Patty Breeze, a 1969 Transylvania University alumna, was recently spotlighted by Business Lexington after being appointed president of the National Association of Women Business Owners, Kentucky Foundation.
The Q&A ranged over a variety of topics — from her starting out as an art teacher at Bryan Station High School to the advice she’s now giving clients as president of Breeze Financial.
She also discussed the mission of her company. “It’s really to educate people to help them think about investing for their future, for themselves, for their family, for their business, so that they have financial health and wellness,” Breeze said. “I particularly wanted to teach women how to take control and at least know what was happening within their family unit.”
This ties into the National Association of Women Business Owners’ mission “to educate women business owners at all stages of their career.” Breeze’s goal is to help grow the state group so it has necessary resources for programs such as scholarships.
In a recent interview for this blog, Breeze talked about being a charter member of the Lexington NAWBO chapter (which later merged with one in Louisville to become the statewide group). It was founded to help women network and exchange ideas — like when Breeze herself was transitioning from art education to finance.
She told Business Lexington that the current climate for women business owners is becoming more welcoming. “[A] lot of big companies are aware that they need to not overlook female business owners and hiring women to come into their business. I think a woman can be an entrepreneur if she is strong. And that’s something I think should be taught in our school systems, even as early as middle school.”
At Transylvania, Breeze majored in art, did well academically and was active in her Chi Omega sorority.
She’s also kept up the connections she made as an undergraduate, remaining close to friends she made back in the ’60s. “Those were happy days,” she said.
Breeze later earned a master’s degree and took on a variety of leadership roles, including serving as president of the Kentucky Art Education Association and the Living Arts & Science Center. Additionally, she was director of the National Association of Women Business Owners’ Corporate & Economic Development Council and served on the NAWBO national board.
Breeze also was the most recent winner of the Women Leading Kentucky’s Isabel Yates Community Service Award.