July 17, 2020
Dear Berkshire BPW members and friends,
There is a lot happening with the Berkshire BPW, even during this challenging time. I am excited to share the highlights of our news with you.
First, save the date! We will be honoring DA Andrea Harrington as our 2020 Woman of Achievement on Monday, September 21st. It is going to be super: fun, creative and productive! Please see a complete run-down of activities in this newsletter, including how you can help make the event a big success. Also, check out the website, for details and watch for our social media campaign. Share our posts with your friends and contribute to our auction with items from local businesses! We will be on LinkedIn, FaceBook and Instagram several times a week. The WOA Committee is headed up by Lynn Wallace. Sincere thanks to her and the whole WOA team, who are all dedicating significant time to this important endeavor.
Second, the Scholarship Committee, headed up by June Roy-Martin, is also gearing up to receive and vet applications for our scholarships. The application is now on the website. We are planning to award more scholarships this year and believe the program is more important than ever, during the pandemic. Many women will need education to redirect their careers.
Third, you won’t want to miss our FREE virtual meeting on August 3rd at 5:30. Gwendolyn VanSant will be leading a discussion on personal bias and racism. This is a critical topic for every one of us. The evening should be excellent.
Next, our Mentorship Committee, Co-Chaired by Karen Zink and Suzanne Engels, will be looking to expand and grow, now that we have been up and running since early spring. It is a wonderful learning experience to be both a mentor and mentee. Stay tuned for more info to come soon!
Next, we are looking for members who want their business or organization to be featured in our Monthly Member Spotlight, so submit your spotlight here. And please check out our Member Portal and add your profile today! Our email list is growing and this is a good way to get the word out about your business and to do business with women-owned businesses.
Lastly, I was so impressed with our last board meeting, which was of course, held virtually on Zoom. Our new board members attended and you could just feel the positive energy. It was so gratifying for me, personally. We have come a long way as a board and as an organization. I am honored and proud to lead this group. Thanks to all new and outgoing board members as well as to the dedicated board members who are staying on to serve.
Your Board of Directors for 2020-2021:
Kalee Carmel—President Elect, working alongside me
Karen Zink—Treasurer
Lynn Wallace and Beth Gilbert—Co-Chairs Programming
Deborah Gallant—VP Membership
Andrea Hurley and Mary Vasquez-Slack—Co-Chairs Communication
Liv D’Andrea—Secretary
Each new board member is being trained and responsibilities transitioned smoothly.
Thank you to all who have served and will cheer this team on from the sidelines!
Donna Collins, Gaye Weinberger and Gillette Connor—will be moving on in September
There is one opening in Membership, to work alongside Deborah. The role offers professional growth, getting to know fantastic women and some fun too. All board members get their membership FREE for the time they serve. If you are interested, please reach out to me at bbpwpresident@gmail.com.
I look forward to seeing you all on Monday, August 3rd!
Stay well.
All my best,
Celia
