Tell us a little about yourself, Retz!
I am the international portfolio manager for Islamorada Investment Management, and I'm also a wealth manager, helping people manage their finances. I'm also chair of the investment committee of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, which is a scientific grant organization in the Research Triangle.

How have you engaged with BPW so far?
I belonged to the BPW of the Upper Key Century Club for seven years, and that was just such a great experience with making great colleagues and connections in the community, and I missed it a lot. We had the last presentation in Florida, I gave the last presentation in-person, actually, last January, and then we moved to Raleigh last July.

I was missing the BPW so much that I searched to find one that would be in this area, and in the beginning of January, I joined. I've just been in on a couple of the sessions and starting to meet people. I'm very excited about the cross-section, it seems, of the members. I look forward to the fellowship of the group, meeting people in person.

My experience with BPW--and I believe it will translate to the Triangle too--is that it's a diverse group of women, and sometimes men, who represent a whole bunch of different parts of the community, and they're an important part of the community, and that's what I hope to grow to be.

What are your hobbies or interests?
I play piano. I've switched my lessons to Zoom now, but I've been taking lessons for over  12 years. I like to study languages. So--it used to be--I would be traveling a lot overseas and would have to at least get around. When it's warmer, I like to swim and I like to hike in local parks. And read. We have two dogs, and dogs are hobbies and family and part of the family too.

What's your favorite travel spot?
Japan. I actually was supposed to go there for vacation last June but that got postponed. I've been there over 10 times to do research on companies.

I was there during the tsunami and earthquake, the rather large one at the beginning of last decade. And although I always loved going there because of the food and the culture, what really impressed me during that very scary event was the way that the local population not only took care of themselves during a really, really devastating time, but how they actually cared for even people like me to make sure that I was safe and got to where I had to be and to do what I had to do.

So I really, I love the landscape. I love the culture. I love the food. And I hope I get to go back.

What was your favorite TV show growing up?
The Mary Tyler Moore Show. It wasn't just a great comedy, it was the fact that she was a woman taking charge in a business-type situation that was not always kind to women.

What has been your most interesting job?
The one I have now is probably the most interesting, because everything I've done before in finance, I'm using now. It is a 2-person company. I'm doing the international work and the managing partner is doing domestic equities. And I'm doing everything from analyzing stocks and building portfolios to doing trades to talking with clients and putting things in databases. Hopefully traveling again too.

Which superpower would you choose?
Right now, flying. It's socially distanced, when it comes down to it. But it would be really nice to be able to to fly and go to different places. Even if it's just to wave into people's windows, to be able to see people that I haven't seen for a while and miss.

What can the BPW community do to support you?
Like my experience with BPW has been in the past, and I believe it will be in the future, is to become more integrated into the community. I don't know what all is here, I don't know what all the needs are. I think through BPW, I will get to find that out. Not just of financial needs, but about everything from charitable needs to social needs.

It's my experience, again with BPW, is that they're very integrated into the community. And having moved here recently, that's what I would like to have. Also, I'm just starting to learn what the skill set is of the members of this BPW, and I'm going to be needing some of those skills, so I really look forward to more and more interaction--even if it's just by Zoom now--and getting to know the members and what we can offer each other.