Roslyn Ridgeway BPW/GA
BPW Foundation Chair
Roslyn Ridgeway is a seasoned executive and passionate activist for women’s rights. Prior to this position, she served as the national president of Business and Professional Women /USA. During her presidency, the Women Joining Forces: Closing Rank, Opening Doors program was successfully launched, to support the transition of women veterans upon their return from deployment.
In addition to her role with BPW Foundation, Ridgeway is a small business owner. She is the president and chief executive officer of De Roz Productions, Inc., an entertainment production company that specializes in artist management, entertainment production, and promotions.
In 2002, having overcome the challenges that many women face in the male-dominated entertainment business, Ridgeway founded the National Council of Women in Entertainment, Inc. which provides mentoring and networking opportunities for women working in the arts and entertainment. Ridgeway’s international affiliations include participating in the Tokyo Women’s Forum, the Liberian Conference, the South African Women’s Conference, the London Business Exchange, and the Beijing Women’s Conference.
All of these events gave her the platform to speak strongly on the areas of equality, women’s rights, and community leadership. She is an Executive Committee member of the National Council of Women’s Organizations (NCWO) and also participated as a member of the Institute of Women’s Policy Research Job Quality Advisory Group. Ridgeway became involved with BPW/USA in 1985 through a BPW local organization in Atlanta, as a representative of the Young Careerist program. She quickly climbed the ranks of the organization to become the president of BPW/GA. In 2003 she joined other BPW members and rang the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange in honor of the 75th anniversary of National Business Women’s Week.
Roslyn serves as Goodwill Ambassador for Georgia and Arkansas; an Outstanding Georgia Citizen and holds honorary citizenships in various states. Several counties in Georgia recognize May 17th, July 9th, and 16th as Roslyn Ridgeway Day. In 2011 she was selected to be a member of Who’s Who in Black Atlanta. Ridgeway, a graduate of Clark Atlanta University, resides in Atlanta, GA.
Leslie Wilkins BPW/HI
BPW Foundation Trustee
Leslie Wilkins serves as vice president for the Maui Economic Development Board, Inc. (MEDB).
Wilkins joined MEDB in 1999 to launch its Women in Technology Project and in June 2000 she was elected by MEDB’s Board of Directors to the position of vice president. Wilkins continues to direct the Women in Technology (WIT) Project which has grown from a Maui pilot to a national demonstration project, funded in part by the U.S. Departments of Labor, Education, and Agriculture.
Currently, the program serves a statewide constituency of more than 5,000 students, teachers, and industry members each year, including administering regional partnerships. The program’s mission is to recruit and retain girls/women and underrepresented groups into the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) pipeline. The WIT Project has garnered ‘best practices” recognition and received a 2005 International Economic Development Council multi-year performance award. It has also published more than a dozen papers in academic and education association conference proceedings.
Wilkins is a seasoned advocate for women in business, workplace equity, and economic development opportunities. She has served in state and national leadership roles with Business and Professional Women/USA (BPW/USA) for more than two decades, including national president and foundation chair. She was appointed by the governor for two terms on the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women and currently serves as chair. She also served as chair from 1996 – 2003. She is a board member of the Hawaii Women’s Fund. Prior professional experience includes a decade in the commercial banking industry and private practice consulting with non-profit organizations on program development, revenue diversification, and proposal writing.