(continued)
✓Certification. The cornerstone of our work.
In addition to being the most valued certifier of
o understand how, we can look to the 32
WBEs, we are looking at extending our reach into
companies recognized as our 2012 America’s
a broad range of businesses to fill the needs of our
Top Corporations for Women’s Business Entercorporate and government members.
prises that have collectively invested billions of
✓Opportunities. We create meaningful points
dollars by working with WBENC-certified
of connection among corporations, governments
WBEs.
and WBEs, from one-on-one matchmaking and
This investment
multi-tier meetis not only repreand-greets, to our
sented by “WBE
business fair as part
spend” but also by
of our National
the human capiConference &
tal of time and exBusiness Fair, the
pertise that these
largest and most
companies devote
sophisticated for
to WBE business
WBEs in the nadevelopment.
tion.
WBENC’s Top
✓Resources. We
Corporations exare in the unique
Stars and their RPO leaders (left to
row, seated:
hibit world-class WBENC 2013 WBEServices, Inc.; Ana Cristina Didonde,right): First CD LanguageTheresa Ghafari, position of being
president, G-TECH
president,
Solutions, Inc.;
practices in catalyz- Mary Singer, president, CRG Sustainable Solutions & Commercial Realty Group; Bev Gray, presi- a central resource
dent, E xhibit Edge, Inc.; Jamie Fletcher, CEO, Mach 1 Global Services, Inc.; Heather Sanderson,
ing WBE growth: president, Overture Premiums & Promotions, LLC; Diana Clemente, president, Big Apple Car, Inc., for best practices
Landry &
Jernigan, CEO & president, Trans-Expedite, Inc.,
commitment from Joyce Landry, CEO,president &Kling, Inc.; KeeliConstruction Services, LLC. Second row, standing: among our memand Traci Williams,
CEO, Crescent
the top, compa- Arlene Inch, chairman, Trans-Pak, Inc.; Geraldine Walker, president, Walker Transfer, Inc.; Rea bers and WBEs.
Waldon, executive director, Ohio River Valley - Women’s Business Council; Blanca Robinson, presiny-wide support dent, Women’s Business Enterprise Council South; Sandra Eberhard, executive director, Women We make these
Educational Organization-DC; Marsha Firestone, Ph.D., president &
for buying f rom Presidents’ Educational Organization-NY; Nancy Allen, president and CEO, Women’sfounder, Women p r a c t i c e s c o m e
Presidents’
Business DevelWBEs, and mea- opment Center-Florida; Debbie Hurst, president, Women’s Business Council-Southwest; Roz Lewis, alive by showcasCenter
surable goals. But executive director, Greater Women’s Business Council; Susan Rittscher, CEO & president,Towers, ing them in our infor Women & Enterprise; George Ehrgott, Communication Test Design Inc. (CTDI); Cindy
they also have pas- CEO, JurisSolutions, Inc., and Judith Malloy, managing partner, Polaris Direct.
teractive programs
sionate advocates who mentor WBEs to expand
and events, and in our dynamic online presence.
across geographies and business lines.
Our website engages and educates our community
WBE-to-WBE collaboration is also a gold mine
with our e-magazine President’s Report and our
of opportunity for women’s business growth. In our
Insights multimedia streams.
WBE Stars program, we have seen exciting alliances
✓Engagement. This is key to bringing all our
form such as a national logistics company partners
constituents and capabilities together. We strive to
with a corporate social responsibility expert to crestay fresh and forward-looking. Our community
ate a sustainability platform that is important to its
is growing in social media and in-person at our
corporate clients.
national events, our ongoing member meetings,
Our corporations reinforce this WBE collaboraand through the work of our invaluable Regional
tion by holding their prime suppliers to their own
Partner Organizations (RPOs).
high standards for diversity. Not only do our Top
For WBENC, the sum of our parts—our
Corporations encourage diverse hiring practices
CORE Values and our talented and visionary
for second and third tier suppliers, but they also
constituents—add up to a much greater whole.
make and nurture those connections so that they
As we Join Forces and Succeed Together, we
are valuable to the prime suppliers.
set the path to a strong and sustainable future
How does WBENC support all these initiatives?
for all.
◆
Our CORE Values—Certification, Opportunities,
Resources, and Engagement—uphold everything
Pamela Prince-Eason is the President and CEO of
we do.
Women’s Business Enterprise National Council.
enable WBE growth and jobs creation.
T
30
May/June 2013
MBE