2007-08 BPWRC Board

About BPW/River City

BPW/River City is located in Louisville, Kentucky and currently has 200+ members, which designates our chapter as the largest BPW in the world! BPW/River City was founded in 1976. BPW's vision is to be the leading advocate for working women.

Our mission is: To achieve equity for all women in the workplace through advocacy, education and information. BPW includes among its members, women and men of every age, race, religion, political party, and socioeconomic background.

The BPW/River City Board of Directors is elected annually by the membership. This group, in addition to its duty to oversee the mission and goals of the organization, chairs the committees of the organization. These committees provide opportunities for BPW members in leadership training, career development, civic involvement, legislative and political involvement, and networking. Other programs sponsored by BPW/River City are structure to benefit the community and future working women, and include partnerships with the Jefferson County Public Schools.

BPW/River City annually sponsors National Business Women’s Week during the third week in October to highlight working women’s issues and accomplishments in the community through seminars, programs, and presentation of special awards to winners of competitions for Woman of Achievement, Young Careerist, Good Guy, and Corporate Excellence.

BPW/River City membership means value for you and your business. It isn’t a cost, it’s an investment for yourself and your corporation – financially, professionally, and personally. Join BPW/River City now!

BPW/River City Committees

Choices Tori Coward
In collaboration with the Jefferson County Public Schools, BPW members teach 9th and 10th grade girls the importance and power of decision-making, self-awareness, and career choices. Through thought-provoking exercises, these young women learn to make sound decisions abased on measurable goals. In addition, they learn to assert themselves, evaluate career options, marriage and family options, child rearing responsibilities, anD lifestyle budgeting choices.

Corporate Sponsorships Laura Stallard
To develop a committed base of corporate sponsors for BPW/River City activities and to increase awareness in the community, this committee introduces BPW/River City to medium and large corporations in the Louisville-Jefferson County area. AS PART OF DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOCAL CORPORATIONS, This committee’s goal each year is to maintain existing annual corporate partners and to seek out additional corporate partners to BPW/RIVER CITY. CORPORATE PARTNERS SPONSOR THE ORGANIZATION THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE YEAR FISCAL YEAR.

Dawn at the Downs
This committee plans Dawn at the Downs, a networking event held in late April or early May each year. This event is a BPW/River City “just in time for Derby” tradition.

Finance Committee Lora Hardin
This committee assists the Board of Directors in preparing the budget for the year. It provides overall supervision of expenditures and periodically reviews and reallocates budget items as approved by the board. It authorizes the payment and coordination of all bills through the treasurer. The committee also reviewS the standing rules, previous audit reports, and recommends financial guidelines as needed.

Foundation Alex Rohleder
BPW/RIVER CITY SUPPORTS THREE BPW FOUNDATIONS ON A LOCAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL LEVEL. EACH FOUNDATION ASSISTS WOMEN IN BECOMING ECONOMICALLY SELF-SUFFICIENT. THE FOUNDATION COMMITTEE PROMOTES INTEREST AND SUPPORT OF THESE FOUNDATIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

Health Awareness Judy Vittitow
Advocating women’s health issues is primary focus of BPWRC, especially those identified by the political arm of BPW/USA. Locally we strive to increase awareness among women about their health and how prevention / treatment options mau be different for them, i.e. heart disease.

Historian
This committee chronicles the events of River City held throughout the year. The historian maintains a binder for the President to submit to BPW/KY and is responsible for taking pictures throughout the year of various events, activities, and meetings.

Individual Development Program (IDP) Shantha Diaz
IDP offers members an opportunity to enhance their professional and personal skills through seminars on public speaking, networking, and other pertinent business topics for women of today. One representative from the IDP class is selected each year to participate in Regional, State, and National Individual Development programs.

Kentucky Cardinal Reporter
Keeping the BPW state newsletter informed of River City activities falls to this committee. This committee also works to sustain the state newsletter by selling ad space throughout the year to members and corporations interested in reaching over 1,700 readers in Kentucky.

Leadership BPW Paula McCraney
Using a similar format of the Leadership Louisville program, Leadership BPW consists of monthly meetings with community leaders and corporations. The goal is for members to become more aware of their community surroundings, while developing the attributes to become future business and community leaders.

Legal Counsel Sharon Mattingly
The legal consultant is a member who acts in an advisory capacity to the Board of Directors. Duties include, but are not limited to, reviewing documents advising Board of Directors thereof, filing annual report, and maintaining BPW/River City's policies and procedures.

Legislative Violet Clark / Cathy Allgood Murphy
This committee provides information on a regular basis to the organization on relevant legislation being proposed in Congress and on BPW/KY and BPW/USA's legislative platforms; works with other BPW groups and outside organizations who support these same policies; spends time during General Assemblies getting acquainted with Kentucky Senators and Representatives; and encourages BPW membership in campaigns to CONTACT state and national representatives REGARDING LEGISLATIVE ISSUES OF INTEREST TO WOMEN. This committee also encourages BPW members to get involved in legislative issues AND TO vote and submit resumes for consideration of appointments to board and commissions.

Links For Life Mary Ann Schweda
This tournament benefits survivors and families of breast cancer and provides enhanced visibility of BPW/River City in the community. The PGA of America and major local healthcare companies assist BPW members in this endeavor. Opportunities to help exist for non-golfers, as well as golfers. This committee raises money for the Louisville and surrounding community's fight against breast cancer.

Logistics Cheryl Tingle
This committee confirms luncheon reservations, makes luncheon arrangements with the caterer, registers members and guests and collects money at the luncheons. The logisticS committee is responsible for billing members who fail to pay reservations to meetings. This committee also maintains and updates the voice mail system AND THE E-LUNCH RESERVATIONS VIA THE BPW/RIVER CITY WEB SITE.

Maryhurst Mentoring Program Cynthia Kelley
Maryhurst is a private, not-for-profit, non-sectarian agency providing residential and community-based treatment programs to emotionally challenged adolescent girls ages 13 to 18. BPW members are encouraged to mentor these young women who will replace us in our future business world. Members become a special friend/mentor to a girl at Maryhurst. Mentors will attend a training session at the school; they serve as mentors for a 6 week period in October and/or April to share career shadowing experiences, social and community activities.

Membership Sue Woods
This committee seeks to equalize membership and increase it by a stated percentage each year. Membership will coordinate with other committees in recruiting new members and assist new members in any way possible to assimilate them into the organization. The committee provides personalized communication to all new members, updates the membership list, and publishes a roster.

NBWW Public Relations Cindy Vaughan
This committee builds the image of BPW/River City so that the public perceives it to be a dynamic force in the community. It coordinates media for coverage of BPW/River City events and publicizes participation In community affairs, programs, and ACTIVITIES THROUGH TELEVISION AND RADIO interviews, public service announcements, magazine articles, feature articles in the newspaper, AND ANY OTHER FORM OF MEDIA APPROPRIATE TO THE EVENT. The committee also promotes upcoming BPW/RIVER CITY meetings by submitting press releases to print media, BPW’S LATEST, THE BPW/RIVER CITY WEB SITE, and other interested SOURCES in the Louisville/Jefferson County community. The committee is also responsible for:

e-Newsletter Patty Marks – bpw/river city’s e-newsletter, is distributed to members and other interested subscribers on a monthly basis, and interim distribution to provide subscribers with “the latest” updates relevant to BPW. ThE e-newsletter IS A TIMELY RESOURCE, providing subscribers with BPW/river city CURRENT information and events.

Web Page Donna Hummel Maintains bpwrc.org website linking to state and national websites. Performs monthly updates to keep site vibrant. Also manages software releases for Finance and newsletter committees.

Mentoring Program - Past Presidents and Board Members
Designed with board members in mind, this mentoring program is a relationship in which a person with greater experience, expertise and wisdom (past presidents), counsels, teaches, guides, and helps select board members to develop both personally and professionally as successful board members. Pairings are created by the President based on the needs of the board members.

e-Newsletter (News & Views)
BPW/River City publishes a monthly newsletter, News & Views, with a circulation of approximately 800 readers. Besides our members, it is sent to civic and community leaders, elected officials, corporate executives, bpw/river city corporate partners, judges, and local and national legislators.

Programming Laura Kane
This committee is responsible for translating the goals and objectives of BPW/River City and those of the state and national federations into membership program meetings that reflect and support these issues. Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month. The program committee plans these meetings.

Strategic Planning Phyllis Hargrave
This role is the primary responsibility of the executive committee and key board members of the organization. The major endeavor is to establish a strategic planning process for BPW/River City. This involves obtaining an understanding of the national and state federation long-range plans and how they relate to BPW/River City; developing a mission statement for our chapter and supporting goals and objectives; assessing external and internal factors that impact the organization; selecting a "strategic course" for the chapter; and installing a methodology for continuing the planning cycle.

National Business Women's Week (NBWW) Lorie Marcum

NBWW Young Careerist Lorie Marcum / Nikki Bonifer
As a sub-committee of the National Business Women's Week, this committee recruits Young Careerists candidates, reviews applications, coordinates the speak-off program including the selection of a panel of judges from government, education, and business. Recruiting and retaining young professionals into BPW/River City membership throughout the year is another primary responsibility of this committee.

NBWW Woman of Achievement Lorie Marcum / Tracy Redmon

NBWW Awards Lorie Marcum / Julie Kolb

NBWW
Since 1928 BPW/USA has sponsored NBWW. Various events are held across the country to recognize and honor the achievements of working women as well as the companies that have made strides towards improving working women's leves in their communities. NBWW has grown into a nationwide salute to all working women and provides an opportunity to spotlight issues of importance to working women. During the third week of October BPW/River City hosts a Young Careerist Speak-Off luncheon on Wednesday and a Woman of Achievement Banquet on Thursday. Also during the banquet the "Katherine G. Peden Award of Corporate Excellence" are also recognized. BPW/River City continues to pass the eternal flame of leadership from the women of yesterday to the women of today and onto the women of tomorrow.

Parliamentarian Bonny Manning

Women in Transition Cathy Dykstra
Today’s world involves new challenges and opportunities in our careers and personal lives each day. Women in Transition provides resources information and a support network for women experiencing today’s dynamic transitional environment due to issues such as corporate downsizing, responsibility for multiple roles, and fast-paced work environments.

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BPW/River City does not want to forget those, who over the years, helped make us what we are today. BPW's history includes our charter officers from 1976, our past presidents, and all of those other individuals that will always be a part of our success.

BPW/River City 1976 Charter Officers

President                                       Cathy Huck Zion
First Vice President                      Carol Holt Statsny
Second Vice President                Shirley Edward Kaelin
Treasurer                                        Susan Nichols
Recording Secretary                     Doris Nathan Poteet
Corresponding Secretary            JoAnn Phillips
Founder                                          Kathryn G. Peden
                                                         Past National President BPW/USA

BPW RC PAST PRESIDENTS

1976-77 Cathy Huck Zion
1977-78 Liz Dahl
1978-79 Heidi Margulis
1979-80 Bonnie Lugg
1980-81 Chris Block
1981-82 Dr. Lilialyce Akers
1982-83 Linda Pursell
1983-84 Karen Olsen
                Bonnie Brown
1984-85 Carl Ann Hydson
1985-86 Norma Goldberg
1986-87 Mary Anna Vervillis Clark
1987-88 Cynthia Jones
1988-89 Alice Butler
1989-90 Betty Griffin
1990-91 Sandra Brashear
1991-92 Jane Younger
1992-93 Bonny Manning
1993-94 Joyce Daugherty
1994-95 Beverly Truitt
1995-96 Kay Meurer
1996-97 Anne Wilhelmus
1997-98 Vivian Hairston Blade
1998-99 Paula McCraney
1999-00 JoEtta Warren
2000-01 Lydia Reid
2001-02 Alex Rohleder
2002-03 Cathi Canfield
2003-04 Debbie Pierce
2004-05 Gerri Bland
2005-06 Lora Hardin
2006-07 Laura Stallard