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The Class of 2015

Dawn Leaks

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40 Under 40 The Class of 2015
Founder and CEO, Woman of Confidence Coaching and Consulting, LLC; Age 39

Dawn Leaks

Dawn Leaks

Dawn Leaks believes everyone has a God-given purpose in life. “Some people are operating within it, but others are not,” she said. “They stay in a job or profession just because it pays the bills.”

Her desire to become an entrepreneur was born in her teens, and in February the business she founded in 2012 — Woman of Confidence Coaching and Consulting, LLC — became a full-time endeavor. “My mission is to help people live the life of their dreams with passion, purpose, and confidence,” she said. “I help people find clarity and develop a clear action plan to move forward with what they were meant to do.”

The former state director of communications for the American Red Cross is serious about her work and saw “passion and compassion demonstrated in extraordinary ways” when she coordinated public affairs for the Red Cross after the 2011 Springfield tornado and the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.

Today, she works as a personal coach, handles communications and marketing for businesses and nonprofits, and is a contributing writer for Lioness magazine. “Effective communication can help people have more harmonious relationships and attract the right clients,” Leaks said.

Her professional career has included working for MassLive, the Urban League of Springfield, Springfield Public Schools, and Leadership Pioneer Valley. She has an MBA in entrepreneurial thinking and innovation from Bay Path University and brings that expertise to her volunteer and civic endeavors.

Leaks is on the advisory board of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., a board member of New England Public Radio Inc., sponsorship chairman of the Arts and Humanities Award Gala, former columnist for African American Point of View, and former board member of the Next Level Development Conference of Women of Color.

“My work allows me to meet amazing people who have a big vision for their life, but are not sure how to make it happen,” she said. “I help them to strategize and stay motivated so they can reach their goals.”

The certified John Maxwell speaker, coach, and trainer grew up in Springfield and says she’s optimistic about the city’s future. “I hope that being a successful entrepreneur will help me do my part in the great revitalization taking place here.”

— Kathleen Mitchell

Photo by Denise Smith Photography

Patrick Davis

By
40 Under 40 The Class of 2015
Operations Manager, CRD Metalworks LLC; Age 36

Patrick Davis

Patrick Davis

Patrick Davis says his Williamsburg-based company, CRD Metalworks LLC, flies under the radar.

“We’re not trying to be too big for our britches; we’re very earnest, humble people, doing the best we can,” he said of the forestry-products manufacturing firm, which employs 15 people full-time. “We’re nestled here in the hills of Massachusetts, and we’re proud to be local employers in our industry. We’re not a household name in Western Mass., but ask someone working in the forestry industry who we are, and they’ll know immediately.”

Specifically, he noted, “we are the nation’s largest manufacturer of firewood-processing equipment. Basically, a firewood processor takes a length of tree and splits the wood; it’s all mechanized.”

Davis didn’t plan on working in the forestry industry; as co-founder of Montague Webworks, he was an Internet marketing professional serving clients throughout the Valley. Christopher Duval, CRD’s owner, hired Davis in 2007 to help grow his business, and in 2009, Davis sold his marketing firm to his partners to work full-time as CRD’s operations manager. In that role, Davis manages virtually all aspects of the rapidly expanding enterprise.

“Since 2009, we’ve multiplied the growth of the company 15 times; we were a $300,000 company, and now we’re a $10 million company,” he said of the firm, which now ranks as the number-two company in its industry domestically, with about 400 active clients in 41 states and 12 foreign countries. “It’s been quite a ride. We’ve done that through our marketing efforts, but also because we have an exceptionally good product. It’s a family-owned company, and our market segment loves that.”

Despite the challenges of his wide-ranging job, however, Davis finds plenty of time for civic involvement as well, chairing the Orange Town School Building Committee and serving on the boards of his church and area professional organizations.

“I just got elected to the elementary-school board in Orange,” he said. “I live in a small community, and I was raised in a very small, tight-knit, Roman Catholic family. I’m a firm believer that you should put your resources where they can be most effective. I don’t fancy myself a politico, but if you have the leadership ability to speak on behalf of others who can’t or choose not to do it themselves, it’s important to do so.”

Davis also sees civic involvement as setting an example for his two children.

“I take my role as a father very seriously,” he said. “When they ask questions, it gets them involved, too, and they know it’s important to do things for others.”

— Joseph Bednar

Photo by Denise Smith Photography

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