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REPORTNOVEMBER 2012
WBE SUCCESS STORIES:SUPERIOR STAFF
RESOURCESDOUBLETAKE STUDIOS
SMEAD MANUFACTURING
OPPORTUNITIES: INAUGURAL HR DIALOGUE
MULTI-TIER OPPORTUNITY CONNECTION AT THE 2013 SUMMIT
ERNST & YOUNG LLP ANNOUNCES 11 NATIONAL WINNERS OF
2012 ENTREPRENEURIAL WINNING WOMENTM PROGRAM
TOP CORPORATION BEST PRACTICES: PG&ETARGETPITNEY BOWES
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PRESIDENTS REPORT
NGLCC 2012 10th Anniversary National Dinner: Beyond
Expectations!November 16, 2012National Building MuseumWashington,
District of ColumbiaClick here for details.
Doing Business with the City of ChicagoNovember 16, 2012Chicago
City Hall, Bid and Bond RoomChicago, Ill.Click here for
details.
Small Business Saturday November 24, 2012Click here for
details.
AMAC Airports Economic Opportunity & Policy ForumDecember 2,
2012Hilton Americas HotelHouston, TexasClick here for details.
WPEO-DC Strategic Partnership WorkshopDecember 4, 2012Washington
GasWashington, District of ColumbiaClick here for details.
WBDC-PA-DE-sNJ Annual Just Desserts CelebrationDecember 5,
2012The Union League of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, Pa.Click here for
details.
WOSB 5 Percent Rule How to Navigate and Secure Federal
ContractsDecember 6, 2012Womens Business Development Center
ChicagoClick here for details.
WBDC-Florida Global Good AfternoonDecember 6, 2012Deerfield
BeachDeerfield Beach, Fla.Click here for details.
WBECSouth Holiday Luncheon & Annual MeetingDecember 6,
2012New Orleans Marriott at the Convention CenterNew Orleans,
La.Click here for details.
WBDCFlorida Annual Awards LuncheonDecember 7, 2012DoubleTree by
Hilton Deerfield Beach - Boca RatonDeerfield Beach, Fla.Click here
for details.
WBCSouthwest Architecture, Construction & Engineering (ACE)
LuncheonDecember 13, 2012Purdy McGuireDallas, TexasClick here for
details.
EDITORIAL TEAMEDITOR-IN-CHIEFPat Birmingham
EDITORIAL ASSISTANTAllison Gibson
PRODUCTION AND DESIGNLimb Design
PHOTOGRAPHYLinda JohnsonVisionista
WRITERSPaige AdamsSenior Director, Development & Corporate
Relations
Kim JonesManager, Corporate Member Services
Brenda LoubePrincipal/Founder of Corporate Fitness Works
Jean PolingContributing Writer
Pamela Prince-EasonPresident & CEO
Lynthia RomneyRomneyCom, LLC
Candace WatermanChief of Staff
LaKesha WhiteSenior Compliance Manager
CALENDAR OF EVENTSTHIS CALENDAR INCLUDES EVENTS HOSTED BY
WBENC'S REGIONAL PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS AND STRATEGIC PARTNERS.
VISIT WBENC'S ONLINE CALENDAR FOR MORE EVENTS.
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WWW.WBENC.ORG NOVEMBER EDITION 2012 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS: OCTOBER EDITION OF THE PRESIDENTS REPORT
CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE 4
FEATURES Top Corporation Best Practices: PG&E 5 Target 6
Pitney Bowes 8Government Spotlight: 12th Annual WBEC Great
Lakes
Business Conference 10
CERTIFICATIONWBE Success Stories: Superior Staff Resources 12
Doubletake Studios 14 Smead Manufacturing 17
OPPORTUNITIESInaugural HR Dialogue 18Multi-Tier Opportunity
Connection at the 2013 Summit 20 Ernst & Young LLP Announces 11
National Winners of 2012 Entrepreneurial Winning WomenTM Program
22
RECOGNITION WBDC Announces 2012 Advocacy Awards 24Black
Enterprise 26Fortunes 50 Most Powerful Women 27
RESOURCES Maintain Campaign - Counteracting Obesity 28
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PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
Sincerely,Pamela Prince-EasonWBENC President and CEO
BE THANKFUL. BE SAFE. BE PREPARED. The last few weeks have been
extremely challenging for many of our constituents, their families
and colleagues due to Hurricane Sandy devastating the East Coast.
The storm wreaked havoc, taking lives, destroying homes and closing
businesses. Sandy left devastation in her wake, and the massive
recovery effort is ongoing. Events such as hurricanes bring to a
forefront the importance of preparedness and disaster recovery
plans. Because of Sandy, thousands of businesses are dealing with
the economic blow caused by power outages, physical damages and
other circumstances that created a loss of profits.
Disasters on the order of magnitude of Sandy are rare and
difficult to prepare for because it is not something you consider
until faced with it. All of us need to take inventory and evaluate
our preparedness. Being able to execute a formal recovery plan can
minimize the impact of a natural disaster and aid in returning your
life and your business back to normal in a timely manner. There are
resources available to assist in building and implementing a
disaster recovery plan such as the ones found on
www.preparemybusiness.org. This site is a partnership between the
United States Small Business Administration (SBA) and Agility
Recovery Solutions, who are collaborating to encourage all small
businesses to have a recovery plan in place. SBAs programs and
services are targeted specifically to small businesses. Agility
Recovery Solutions offers testable, turn-key disaster recovery
solutions and business continuity services for small and mid-size
businesses. Working together, SBA and Agility educate all
businesses on the importance of recovery planning to ensure the
business are able to remain open to service the needs of all
communities. Risk mitigation should be a key component of your
business plan. The plan should be developed, tested and implemented
well before the threat of a disaster surfaces.
For our constituents who are still in recovery mode, there are
many resources for you to draw upon for assistance. The SBA is
playing a vital role in providing disaster recovery loans to
business owners, home owners, and renters. The agency has already
received over 290,000 applications for disaster assistance. The
following excerpt from the SBA blog at http://www.sba.gov provides
three avenues to obtain recovery assistance:
1. Businesses and nonprofit organizations of any size can apply
for a low-interest disaster loan of up to $2 million to repair or
replace damaged real estate or inventory.
2. Small businesses and nonprofit organizations of any size can
apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), also up to $2
million. With all of the power outages and evacuations, SBA knows
that many small businesses made it through the storm, but theyve
lost significant amounts of business. In many cases, these
businesses will be eligible for EIDL loans to help cover their
working capital needs, regardless of whether the business suffered
property damage.
3. Finally, homeowners can apply for loans of up to $200,000 to
repair damaged real estate. Homeowners and renters can also apply
to borrow up to $40,000 to repair or replace personal property
damaged by the storm. In addition, the SBA can sometimes increase a
loan by up to 20 percent to make structural improvements that
lessen the risk of property damage by future disasters of the same
kind.
Once a disaster declaration is made for your area, there are
several ways to apply:
> Apply online at https://disasterloan.sba.gov > Visit a
Disaster Recovery Center in your area: http://www.fema.gov/
disaster-recovery-centers > For information about the
disaster loan process, or to
have an application mailed to you, you can either email
[email protected] or call 1-800-659-2955. Those who
are deaf, hard-of-hearing or speech-impaired can call
1-800-877-8339.
> To download an application, go here:
www.sba.gov/disaster
If you are a survivor, its important to take that first step
which is to register with FEMA, by calling 1-800-621-FEMA or going
online to www.disasterassistance.gov on your computer or mobile
device.
We encourage you to take advantage of all resources available to
assist in rebuilding as well as to prepare for the ongoing
continuity of your business.
The American Red Cross has deployed nearly 59,000 workers from
all 50 states to operations from North Carolina to Rhode Island,
with the majority still in Greater New York and throughout New
Jersey. They have distributed over 3.5 million meals and 177,000
relief items such as clean up kits and hygiene kits. For
information on the American Red Cross and how to either get
assistance or make a donation to help those in need visit
http://www.redcross.org.
The expedient manner in which many of our corporate members
provided relief and support benefited many in the WBENC community.
Going forward, we realize that a key priority in our own disaster
recovery plan is to establish a readily available communications
network to inform our constituents of resources available to
them.
With Thanksgiving just a few days away, I am thankful that each
and every one of you, your families and colleagues are here to
enjoy this holiday and reflect on our many blessings. It is my
sincere hope that your lives and businesses are back to normal as
soon as possible.
84 LUMBER ASSISTS IN SANDY RECOVERY 84 Lumber, a WBENC certified
women-owned business has substantial store operations in the states
of New Jersey and New York and eastern Pennsylvania which also
services the New Jersey markets. The stores located in the most
impacted areas are accepting American Red Cross vouchers.
Fortunately their stores received little if any damage and are all
fully operational, and they have substantial building material
supplies on hand, especially those for the immediate short term
needs including products and materials to assist with the clean
up.
84 Lumber has launched a web site specific to providing
information regarding recovery from Sandy
www.84sandyrecovery.com.
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WWW.WBENC.ORG NOVEMBER EDITION 2012 5
FEATURES
TOP CORPORATION BEST PRACTICES: PG&E Identifying, Developing
and Training WBEs for Growth
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) provides safe,
reliable and affordable gas and electric services to 15 million
people across northern and central California. To deliver on their
core business while fulfilling their commitment to diversity, the
utility created a best practice program to develop and integrate
Womens Business Enterprises (WBEs) into their supply chain. This
dedication resulted in PG&E being named a WBENC Top Corporation
for WBEs for 2011.
PRESIDENTS REPORT
We have cultivated an impressive star bench of WBE suppliers and
they enable us to deliver our promise to our customers, said Joan
Kerr, Director of Supplier Diversity and Sustainability. Diverse
suppliers not only provide a competitive advantage for PG&E,
but they also are closely aligned with our values.
There are two core elements of the program. The first is
PG&Es Supplier Development Program identifying Tier One and
Tier Two suppliers that are poised to increase the size and the
scope of work they do for PG&E. While the utility has been
working with women-owned businesses for 31 years, it is
purposefully expanding its reach to WBEs that have the capabilities
to meet its needs but
may require some additional development to reach their fullest
potential. Part of the Supplier Development Program includes
diverse business mentorship. Executive mentors and a
cross-functional team assess the WBEs strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats and assist the supplier in building a
plan to bridge any gaps. This additional support and mentorship
helps create a strong foundation for WBEs to achieve that next
level of success. For example, a WBE won a bid to provide
environmental compliance support for a solar reconductoring
project. However, careful analysis by the PG&E Mentor, a
Director of Land and Environmental Management and a former business
owner, raised some red flags. Even though the WBEs proposal
presented the highest technical team at the lowest cost, the
Executive Mentor was concerned that the project would be larger and
more complex than anything the supplier had worked on before.
PG&E took a proactive approach to preparing the WBE for
success. First, the Executive Mentor asked the tough questions,
such as how the WBE would be able to cover payroll on the
multi-million dollar contract. Before awarding the contract, the
Executive Mentor and cross-functional team took extra steps to make
sure that the WBE had funds to do so, and even negotiated an early
payment discount in exchange for net 15-day payment terms.
Another approach the utility has taken when working with a WBE
for the first time is to start with a small contract, and then grow
the relationship based on that initial success. PG&E needs to
make sure that a WBE
can work within its culture and under the requirements of
Federal and State regulations. These requirements include those
that protect the environment an ever-present factor in the
California watershed where PG&E operates.
The second core element is PG&Es Technical Assistance
program. In addition to workshops on topics from accessing capital
to achieving ISO Certification, it has launched these
innovations:
> Trade Missions to Industry Tradeshows to provide education
and increase opportunities for WBEs across the power generation
industry. Last year, PG&E offered over 50 technical assistance
scholarships to diverse business enterprises to attend the
tradeshows at HydroVision International (Hydro), RAPID (Nuclear)
and Power-Gen International (Fossil, Nuclear, Renewable,
Hydro).
> Advanced Technology Management Institute, a University of
California emerging technologies incubation program that PG&E
is funding so that diverse businesses can grow into emerging
technology and cutting edge spend areas.
PG&E also has a supplier conference recognizing outstanding
companies who have partnered with PG&E to provide safe and
reliable gas and electricity throughout northern and central
California. A number of winners at the supplier conference awards
ceremony were WBEs. The Winner of the 2012 Gas Operations Supplier
of the Year was Gas Transmission Services (GTS), a woman-owned
business who efficiently engineered over 80 strength tests in 2012
covering over 170 miles of pipeline and located records for over 25
miles of transmission pipeline. GTS contributed to public safety by
reducing the time it took to complete gas pipeline hydro-tests.
They also reduced impacts to the environment by eliminating and
shortening 29 hydro-tests. Finally, GTS stimulated economic growth
in California by hiring 114 people from within the state for
PG&E projects. Another minority, woman-owned company winner was
MJ Avila Company, Inc., named 2011 Green Supplier of the Year. MJ
Avila conducted site preparation for a photovoltaic (PV) solar
power plant. They enabled PG&E to achieve waste reduction goals
by recycling 95% of all materials for the project including 220
tons of metal and glass and 606 tons of concrete. Our Supplier
Awards Conference has provided visibility to the great work our
diverse suppliers are doing for us and the value they provide as
our partners, Kerr said.
To learn more about PG&E visit www.pge.com.
Joan Kerr Director of Supplier Diversity and Sustainability
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FEATURES
TOP CORPORATION BEST PRACTICES: TARGET From Partnerships to
Placement How Womens Business
Enterprises Products Reach the Retail Shelves
Under its signature red bullseye logo, millions of Americans
have learned to Expect More. Pay Less. at Target, the retail giant
known for delivering design and value to a broad population of
guests, the companys engaging name for its customers.
What they may not know is that Target is also dedicated to
cultivating a diverse
array of suppliers to provide many of the products that
contribute to its brand. This
commitment earned it a place on WBENCs list of Americas Top
Corporations for
Womens Business Enterprises for 2011.
Target seeks out offerings that its guests expect, including
those from diverse
suppliers. After all, many of their guests are moms shopping for
their families and
themselves. We recognize the importance WBEs play in delivering
our brand promise to our guests, said Luke Witt, manager of
Supplier Diversity at Target. Our Supplier Diversity team works
hard to identify and connect strong diverse suppliers with the
appropriate decision makers here at Target.
To identify such companies, Targets Supplier Diversity team
covers the landscape,
searching for promising WBE and diverse suppliers at industry
trade shows and events
across the country.
At one such event, the Bronner Brothers Hair Care Show in
Atlanta, Kathy Mazon,
Senior Business Development Lead, Supplier Diversity at Target,
connected with
the owners of Mixed Chicks, a hair care company with a loyal
following that creates
shampoos, conditioners and other products for people with
textured hair. Once the
offerings were deemed a fit and the relationship was
established, Mixed Chicks was
encouraged to become WBENC-certified and is now on Target
shelves.
The Target Supplier Diversity team also serves as a resource and
provides guidance to
WBEs seeking opportunities to present their companies to
Target.
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WWW.WBENC.ORG NOVEMBER EDITION 2012 7
To help with this, Targets Supplier Diversity team uses the
network of brokers that
have been supporting Target merchandising for years. These
brokers understand the
company culture, processes and vendor expectations and are able
to liaise between the
WBEs and the buyers, helping WBEs optimize their presentations
when an opportunity
has been identified to present to decision makers.
Target Supplier Diversity has developed a process for using the
broker network to
advance WBE consideration, growth and success. The brokers are
experts on various
categories of merchandise. They understand the buyers product
objectives, as well
as the financial requirements, and can help WBEs develop
strategies and programs to
meet them.
The Target Supplier Diversity team refers prospective suppliers
interested in exploring this
path for consideration to a list of brokers, and then lets them
make their own match. Once
a connection is made, the broker coaches the supplier on how to
best present to the buyer
in that category, based on the buyers overall strategy and
objectives. Brokers know the
competition and timing for line reviews, and are able to advise
what the supplier needs to
do to ensure that their products are safe and meet Targets
requirements.
While the product may initially be tested in a limited number of
Target stores, the broker
can assist the WBE in taking on larger orders if the test proves
successful. A brokers
advice can be granular, as well as strategic, helping WBEs with
tasks such as the
vendor set-up process, the item set-up process and electronic
data interchange (EDI)
requirements. Brokers are valued partners to Target merchants
throughout the
entire process.
Target has been a WBENC corporate member for nine years and
actively supports the
mission of advancing the success of WBEs. Target is continuing
to demonstrate its
commitment by serving as co-chair of the WBENC 2013 National
Conference & Business
Fair, along with The Coca-Cola Company. Target and The Coca-Cola
Company are vendor
partners who not only share a strong commitment to women-owned
businesses, but also
an affinity for memorable red logos!
Minneapolis, home to Targets headquarters, is itself a vibrant,
diverse metropolis known
for innovative brands. It also lays claim to a rich
concentration of Fortune 500 companies
that will benefit from learning about WBENC at the 2013 National
Conference & Business
Fair. In turn, WBEs will benefit from meeting so many major
corporations.
More about TargetIn addition to providing high-quality, on-trend
merchandise at attractive prices in clean,
spacious and guest-friendly stores, Target operates an online
business, Target.com,
and will be opening its first stores in Canada in the spring of
2013. To learn more, visit
www.target.com.
Kathy MazonSenior Business Development Lead, Supplier Diversity
at Target
PRESIDENTS REPORT
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FEATURES
TOP CORPORATION BEST PRACTICES: Pitney Bowes Building a Culture
to Support Womens Business Growth
As a leading provider of customer communication technologies,
Pitney Bowes helps businesses communicate more effectively in a
multi-channel environment. The company takes a customer-centric
approach to providing software, equipment and services that enable
the connections that lead to long-term relationships and drive
profitable growth.
This model could also be said to inform the thoughtfully
designed program Pitney Bowes has built to engage stakeholders from
across the organization in procurement, the businesses and supplier
diversity and advance opportunities for womens business enterprises
(WBEs).
With the top-down commitment of Chairman and CEO Murray D.
Martin, Pitney Bowes is developing a culture of engagement and
ownership in the success of womens and diverse businesses. The
company was recognized for its achievements when it was named a
WBENC Top Corporation for Womens Business Enterprises for 2011.
Its exciting to see the quantum leaps that we have made in
integrating our work to advance womens businesses into the business
decisions of key stakeholders in the company, said Laura Taylor,
Vice President of Strategic Sourcing and Procurement Operations,and
Chair of the WBENC Board of Directors.
Lawrence Wooten, Manager, Supplier Diversity, drives a continual
process of education and awareness among decision makers at the
company. He has created a network of procurement officers and
category managers who understand the benefits of working with women
and diverse suppliers and are interested in increasing their spend
with them. Concurrently, Wooten has worked to develop spend targets
for every function and category so that progress can be measured
accurately.
Given our long history of diversity and inclusion at Pitney
Bowes, it is embedded in our DNA, Wooten said. For over 60 years we
have taken action to make sure that our employees, suppliers and
partners reflect the diversity of our global markets. We depend on
the quality of our supply chain to deliver what our over 2 million
customers need. The innovation and expertise of our diverse women
and minority supplier partners enhances our competitiveness and
agility in delivering our products and services. We also understand
that as we do business with women and minority businesses we are
fueling employment and economic opportunity in the communities in
which we serve.
Laura TaylorVice President of Strategic Sourcing and Procurement
Operations, and Chair of the WBENC Board of Directors
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WWW.WBENC.ORG NOVEMBER EDITION 2012 9
Over the last year he has been cultivating this collaborative
network of stakeholders, reaching out to decision makers and
attending sales meetings to get the associates involved. To make
his interactions relevant and meaningful, Wooten focused his
conversations on the specific needs of each business and how
sourcing innovative WBEs could create solutions.
He has also been pulled into projects where the client has
expressed interest in a WBE or diverse supplier team.
Our customer-centric approach means that we are able to deliver
on these kinds of requests with the can-do attitude, flexibility
and service that our WBEs provide, he added.
To further advance the internal education process, and at the
same time broaden its pool of talented WBE and MBE prospective
suppliers, Pitney Bowes hosted its second annual Supplier Diversity
Summit earlier this year and attracted some 150 attendees including
75 suppliers.
CEO Martin kicked off the day with a declaration of Pitney Bowes
commitment to the program. Diversity and inclusion are business
imperatives for us, he said.
Among other speakers were Accentures Chief Procurement Officer
Al Williams who spoke on the value that diverse businesses bring to
a global enterprise, and WBENC President and CEO Pamela
Prince-Eason who addressed the importance of opening up
opportunities for women and diverse-run businesses.
The full-day agenda offered participants the chance to get to
know Pitney Bowes and meet decision makers through roundtable
discussions facilitated by procurement executives and other Pitney
Bowes stakeholders.
The event surfaced a number of suppliers that are now being
offered viable opportunities for relationship and business
development.
One example is Desai Communications based in Stamford, CT, where
Pitney Bowes is headquartered. This company connected with a
marketing executive at the event and was able to participate in a
bid. Due to the companys competitive pricing and creative approach,
it won that business and will have the opportunity for additional
work with Pitney Bowes.
Wooten also has met and mentored many suppliers in the community
through his role as Chairman of the Board of the Greater New
England Minority Supplier Development Council. Its important to
encourage WBEs and MBEs to grow in expertise and capacity. It
creates a bigger community of resources for all companies, he
said.
To learn more about Pitney Bowes visit www.pitneyworks.com
PRESIDENTS REPORT
Lawrence WootenManager, Supplier Diversity,
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FEATURES
12TH ANNUAL WBEC GREAT LAKES BUSINESS CONFERENCE
Addressed the needs of both aspiring and established business
owners and delivered practical strategies for succeeding in a
highly competitive market.
The Womens Business Enterprise Council-Great Lakes (WBEC-GL), a
program of the Center for Empowerment & Economic Development
(CEED), is a Center where things happen. In addition to aligning
with WBENC by offering WBE and WOSB Certification, CEED offers
entrepreneurs and business owners administrative, financial and
professional enrichment support services necessary for business
success. CEED prides itself in meeting the needs of Michigans and
Indianas women and minority business owners by designing tools and
opportunities which lead to business growth and development.
Each year WBEC-GL/CEED holds an annual Womens Business
Conference to
support their mission and bring together women-owned businesses
from the Great
Lakes region presenting a program to help them drive their
businesses forward.
The 12th Annual Great Lakes Womens Business Conference took
place at the
Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan, October 8th
& 9th. The conference
provided an opportunity to achieve the equivalent of six months
of sales prospecting
in two days while offering a chance for participants to learn
leadership and sales
strategies that will serve their businesses for years to
come.
The event incorporated many benefits and opportunities including
networking with
other women business owners and conference attendees; meet and
greet with
60+ buyers from corporate, public and government entity supplier
diversity teams;
professional workshops; executive training; and the chance to
learn more about the
full range of benefits WBE certification offers.
The event also provided the opportunity for 10 sponsors to
attend an intimate
luncheon with Pamela Prince-Eason, President and CEO of Womens
Business
Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and former Vice President of
Worldwide
Procurement for Pfizer, Inc. The exchange enabled participants
to hone in
on Prince-Easons expertise in supplier diversity, strategic
leadership and
management best practices. She presented all with a suite of
knowledge and
experience from the procurement and supplier diversity fields
and shared WBENCs
advanced innovative strategies to deepen its commitment to
womensbusiness
enterprises as premier suppliers. Eason remarked This was an
excellent opportunity
Michelle RichardsPresident, WBEC-Great Lakes
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WWW.WBENC.ORG NOVEMBER EDITION 2012 11
PRESIDENTS REPORT
to interact with a very engaged and inquisitive group of WBEs,
across a vast array
of topics.
A highlight of the conference was the awards and recognition
presented to those who
exemplify the spirit and principles associated with
corporate/government volunteerism,
advocacy, champions, WBE of the Year and WBE Role Model and
Mentor of the Year.
Lynn Tilton, Founder and CEO of Patriarch Partners, LLC, was
recognized by Ford
Motor Company at the conference as their Role Model & Mentor
of the Year
for her leadership of DURA Automotive Systems. This award is
bestowed upon
one outstanding WBEC-Great Lakes woman business owner per year,
who has
dedicated herself to educate and motivate other female business
owners.
Tilton was also recognized in March of 2012 as a WBENC Womens
Business
Enterprise Star.
Carla Preston, Director of Supplier Diversity Development, Ford
Motor Company
expressed high commendation of Tiltons contributions:
Ford Motor Company has strong initiatives in place to support
women-owned suppliers and strives to expand its business
partnerships with outstanding women such as Lynn Tilton that
provide valuable products and service to our customers. We are
honored to nominate Ms. Tilton for the WBEC Great Lakes WBE Role
Model of the Year Award for consistently steering DURA, a Ford
tier-one supplier, and her more than 70 other women-owned business
interests toward long-term success. Moreover, we recognize Ms.
Tilton for her enduring commitment as a role model for other women
business enterprises.
The conference also included a Business Showcase where 75
certified WBEs had
tabletop displays which were visited by corporate purchasing
representatives,
government agencies, women business owners and guests. The
corporate
members were encouraged to bring additional buyers to the event
as guests
of WBEC-GL.
The 12th Annual Great Lakes Womens Business Conference was a
great success
as measured by the huge number of matches made between women
business
owners and purchasing representatives, according to Michelle
Richards, President
of WBEC-Great Lakes. This event exemplified the WBEC-GLs
commitment to the
advancement of women-owned businesses by offering multiple
opportunities for
networking, education and knowledge sharing.
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CERTIFICATION
WBE SUCCESS STORY: LYNNE MARIE FINN Superior Staff Resources:
Optimizing Processes and Managing Workforce Change
A WBENC-certified WBE, Superior Staff Resources has come a long
way since opening its doors in 1965 as Superior Secretarial
Services. Today, headed by President and CEO Lynne Marie Finn,
Superior is one of the largest woman-owned workforce solutions
companies in the U.S. with over 40 locations throughout the U.S.,
Canada, Europe and Asia. Superior excels in the delivery of
contingent laborer Statements of Work, managed service programs,
vendor management systems and independent contractor screening and
compliance programs.
Managed service programs, or MSPs, are one of Superiors primary
offerings. Through these programs, customers with large temporary
workforce populations engage Superior to manage the entire
outsourced staffing process, providing automated contingent
workforce management for maximum cost effectiveness and output.
This is Superiors focus. Their teams serve as strategic extensions
of
their customers HR and Procurement departments, collaborating to
deliver innovative and customer-specific programs.
Superior applies its expertise in human capital management to
benefit Fortune 500 companies, government agencies and companies
in-between. For each client, Superior takes a strategic view of its
staffing requirements, addressing those needs while leveraging the
companys collective buying power to achieve advantageous costs and
terms.
We take on a consultative role for our clients, enabling them to
streamline their processes, do more with their resources and drive
growth, Finn said.
To accomplish this, Superior applied three key competitive
advantages: Agility Superior quickly and effectively generates
solutions to solve complex
workforce issues. Proprietary Vendor Management System (VMS)
Work Nexus was originally deployed in
1998 to integrate sourcing of temporary workforce solutions with
client infrastructure for a smooth process, from identifying people
to timely payment. WorkNexus user-friendly workflows are configured
to reflect customer-specific goals and cultures.
High-Touch Customer Service Superiors senior leadership is
involved in all accounts, proactively innovating best practices and
providing ongoing stewardship.
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WWW.WBENC.ORG NOVEMBER EDITION 2012 13
Because of the large scale cost controls and efficiencies of
Superiors MSPs, these programs are of particular interest to
procurement officers, in addition to the HR stakeholders. Another
benefit of Superiors meticulous attention to strategies and systems
is that they can provide vital feedback to help a client boost
profitability and growth.
The workforce is constantly changing, which means that we must
always be looking for ways to help our clients stay ahead of those
changes, Finn says. We are experts at managing and deploying human
capital so that they can keep their costs down and output up.
Collaborative and proactive customer service defines Superiors
corporate culture. The company works to ensure a flawless
experience for its clients. To do so, Superior hires industry
experts who provide customers with access to a deep industry
knowledge base.
Our program managers are on the ground in key customer
locations, working alongside HR or procurement to enhance and
promote our customers internal initiatives, Finn says.
Clients have embraced this approach. In 2011, Superior achieved
an overall customer satisfaction rating of over 97%. Finn and
Superior have also been honored with awards for excellence. Sonoco,
a packaging company with plants around the world, awarded Superior
with its Supplier Growth Award for 2011. SUPERVALU, the grocery
chain, just named Superior its 2012 Professional Services Provider
of the Year.
In 2012 alone, Superior received Staffing Industry Analysts
(SIA)s Top Performer award for MSP, and received numerous SIA
awards for being among the largest staffing firms in the U.S.,
Canada and globally. It was also ranked a top VMS provider in SIAs
2010 and 2011 Customer Loyalty Surveys.
Finn is a long-time WBENC Board member, and serves on the
Finance Committee. She is Vice Chair of the Forum, and was a WBE
Star representing WPEO-NY. She also serves on the Board of Women
Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), a WBENC strategic partner.
Finn was a Regional Finalist for the Ernst & Young
Entrepreneur of the Year in 2009, the 2010 WBE Advocate of the Year
for Women Presidents Educational Organization and received the WIPP
Presidents Award 2011.
Finally, Superior is ISO 9001:2008 and SSAE 16 certified, and
OFCCP Internet Applicant Recordkeeping Rule compliant, a regulation
of which Superior was an early adopter within the industry.
This public recognition demonstrates the expertise and focus on
client satisfaction that is the foundation of Superiors
success.
To learn more about Superior Staff Resources visit
www.superiorstaffresources.com
Lynne Marie FinnPresident and CEO
PRESIDENTS REPORT
-
CERTIFICATION
WBE SUCCESS STORY: TERRI HALL
Doubletake Studios, Inc.
SUCCESS resulted from being a 2012 Host Committee Member at the
WBENC National Conference and Business Fair held in Orlando,
Fl.
Terri Hall is the President of Doubletake Studios, Inc, a
full-service advertising, marketing and PR agency since 1997. She
is a member of the Womens Business Development Council (WBDC) of
Florida and was a Host Committee Member for the 2012 WBENC National
Conference & Business Fair. Halls sponsorship and participation
continues to reap benefits long after the conference has ended.
Halls host committee sponsorship aided Doubletake Studios in
gaining pre-conference business through networking with new and
existing WBENC connections:
Its all about building relationships and making connections.
Being on the Florida Host Committee was instrumental in gaining
pre-conference business. I attended pre-conference meetings and got
to know other committee members first-hand. My business is
definitely a relationship sale. By participating in the host
committee meetings, I was able to foster new relationships as well
as expand my networking base. Its always so much fun to meet other
like-minded business owners. Were all busy managing our respective
businesses. The host committee afforded us the opportunity to
become more intimately acquainted, a rewarding experience on many
levels. The media training was a bonus that enabled me to
understand the unique messaging of the other host committee members
businesses which helped when creating something unique for each
one.
Even though Hall had met several of the WBEs at other WBENC
functions (prior to being on the Host Committee), working directly
with them and collaborating on National Conference & Business
Fair activities exposed her to new business opportunities.This also
enabled her to offer suggestions and solutions to others who had
not exhibited at the Conference in the past. As is a standard
philosophy at Doubletake Studios, Hall believes that working
together is the best way to develop a successful relationship,
which proved to be true during the Conference.
One host committee member who was new to exhibiting at trade
shows approached Nancy Allen, the President and CEO of WBDC of
Florida, seeking a reference for guidance and assistance with
preparing for the conference. Nancy directed the WBE to Hall who
helped them create their booth, corresponding video for the booth
and web, collateral as well as update the company brand. The
referral has turned into a fabulous client for Doubletake Studios
and is a great fit. This client also referred additional new
business to Doubletake further expanding their network and client
base.
Halls approach to branding is clear: Youll never get a second
chance to make a first impression. Look like a winner and youll
improve your chances to succeed.
Doubletake collaborates with their clients to identify distinct
aspects of their businesses that make customers want to buy you.
Hall did just that, creating the opportunity for new customers to
want to buy her/Doubletake, as a result of her involvement as a
Terri HallPresident
-
WWW.WBENC.ORG NOVEMBER EDITION 2012 15
PRESIDENTS REPORT
Host Committee member and Conference participant. Year to date,
Doubletake Studios, Inc. has increased their revenues by 30% as a
direct result of participation as a Florida Host Committee member
at the 2012 WBENC Conference.The result of this growth led to an
expanded workforce. Doubletake hired two additional people to
handle the workload and is in the process of interviewing for
another artist.
Hall shared a powerful message on the value of partnership,
certification and networking and how each greatly influences
business:
I met Gigi Twist, owner of Upfront Foods, a manufacturer of food
products, at the conference. One of our WBDC Board members was
helping me with my booth and had directed Gigi to me. Gigi attended
the conference as a guest, wanted to learn more about WBENC and was
in the process of becoming WBENC certified. She liked the layout
and graphics of our particular booth, and wanted to know how she
could go about getting something designed to promote her
company.
We met at her office after the conference to create the plan
that would achieve what she needed to grow her business:
participation in tastings, trade shows and outdoor markets. In
addition to working on a trade show booth, we created other
peripheral display items that she can utilize for promoting her
business.
Since the conference, Gigi has become WBENC certified and is
very excited about all the opportunities that her certification can
provide. As a Board Member for the WBDC, I am extremely excited to
have another WBE on board that can further her business with
corporations as well as other WBEs.
Hall is a strong advocate of WBE to WBE connections. Her advice
is for them to not only get involved with their local regional
partner organization (RPO) but also participate in all
opportunities that are available: attend, exhibit and/or sponsor,
and perhaps volunteer at the Summit & Salute and National
Conference & Business Fair events.
You never know who youre going to meet. There is SO much to
learn from others. WBENC offers a wealth of information,
opportunities and contacts that can only enhance your business.
Like anything else, WBENC is an investment from which you can gain
so much just by giving a little. I have been so blessed to get
involved with WBENC and WBDC Florida. As a result of my involvement
with them, Ive benefitted both professionally (business has grown
30% this year alone) and personally (developed long-term
friendships).
Hall has been recognized and awarded for excellence: 2008-2009
Presidential Whos Who Among Business and Professional Achievers;
2006 WBENC Womens Business Enterprise Star and received over 28
ADDY awards from 2001-2010, acknowledging creative excellence in
all forms of advertising. In addition, Halls exceptional creative
design work on the WBENC 2009 Annual Report contributed to the
honor received by WBENC, winning the Association of Marketing &
Communications Professionals (AMCP) Platinum Hermes Creative Award
for the 2010 Opportunity Connection Campaign. Her outstanding
creativity also inspired the design of WBENCs Annual Reports for
2010 and 2011.
To learn more about Doubletake Studios visit
www.doubletakestudios.com.
-
When Avent stepped into her role in 1998, she had impressive
shoes to fill those
of her late mother, Ebba Hoffman, who had assumed the helm of
Smead upon her
husbands death in 1955, transformed the company into an office
supplies powerhouse,
and retired but continued to come in to the office at the age of
87. Even earlier in
its history, Smead had female governance when Avents grandmother
sat on the Board
of Directors.
Hoffman and Avent grew the company from a small office to a
booming headquarters
and plant in Hastings, MN, and five other locations in the U.S.,
plus a facility in Mexico.
Today Smead employs roughly 1,000 workers. It produces and
distributes some 1,500
office products through retail, contract and Internet sales by
leading office products
dealers, superstores, and wholesalers primarily on the North
American continent.
Like her mother before her, Avent has kept a watchful eye on
quality, delivered by a
loyal and trusted staff. Unlike the top-down command and control
management
style that was typical of sizeable companies in earlier decades,
women-run Smead
recognized and empowered its employees.
I served in many positions throughout the company and had to
punch in and out like everyone else. This gave me a real
understanding of what it means to be a Smead employee, Avent
said.
One of Avents early contributions was to institute employee
Merit Awards honoring
years and decades of service.This month we are honoring five
people with 40 years of
service each, she said. Some have worked in various roles, and
others have become
supervisors but we have all grown together.
Sharon AventFounder
CERTIFICATION
WBE SUCCESS STORY: SHARON AVENTSmead Manufacturing: Honoring
Employees, Winning Loyalty
Founded over 100 years ago, Smead Manufacturing Company is a
WBENC-certified WBE that is distinctive not only because it has
been owned by President and CEO Sharon Avents family for three
generations but also because it has been led by women for over five
decades.
-
WWW.WBENC.ORG NOVEMBER EDITION 2012 17
PRESIDENTS REPORT
Avent actively seeks ideas from Smeads workforce. For example,
Smeads safety
committee gathers the perspective of people on the factory floor
to identify new ways to
prevent accidents.
Smead is also innovating as office configuration is becoming
more virtual and mobile.
New areas of development include file holders for backpacks, and
a covered file box to
house a workers files in a shared desk or office space
environment.
The company was at the forefront of new products that today are
considered standard,
such as Smead Viewables Color Labeling System, named the Best
Business Product
by the National Association of Professional Organizers in
2003.
Smead has been the recipient of numerous national professional
awards, including the
Office Max Strategic Partnership Award, and Office Depots
Corporate Visionary Award.
Avent herself received the WBENC Applause Award in 2005. She
also was recognized
by the Anti-Defamation League for her efforts in promoting
diversity and received the
Torch of Liberty Award.
Philanthropy has been central to Avents values. She was the
first woman to receive
the City of Hope Spirit of Life Award by the National Office
Products Industry for her
support of the world-renowned cancer research and treatment
facility in California.
Avent has been at the forefront of womens business growth,
originally certified through
the Womens Business Development Center (WBDC) - Chicago, and has
devoted
tremendous resources in terms of her time and support of
WBENC
and WBDC.
She has chaired the selection committee for WBENCs Americas Top
Corporations for
WBEs and has served on the Forum. She is Chair of the Host
Committee for the 2013
WBENC National Conference & Business Fair in Minneapolis,
MN, and is already hard
at work to ensure a successful event:
We are thrilled to have WBENCs thousands of corporations and
WBEs convene in Minneapolis which is an exciting, diverse and
innovative corporate headquarters.
To learn more about Smead Manufacturing visit www.smead.com.
-
OPPORTUNITIES
INAUGURAL HR DIALOGUE
WBENC is committed to supporting the sustainability and growth
of Women Business Enterprises (WBEs) across the country,
particularly those in under-utilized industries such as the Human
Resources (HR) discipline. In October, WBENC partnered with WBEs
Monique A. Honaman, CEO / Partner of ISHR Group; Bev Kaye, Founder
& CEO of Career Systems International; and Gwen Turner,
President of Princeton Proper to hold its inaugural HR Dialogue
Session. The goal of the session was to begin exploring the
challenges and successes for both WBEs and WBENC corporate members
and government agencies within the HR discipline.
Among the corporate members and government agencies in
attendance were Sharon Ridings, National Training Manager, United
States Environmental Protection Agency; Stephanie S. Roemer,
Diversity Recruiting & Learning Manager, Freddie Mac; and Bunni
Young, Supplier Diversity OD&I, Freddie Mac.
Bunni Young shared her thoughts from the session: These are the
programmatic opportunities that give us all value at the highest
levels. As a corporate member it provides a tool for us to measure
the direction of our outreach at Freddie Mac as well as our
participation with external business partners like WBENC. The forum
also provided us with a pulse check, in this case an affirmation,
of the importance of maintaining these crucial external
relationships.
The robust roundtable discussion focused on the landscape of
WBENC WBEs in the HR sector, the potential for growth,
misconceptions regarding boutique firms, creative procurement
opportunities and recommendations for entering the corporate and
government supply chain.
The Human Resources discipline is vital to the business world
because of its focus on sustaining and recruiting top talent.
Through the dialogue, we learned WBENC WBEs offer a wealth of
innovative solutions that drive employee engagement, retention, and
increased productivity which ultimately results in outstanding ROI
for corporations and government entities.
WBENC looks forward to continuing to provide valuable industry
-focused sessions to bridge the connection between WBEs and our
corporate and government constituents.
-
OPPORTUNITIES
MULTI-TIER OPPORTUNITY CONNECTION AT THE 2013 SUMMIT
Calling all WBENC-certified Women Business Enterprises (WBEs)
For the third year, the Summit will feature WBENCs Multi-Tier
Opportunity Connection brought to you by AT&T. Only WBEs
registered by January 24, 2013 will be eligible for this
interactive session that includes more than 25 participating
Fortune 500 corporations and government agencies. The Multi-Tier
Opportunity Connection is comprised of two simultaneous
sessions.
In the Meet & Greet portion, WBEs will share their skill
sets with a number of supplier diversity and/or procurement
representatives from corporations and/or government entities by
joining hosted tables for 15 minutes during which each WBE at the
table gives a brief overview of their services and capabilities.
During that time the corporate or government host will share the
best methods for doing business with their organization and provide
feedback on the WBEs pitch. At the end of the 15 minutes, WBEs
choose their next table. This format allows WBEs to speak with a
diverse range of potential clients from ExxonMobil to Cargill to
the Federal Reserve. In turn the corporate and government hosts are
able to meet a large number of well-qualified suppliers in a
compact amount of time.
The concurrent session consists of One on One meetings between
corporate and/or government representatives and WBEs that they have
pre-selected. Each meeting is approximately 15 minutes in length.
Often the supplier diversity and procurement individuals will
choose to bring a prime supplier with them so that they may discuss
both prime and secondary sourcing opportunities within their supply
chain. WBEs are pre-selected based on available opportunities
within the supply chains of the participating corporations and
government agencies.
All WBEs who register for the Summit by January 24, 2013 will
have the opportunity to choose whether or not they want to
participate in the Multi-Tier Meet & Greet and have their
profiles included for review to potentially be selected for one on
one meetings.
The early bird registration deadline for the Summit & Salute
is also January 24. To register now, visit
www.wbenc.org/summit-salute.
-
WWW.WBENC.ORG NOVEMBER EDITION 2012 21
An exceptional networking opportunity for Womens Business
Enterprises (WBEs) with corporations and other WBEs. Discover best
practice panels on key challenges facing WBEs and corporations with
exciting guest speakers. Enjoy roundtable discussions between WBEs
and corporations on opportunities for growth.
Join us for the Salute on the evening of March 14 when we will
recognize our Top Corporations and 14 WBE Business Stars! The Top
Corporations lead the nation in expanding opportunities for WBEs,
and the Business Stars exemplify the use of strategic vision,
business acumen, and sheer talent in meeting customers needs. You
dont want to miss meeting the best of the best.
PRESENTING SPONSORS
WBENC SUMMIT & SALUTE 2013Baltimore The Hilton
MA
RCH
13-
14JU
NE
25-2
7
Join more than 325 exhibitors and 3,000 women business owners,
corporate procurement executives and federal contracting officers
for one of the largest national conferences and business fairs
targeting women business owners in the U.S.
CORPORATE CO-CHAIRS
WBE CO-CHAIRS
NATIONAL CONFERENCE AND BUSINESS FAIR 2013Minneapolis The Hilton
& Convention Center
www.wbenc.org/summit-salute
www.wbenc.org/wbencconf
1120 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 1000Washington, DC
20036-3092Ph: 202.872.5515 | Fx: 202.872.5505
www.wbenc.org
Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook/wbenc
save these dates for the greatest nationwide networking
opportunities for women-owned businesses
-
RECOGNITION
ERNST & YOUNG LLP ANNOUNCES 11 NATIONAL WINNERS OF 2012
ENTREPRENEURIAL WINNING WOMENTM PROGRAMProgram winners defy the
odds and spur dramatic company and job growth in women-owned
businesses
On October 24, Ernst &
Young LLP announced
the 11 winners of its 2012
Entrepreneurial Winning Women program, a national
competition and leadership initiative that identifies and
connects a select group of women entrepreneurs with the
advisors, resources and insights they need to scale their
businesses and become market leaders. WBENC is proud to
collaborate with Ernst & Young on this program and three
of
this years winners are WBENC-certified WBEs.
Women entrepreneurs play an essential role in creating
sustainable economic growth in todays uncertain economy.
In fact, women start businesses at twice the rate as men.
But, despite robust growth in early stages, women-owned
companies dont always scale up to their full potential.
Our Entrepreneurial Winning Women program helps
bridge the gap for an area we call the missing middle
those second-stage women business owners whose
companies have emerged from the start-up phase but face
a crucial inflection point in their growth journey, said
Kerrie
MacPherson, Partner and Entrepreneurial Winning Women
Executive Sponsor, Ernst & Young LLP. By providing the
right information, networks and guidance, were able to help
these talented women access capital, identify strong
business
advisors and put the processes in place to radically expand
their companies.
Research shows that the program is paying off in a big way.
Revenues of program participants companies have grown
almost 50% each year on average, with a corresponding
25% average annual growth in the number of jobs,
according to a recent independent study directed by the
Babson College Center for Womens Leadership.
The Entrepreneurial Winning Women Program has totally
changed my definition of big and opened my eyes to the
growth potential for our company, said Amy Buckner
Chowdhry, CEO, AnswerLab and a 2011 Entrepreneurial
Winning Woman. Im thinking entirely differently about
how we measure being the market leader.
This years Entrepreneurial Winning Women award recipients
were chosen by a panel of independent judges from a group
of 110 applicants. The women own companies in a wide
variety of industry sectors, including lifestyle and luxury
brands, legal solutions, corporate wellness and food and
beverage. Combined, the groups total 2011 revenues are
nearly $85 million.
THE 2012 WINNERS ARE: Allyson Ames, Wonderland Lifestyle
Brands
(Newport Beach, Calif.) Emily Armenta, Armenta (Houston, Texas)
Leslie Firtell, Tower Legal Solutions
(New York, N.Y.) WBENC-certified Fiona Gathright, Wellness
Corporate Solutions, LLC
(Cabin John, Md.) Kara Goldin, HINT (San Francisco, Calif.)
Allison OKelly, Mom Corps (Fort Washington, Pa.)
WBENC-certified Dr. Ellen Stang, ProgenyHealth (Conshohocken,
Pa.) Tammy Tedesco, Edibles Rex Management Services
(Detroit, Mich.) WBENC-certified Michelle Marciniak and Susan
Walvius, SHEEX
(Irmo, S.C.) Kari Warberg Block, Earth-KindTM (Bismarck,
N.D.)
-
WWW.WBENC.ORG NOVEMBER EDITION 2012 23
PRESIDENTS REPORT
The 11 members of the Entrepreneurial Winning Women
Class of 2012 will receive an all-expense paid trip to this
years Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum 2012,
an invitation-only gathering of more than 2,000 high-
growth, market-leading company CEOs. The Forum
presents a one-of-a-kind platform for Entrepreneurial
Winning Women to introduce their companies and share
their corporate and personal brands with a community
of Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year winners,
top executives, prospective investors and business
advisors. All Entrepreneurial Winning Women will be
recognized at a special celebratory event during the Forum.
For more information on the Forum, visit: www.ey.com/us/
strategicgrowthforum. Additionally the winners will receive
a
full registration to the WBENC 2013 Summit & Salute,
being
held in Washington, DC, March 13-14, where Ernst &
Young,
along with Accenture LLP, will be the Presenting Sponsors.
The distinguished 2012 panel of independent judges for the
Entrepreneurial Winning Women program included:
Howard Brodsky, Chairman and CEO,
CCA Global Partners
Cynthia Cohen, CEO, Strategic Mindshare
Laurie Cunnington, President,
Ward Williston Oil Company
Dr. Mary Jo Gorman, CEO, Advanced ICU Care and a
2011 Entrepreneurial Winning Woman
Jeri Harman, Managing Partner,
Avante Mezzanine Partners
Rob Scott, VP and Worldwide General Manager,
Hewlett Packard Mary Ellen Sheets, Founder, Two Men And A
Truck
Launched in 2008, the program is intended to help women
entrepreneurs break through the barriers that keep thriving
second-stage businesses from scaling to their full
potential.
Once selected, the entrepreneurs participate in an ongoing,
customized program designed by Ernst & Young to catalyze
their companies growth by building and fostering critical
relationships, enhancing leadership skills, expanding
business know-how and providing increased visibility. They
are coached on the five crucial leaps they need to scale up
their business:
Setting higher goals;
Building a public profile;
Working on the business, rather than in it;
Establishing key advisory networks;
Evaluating financing for expansion.
The Entrepreneurial Winning Women program is conducted
in collaboration with several other organizations in
addition
to WBENC: the Women Presidents Organization (WPO), the
National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO),
The Committee of 200 (C200), the Kauffman Foundation and
Babson Colleges Center for Womens Leadership. For more
information on the program, visit
www.ey.com/us/entrepreneurialwinningwomen.
Front row left to right: Allyson Ames, Kara Goldin, Emily
Armenta, Kari Warberg Block, Fiona Gathright, Leslie Firtell Back
row left to right: Susan Walvius, Michelle Marciniak, Jim Turley,
Ellen Stang, Tammy Tedesco, Allison O'Kelly
-
RECOGNITION
WBDC ANNOUNCES 2012 ADVOCACY AWARDS:Pamela Prince-Eason,
President and CEO, WBENCJoset B. Wright, President, NMSDC
Each year, the Womens Business Development Center (WBDC),
the
largest certifying regional partner organization of WBENC,
recognizes
advocates, corporations, government agencies and women-owned
businesses who have demonstrated strength, perseverance and
creativity in their businesses, exemplifying success in various
ways.
Awards of Excellence and recognition were presented during
their
26th Annual Entrepreneurial Womans Conference, Hall of Fame
Awards Luncheon which was held on September 20, 2012 at
Chicagos
McCormick Place-West, 2301 S. Indiana Ave. Award categories
included:
Entrepreneurial Woman of the Year; WBE Success; Rising Star;
Corporate Support and Advocacy Awards.
Pamela Prince-Eason, President and CEO of the Womens Business
Enterprise National Council (WBENC), and Joset
B. Wright, President of the National Minority Supplier
Development Council (NMSDC), were honored recipients of
WBDCs 2012 Advocacy Awards for their extraordinary advocacy
efforts on behalf of women and minority business
owners. Each has demonstrated her enthusiastic commitment to
strengthen womens business ownership and
economic development. WBDC honored the collaborative
accomplishments of both Pamela and Joset on behalf
of women and minority-owned businesses nationally. Marquis
Miller, NMSDCs Vice President of Field Operations
accepted the award on behalf of Joset who was unable to attend
the event.
Pamela Prince-Eason is President and CEO of the Womens Business
Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the leading
third-party certifier for womens business enterprises (WBEs) in
the country. Her professional career has included roles
as both a corporate executive and business owner. She was Vice
President of Worldwide Procurement for Pfizer Inc.,
headquartered in New York City, and was co-owner of RMR
Associates, a business process consulting company.
Joset B. Wright is President of the National Minority Supplier
Development Council (NMSDC), a private non-profit
organization that expands business opportunities for
minority-owned companies of all sizes, and the leading third-
party certifier of minority business enterprises (MBEs) in the
country. She is an attorney and former procurement
executive with a broad range of professional experience in the
corporate and private sectors, including a 13-year
career in the telecommunications industry.
Congratulations to all of this years Hall of Fame Award
Recipients with special appreciation to Pamela Prince-Eason
and Joset B. Wright for their extraordinary leadership and
continual support of womens economic development.
Pamela Prince-Eason, WBENC; Carol Dougal, WBDC;Hedy Ratner,
WBDC; Marquis Miller, NMSDC
-
WWW.WBENC.ORG NOVEMBER EDITION 2012 25
We invite you to shop on our newly designed website and feel
free to contact our exclusive provider for even more creative ideas
on how to brand your business!business!
We are excited to launch our premier line of WBENC products to
engage our community and bring awareness to the WBENC brand.
-
RECOGNITION
BLACK ENTERPRISE: 100 Most Powerful Executives In Corporate
America (2012)
Each year Black Enterprise publishes its list of the 100 Most
Powerful Executives in Corporate America based on many
criteria, one of which is leadership qualities. This year as in
previous ones, the list contains a number of the corporations
who continue to support and are committed to WBENC and the
utilization of Women Business Enterprises (WBEs).
The list highlights African-American business leaders who have
risen to the highest-ranking corporate positions and hold
revenue-generating and operating responsibilities critical to
product development, sales and supply chain management.
These corporate executives set a standard of excellence and
innovation that will help preserve, expand and transform
business with a global reach for many years to come.
Both Tony (Thomas K) Brown, Group Vice President, Global
Purchasing of Ford Motor Co. and John D. Harris II, VP &
President, Raytheon Technical Services Co, L.L.C. of Raytheon
Co. are among this esteemed list.
To view the complete list visit
http://www.onlinedigitalpubs.com/display_article.php?id=1165104
GOVERNMENT OPPORTUNITY EXPERIENCE: WBENC presents the 2012
Government Opportunity Experience featuring Moe Vela, former
Director of Administration for Vice President Joe Biden
This exciting program provides knowledge of and access to the
government procurement process through meetings with high-level
decision makers from both the public and private sector. It is the
premier federal government-venue for minority-owned firms to access
information, tools and resources to grow their businesses both
domestically and internationally.
WHEN: March 2013WHERE: Washington, DCLIMITED SEATING
AVAILABLE!!! $1500 secures your spot in this meaningful, intimate
experience.
Dont miss out on this invaluable opportunity email
[email protected] or [email protected] to sign up TODAY!
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WWW.WBENC.ORG NOVEMBER EDITION 2012 27
RECOGNITION
FORTUNES 50 MOST POWERFUL WOMEN27 WBENC Corporate Members
Recognized
Last month Fortune Magazine published the 2012 list of the 50
most powerful women. The list is compiled by FORTUNE editors, who
consider four criteria: the size and importance of the womans
business in the global economy, the health and direction of the
business, the arc of the womans career (resume and runway ahead)
and societal and cultural influence. On that list were 27 women
from 20 WBENC Corporate members:
RANK NAME COMPANY1 Ginni Rometty IBM2 Indra Nooyi PepsiCo, Inc.3
Meg Whitman Hewlett-Packard Company4 Irene Rosenfeld Kraft Foods10
Safra Catz Oracle USA11 Melanie Healey Procter & Gamble13
Rosalind Brewer Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.15 Carol Meyrowitz TJX
Companies19 Marilyn Hewson Lockheed Martin Corp.20 Denise Morrison
Campbell Soup 21 Gisel Ruiz Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.22 Carol Tolstedt
Wells Fargo & Co.23 Bridget Van Kralingen IBM24 Mary Callahan
Erdoes JPMorgan Chase & Co.26 Deidre Connelly GlaxoSmithKline27
Mary Barra General Motors Corp.29 Charlene Begley General
Electric30 Pam Nicholson Enterprise Holdings31 Joanne Maguire
Lockheed Martin Corp.33 Bonnie Hammer Comcast34 Linda Gooden
Lockheed Martin Corp.36 Susan Chambers Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.40
Karen Licitra Johnson & Johnson41 Pat Fili-Krushel Comcast44
Carol Tom Home Depot46 Laura Lang Time Warner48 Lauren Zalaznick
Comcast
To view the full list of the 50 most powerful women please click
here:
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/most-powerful-women/
The women on this list collectively oversee more than $1
trillion in revenue spanning multiple industries and shaping the
future of technology, media and defense. Ranging in age from 37 to
62, this impressive group boasts seven newcomers to the list this
year, exemplifying the growing force of women in positions of
influence and power. WBENC congratulates all of the honorees and we
look forward to watching these women help to shape our future.
-
WOMEN ON WELLNESS
MAINTAIN CAMPAIGN - COUNTERACTING OBESITY
Do I have to be one of the statistics of holiday weight gain
this year? The answer is absolutely NOT!
Why do people gain weight from Thanksgiving to New Years? We all
know the simple answers increased amounts
of food, high caloric food, high consumption of sugar, fats,
calories and minimal physical activity. We tend to be
surrounded by an overabundance of foods and often give ourselves
permission to eat as much as we want, decrease
our physical activity and neglect ourselves. The bottom line is
we are eating far more calories than we are burning,
resulting in those unwanted additional pounds. The average
individual weight gain over the holidays ranges from 1 to
10 pounds.
The clincher is this most of us never lose the weight we gain
during the winter holidays. The pounds add up year
after year. This continual weight gain contributes to adult
obesity, which is nearing epidemic proportions in
our country.
DID YOU KNOW?According to the Get America Fit Foundation:
Obesity is the #2 cause of preventable death in the United
States.
60 million Americans, 20 years and older are obese.
9 million children and teens ages 6-19 are overweight.
Being overweight or obese increases the risk of health
conditions and diseases including: breast cancer, coronary
heart disease, type II diabetes, sleep apnea, gallbladder
disease, osteoarthritis, colon cancer, hypertension
and stroke.
For more information on obesity and the impact on health visit:
http://www.getamericafit.org/statistics-obesity-in-america.html
You can stop this trend and can enjoy the holidays without
putting on a single pound. The goal is to maintain your
weight over the holiday season. The decision is up to you and in
your control. Make up your mind to make the goal,
plan ahead and make a few small healthy changes to prevent the
unnecessary weight gain this season.
Here are some tips to consider that will help you during this
festive time of year:
1. Move everyday for at least 30 minutes or more. Try to
increase what you normally are doing during this time, if
you are active for 30 minutes try to do 45 minutes. If you are
exercising three times a week, increase it to five
or more times a week. The key is to burn more calories through
exercising.
a. Pick your favorite tv show and workout each day while
watching your favorite show either walking on a
treadmill, stationary cycling, elliptical, cross trainer,
etc.
b. Schedule a walk during the day, have a walk and talk
meeting
c. Try a new class that you have been wanting to try, spinning,
kick boxing, pilates, zumba, body pump, yoga, etc.
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WWW.WBENC.ORG NOVEMBER EDITION 2012 29
2. Healthy Snacks
a. Plan and pack for the day-cut up vegetables and whole or cut
up fruits.
b. Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day
before
being tempted by a cookie or other holiday treats
c. Suggestions for healthy snacks:
Hardboiled egg with a piece of fruit
Raw almonds with apple slices
Raw walnuts with pear slices
Low fat yogurt (unsweetened) with added fruit
Raw vegetable slices (carrots, cucumber and bell pepper)
Whole grain crackers (truly whole grain no refined white
flour)
with vegetable or fruit slices
3. Temptations
a. Avoid areas at work or home that you stock candies and
treats
b. Hide treats or better yet dont buy them for work or home
c. Drink a full glass of water before filling you plate
4. Party Planning
a. Eat before you go to a party, never go to a party hungry, eat
a piece of fruit, power bar, yogurt
b. Try not to stand next to the buffet table focus your energy
on conversation, time shared by friends and
family members and meeting new people as opposed to the food
c. Choose a small plate-stick with vegetables, watch the creamy
dips
d. For dinner, fill half your plate with salad and vegetables,
one quarter with meat, and the final quarter
with starch
e. Avoid creamy sauces, half and half and meat drippings. For
salads use oil and vinegar or a vinaigrette
f. Best desserts are fruit, jello, pudding, unfrosted
mini-muffins, ginger snaps, shortbread cookies or
angel food cakes
5. Liquid Calories Add Up
a. Limit the amount that you drink to one serving, watch the
high fat eggnog versus light beer or wine
6. No is an acceptable and polite response: The food was
outstanding, I had enough. No thank you!
To help each of you and your companies this holiday season, we
have included an easy program called the
Maintain Campaign that you can offer to your employees and
company teams. Click here to access the details.
You can easily alter this program to fit your group. You can
change the weekly behavior you want your employees
to follow, the timeframe of the program, the process for the
prize drawings; it is really up to you and what will
work for your company. Have fun with it and let us know how it
goes. Share your success stories. If you have any
questions on the program you can contact Brenda Loube at
[email protected].
Prevent yourself from becoming another holiday statistic weigh
yourself before the holidays and monitor your
weight throughout. You are in charge of your weight and your
health and you can enjoy the holidays while still
taking care of both!
PRESIDENTS REPORT
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Phifer Pavitt left Georgia for college and graduate school,
building a career in sales after she got her MBA from USC. At a
company called Comdisco she earned her stripes as one of a handful
of women in a highly competitive, professional sales force and
consistently landed on the companys top performers list.
Bachelorette years gave way to romance and marriage to her husband
Shane. As they started
married life, they created a custom of always setting aside one
night a week for date nights, a romantic escape from their hectic
careers and lives. On one extended date night which found them in
Italy---they realized that they wanted to re-think their urban
lives and head for the countryside, somewhere; where they could
enjoy a simpler life, which would encompass a vineyard and a winery
and enough room to roam. This is how they came to find property in
Calistoga, in the northern Napa Valley of California. They built a
home on a ridge overlooking what today is their working winery. The
idea for the winery building came from their commitment to
sustainability. On a drive not an hour from their property, they
found an abandoned barn, which they purchased and moved to their
property. They subsequently spent several years restoring and
retrofitting it, from creating chandeliers with barbed wire from
the property, to using Wyoming snow fencing on the walls. Recycled
blue jeans are the insulation material. The couple planed and
sanded an amazing slice of black walnut which they then suspended
from the ceiling to serve as a tasting bar.
What to call the winery? Date Night, of course! Today they
produce both a Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, in very
limited quantities. They carry through the theme of romance with
their club. Our club is called The Verona Society because, as a
winery founded on the importance of romance,
how could we not honor the home of Romeo and Juliet, where even
today people tuck love letters into the crevices of Veronas stone
walls? Phifer Pavitt explains. The wines label includes a retro
rendition of a cowgirl, a vintage image created by Uncle George
Francuch. A 6 tall metal cut-out of a cowgirl now greets visitors
to the winery. We make serious wines, which are strong and still
stylish, Suzanne says, and the vintage cowgirl expresses that
spirit, she adds.
Phifer Pavitt finds time to practice yoga, coach her sons sports
teams and serve on several non-profit boards in the Napa Valley.
She is known for the love of her garden and cans the amazing bounty
it provides each year. The couple often entertains in their home
above the winery. Another calling is sharing her wines, whether as
she conducts tastings at the winery or travels to anchor winemaker
dinners, often in her native South. I do think Im living a dream,
she says. Whether its our sense of accomplishment in all of the
meaningful details of the winery or just the plain deliciousness of
the wine and the happiness it brings people---it never gets old,
she adds. Those details include hay bale seating in the tasting
room, blackboard walls where people scribble their own date night
stories and the vintage 1967 Airstream (license plate DT NIGHT)
ready to take the family on an another adventure. When the Pavitts
first wine, the 2005 DATE NIGHT Cabernet Sauvignon, was chosen as
one of the San Francisco Chronicles Top 100 Wines of the Year,
Suzanne and Shane couldnt keep up with the demand. Today that
review hangs proudly in a frame in their office: The name and the
cowgirl label of this Napa newcomer belie an impressively serious
effort. Defined by a gorgeous, deep nose: blackberry, violet, mint
and a perfume overtone. Black fruit on the palate is just plain
lovely - bold, pitch-perfect and ripe, with broad, finessed,
seductive tannins. This is a big, beautiful wine that is part of
the boutique offerings of the A Womans Palate Wine Club exclusive
to WBENC. Click here to view all of the wines available and join
the club.
A WOMENS PALATE WINEMAKER PROFILE: SUZANNE PHIFER PAVITT
Growing up in rural Georgia, Suzanne Phifer Pavitt never
imagined she would become a vintner in the Napa Valley, in business
with her husband and two young sons, in a storybook setting on the
side of a mountain.