During National Business Women’s Week 2014, Business and Professional Women’s (BPW) Foundation honors and salutes extraordinary women who epitomize what it means to be a woman leader in the workplace. This year, BPW Foundation has selected five outstanding women who are truly Working Women Helping Women Work®. The awardees are: Dixie L. Arthur, Meredith K. Rollins, Graciela Tiscareño-Sato, Dr. Irene Trowell-Harris, and Dr. Scena B. Webb.

October 20 – 24, 2014 marks the 86th anniversary of National Business Women’s Week (NBWW), a national BPW Foundation signature event that recognizes the achievements of working women throughout history. This year, President Obama, as every President since Herbert Hoover has also done, issued a message during NBWW celebrating the important contributions made by working women to our economy and country. He noted that women are “creating products services that enrich our lives and strengthen our communities.”

During NBWW, BPW Foundation singles out extraordinary women at the national and local level who epitomize what it means to be a woman leader in the workplace. Among their many accomplishments, this year’s awardees each have the distinction of helping women veterans successfully transition from military to civilian life.

In a letter sent to each woman noting her achievement, Roslyn Ridgeway, BPW Foundation Chair thanked them for their “ongoing leadership supporting working women and women veterans.” Noting that their “leadership both demonstrates and validates the mission of NBWW, which calls attention to women business leaders and entrepreneurs, facilitates discussions on the needs of working women and their families, shares information about successful workplace policies, and raises awareness of resources available for women in their communities.”

Ridgeway said, “We salute you for your leadership, determination, and effective efforts to help women who have served our country, and for your hard work on behalf of all working women. We applaud you for your important achievement and your many successes over the years.”

The awards will be presented at the BPW Foundation – REDBOOK Women Veterans Career Development Forum, to be held on Monday, November 10th at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial in Arlington, VA.  This will be an exciting day, focusing on career readiness skills for women who have served our country, and will showcase accomplishments of the NBWW awardees as successful examples of what women veterans can achieve. Here is a link to short biographies of the five women awardees.

About BPW Foundation:  With a legacy dating back to 1919, BPW Foundation was the first foundation dedicated to conducting research and providing information on working women. The mission of BPW Foundation is to promote systematic change in the workplace by strengthening the capacity of organizations and businesses to create environments that are inclusive and value the skills and contributions of working women, empowering them to achieve their full potential.   

About National Business Women’s Week: Since its creation in 1928, the NBWW has been sponsored by Business and Professional Women to recognize and honor the achievements of working women throughout history. BPW members and BPW Foundation call attention to the leadership of working women and local women entrepreneurs, facilitate discussions on the needs of working women, share information about successful workplace policies and raise awareness of resources available for women in their communities. NBWW is celebrated by BPW Local Organizations and their local communities across the country.