REPORTNOVEMBER 2012

WBE SUCCESS STORIES:SUPERIOR STAFF

RESOURCESDOUBLETAKE STUDIOS

SMEAD MANUFACTURING

OPPORTUNITIES: INAUGURAL HR DIALOGUE

MULTI-TIER OPPORTUNITY CONNECTION AT THE 2013 SUMMIT

ERNST & YOUNG LLP ANNOUNCES 11 NATIONAL WINNERS OF

2012 ENTREPRENEURIAL WINNING WOMENTM PROGRAM

TOP CORPORATION BEST PRACTICES: PG&ETARGETPITNEY BOWES

PRESIDENTS REPORT

NGLCC 2012 10th Anniversary National Dinner: Beyond Expectations!November 16, 2012National Building MuseumWashington, District of ColumbiaClick here for details.

Doing Business with the City of ChicagoNovember 16, 2012Chicago City Hall, Bid and Bond RoomChicago, Ill.Click here for details.

Small Business Saturday November 24, 2012Click here for details.

AMAC Airports Economic Opportunity & Policy ForumDecember 2, 2012Hilton Americas HotelHouston, TexasClick here for details.

WPEO-DC Strategic Partnership WorkshopDecember 4, 2012Washington GasWashington, District of ColumbiaClick here for details.

WBDC-PA-DE-sNJ Annual Just Desserts CelebrationDecember 5, 2012The Union League of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, Pa.Click here for details.

WOSB 5 Percent Rule How to Navigate and Secure Federal ContractsDecember 6, 2012Womens Business Development Center ChicagoClick here for details.

WBDC-Florida Global Good AfternoonDecember 6, 2012Deerfield BeachDeerfield Beach, Fla.Click here for details.

WBECSouth Holiday Luncheon & Annual MeetingDecember 6, 2012New Orleans Marriott at the Convention CenterNew Orleans, La.Click here for details.

WBDCFlorida Annual Awards LuncheonDecember 7, 2012DoubleTree by Hilton Deerfield Beach - Boca RatonDeerfield Beach, Fla.Click here for details.

WBCSouthwest Architecture, Construction & Engineering (ACE) LuncheonDecember 13, 2012Purdy McGuireDallas, TexasClick here for details.

EDITORIAL TEAMEDITOR-IN-CHIEFPat Birmingham

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTAllison Gibson

PRODUCTION AND DESIGNLimb Design

PHOTOGRAPHYLinda JohnsonVisionista

WRITERSPaige AdamsSenior Director, Development & Corporate Relations

Kim JonesManager, Corporate Member Services

Brenda LoubePrincipal/Founder of Corporate Fitness Works

Jean PolingContributing Writer

Pamela Prince-EasonPresident & CEO

Lynthia RomneyRomneyCom, LLC

Candace WatermanChief of Staff

LaKesha WhiteSenior Compliance Manager

CALENDAR OF EVENTSTHIS CALENDAR INCLUDES EVENTS HOSTED BY WBENC'S REGIONAL PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS AND STRATEGIC PARTNERS. VISIT WBENC'S ONLINE CALENDAR FOR MORE EVENTS.

WWW.WBENC.ORG NOVEMBER EDITION 2012 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS: OCTOBER EDITION OF THE PRESIDENTS REPORT

CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE 4

FEATURES Top Corporation Best Practices: PG&E 5 Target 6 Pitney Bowes 8Government Spotlight: 12th Annual WBEC Great Lakes

Business Conference 10

CERTIFICATIONWBE Success Stories: Superior Staff Resources 12 Doubletake Studios 14 Smead Manufacturing 17

OPPORTUNITIESInaugural HR Dialogue 18Multi-Tier Opportunity Connection at the 2013 Summit 20 Ernst & Young LLP Announces 11 National Winners of 2012 Entrepreneurial Winning WomenTM Program 22

RECOGNITION WBDC Announces 2012 Advocacy Awards 24Black Enterprise 26Fortunes 50 Most Powerful Women 27

RESOURCES Maintain Campaign - Counteracting Obesity 28

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

Sincerely,Pamela Prince-EasonWBENC President and CEO

BE THANKFUL. BE SAFE. BE PREPARED. The last few weeks have been extremely challenging for many of our constituents, their families and colleagues due to Hurricane Sandy devastating the East Coast. The storm wreaked havoc, taking lives, destroying homes and closing businesses. Sandy left devastation in her wake, and the massive recovery effort is ongoing. Events such as hurricanes bring to a forefront the importance of preparedness and disaster recovery plans. Because of Sandy, thousands of businesses are dealing with the economic blow caused by power outages, physical damages and other circumstances that created a loss of profits.

Disasters on the order of magnitude of Sandy are rare and difficult to prepare for because it is not something you consider until faced with it. All of us need to take inventory and evaluate our preparedness. Being able to execute a formal recovery plan can minimize the impact of a natural disaster and aid in returning your life and your business back to normal in a timely manner. There are resources available to assist in building and implementing a disaster recovery plan such as the ones found on www.preparemybusiness.org. This site is a partnership between the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) and Agility Recovery Solutions, who are collaborating to encourage all small businesses to have a recovery plan in place. SBAs programs and services are targeted specifically to small businesses. Agility Recovery Solutions offers testable, turn-key disaster recovery solutions and business continuity services for small and mid-size businesses. Working together, SBA and Agility educate all businesses on the importance of recovery planning to ensure the business are able to remain open to service the needs of all communities. Risk mitigation should be a key component of your business plan. The plan should be developed, tested and implemented well before the threat of a disaster surfaces.

For our constituents who are still in recovery mode, there are many resources for you to draw upon for assistance. The SBA is playing a vital role in providing disaster recovery loans to business owners, home owners, and renters. The agency has already received over 290,000 applications for disaster assistance. The following excerpt from the SBA blog at http://www.sba.gov provides three avenues to obtain recovery assistance:

1. Businesses and nonprofit organizations of any size can apply for a low-interest disaster loan of up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged real estate or inventory.

2. Small businesses and nonprofit organizations of any size can apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), also up to $2 million. With all of the power outages and evacuations, SBA knows that many small businesses made it through the storm, but theyve lost significant amounts of business. In many cases, these businesses will be eligible for EIDL loans to help cover their working capital needs, regardless of whether the business suffered property damage.

3. Finally, homeowners can apply for loans of up to $200,000 to repair damaged real estate. Homeowners and renters can also apply to borrow up to $40,000 to repair or replace personal property damaged by the storm. In addition, the SBA can sometimes increase a loan by up to 20 percent to make structural improvements that lessen the risk of property damage by future disasters of the same kind.

Once a disaster declaration is made for your area, there are several ways to apply:

> Apply online at https://disasterloan.sba.gov > Visit a Disaster Recovery Center in your area: http://www.fema.gov/

disaster-recovery-centers > For information about the disaster loan process, or to

have an application mailed to you, you can either email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or call 1-800-659-2955. Those who are deaf, hard-of-hearing or speech-impaired can call 1-800-877-8339.

> To download an application, go here: www.sba.gov/disaster

If you are a survivor, its important to take that first step which is to register with FEMA, by calling 1-800-621-FEMA or going online to www.disasterassistance.gov on your computer or mobile device.

We encourage you to take advantage of all resources available to assist in rebuilding as well as to prepare for the ongoing continuity of your business.

The American Red Cross has deployed nearly 59,000 workers from all 50 states to operations from North Carolina to Rhode Island, with the majority still in Greater New York and throughout New Jersey. They have distributed over 3.5 million meals and 177,000 relief items such as clean up kits and hygiene kits. For information on the American Red Cross and how to either get assistance or make a donation to help those in need visit http://www.redcross.org.

The expedient manner in which many of our corporate members provided relief and support benefited many in the WBENC community. Going forward, we realize that a key priority in our own disaster recovery plan is to establish a readily available communications network to inform our constituents of resources available to them.

With Thanksgiving just a few days away, I am thankful that each and every one of you, your families and colleagues are here to enjoy this holiday and reflect on our many blessings. It is my sincere hope that your lives and businesses are back to normal as soon as possible.

84 LUMBER ASSISTS IN SANDY RECOVERY 84 Lumber, a WBENC certified women-owned business has substantial store operations in the states of New Jersey and New York and eastern Pennsylvania which also services the New Jersey markets. The stores located in the most impacted areas are accepting American Red Cross vouchers. Fortunately their stores received little if any damage and are all fully operational, and they have substantial building material supplies on hand, especially those for the immediate short term needs including products and materials to assist with the clean up.

84 Lumber has launched a web site specific to providing information regarding recovery from Sandy www.84sandyrecovery.com.

WWW.WBENC.ORG NOVEMBER EDITION 2012 5

FEATURES

TOP CORPORATION BEST PRACTICES: PG&E Identifying, Developing and Training WBEs for Growth

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) provides safe, reliable and affordable gas and electric services to 15 million people across northern and central California. To deliver on their core business while fulfilling their commitment to diversity, the utility created a best practice program to develop and integrate Womens Business Enterprises (WBEs) into their supply chain. This dedication resulted in PG&E being named a WBENC Top Corporation for WBEs for 2011.

PRESIDENTS REPORT

We have cultivated an impressive star bench of WBE suppliers and they enable us to deliver our promise to our customers, said Joan Kerr, Director of Supplier Diversity and Sustainability. Diverse suppliers not only provide a competitive advantage for PG&E, but they also are closely aligned with our values.

There are two core elements of the program. The first is PG&Es Supplier Development Program identifying Tier One and Tier Two suppliers that are poised to increase the size and the scope of work they do for PG&E. While the utility has been working with women-owned businesses for 31 years, it is purposefully expanding its reach to WBEs that have the capabilities to meet its needs but

may require some additional development to reach their fullest potential. Part of the Supplier Development Program includes diverse business mentorship. Executive mentors and a cross-functional team assess the WBEs strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and assist the supplier in building a plan to bridge any gaps. This additional support and mentorship helps create a strong foundation for WBEs to achieve that next level of success. For example, a WBE won a bid to provide environmental compliance support for a solar reconductoring project. However, careful analysis by the PG&E Mentor, a Director of Land and Environmental Management and a former business owner, raised some red flags. Even though the WBEs proposal presented the highest technical team at the lowest cost, the Executive Mentor was concerned that the project would be larger and more complex than anything the supplier had worked on before. PG&E took a proactive approach to preparing the WBE for success. First, the Executive Mentor asked the tough questions, such as how the WBE would be able to cover payroll on the multi-million dollar contract. Before awarding the contract, the Executive Mentor and cross-functional team took extra steps to make sure that the WBE had funds to do so, and even negotiated an early payment discount in exchange for net 15-day payment terms.

Another approach the utility has taken when working with a WBE for the first time is to start with a small contract, and then grow the relationship based on that initial success. PG&E needs to make sure that a WBE

can work within its culture and under the requirements of Federal and State regulations. These requirements include those that protect the environment an ever-present factor in the California watershed where PG&E operates.

The second core element is PG&Es Technical Assistance program. In addition to workshops on topics from accessing capital to achieving ISO Certification, it has launched these innovations:

> Trade Missions to Industry Tradeshows to provide education and increase opportunities for WBEs across the power generation industry. Last year, PG&E offered over 50 technical assistance scholarships to diverse business enterprises to attend the tradeshows at HydroVision International (Hydro), RAPID (Nuclear) and Power-Gen International (Fossil, Nuclear, Renewable, Hydro).

> Advanced Technology Management Institute, a University of California emerging technologies incubation program that PG&E is funding so that diverse businesses can grow into emerging technology and cutting edge spend areas.

PG&E also has a supplier conference recognizing outstanding companies who have partnered with PG&E to provide safe and reliable gas and electricity throughout northern and central California. A number of winners at the supplier conference awards ceremony were WBEs. The Winner of the 2012 Gas Operations Supplier of the Year was Gas Transmission Services (GTS), a woman-owned business who efficiently engineered over 80 strength tests in 2012 covering over 170 miles of pipeline and located records for over 25 miles of transmission pipeline. GTS contributed to public safety by reducing the time it took to complete gas pipeline hydro-tests. They also reduced impacts to the environment by eliminating and shortening 29 hydro-tests. Finally, GTS stimulated economic growth in California by hiring 114 people from within the state for PG&E projects. Another minority, woman-owned company winner was MJ Avila Company, Inc., named 2011 Green Supplier of the Year. MJ Avila conducted site preparation for a photovoltaic (PV) solar power plant. They enabled PG&E to achieve waste reduction goals by recycling 95% of all materials for the project including 220 tons of metal and glass and 606 tons of concrete. Our Supplier Awards Conference has provided visibility to the great work our diverse suppliers are doing for us and the value they provide as our partners, Kerr said.

To learn more about PG&E visit www.pge.com.

Joan Kerr Director of Supplier Diversity and Sustainability

FEATURES

TOP CORPORATION BEST PRACTICES: TARGET From Partnerships to Placement How Womens Business

Enterprises Products Reach the Retail Shelves

Under its signature red bullseye logo, millions of Americans have learned to Expect More. Pay Less. at Target, the retail giant known for delivering design and value to a broad population of guests, the companys engaging name for its customers.

What they may not know is that Target is also dedicated to cultivating a diverse

array of suppliers to provide many of the products that contribute to its brand. This

commitment earned it a place on WBENCs list of Americas Top Corporations for

Womens Business Enterprises for 2011.

Target seeks out offerings that its guests expect, including those from diverse

suppliers. After all, many of their guests are moms shopping for their families and

themselves. We recognize the importance WBEs play in delivering our brand promise to our guests, said Luke Witt, manager of Supplier Diversity at Target. Our Supplier Diversity team works hard to identify and connect strong diverse suppliers with the appropriate decision makers here at Target.

To identify such companies, Targets Supplier Diversity team covers the landscape,

searching for promising WBE and diverse suppliers at industry trade shows and events

across the country.

At one such event, the Bronner Brothers Hair Care Show in Atlanta, Kathy Mazon,

Senior Business Development Lead, Supplier Diversity at Target, connected with

the owners of Mixed Chicks, a hair care company with a loyal following that creates

shampoos, conditioners and other products for people with textured hair. Once the

offerings were deemed a fit and the relationship was established, Mixed Chicks was

encouraged to become WBENC-certified and is now on Target shelves.

The Target Supplier Diversity team also serves as a resource and provides guidance to

WBEs seeking opportunities to present their companies to Target.

WWW.WBENC.ORG NOVEMBER EDITION 2012 7

To help with this, Targets Supplier Diversity team uses the network of brokers that

have been supporting Target merchandising for years. These brokers understand the

company culture, processes and vendor expectations and are able to liaise between the

WBEs and the buyers, helping WBEs optimize their presentations when an opportunity

has been identified to present to decision makers.

Target Supplier Diversity has developed a process for using the broker network to

advance WBE consideration, growth and success. The brokers are experts on various

categories of merchandise. They understand the buyers product objectives, as well

as the financial requirements, and can help WBEs develop strategies and programs to

meet them.

The Target Supplier Diversity team refers prospective suppliers interested in exploring this

path for consideration to a list of brokers, and then lets them make their own match. Once

a connection is made, the broker coaches the supplier on how to best present to the buyer

in that category, based on the buyers overall strategy and objectives. Brokers know the

competition and timing for line reviews, and are able to advise what the supplier needs to

do to ensure that their products are safe and meet Targets requirements.

While the product may initially be tested in a limited number of Target stores, the broker

can assist the WBE in taking on larger orders if the test proves successful. A brokers

advice can be granular, as well as strategic, helping WBEs with tasks such as the

vendor set-up process, the item set-up process and electronic data interchange (EDI)

requirements. Brokers are valued partners to Target merchants throughout the

entire process.

Target has been a WBENC corporate member for nine years and actively supports the

mission of advancing the success of WBEs. Target is continuing to demonstrate its

commitment by serving as co-chair of the WBENC 2013 National Conference & Business

Fair, along with The Coca-Cola Company. Target and The Coca-Cola Company are vendor

partners who not only share a strong commitment to women-owned businesses, but also

an affinity for memorable red logos!

Minneapolis, home to Targets headquarters, is itself a vibrant, diverse metropolis known

for innovative brands. It also lays claim to a rich concentration of Fortune 500 companies

that will benefit from learning about WBENC at the 2013 National Conference & Business

Fair. In turn, WBEs will benefit from meeting so many major corporations.

More about TargetIn addition to providing high-quality, on-trend merchandise at attractive prices in clean,

spacious and guest-friendly stores, Target operates an online business, Target.com,

and will be opening its first stores in Canada in the spring of 2013. To learn more, visit

www.target.com.

Kathy MazonSenior Business Development Lead, Supplier Diversity at Target

PRESIDENTS REPORT

FEATURES

TOP CORPORATION BEST PRACTICES: Pitney Bowes Building a Culture to Support Womens Business Growth

As a leading provider of customer communication technologies, Pitney Bowes helps businesses communicate more effectively in a multi-channel environment. The company takes a customer-centric approach to providing software, equipment and services that enable the connections that lead to long-term relationships and drive profitable growth.

This model could also be said to inform the thoughtfully designed program Pitney Bowes has built to engage stakeholders from across the organization in procurement, the businesses and supplier diversity and advance opportunities for womens business enterprises (WBEs).

With the top-down commitment of Chairman and CEO Murray D. Martin, Pitney Bowes is developing a culture of engagement and ownership in the success of womens and diverse businesses. The company was recognized for its achievements when it was named a WBENC Top Corporation for Womens Business Enterprises for 2011.

Its exciting to see the quantum leaps that we have made in integrating our work to advance womens businesses into the business decisions of key stakeholders in the company, said Laura Taylor, Vice President of Strategic Sourcing and Procurement Operations,and Chair of the WBENC Board of Directors.

Lawrence Wooten, Manager, Supplier Diversity, drives a continual process of education and awareness among decision makers at the company. He has created a network of procurement officers and category managers who understand the benefits of working with women and diverse suppliers and are interested in increasing their spend with them. Concurrently, Wooten has worked to develop spend targets for every function and category so that progress can be measured accurately.

Given our long history of diversity and inclusion at Pitney Bowes, it is embedded in our DNA, Wooten said. For over 60 years we have taken action to make sure that our employees, suppliers and partners reflect the diversity of our global markets. We depend on the quality of our supply chain to deliver what our over 2 million customers need. The innovation and expertise of our diverse women and minority supplier partners enhances our competitiveness and agility in delivering our products and services. We also understand that as we do business with women and minority businesses we are fueling employment and economic opportunity in the communities in which we serve.

Laura TaylorVice President of Strategic Sourcing and Procurement Operations, and Chair of the WBENC Board of Directors

WWW.WBENC.ORG NOVEMBER EDITION 2012 9

Over the last year he has been cultivating this collaborative network of stakeholders, reaching out to decision makers and attending sales meetings to get the associates involved. To make his interactions relevant and meaningful, Wooten focused his conversations on the specific needs of each business and how sourcing innovative WBEs could create solutions.

He has also been pulled into projects where the client has expressed interest in a WBE or diverse supplier team.

Our customer-centric approach means that we are able to deliver on these kinds of requests with the can-do attitude, flexibility and service that our WBEs provide, he added.

To further advance the internal education process, and at the same time broaden its pool of talented WBE and MBE prospective suppliers, Pitney Bowes hosted its second annual Supplier Diversity Summit earlier this year and attracted some 150 attendees including 75 suppliers.

CEO Martin kicked off the day with a declaration of Pitney Bowes commitment to the program. Diversity and inclusion are business imperatives for us, he said.

Among other speakers were Accentures Chief Procurement Officer Al Williams who spoke on the value that diverse businesses bring to a global enterprise, and WBENC President and CEO Pamela Prince-Eason who addressed the importance of opening up opportunities for women and diverse-run businesses.

The full-day agenda offered participants the chance to get to know Pitney Bowes and meet decision makers through roundtable discussions facilitated by procurement executives and other Pitney Bowes stakeholders.

The event surfaced a number of suppliers that are now being offered viable opportunities for relationship and business development.

One example is Desai Communications based in Stamford, CT, where Pitney Bowes is headquartered. This company connected with a marketing executive at the event and was able to participate in a bid. Due to the companys competitive pricing and creative approach, it won that business and will have the opportunity for additional work with Pitney Bowes.

Wooten also has met and mentored many suppliers in the community through his role as Chairman of the Board of the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council. Its important to encourage WBEs and MBEs to grow in expertise and capacity. It creates a bigger community of resources for all companies, he said.

To learn more about Pitney Bowes visit www.pitneyworks.com

PRESIDENTS REPORT

Lawrence WootenManager, Supplier Diversity,

FEATURES

12TH ANNUAL WBEC GREAT LAKES BUSINESS CONFERENCE

Addressed the needs of both aspiring and established business owners and delivered practical strategies for succeeding in a highly competitive market.

The Womens Business Enterprise Council-Great Lakes (WBEC-GL), a program of the Center for Empowerment & Economic Development (CEED), is a Center where things happen. In addition to aligning with WBENC by offering WBE and WOSB Certification, CEED offers entrepreneurs and business owners administrative, financial and professional enrichment support services necessary for business success. CEED prides itself in meeting the needs of Michigans and Indianas women and minority business owners by designing tools and opportunities which lead to business growth and development.

Each year WBEC-GL/CEED holds an annual Womens Business Conference to

support their mission and bring together women-owned businesses from the Great

Lakes region presenting a program to help them drive their businesses forward.

The 12th Annual Great Lakes Womens Business Conference took place at the

Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan, October 8th & 9th. The conference

provided an opportunity to achieve the equivalent of six months of sales prospecting

in two days while offering a chance for participants to learn leadership and sales

strategies that will serve their businesses for years to come.

The event incorporated many benefits and opportunities including networking with

other women business owners and conference attendees; meet and greet with

60+ buyers from corporate, public and government entity supplier diversity teams;

professional workshops; executive training; and the chance to learn more about the

full range of benefits WBE certification offers.

The event also provided the opportunity for 10 sponsors to attend an intimate

luncheon with Pamela Prince-Eason, President and CEO of Womens Business

Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and former Vice President of Worldwide

Procurement for Pfizer, Inc. The exchange enabled participants to hone in

on Prince-Easons expertise in supplier diversity, strategic leadership and

management best practices. She presented all with a suite of knowledge and

experience from the procurement and supplier diversity fields and shared WBENCs

advanced innovative strategies to deepen its commitment to womensbusiness

enterprises as premier suppliers. Eason remarked This was an excellent opportunity

Michelle RichardsPresident, WBEC-Great Lakes

WWW.WBENC.ORG NOVEMBER EDITION 2012 11

PRESIDENTS REPORT

to interact with a very engaged and inquisitive group of WBEs, across a vast array

of topics.

A highlight of the conference was the awards and recognition presented to those who

exemplify the spirit and principles associated with corporate/government volunteerism,

advocacy, champions, WBE of the Year and WBE Role Model and Mentor of the Year.

Lynn Tilton, Founder and CEO of Patriarch Partners, LLC, was recognized by Ford

Motor Company at the conference as their Role Model & Mentor of the Year

for her leadership of DURA Automotive Systems. This award is bestowed upon

one outstanding WBEC-Great Lakes woman business owner per year, who has

dedicated herself to educate and motivate other female business owners.

Tilton was also recognized in March of 2012 as a WBENC Womens Business

Enterprise Star.

Carla Preston, Director of Supplier Diversity Development, Ford Motor Company

expressed high commendation of Tiltons contributions:

Ford Motor Company has strong initiatives in place to support women-owned suppliers and strives to expand its business partnerships with outstanding women such as Lynn Tilton that provide valuable products and service to our customers. We are honored to nominate Ms. Tilton for the WBEC Great Lakes WBE Role Model of the Year Award for consistently steering DURA, a Ford tier-one supplier, and her more than 70 other women-owned business interests toward long-term success. Moreover, we recognize Ms. Tilton for her enduring commitment as a role model for other women business enterprises.

The conference also included a Business Showcase where 75 certified WBEs had

tabletop displays which were visited by corporate purchasing representatives,

government agencies, women business owners and guests. The corporate

members were encouraged to bring additional buyers to the event as guests

of WBEC-GL.

The 12th Annual Great Lakes Womens Business Conference was a great success

as measured by the huge number of matches made between women business

owners and purchasing representatives, according to Michelle Richards, President

of WBEC-Great Lakes. This event exemplified the WBEC-GLs commitment to the

advancement of women-owned businesses by offering multiple opportunities for

networking, education and knowledge sharing.

CERTIFICATION

WBE SUCCESS STORY: LYNNE MARIE FINN Superior Staff Resources: Optimizing Processes and Managing Workforce Change

A WBENC-certified WBE, Superior Staff Resources has come a long way since opening its doors in 1965 as Superior Secretarial Services. Today, headed by President and CEO Lynne Marie Finn, Superior is one of the largest woman-owned workforce solutions companies in the U.S. with over 40 locations throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia. Superior excels in the delivery of contingent laborer Statements of Work, managed service programs, vendor management systems and independent contractor screening and compliance programs.

Managed service programs, or MSPs, are one of Superiors primary offerings. Through these programs, customers with large temporary workforce populations engage Superior to manage the entire outsourced staffing process, providing automated contingent workforce management for maximum cost effectiveness and output. This is Superiors focus. Their teams serve as strategic extensions of

their customers HR and Procurement departments, collaborating to deliver innovative and customer-specific programs.

Superior applies its expertise in human capital management to benefit Fortune 500 companies, government agencies and companies in-between. For each client, Superior takes a strategic view of its staffing requirements, addressing those needs while leveraging the companys collective buying power to achieve advantageous costs and terms.

We take on a consultative role for our clients, enabling them to streamline their processes, do more with their resources and drive growth, Finn said.

To accomplish this, Superior applied three key competitive advantages: Agility Superior quickly and effectively generates solutions to solve complex

workforce issues. Proprietary Vendor Management System (VMS) Work Nexus was originally deployed in

1998 to integrate sourcing of temporary workforce solutions with client infrastructure for a smooth process, from identifying people to timely payment. WorkNexus user-friendly workflows are configured to reflect customer-specific goals and cultures.

High-Touch Customer Service Superiors senior leadership is involved in all accounts, proactively innovating best practices and providing ongoing stewardship.

WWW.WBENC.ORG NOVEMBER EDITION 2012 13

Because of the large scale cost controls and efficiencies of Superiors MSPs, these programs are of particular interest to procurement officers, in addition to the HR stakeholders. Another benefit of Superiors meticulous attention to strategies and systems is that they can provide vital feedback to help a client boost profitability and growth.

The workforce is constantly changing, which means that we must always be looking for ways to help our clients stay ahead of those changes, Finn says. We are experts at managing and deploying human capital so that they can keep their costs down and output up.

Collaborative and proactive customer service defines Superiors corporate culture. The company works to ensure a flawless experience for its clients. To do so, Superior hires industry experts who provide customers with access to a deep industry knowledge base.

Our program managers are on the ground in key customer locations, working alongside HR or procurement to enhance and promote our customers internal initiatives, Finn says.

Clients have embraced this approach. In 2011, Superior achieved an overall customer satisfaction rating of over 97%. Finn and Superior have also been honored with awards for excellence. Sonoco, a packaging company with plants around the world, awarded Superior with its Supplier Growth Award for 2011. SUPERVALU, the grocery chain, just named Superior its 2012 Professional Services Provider of the Year.

In 2012 alone, Superior received Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA)s Top Performer award for MSP, and received numerous SIA awards for being among the largest staffing firms in the U.S., Canada and globally. It was also ranked a top VMS provider in SIAs 2010 and 2011 Customer Loyalty Surveys.

Finn is a long-time WBENC Board member, and serves on the Finance Committee. She is Vice Chair of the Forum, and was a WBE Star representing WPEO-NY. She also serves on the Board of Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), a WBENC strategic partner.

Finn was a Regional Finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2009, the 2010 WBE Advocate of the Year for Women Presidents Educational Organization and received the WIPP Presidents Award 2011.

Finally, Superior is ISO 9001:2008 and SSAE 16 certified, and OFCCP Internet Applicant Recordkeeping Rule compliant, a regulation of which Superior was an early adopter within the industry.

This public recognition demonstrates the expertise and focus on client satisfaction that is the foundation of Superiors success.

To learn more about Superior Staff Resources visit www.superiorstaffresources.com

Lynne Marie FinnPresident and CEO

PRESIDENTS REPORT

CERTIFICATION

WBE SUCCESS STORY: TERRI HALL

Doubletake Studios, Inc.

SUCCESS resulted from being a 2012 Host Committee Member at the WBENC National Conference and Business Fair held in Orlando, Fl.

Terri Hall is the President of Doubletake Studios, Inc, a full-service advertising, marketing and PR agency since 1997. She is a member of the Womens Business Development Council (WBDC) of Florida and was a Host Committee Member for the 2012 WBENC National Conference & Business Fair. Halls sponsorship and participation continues to reap benefits long after the conference has ended. Halls host committee sponsorship aided Doubletake Studios in gaining pre-conference business through networking with new and existing WBENC connections:

Its all about building relationships and making connections. Being on the Florida Host Committee was instrumental in gaining pre-conference business. I attended pre-conference meetings and got to know other committee members first-hand. My business is definitely a relationship sale. By participating in the host committee meetings, I was able to foster new relationships as well as expand my networking base. Its always so much fun to meet other like-minded business owners. Were all busy managing our respective businesses. The host committee afforded us the opportunity to become more intimately acquainted, a rewarding experience on many levels. The media training was a bonus that enabled me to understand the unique messaging of the other host committee members businesses which helped when creating something unique for each one.

Even though Hall had met several of the WBEs at other WBENC functions (prior to being on the Host Committee), working directly with them and collaborating on National Conference & Business Fair activities exposed her to new business opportunities.This also enabled her to offer suggestions and solutions to others who had not exhibited at the Conference in the past. As is a standard philosophy at Doubletake Studios, Hall believes that working together is the best way to develop a successful relationship, which proved to be true during the Conference.

One host committee member who was new to exhibiting at trade shows approached Nancy Allen, the President and CEO of WBDC of Florida, seeking a reference for guidance and assistance with preparing for the conference. Nancy directed the WBE to Hall who helped them create their booth, corresponding video for the booth and web, collateral as well as update the company brand. The referral has turned into a fabulous client for Doubletake Studios and is a great fit. This client also referred additional new business to Doubletake further expanding their network and client base.

Halls approach to branding is clear: Youll never get a second chance to make a first impression. Look like a winner and youll improve your chances to succeed.

Doubletake collaborates with their clients to identify distinct aspects of their businesses that make customers want to buy you. Hall did just that, creating the opportunity for new customers to want to buy her/Doubletake, as a result of her involvement as a

Terri HallPresident

WWW.WBENC.ORG NOVEMBER EDITION 2012 15

PRESIDENTS REPORT

Host Committee member and Conference participant. Year to date, Doubletake Studios, Inc. has increased their revenues by 30% as a direct result of participation as a Florida Host Committee member at the 2012 WBENC Conference.The result of this growth led to an expanded workforce. Doubletake hired two additional people to handle the workload and is in the process of interviewing for another artist.

Hall shared a powerful message on the value of partnership, certification and networking and how each greatly influences business:

I met Gigi Twist, owner of Upfront Foods, a manufacturer of food products, at the conference. One of our WBDC Board members was helping me with my booth and had directed Gigi to me. Gigi attended the conference as a guest, wanted to learn more about WBENC and was in the process of becoming WBENC certified. She liked the layout and graphics of our particular booth, and wanted to know how she could go about getting something designed to promote her company.

We met at her office after the conference to create the plan that would achieve what she needed to grow her business: participation in tastings, trade shows and outdoor markets. In addition to working on a trade show booth, we created other peripheral display items that she can utilize for promoting her business.

Since the conference, Gigi has become WBENC certified and is very excited about all the opportunities that her certification can provide. As a Board Member for the WBDC, I am extremely excited to have another WBE on board that can further her business with corporations as well as other WBEs.

Hall is a strong advocate of WBE to WBE connections. Her advice is for them to not only get involved with their local regional partner organization (RPO) but also participate in all opportunities that are available: attend, exhibit and/or sponsor, and perhaps volunteer at the Summit & Salute and National Conference & Business Fair events.

You never know who youre going to meet. There is SO much to learn from others. WBENC offers a wealth of information, opportunities and contacts that can only enhance your business. Like anything else, WBENC is an investment from which you can gain so much just by giving a little. I have been so blessed to get involved with WBENC and WBDC Florida. As a result of my involvement with them, Ive benefitted both professionally (business has grown 30% this year alone) and personally (developed long-term friendships).

Hall has been recognized and awarded for excellence: 2008-2009 Presidential Whos Who Among Business and Professional Achievers; 2006 WBENC Womens Business Enterprise Star and received over 28 ADDY awards from 2001-2010, acknowledging creative excellence in all forms of advertising. In addition, Halls exceptional creative design work on the WBENC 2009 Annual Report contributed to the honor received by WBENC, winning the Association of Marketing & Communications Professionals (AMCP) Platinum Hermes Creative Award for the 2010 Opportunity Connection Campaign. Her outstanding creativity also inspired the design of WBENCs Annual Reports for 2010 and 2011.

To learn more about Doubletake Studios visit www.doubletakestudios.com.

When Avent stepped into her role in 1998, she had impressive shoes to fill those

of her late mother, Ebba Hoffman, who had assumed the helm of Smead upon her

husbands death in 1955, transformed the company into an office supplies powerhouse,

and retired but continued to come in to the office at the age of 87. Even earlier in

its history, Smead had female governance when Avents grandmother sat on the Board

of Directors.

Hoffman and Avent grew the company from a small office to a booming headquarters

and plant in Hastings, MN, and five other locations in the U.S., plus a facility in Mexico.

Today Smead employs roughly 1,000 workers. It produces and distributes some 1,500

office products through retail, contract and Internet sales by leading office products

dealers, superstores, and wholesalers primarily on the North American continent.

Like her mother before her, Avent has kept a watchful eye on quality, delivered by a

loyal and trusted staff. Unlike the top-down command and control management

style that was typical of sizeable companies in earlier decades, women-run Smead

recognized and empowered its employees.

I served in many positions throughout the company and had to punch in and out like everyone else. This gave me a real understanding of what it means to be a Smead employee, Avent said.

One of Avents early contributions was to institute employee Merit Awards honoring

years and decades of service.This month we are honoring five people with 40 years of

service each, she said. Some have worked in various roles, and others have become

supervisors but we have all grown together.

Sharon AventFounder

CERTIFICATION

WBE SUCCESS STORY: SHARON AVENTSmead Manufacturing: Honoring Employees, Winning Loyalty

Founded over 100 years ago, Smead Manufacturing Company is a WBENC-certified WBE that is distinctive not only because it has been owned by President and CEO Sharon Avents family for three generations but also because it has been led by women for over five decades.

WWW.WBENC.ORG NOVEMBER EDITION 2012 17

PRESIDENTS REPORT

Avent actively seeks ideas from Smeads workforce. For example, Smeads safety

committee gathers the perspective of people on the factory floor to identify new ways to

prevent accidents.

Smead is also innovating as office configuration is becoming more virtual and mobile.

New areas of development include file holders for backpacks, and a covered file box to

house a workers files in a shared desk or office space environment.

The company was at the forefront of new products that today are considered standard,

such as Smead Viewables Color Labeling System, named the Best Business Product

by the National Association of Professional Organizers in 2003.

Smead has been the recipient of numerous national professional awards, including the

Office Max Strategic Partnership Award, and Office Depots Corporate Visionary Award.

Avent herself received the WBENC Applause Award in 2005. She also was recognized

by the Anti-Defamation League for her efforts in promoting diversity and received the

Torch of Liberty Award.

Philanthropy has been central to Avents values. She was the first woman to receive

the City of Hope Spirit of Life Award by the National Office Products Industry for her

support of the world-renowned cancer research and treatment facility in California.

Avent has been at the forefront of womens business growth, originally certified through

the Womens Business Development Center (WBDC) - Chicago, and has devoted

tremendous resources in terms of her time and support of WBENC

and WBDC.

She has chaired the selection committee for WBENCs Americas Top Corporations for

WBEs and has served on the Forum. She is Chair of the Host Committee for the 2013

WBENC National Conference & Business Fair in Minneapolis, MN, and is already hard

at work to ensure a successful event:

We are thrilled to have WBENCs thousands of corporations and WBEs convene in Minneapolis which is an exciting, diverse and innovative corporate headquarters.

To learn more about Smead Manufacturing visit www.smead.com.

OPPORTUNITIES

INAUGURAL HR DIALOGUE

WBENC is committed to supporting the sustainability and growth of Women Business Enterprises (WBEs) across the country, particularly those in under-utilized industries such as the Human Resources (HR) discipline. In October, WBENC partnered with WBEs Monique A. Honaman, CEO / Partner of ISHR Group; Bev Kaye, Founder & CEO of Career Systems International; and Gwen Turner, President of Princeton Proper to hold its inaugural HR Dialogue Session. The goal of the session was to begin exploring the challenges and successes for both WBEs and WBENC corporate members and government agencies within the HR discipline.

Among the corporate members and government agencies in attendance were Sharon Ridings, National Training Manager, United States Environmental Protection Agency; Stephanie S. Roemer, Diversity Recruiting & Learning Manager, Freddie Mac; and Bunni Young, Supplier Diversity OD&I, Freddie Mac.

Bunni Young shared her thoughts from the session: These are the programmatic opportunities that give us all value at the highest levels. As a corporate member it provides a tool for us to measure the direction of our outreach at Freddie Mac as well as our participation with external business partners like WBENC. The forum also provided us with a pulse check, in this case an affirmation, of the importance of maintaining these crucial external relationships.

The robust roundtable discussion focused on the landscape of WBENC WBEs in the HR sector, the potential for growth, misconceptions regarding boutique firms, creative procurement opportunities and recommendations for entering the corporate and government supply chain.

The Human Resources discipline is vital to the business world because of its focus on sustaining and recruiting top talent. Through the dialogue, we learned WBENC WBEs offer a wealth of innovative solutions that drive employee engagement, retention, and increased productivity which ultimately results in outstanding ROI for corporations and government entities.

WBENC looks forward to continuing to provide valuable industry -focused sessions to bridge the connection between WBEs and our corporate and government constituents.

OPPORTUNITIES

MULTI-TIER OPPORTUNITY CONNECTION AT THE 2013 SUMMIT

Calling all WBENC-certified Women Business Enterprises (WBEs) For the third year, the Summit will feature WBENCs Multi-Tier Opportunity Connection brought to you by AT&T. Only WBEs registered by January 24, 2013 will be eligible for this interactive session that includes more than 25 participating Fortune 500 corporations and government agencies. The Multi-Tier Opportunity Connection is comprised of two simultaneous sessions.

In the Meet & Greet portion, WBEs will share their skill sets with a number of supplier diversity and/or procurement representatives from corporations and/or government entities by joining hosted tables for 15 minutes during which each WBE at the table gives a brief overview of their services and capabilities. During that time the corporate or government host will share the best methods for doing business with their organization and provide feedback on the WBEs pitch. At the end of the 15 minutes, WBEs choose their next table. This format allows WBEs to speak with a diverse range of potential clients from ExxonMobil to Cargill to the Federal Reserve. In turn the corporate and government hosts are able to meet a large number of well-qualified suppliers in a compact amount of time.

The concurrent session consists of One on One meetings between corporate and/or government representatives and WBEs that they have pre-selected. Each meeting is approximately 15 minutes in length. Often the supplier diversity and procurement individuals will choose to bring a prime supplier with them so that they may discuss both prime and secondary sourcing opportunities within their supply chain. WBEs are pre-selected based on available opportunities within the supply chains of the participating corporations and government agencies.

All WBEs who register for the Summit by January 24, 2013 will have the opportunity to choose whether or not they want to participate in the Multi-Tier Meet & Greet and have their profiles included for review to potentially be selected for one on one meetings.

The early bird registration deadline for the Summit & Salute is also January 24. To register now, visit www.wbenc.org/summit-salute.

WWW.WBENC.ORG NOVEMBER EDITION 2012 21

An exceptional networking opportunity for Womens Business Enterprises (WBEs) with corporations and other WBEs. Discover best practice panels on key challenges facing WBEs and corporations with exciting guest speakers. Enjoy roundtable discussions between WBEs and corporations on opportunities for growth.

Join us for the Salute on the evening of March 14 when we will recognize our Top Corporations and 14 WBE Business Stars! The Top Corporations lead the nation in expanding opportunities for WBEs, and the Business Stars exemplify the use of strategic vision, business acumen, and sheer talent in meeting customers needs. You dont want to miss meeting the best of the best.

PRESENTING SPONSORS

WBENC SUMMIT & SALUTE 2013Baltimore The Hilton

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Join more than 325 exhibitors and 3,000 women business owners, corporate procurement executives and federal contracting officers for one of the largest national conferences and business fairs targeting women business owners in the U.S.

CORPORATE CO-CHAIRS

WBE CO-CHAIRS

NATIONAL CONFERENCE AND BUSINESS FAIR 2013Minneapolis The Hilton & Convention Center

www.wbenc.org/summit-salute

www.wbenc.org/wbencconf

1120 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 1000Washington, DC 20036-3092Ph: 202.872.5515 | Fx: 202.872.5505

www.wbenc.org

Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook/wbenc

save these dates for the greatest nationwide networking opportunities for women-owned businesses

RECOGNITION

ERNST & YOUNG LLP ANNOUNCES 11 NATIONAL WINNERS OF 2012 ENTREPRENEURIAL WINNING WOMENTM PROGRAMProgram winners defy the odds and spur dramatic company and job growth in women-owned businesses

On October 24, Ernst &

Young LLP announced

the 11 winners of its 2012

Entrepreneurial Winning Women program, a national

competition and leadership initiative that identifies and

connects a select group of women entrepreneurs with the

advisors, resources and insights they need to scale their

businesses and become market leaders. WBENC is proud to

collaborate with Ernst & Young on this program and three of

this years winners are WBENC-certified WBEs.

Women entrepreneurs play an essential role in creating

sustainable economic growth in todays uncertain economy.

In fact, women start businesses at twice the rate as men.

But, despite robust growth in early stages, women-owned

companies dont always scale up to their full potential.

Our Entrepreneurial Winning Women program helps

bridge the gap for an area we call the missing middle

those second-stage women business owners whose

companies have emerged from the start-up phase but face

a crucial inflection point in their growth journey, said Kerrie

MacPherson, Partner and Entrepreneurial Winning Women

Executive Sponsor, Ernst & Young LLP. By providing the

right information, networks and guidance, were able to help

these talented women access capital, identify strong business

advisors and put the processes in place to radically expand

their companies.

Research shows that the program is paying off in a big way.

Revenues of program participants companies have grown

almost 50% each year on average, with a corresponding

25% average annual growth in the number of jobs,

according to a recent independent study directed by the

Babson College Center for Womens Leadership.

The Entrepreneurial Winning Women Program has totally

changed my definition of big and opened my eyes to the

growth potential for our company, said Amy Buckner

Chowdhry, CEO, AnswerLab and a 2011 Entrepreneurial

Winning Woman. Im thinking entirely differently about

how we measure being the market leader.

This years Entrepreneurial Winning Women award recipients

were chosen by a panel of independent judges from a group

of 110 applicants. The women own companies in a wide

variety of industry sectors, including lifestyle and luxury

brands, legal solutions, corporate wellness and food and

beverage. Combined, the groups total 2011 revenues are

nearly $85 million.

THE 2012 WINNERS ARE: Allyson Ames, Wonderland Lifestyle Brands

(Newport Beach, Calif.) Emily Armenta, Armenta (Houston, Texas) Leslie Firtell, Tower Legal Solutions

(New York, N.Y.) WBENC-certified Fiona Gathright, Wellness Corporate Solutions, LLC

(Cabin John, Md.) Kara Goldin, HINT (San Francisco, Calif.) Allison OKelly, Mom Corps (Fort Washington, Pa.)

WBENC-certified Dr. Ellen Stang, ProgenyHealth (Conshohocken, Pa.) Tammy Tedesco, Edibles Rex Management Services

(Detroit, Mich.) WBENC-certified Michelle Marciniak and Susan Walvius, SHEEX

(Irmo, S.C.) Kari Warberg Block, Earth-KindTM (Bismarck, N.D.)

WWW.WBENC.ORG NOVEMBER EDITION 2012 23

PRESIDENTS REPORT

The 11 members of the Entrepreneurial Winning Women

Class of 2012 will receive an all-expense paid trip to this

years Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum 2012,

an invitation-only gathering of more than 2,000 high-

growth, market-leading company CEOs. The Forum

presents a one-of-a-kind platform for Entrepreneurial

Winning Women to introduce their companies and share

their corporate and personal brands with a community

of Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year winners,

top executives, prospective investors and business

advisors. All Entrepreneurial Winning Women will be

recognized at a special celebratory event during the Forum.

For more information on the Forum, visit: www.ey.com/us/

strategicgrowthforum. Additionally the winners will receive a

full registration to the WBENC 2013 Summit & Salute, being

held in Washington, DC, March 13-14, where Ernst & Young,

along with Accenture LLP, will be the Presenting Sponsors.

The distinguished 2012 panel of independent judges for the Entrepreneurial Winning Women program included:

Howard Brodsky, Chairman and CEO,

CCA Global Partners

Cynthia Cohen, CEO, Strategic Mindshare

Laurie Cunnington, President,

Ward Williston Oil Company

Dr. Mary Jo Gorman, CEO, Advanced ICU Care and a

2011 Entrepreneurial Winning Woman

Jeri Harman, Managing Partner,

Avante Mezzanine Partners

Rob Scott, VP and Worldwide General Manager,

Hewlett Packard Mary Ellen Sheets, Founder, Two Men And A Truck

Launched in 2008, the program is intended to help women

entrepreneurs break through the barriers that keep thriving

second-stage businesses from scaling to their full potential.

Once selected, the entrepreneurs participate in an ongoing,

customized program designed by Ernst & Young to catalyze

their companies growth by building and fostering critical

relationships, enhancing leadership skills, expanding

business know-how and providing increased visibility. They

are coached on the five crucial leaps they need to scale up

their business:

Setting higher goals;

Building a public profile;

Working on the business, rather than in it;

Establishing key advisory networks;

Evaluating financing for expansion.

The Entrepreneurial Winning Women program is conducted

in collaboration with several other organizations in addition

to WBENC: the Women Presidents Organization (WPO), the

National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO),

The Committee of 200 (C200), the Kauffman Foundation and

Babson Colleges Center for Womens Leadership. For more

information on the program, visit

www.ey.com/us/entrepreneurialwinningwomen.

Front row left to right: Allyson Ames, Kara Goldin, Emily Armenta, Kari Warberg Block, Fiona Gathright, Leslie Firtell Back row left to right: Susan Walvius, Michelle Marciniak, Jim Turley, Ellen Stang, Tammy Tedesco, Allison O'Kelly

RECOGNITION

WBDC ANNOUNCES 2012 ADVOCACY AWARDS:Pamela Prince-Eason, President and CEO, WBENCJoset B. Wright, President, NMSDC

Each year, the Womens Business Development Center (WBDC), the

largest certifying regional partner organization of WBENC, recognizes

advocates, corporations, government agencies and women-owned

businesses who have demonstrated strength, perseverance and

creativity in their businesses, exemplifying success in various ways.

Awards of Excellence and recognition were presented during their

26th Annual Entrepreneurial Womans Conference, Hall of Fame

Awards Luncheon which was held on September 20, 2012 at Chicagos

McCormick Place-West, 2301 S. Indiana Ave. Award categories included:

Entrepreneurial Woman of the Year; WBE Success; Rising Star;

Corporate Support and Advocacy Awards.

Pamela Prince-Eason, President and CEO of the Womens Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), and Joset

B. Wright, President of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), were honored recipients of

WBDCs 2012 Advocacy Awards for their extraordinary advocacy efforts on behalf of women and minority business

owners. Each has demonstrated her enthusiastic commitment to strengthen womens business ownership and

economic development. WBDC honored the collaborative accomplishments of both Pamela and Joset on behalf

of women and minority-owned businesses nationally. Marquis Miller, NMSDCs Vice President of Field Operations

accepted the award on behalf of Joset who was unable to attend the event.

Pamela Prince-Eason is President and CEO of the Womens Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the leading

third-party certifier for womens business enterprises (WBEs) in the country. Her professional career has included roles

as both a corporate executive and business owner. She was Vice President of Worldwide Procurement for Pfizer Inc.,

headquartered in New York City, and was co-owner of RMR Associates, a business process consulting company.

Joset B. Wright is President of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), a private non-profit

organization that expands business opportunities for minority-owned companies of all sizes, and the leading third-

party certifier of minority business enterprises (MBEs) in the country. She is an attorney and former procurement

executive with a broad range of professional experience in the corporate and private sectors, including a 13-year

career in the telecommunications industry.

Congratulations to all of this years Hall of Fame Award Recipients with special appreciation to Pamela Prince-Eason

and Joset B. Wright for their extraordinary leadership and continual support of womens economic development.

Pamela Prince-Eason, WBENC; Carol Dougal, WBDC;Hedy Ratner, WBDC; Marquis Miller, NMSDC

WWW.WBENC.ORG NOVEMBER EDITION 2012 25

We invite you to shop on our newly designed website and feel free to contact our exclusive provider for even more creative ideas on how to brand your business!business!

We are excited to launch our premier line of WBENC products to engage our community and bring awareness to the WBENC brand.

RECOGNITION

BLACK ENTERPRISE: 100 Most Powerful Executives In Corporate America (2012)

Each year Black Enterprise publishes its list of the 100 Most Powerful Executives in Corporate America based on many

criteria, one of which is leadership qualities. This year as in previous ones, the list contains a number of the corporations

who continue to support and are committed to WBENC and the utilization of Women Business Enterprises (WBEs).

The list highlights African-American business leaders who have risen to the highest-ranking corporate positions and hold

revenue-generating and operating responsibilities critical to product development, sales and supply chain management.

These corporate executives set a standard of excellence and innovation that will help preserve, expand and transform

business with a global reach for many years to come.

Both Tony (Thomas K) Brown, Group Vice President, Global Purchasing of Ford Motor Co. and John D. Harris II, VP &

President, Raytheon Technical Services Co, L.L.C. of Raytheon Co. are among this esteemed list.

To view the complete list visit http://www.onlinedigitalpubs.com/display_article.php?id=1165104

GOVERNMENT OPPORTUNITY EXPERIENCE: WBENC presents the 2012 Government Opportunity Experience featuring Moe Vela, former Director of Administration for Vice President Joe Biden

This exciting program provides knowledge of and access to the government procurement process through meetings with high-level decision makers from both the public and private sector. It is the premier federal government-venue for minority-owned firms to access information, tools and resources to grow their businesses both domestically and internationally.

WHEN: March 2013WHERE: Washington, DCLIMITED SEATING AVAILABLE!!! $1500 secures your spot in this meaningful, intimate experience.

Dont miss out on this invaluable opportunity email padams@wbenc.org or cwaterman@wbenc.org to sign up TODAY!

WWW.WBENC.ORG NOVEMBER EDITION 2012 27

RECOGNITION

FORTUNES 50 MOST POWERFUL WOMEN27 WBENC Corporate Members Recognized

Last month Fortune Magazine published the 2012 list of the 50 most powerful women. The list is compiled by FORTUNE editors, who consider four criteria: the size and importance of the womans business in the global economy, the health and direction of the business, the arc of the womans career (resume and runway ahead) and societal and cultural influence. On that list were 27 women from 20 WBENC Corporate members:

RANK NAME COMPANY1 Ginni Rometty IBM2 Indra Nooyi PepsiCo, Inc.3 Meg Whitman Hewlett-Packard Company4 Irene Rosenfeld Kraft Foods10 Safra Catz Oracle USA11 Melanie Healey Procter & Gamble13 Rosalind Brewer Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.15 Carol Meyrowitz TJX Companies19 Marilyn Hewson Lockheed Martin Corp.20 Denise Morrison Campbell Soup 21 Gisel Ruiz Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.22 Carol Tolstedt Wells Fargo & Co.23 Bridget Van Kralingen IBM24 Mary Callahan Erdoes JPMorgan Chase & Co.26 Deidre Connelly GlaxoSmithKline27 Mary Barra General Motors Corp.29 Charlene Begley General Electric30 Pam Nicholson Enterprise Holdings31 Joanne Maguire Lockheed Martin Corp.33 Bonnie Hammer Comcast34 Linda Gooden Lockheed Martin Corp.36 Susan Chambers Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.40 Karen Licitra Johnson & Johnson41 Pat Fili-Krushel Comcast44 Carol Tom Home Depot46 Laura Lang Time Warner48 Lauren Zalaznick Comcast

To view the full list of the 50 most powerful women please click here: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/most-powerful-women/

The women on this list collectively oversee more than $1 trillion in revenue spanning multiple industries and shaping the future of technology, media and defense. Ranging in age from 37 to 62, this impressive group boasts seven newcomers to the list this year, exemplifying the growing force of women in positions of influence and power. WBENC congratulates all of the honorees and we look forward to watching these women help to shape our future.

WOMEN ON WELLNESS

MAINTAIN CAMPAIGN - COUNTERACTING OBESITY

Do I have to be one of the statistics of holiday weight gain this year? The answer is absolutely NOT!

Why do people gain weight from Thanksgiving to New Years? We all know the simple answers increased amounts

of food, high caloric food, high consumption of sugar, fats, calories and minimal physical activity. We tend to be

surrounded by an overabundance of foods and often give ourselves permission to eat as much as we want, decrease

our physical activity and neglect ourselves. The bottom line is we are eating far more calories than we are burning,

resulting in those unwanted additional pounds. The average individual weight gain over the holidays ranges from 1 to

10 pounds.

The clincher is this most of us never lose the weight we gain during the winter holidays. The pounds add up year

after year. This continual weight gain contributes to adult obesity, which is nearing epidemic proportions in

our country.

DID YOU KNOW?According to the Get America Fit Foundation:

Obesity is the #2 cause of preventable death in the United States.

60 million Americans, 20 years and older are obese.

9 million children and teens ages 6-19 are overweight.

Being overweight or obese increases the risk of health conditions and diseases including: breast cancer, coronary

heart disease, type II diabetes, sleep apnea, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, colon cancer, hypertension

and stroke.

For more information on obesity and the impact on health visit: http://www.getamericafit.org/statistics-obesity-in-america.html

You can stop this trend and can enjoy the holidays without putting on a single pound. The goal is to maintain your

weight over the holiday season. The decision is up to you and in your control. Make up your mind to make the goal,

plan ahead and make a few small healthy changes to prevent the unnecessary weight gain this season.

Here are some tips to consider that will help you during this festive time of year:

1. Move everyday for at least 30 minutes or more. Try to increase what you normally are doing during this time, if

you are active for 30 minutes try to do 45 minutes. If you are exercising three times a week, increase it to five

or more times a week. The key is to burn more calories through exercising.

a. Pick your favorite tv show and workout each day while watching your favorite show either walking on a

treadmill, stationary cycling, elliptical, cross trainer, etc.

b. Schedule a walk during the day, have a walk and talk meeting

c. Try a new class that you have been wanting to try, spinning, kick boxing, pilates, zumba, body pump, yoga, etc.

WWW.WBENC.ORG NOVEMBER EDITION 2012 29

2. Healthy Snacks

a. Plan and pack for the day-cut up vegetables and whole or cut up fruits.

b. Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day before

being tempted by a cookie or other holiday treats

c. Suggestions for healthy snacks:

Hardboiled egg with a piece of fruit

Raw almonds with apple slices

Raw walnuts with pear slices

Low fat yogurt (unsweetened) with added fruit

Raw vegetable slices (carrots, cucumber and bell pepper)

Whole grain crackers (truly whole grain no refined white flour)

with vegetable or fruit slices

3. Temptations

a. Avoid areas at work or home that you stock candies and treats

b. Hide treats or better yet dont buy them for work or home

c. Drink a full glass of water before filling you plate

4. Party Planning

a. Eat before you go to a party, never go to a party hungry, eat a piece of fruit, power bar, yogurt

b. Try not to stand next to the buffet table focus your energy on conversation, time shared by friends and

family members and meeting new people as opposed to the food

c. Choose a small plate-stick with vegetables, watch the creamy dips

d. For dinner, fill half your plate with salad and vegetables, one quarter with meat, and the final quarter

with starch

e. Avoid creamy sauces, half and half and meat drippings. For salads use oil and vinegar or a vinaigrette

f. Best desserts are fruit, jello, pudding, unfrosted mini-muffins, ginger snaps, shortbread cookies or

angel food cakes

5. Liquid Calories Add Up

a. Limit the amount that you drink to one serving, watch the high fat eggnog versus light beer or wine

6. No is an acceptable and polite response: The food was outstanding, I had enough. No thank you!

To help each of you and your companies this holiday season, we have included an easy program called the

Maintain Campaign that you can offer to your employees and company teams. Click here to access the details.

You can easily alter this program to fit your group. You can change the weekly behavior you want your employees

to follow, the timeframe of the program, the process for the prize drawings; it is really up to you and what will

work for your company. Have fun with it and let us know how it goes. Share your success stories. If you have any

questions on the program you can contact Brenda Loube at bloube@corporatefitnessworks.com.

Prevent yourself from becoming another holiday statistic weigh yourself before the holidays and monitor your

weight throughout. You are in charge of your weight and your health and you can enjoy the holidays while still

taking care of both!

PRESIDENTS REPORT

Phifer Pavitt left Georgia for college and graduate school, building a career in sales after she got her MBA from USC. At a company called Comdisco she earned her stripes as one of a handful of women in a highly competitive, professional sales force and consistently landed on the companys top performers list. Bachelorette years gave way to romance and marriage to her husband Shane. As they started

married life, they created a custom of always setting aside one night a week for date nights, a romantic escape from their hectic careers and lives. On one extended date night which found them in Italy---they realized that they wanted to re-think their urban lives and head for the countryside, somewhere; where they could enjoy a simpler life, which would encompass a vineyard and a winery and enough room to roam. This is how they came to find property in Calistoga, in the northern Napa Valley of California. They built a home on a ridge overlooking what today is their working winery. The idea for the winery building came from their commitment to sustainability. On a drive not an hour from their property, they found an abandoned barn, which they purchased and moved to their property. They subsequently spent several years restoring and retrofitting it, from creating chandeliers with barbed wire from the property, to using Wyoming snow fencing on the walls. Recycled blue jeans are the insulation material. The couple planed and sanded an amazing slice of black walnut which they then suspended from the ceiling to serve as a tasting bar.

What to call the winery? Date Night, of course! Today they produce both a Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, in very limited quantities. They carry through the theme of romance with their club. Our club is called The Verona Society because, as a winery founded on the importance of romance,

how could we not honor the home of Romeo and Juliet, where even today people tuck love letters into the crevices of Veronas stone walls? Phifer Pavitt explains. The wines label includes a retro rendition of a cowgirl, a vintage image created by Uncle George Francuch. A 6 tall metal cut-out of a cowgirl now greets visitors to the winery. We make serious wines, which are strong and still stylish, Suzanne says, and the vintage cowgirl expresses that spirit, she adds.

Phifer Pavitt finds time to practice yoga, coach her sons sports teams and serve on several non-profit boards in the Napa Valley. She is known for the love of her garden and cans the amazing bounty it provides each year. The couple often entertains in their home above the winery. Another calling is sharing her wines, whether as she conducts tastings at the winery or travels to anchor winemaker dinners, often in her native South. I do think Im living a dream, she says. Whether its our sense of accomplishment in all of the meaningful details of the winery or just the plain deliciousness of the wine and the happiness it brings people---it never gets old, she adds. Those details include hay bale seating in the tasting room, blackboard walls where people scribble their own date night stories and the vintage 1967 Airstream (license plate DT NIGHT) ready to take the family on an another adventure. When the Pavitts first wine, the 2005 DATE NIGHT Cabernet Sauvignon, was chosen as one of the San Francisco Chronicles Top 100 Wines of the Year, Suzanne and Shane couldnt keep up with the demand. Today that review hangs proudly in a frame in their office: The name and the cowgirl label of this Napa newcomer belie an impressively serious effort. Defined by a gorgeous, deep nose: blackberry, violet, mint and a perfume overtone. Black fruit on the palate is just plain lovely - bold, pitch-perfect and ripe, with broad, finessed, seductive tannins. This is a big, beautiful wine that is part of the boutique offerings of the A Womans Palate Wine Club exclusive to WBENC. Click here to view all of the wines available and join the club.

A WOMENS PALATE WINEMAKER PROFILE: SUZANNE PHIFER PAVITT

Growing up in rural Georgia, Suzanne Phifer Pavitt never imagined she would become a vintner in the Napa Valley, in business with her husband and two young sons, in a storybook setting on the side of a mountain.