Gratitude, Community, and Connections

As I end my term as President, I would like to express my humble appreciation to every member of NFBPWC for trusting me with the opportunity to serve you as a leader of this organization for two terms.  I have had the honor of serving as Vice President of Membership under two incredible National Presidents, Elizabeth Benham and Sandra Thompson.  Both women worked with me to understand the intricacies of BPW and inspired me to be a leader in service to our organization and its members.  I have served alongside two phenomenal Executive Committees over the past four years, and I am extremely proud of what we have been able to accomplish for NFBPWC.

Thank you to every member who dedicated time and experience as a Chair, a Taskforce Chair, or a Special Chair. Our organization thrives when we have full participation at the National level, and we have been fortunate to have inspirational leaders in these positions. The goals and aspirations of our members were boldly realized due to the commitment of these committees. Our success can be celebrated by all of us! We truly have cultivated connections and created a community in which business and professional women can thrive through education, advocacy, and unity.

NFBPWC exhibits the idea that collectively, our influence is stronger. We can accomplish more by raising our voices together and the women of today need to hear us. The women of tomorrow want to see us standing strong against misogyny, racism, violence, and injustice. We have the power to make a difference as we continue to honor our interconnectedness as humans, more specifically as women.

As we elect and appoint new leaders, I implore each of you to consider how you might have an opportunity to provide constructive input and to find your own unique path in this organization. This is a chance to develop your potential, and that of NFBPWC, in a safe and welcoming space. There is space to continue to bring your ideas, projects, and your own light forward.

Let us celebrate our successes as individuals and as an organization! Please accept my personal invitation to all NFBPWC members to join us at our Biennial Conference in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, or our Hybrid option, July 18-21, 2024. Look for details on our website: www.nfbpwc.org.

Thank you all for offering this unique and inspirational community experience to each other. It is one in which we can find solace and solutions. And let us not forget to be kind and accepting of each member’s journey in this organization as we endure these extraordinary moments of history (and herstory). NFBPWC will continue to Cultivate Connections, Create Community beyond this presidency. Sending personal wishes of celebration, health, and progress around the globe through the next biennium!

Kind Regards,

Megan Shellman-Rickard, NBPWC President (2020-2024)

The NFBPWC Executive Committee is proud to announce the inception of a new biennial membership award.
Introducing the
Lena Madesin Phillips Distinguished Member Award

The Lena Madesin Phillips Distinguished Member Award has been established to be the most prestigious honor bestowed upon members of our organization. This award will recognize an individual who has demonstrated exceptional dedication, leadership, and impact within the organization and beyond. The recipient of this award is an exemplary role model who has significantly contributed to the advancement of our mission and has made a lasting and meaningful difference in the lives of others.

You now have the opportunity to be a part of history by nominating a member to be considered for our very first Lena Madisen Phillips Distinguished Member Award; presented at our Biennial Conference. Please use the criteria below when considering your candidate.

*Nominations must be received by 11:59pm PT on July 1, 2024*

Nomination Criteria:

Candidates for the LMP Distinguished Member Award:

• must be a current member of NFBPWC for at least 2 years, in good standing;
• has made recent meaningful contributions to NFBPWC (via programming, advocacy, outreach, and leadership);
• has exemplified and embodied the attributes consistent with the mission statement of the organization;

Please refrain from nominating current Executive Committee members or Affiliate, State, or Federation Presidents.

Pride and Advocating for Equal Rights

As we celebrate the idea that “love is love” and recognize Pride Month, please take a moment to consider current events and how intricately interconnected we all are as members of the NFBPWC community. Writing one of my final President’s letters has me awash in many emotions about what it means to be a woman and a human rights advocate in the USA, and the world, in the 21^st century.

Members are stepping up across the nation as leaders both in the organization and in their own communities. We come from various backgrounds. Some of us are cisgender women, some identify as LGBTQAI+, some are mothers, some chose not to or could not become mothers, some members are men, some are religious (Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist), some are atheist or agnostic, most of us are daughters, all of us had mothers, and all of us joined the original working women’s organization, NFBPWC. Being unique individuals supporting our NFBPWC mission to develop the professional, business and leadership potential of women at all levels is what guides us. We are at a moment in history where we must stand together for our fundamental human rights, to be treated as whole complete citizens in the “We the People” of the United States of America.

During the past two terms, we have reinvigorated our organization. We have seen an incredible growth in membership and engagement. Women’s rights have become a table talk issue across the country. In simple interactions, when people find out about NFBPWC and the role in which I serve as president, I hear both hope and fear. Women, and girls, are no longer confident in their abilities to be autonomous human beings. I appreciate this organization, for so many reasons, and I recognize how important it is to have our history and our commitment to women’s rights so deeply valued. As you read through this month’s magazine, you will see that our members were touched by many of the issues that the month of May brought forward: reproductive justice and bodily autonomy, the Equal Rights Amendment (and the hope of full passage, finally), environmental concerns, LGBTQAI+ issues, Women on the Move, education, advocacy, and even the USPS.

Collectively, our influence is stronger. We can accomplish more by raising our voices together. The women of today need to hear us. The women of tomorrow want to see us standing strong against misogyny, racism, violence, and injustice. We have the power to make a difference as we continue to honor our interconnectedness as humans, more specifically as women.

Please remember, you have an opportunity to provide constructive input and to find your own unique path in this organization. This is a chance to develop your potential, and that of NFBPWC, in a safe and welcoming space. Please continue to bring your ideas, projects, and your own light forward. Let us celebrate our successes as individuals and as an organization! Please accept my personal invitation to all NFBPWC members to join us at our Biennial Conference in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, or our Hybrid option, July 18-21, 2024. Look for details on our website: www.nfbpwc.org.

We offer a community to each other, one in which we can find solace and solutions. And let us not forget to be kind and accepting of each member’s journey in this organization as we endure these extraordinary moments of history (and herstory). NFBPWC is truly living our theme for this biennium: Cultivate Connections, Create Community. Sending personal wishes of celebration, health, and progress around the globe! Pride and Advocating for Equal Rights

Kind Regards,

Megan Shellman-Rickard
NBPWC President (2020-2024)

Mental Health and Women’s Health Care

May is both Mental Health Awareness and Women’s Health Care Month. As women we often end up in the care taking role of those with mental health issues of all ages. There are many business and professional women who quietly juggle the mental health of their family members. There is still so much stigma attached to mental illness and it often results in a lack of discussion about the struggles that both caregivers and patients go through on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis. Mental illness often has a medical component to it, an underlying cause that results in complex treatment scenarios. According to the Mental Health Foundation, women are three times more likely to be diagnosed with a mental illness in their lifetime.

As an individual, I have more than a few close family members and friends struggling with mental health. Over the past few months, I have wondered what my peers would say if I let them know about my struggles as a caregiver in the same vein that we talk about other illnesses, like cancer. As a new mother, I struggled with postpartum depression, and I still deal with anxiety attacks. Let’s take this component of Women’s Health and put some light on it. It is my hope that our small community can try to reduce the stigma of mental health, at least within our organization.

Our organization has the propensity to inspire, empower, and connect members as we work together for gender equity. We can nurture our connections by starting with compassion, grace, and active listening. Members of this organization motivate others by finding a path in BPW that makes this community a vibrant part of their lives. A simple spark of an idea can turn into an international project, a national initiative, or an influential local program. As business and professional women, we can nurture each other’s ideas and potential while acknowledging our limitations. Our network connects us to phenomenal people and unique opportunities. We have a community of members on which we can rely for both expertise on subjects and ears to listen.

Please remember, you have an opportunity to provide constructive input and to find your own unique path in this organization. This is a chance to develop your potential, and that of NFBPWC, in a safe and welcoming space. Please continue to bring your ideas, projects, and your own light forward. Let us celebrate our successes as individuals and as an organization! Please accept my personal invitation to all BPW Michigan members to join us at our Biennial Conference in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, or our Hybrid option, July 18-21, 2024. Look for details on our website: www.nfbpwc.org.

We offer a community to each other, one in which we can find solace and solutions. And let us not forget to be kind and accepting of each member’s journey in this organization as we endure these extraordinary moments of history (and herstory). NFBPWC is truly living our theme for this biennium: Cultivate Connections, Create Community. Sending personal wishes of celebration, health, and progress around the globe!

Kind Regards,

Megan Shellman-Rickard

NBPWC President (2020-2024)

By: Sandra Thompson, NFBPWC’s Immediate Past President  

As we approach our Biennial Conference, I would like to encourage all of you to consider running for an office or volunteering to serve as a committee chair or on a committee.  It is a wonderful way to serve our organization, but the personal rewards are even more rewarding. 

I am going to share a little story that I like to help encourage you to serve. 

LESSONS OF THE GEESE 

In the fall, when you see geese heading south for the winter, flying along in the “V” formation, you might be interested in knowing what science has discovered about why they fly that way. It has been learned that as each bird flaps his wings it creates uplift to the bird immediately following.  

By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. 

Quite similar to people who are part of a team and share a common direction get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the trust of one another and lift one another along the way.  

Whenever a goose falls out of formation it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go through it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the power of the flock. 

If we have as much sense a goose, we will stay in formation and share information with those who are headed in the same way that we are going.  

When the lead goose gets tired, he rotates back in the formation and another goose takes over. 

It pays to share leadership and take turns doing hard jobs. 

The geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. 

Words of support and inspiration help energize those on the front line helping them to keep pace in spite of the day-to-day pressures and fatigue. 

It is important that our honk is encouraging otherwise it’s just a ..well.. just honking. 

Finally when a goose gets sick or is wounded and falls out, two geese fall out of the formation and follow the injured one down to help and protect him until he is either able to fly or until he is dead. 

Then they launch out with another formation to catch up with their group. When one of us is down, it’s up to the others to stand by us in our time of trouble.  

If we have the sense of a goose, we’ll stand by each other when things get rough.  We will stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. 

The next time you see a formation of geese remember their message... That it is Indeed a Reward, a Challenge, and a Privilege to be a contributing member of a team!    Author unknown  

Lifelong, Leadership & Learning Report 

THREE LIFELONG LEADERSHIP & LEARNING WEBINARS 

FREE ~ Open to All  Registration Open! 

Via Zoom: April 23, May 28, June 25 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM Eastern Time (register for each event) 

Presented by Kathy Kelly, NFBPWC Vice President and Nancy Werner, NFBPWC Facilitator 

These facilitator-led education and training webinars build relevant personal and professional leadership skills to keep you current in the workplace, community, and the world.  Funded and sponsored by BPW/MD, these courses are updated versions of the Individual Development Program (IDP) that was offered to BPW members years ago.  NFBPWC's Lifelong Leadership & Learning (L3) Committee has worked hard to bring us these current modules. 

Tuesday, April 23: Business Etiquette – Representing Yourself and Your Organization Well - Provides guidelines and protocols used in business settings that include verbal and written communication, meetings and exhibiting a professional image. (Recording available upon request.)   

Tuesday, May 28: Setting Goals for Personal and Professional Success - No matter what your age or stage in your career, learn how to establish and create strategies to develop and break down a goal into executable steps. Register at:  https://nfbpwc.wildapricot.org/event-5708529 

Tuesday, June 25: Being an Effective Negotiator - Learn how to negotiate in every human interaction including dealing with difficult situations and people.  Negotiation theory, elements, techniques, and practice scenarios.  Negotiate your position, your salary, and your future with confidence.  Register at:  

https://nfbpwc.wildapricot.org/event-5708553

By: Sondra Nunez, NFBPWC Secretary 2022-2024 Hello fellow NFBPW sisters! 

As the end quarter of the 2022-2024 term approaches, I sometimes feel overwhelmed and frustrated because there is so much I want to do, and don’t know how to make the time to do it. When these feelings wash over me, I turn to one of my favorite poems, as it reminds me that ups and downs and twists and turns are a natural part of the journey of life. If you are feeling lost or unsure, may these words bring you hope.  

Don’t Quit by Edgar Guest  

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, when the road you're trudging seems all uphill, when the funds are low and the debts are high, and you want to smile but you have to sigh, when care is pressing you down a bit - rest if you must, but don't you quit. 

Life is queer with its twists and turns. As everyone of us sometimes learns. And many a fellow turns about when he might have won had he stuck it out. 

Don't give up though the pace seems slow - you may succeed with another blow. Often the goal is nearer than it seems to a faint and faltering man;

Often the struggler has given up when he might have captured the victor's cup; and he learned too late when the night came down, how close he was to the golden crown.  

Success is failure turned inside out - the silver tint of the clouds of doubt, and when you never can tell how close you are, it may be near when it seems afar; so stick to the fight when you're hardest hit - it's when things seem worst, you must not quit. 

By: Daneene Monroe Rusnak, 2^nd Vice President of Advocacy, NFBPWC 2020-2024 

Advocacy Committee Calls for Platform Proposals  

Our Biennial Assembly is fast approaching and we are looking forward to gathering together again. As a reminder, the Biennial Assembly is also the time for us to review and update our advocacy platform.  

Chapters/Affiliates/Federations 

interested in proposing changes have until May 25^th to submit their request(s) via our online submission form.  

Click the link or scan the QR code  https://bit.ly/2024AdvocacyPlatformProposalForm 

SCOTUS and Mifepristone

On March 26, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine (AHM), otherwise known as the abortion pill case. There appear to be reasons to be optimistic but we can’t take anything for granted in this “post-Roe era”.  

 

Some of the Justices’ lines of questioning appear to indicate there are concerns with: 

• a nationwide injunction of a medication 

• whether AHM truly has the right to sue 

• the lack of real examples of harm caused by the medication  

• whether this case could destroy the FDA’s drug regulating system for medications, vaccines, etc.  

View the replay of the oral arguments (with highlights denoted) here 

Discharge Petition Update

Representative Gabe Vasquez [D-NM-2] added his signature to HJ Res 25. We now have 211 signatures on the discharge petition and only need 7 more signatures. Please continue to spread the word and encourage other representatives to sign. 

Are you curious about which legislators have signed the discharge petition and which legislators we still need to encourage?  You can check this list to see who the current signatories are. 

Here’s some suggested verbiage when connecting with your representative about the Discharge Petition for HJ Res 25=>  

Suggested Verbiage for Discharge Petition Support 

Share this information with folks you know who are constituents of the representatives who have not yet signed. 

Reminders: 

• Don’t forget to use our digital advocacy platform to show your support for the ERAand Voting Rightswhile encouraging your MOC’s to do the same! You can complete these actions multiple times. Consider making it a weekly (or daily?????) habit. The more messages received, the more they listen…..and hopefully, take favorable action! 

• Sign up for our Advocacy Text Alerts oText the keyword “advocate1919” to the number 313131 

▪You should instantly receive a “Welcome” message oIf you do NOT receive a Welcome message, try texting the keyword “advocate1919” to the number 716-271-7872 

If neither of those options work, please email VP of Advocacy, Daneene Monroe Rusnak at vpadvocacy@nfbpwc.org 

Renewal, Transformation, and Growth

Each season brings us a new perspective. Spring, for me, has always been a time of renewal, transformation, and growth. All the seeds of information and empowerment that were planted through the winter months are ready to sprout. NFBPWC leaders work tirelessly to bring our membership engaging and intriguing content throughout the year with a focus on learning more in the downtime of the winter months. Our online meetings continue to attract new people and ideas. NFBPWC members utilize the darker times of the year to discover ways to improve themselves both personally and professionally and prepare for growth as the season changes to summer. Our organization has offered these opportunities for over 5 years, as we had already adopted the online meeting platform long before many organizations when the pandemic hit in 2020.

Our event, Global Collaboration to Tackle Period Poverty, at this year’s United Nations 68^th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) garnered more than 100 participants, over 70 people attended in-person. Congratulations to Young BPW Executive, Emily VanVleck, on a successful event and a huge amount of appreciation for all her hard work. A special thank you to BPW Canada, specifically Karin Gorgerat, for partnering with NFBPWC for this year’s event. Addition thanks to BPW Canada for including Past National President Sandra Thompson and President Megan Shellman-Rickard to receive delegate passes to the United Nations for this year’s CSW event. Congratulations to our Young BPW member, Djenabou Bah, for presenting on behalf of BPW International’s Young BPWs. NFBPWC had great representation at this year’s CSW event, and we look forward to including even more members in 2025!

Upcoming events for the National organization are not quite slowing down yet. In the month of April we have “Pitch Like a Pro” presented by the Entrepreneur and Small Business Committee on April 10^th (https://www.nfbpwc.org/event-5266589), “Earth Day Café” celebrating Earth Day presented by the Environment and Sustainable Development Committee on April 22^nd (https://www.nfbpwc.org/event-5592088), and the annual Heart of a Woman Conference in partnership with the Houston Methodist Hospital and the Health Committee on April 27^th (https://www.nfbpwc.org/event-5687048). Please take a moment to check your schedule and participate as a member. Supporting our committees and the hard work put into these events only serves to strengthen our organization now and in the future.

Our organization has the propensity to inspire, empower, and connect members as we work together for gender equity. We can nurture our connections by starting with compassion, grace, and active listening. Members of this organization motivate others by finding a path in BPW that makes this community a vibrant part of their lives. A simple spark of an idea can turn into an international project, a national initiative, or an influential local program. As business and professional women, we can nurture each other’s ideas and potential while acknowledging our limitations. Our network connects us to phenomenal people and unique opportunities. We have a community of members on which we can rely for both expertise on subjects and ears to listen.

Let us take a moment as we celebrate Earth Day, and this beautiful world in which we live, to remember that all of the members of this organization do their part to make a difference. We offer a community to each other, one in which we can find solace and solutions. And let us not forget to be kind and accepting of each member’s journey in this organization as we endure these extraordinary moments of history (and herstory).

Please remember, you have an opportunity to provide constructive input and to find your own unique path in this organization. This is a chance to develop your potential, and that of NFBPWC, in a safe and welcoming space. Please continue to bring your ideas, projects, and your own light forward. Let us celebrate our successes as individuals and as an organization!

NFBPWC is living our theme for this biennium: Cultivate Connections, Create Community. Sending personal wishes of celebration, health, and progress around the globe!

Kind Regards,

Megan Shellman-Rickard, NBPWC President (2020-2024)

By: Sandra Thompson, NFBPWC’s Immediate Past President  

I am sure you all know who Alice Paul is, but do you know much about her.   She was a suffragist, feminist, and political strategist.  I thought I would share a little about her since at our Biennial Meeting in July on Friday afternoon, we will be visiting her house.  This trip is included in your registration.  If you are like me, 

you enjoy visiting old houses and finding out about the people who lived there.   Especially ones who did so much to advance women’s rights. 

Alice Paul was the architect of some of the most outstanding political achievements on behalf of women in the 20th century. Born on January 11, 1885, to Quaker parents in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, Alice Paul dedicated her life to the single cause of securing equal rights for all.  

A leader in the fight to ratify the 19th Amendment in 1920 to extend voting rights to women, Alice Paul authored the Equal Rights Amendment 1923 and spent the rest of her life fighting for its ratification to ensure the U.S. Constitution protects women and men equally. 

Alice Paul attended a Quaker school in nearby Moorestown. She graduated first in her class in 1901.  As Paul said years later, “When the Quakers were founded…one of their principles was, and is, equality of the sexes.  So, I never had any other idea…the principle was always there.”  The Quaker belief that women and men were equal, something of an anomaly for the time period, undoubtedly accounts for the number of Quakers active in the fight for suffrage.  Both Susan B. Anthony and Lucretia Mott, leaders of the early suffrage movement, were Quakers whom Paul admired and considered role models. 

After spending some time in England, Paul returned to the United States imbued with the radicalism of the English suffrage movement and a determination to reshape and re-energize the American campaign for women’s enfranchisement.  She joined the National American Women’s Suffrage Association (NAWSA), one of the leading national organizations working for women’s suffrage.  

In 1912, Alice Paul joined her NAWSA colleagues Lucy Burns and Crystal Eastman in a move to Washington, D.C. With little funding and in true Pankhurst style, Paul and Burns quickly got to work organizing a publicity event guaranteed to gain maximum national attention.  The well-matched pair designed a massive and elaborate parade for thousands of women to march up Pennsylvania Avenue on March 3, 1913, the day prior to the inaugural parade of President-elect Woodrow Wilson. 

Although both NAWSA’s president Carrie Chapman Catt and Alice Paul shared the goal of universal suffrage, their political strategies greatly differed.  Where NAWSA concentrated a majority of its effort upon state campaigns, Paul wanted to focus all energy and funding to advance a constitutional amendment. 

The divergent strategies led to tension between Alice Paul and NAWSA leadership and in 1914, after initially forming a semi-autonomous group called the Congressional Union, Paul and those who supported the strategy for a constitutional amendment severed ties to NAWSA. Two years later, in 1916, Paul and her supporters formed a new party, the National Woman’s Party (NWP). The NWP moved quickly to organize public events to bring attention to their work.  In 1917, the NWP organized the first public picketing in front of the White House in the nation’s history. Until that moment, no one had dared to publicly protest the President of the United States in such a manner. 

 

Called the “Silent Sentinels” because they stood quietly, not speaking or interacting with passersby, groups of women stood outside the gates of the White House, six days per week no matter the weather. 

Over the course of weeks, 168 suffragists were arrested, and sent to jail or prison if they refused to pay the fines or admit guilt. While in jail, Alice and the suffragists demanded to be treated as political prisoners, in accordance with the English suffragette methodology. Officials ignored their request, leading Paul and several suffragists to begin a hunger strike. As she had experienced during her hunger strikes in England, prison officials began brutal forced feedings of the suffragists, sometimes done three times per day. 

Toward the end of 1917, President Wilson, facing increased pressure and growing criticism of the suffragists’ treatment in prison, reversed his position and announced his support for a suffrage amendment as a “war measure.” In the following months, Wilson met with members of Amidst growing support, in 1919, members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate voted to pass the 19th Amendment and sent it to the states for ratification.  

THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT 

Many suffragists left public life and activism after the 19th Amendment was enacted, but Alice Paul was not among them. She believed the true battle for legally protected gender equality had yet to be won. With an eye to championing another constitutional amendment, Paul pursued and earned three law degrees (LL.B., LL.M. and D.C.L.) to better understand how legislation and laws were drafted and passed. With this knowledge, she wrote the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in 1923. It was introduced to Congress the same year but has yet to be ratified to the U.S. Constitution.  Current efforts to ratify the ERA center upon passing legislation in both houses of Congress to remove the time limit assigned to the ratification of the ERA in 1972. 

Alice Paul’s life is a vibrant demonstration that one person can truly make a lasting difference. On July 9, 1977, Alice Paul died at the age of 92 in Moorestown, New Jersey, a short distance from her birthplace and family home of Paulsdale.  

On the centennial of her birth in 1985, the Alice Paul Institute (API) was founded to honor her legacy and continue the fight for equality for all. Headquartered at Paulsdale, which is now a National Historic Landmark, API is dedicated to preserving Paulsdale, advancing women’s history, and supporting the next generation of female leaders to develop their unique leadership style. 

The Alice Paul Institute educates and encourages women and girls to be leaders in their communities and leads national advocacy efforts to advance Alice Paul’s vision for constitutionally protected gender equality through the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. 

To find out more about the Alice Paul Institute visit their website alicepaul.org. 

By: Sondra Nunez, NFBPWC Secretary 2022-2024 

On April 2, 2024, I will turn 56 years old and fulfill a lifelong dream of flying to  Florence Italy on that exact date. In honor of all who are celebrating birthdays this  month, I offer the following wish for you.