October 9, 2014 was an exciting day. It was the day that the ABWA Crescent City Connections Express Network was officially chartered, marking the organization’s return to New Orleans following a nine year absence. You see, there had been six ABWA leagues in the Greater New Orleans area. However, after the storm that ripped apart our city, all six leagues disbanded.
I’m please to say that ABWA is back in New Orleans, and growing quickly! I remember receiving an email via LinkedIn regarding the formation of a new ABWA league in New Orleans and was immediately interested. The nation-wide organization’s mission statement says it all: “The mission of the American Business Women’s Association is to bring together business women of diverse occupations and to provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others grow personally and professionally through leadership, education, networking support and national recognition.”
This was an organization of which I wanted to be a part, so I attended the first formation committee meeting held at a small coffee shop. Over the next couple of months, the formation committee expanded and eventually, leadership positions were filled. I accepted the position of Formation Committee Chair, and was very pleased that some very talented ladies joined the leadership team, as we found ourselves working nearly around the clock for the next few months in preparation to become an officially chartered league. I am happy to say that I can now call this seven ladies my friends.
We had our official kick-off event on July 10th at Ralph Brennan’s Heritage Grill, which is now where we meet on the second Thursday of each month (unless there is a holiday conflict) from 11:00 – 1:00. Our meetings always include a wonderful program on topics ranging from crafting an effective elevator speech (which will be this month’s topic) to mastering social media. I believe that as our league grows, we, the members and leaders, will grow both personally and professionally.
I have now been sworn in as President of the Crescent City Connections Express Network, and I am joined by Rachel Nunez, President-Elect, Christi Felder, Vice President of Best Practices, Jodi Archer, Vice President of Finance, Karyn Kingsbery-Grigsby, Vice President of Communication, Kim Hasney, Vice President of Programming, Lyndsey Graham, Vice President of Membership, and Wendy Dolan, Vice President of Marketing and PR.
Our league boasts forty-three Charter Members and we are growing each month. This is a wonderful time to get involved, as there are many leadership and committee opportunities. Further, during this growth phase, building relationships with your fellow members will come so naturally, as we all work hard to make the most of our membership.
For more information, like our Facebook page, join our LinkedIn group, or send me an email (Charlotte@dev.rent-a-nerd.net). Our next meeting is next Thursday, November 13th, and here’s a link to Eventbrite if you’d like to register. We are pleased that ABWA New Orleans is now a reality!
