Ronstadt — with some help from her mother, Ruthann Fowler Melzer.
Because Ronstadt is always running from meeting to meeting, they needed someone to anchor her to her office for a bit.
Enter Melzer, who dropped by with some samples for a remodeling job, to quiz her daughter on what she liked best. After a few minutes, the group entered her office.
"They all came in with cameras, and I thought, 'What in the world is going on?' " Ronstadt said. "It really took me halfway through the presentation to realize what was happening!"
After things sank in a bit, Ronstadt said she felt honored.
"It is truly unbelievable," she said.
(By the way, if you're wondering about that last name, Ronstadt is related to that famous family. She's married to Jeff Ronstadt, Linda's cousin and Fred's brother.)
ben's bellings
The Ben's Bells project began in March 2003, one year after Ben Maré Packard died of croup, just before his third birthday. His family hopes it reminds people to be kind, to help ease one another's pain.
The latest phase of the project began in September 2005, weekly "bellings" for those among us who make our community a better, kinder place to live.
If you know people who deserve a Ben's Bell, nominate them to be "belled." Go to http://www.929themountain. com/pages/jennie_itm.html and click on Ben's Bells Project.
To learn more about the project, go to http://www.bensbells. org. Or help work on bells by dropping by the studio, 816 E. University Ave., in Geronimo Plaza. It's open 10-3 Wednesday; 2-7 Friday and 10-3 Saturday and Sunday.
And check the Star each Saturday to see the latest recipient.
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