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Hello YBPWers! Introducing Emily VanVleck!!

28 Aug 2022 11:35 AM | Lea-Ann W. Berst (Administrator)

Hello YBPWers!

For those who do not yet know me, I’m Emily VanVleck, your newly elected Young BPW Chair for 2022-2024. Although she will always be an honorary YBPW, Ashley Maria is no longer technically YBPW (read her goodbye letter here!), so I have the honor of taking over this role and representing us on our Executive Committee. I’d like to thank Ashley Maria for forging this path for us and advocating for equal representation of Young BPW in the US.

Emily VanVleck, YBPWC ChairA little about me and my journey with NFBPWC:

I am an Oregon native and have been living in New York for five years. Professionally, I have worked as a flight attendant for eight years. During the Covid Pandemic, I took a break from my career and returned to school to complete my bachelor’s degree. I graduated from the City College of New York in June 2022, majoring in international studies with a double minor in public policy and human rights. I am passionate about advancing human rights and creating a more equitable world for all.

I started with NFBPWC in the NYC chapter as their Advocacy/UN intern summer 2021. I was excited to be working with such a historic organization dedicated to women’s equality, and I was intrigued by the consultative status with the UN. I have had quite the journey since joining NFBPWC last year! I have helped found and lead the Afghan Women Project, the subsequent Women on the Move committee, and have been appointed the YBPW Representative for NYC. Now I take on my most exciting role as part of the National Executive Committee! I am proof that you can do pretty incredible things with your NFBPWC membership.

My mission for this term:

I was excited to join NFBPWC, however, once I was a member, I wasn’t exactly sure what was going on or how I could get more involved. It wasn’t until the start of the Afghan Women Project that I felt I was engaging with the organization. This is why my first goal as YBPW Chair is to help you find ways to engage with the organization and make the most of your membership – whatever that means for you!

  • Do you want to create projects and advocacy campaigns that make a difference for young women? I’m here to help!
  • Do you want to hang out and chat with fellow young professionals and students? Let’s chat!
  • Do you have specific professional skills you’d like to develop? I will work with the L3 committee to set it up!

Young BPW night out

We all joined NFBPWC for a reason – I want to know your reason.

My next goal as YBPW Chair is to get more YBPW in leadership positions and working on committees. I helped create the Afghan Women Project because I wanted to help people. Not only has the work I have done been incredibly rewarding, but it has also been great for my resume and expanded my professional network. I have no doubt that it will one day help me land my dream job. I want to help each of you get the same value out of this organization as I have.

I want our organization to be a force to be reckoned with.

NFBPWC founders helped pass the Equal Pay Act prohibiting pay discrimination based on sex and ensuring equal pay for equal work. That is the prestige and power I hope to see restored to NFBPWC. I want us to be known as an organization that makes things happen.

  • I plan to strengthen our collaborations with like-minded organizations and increase our presence at the UN,
  • I hope to accomplish this by creating more projects focused on issues facing business and professional women, like the Afghan Women Project, and 
  • I plan to attend more youth conferences where we can network with our fellow youths and learn about organizations working towards similar goals.

Lastly, I want to increase our YBPW and NFBPWC student members. I started this organization as an intern, then became a student member. I am now sitting on the Executive Committee as a full member. Student memberships are beneficial for our entire organization. We must make this organization more attractive to students and work with our chapters across the US to implement more student membership programs.

I know these are ambitious goals, but I am dedicated to seeing them through. I look forward to working hard to create an organization that makes a real difference for women and attracts members who want to join our momentum.

I’d love to hear from you – what you hope to get from your NFBPWC membership, your future career goals, and any projects you’d like to start. Please reach out to me anytime and I look forward to meeting you soon!



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