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Business and Professional Women (BPW)/St. Petersburg-Pinellas will hold its 15th annual “Unhappy Hour” on April 10, the symbolic day that the average woman in the United States finally earns the same amount of pay that her male counterpart earned in the previous calendar year. According to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau in September 2016, the average woman makes just 80 cents for every dollar a man is paid, reflecting a gap that results in hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost wages over the course of a career. Therefore, if a man was paid $50,000 to perform his job from January 1 through December 31, it will take a woman in the same position, on average, until April of the following year to earn the same amount.

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To kick off the 2018, BPW welcomes Carla Bristol to share her story in creating a Successful Career from Sales to Art.

Carla Bristol, is the Owner and Creative Strategist behind Gallerie 909 and her private label clutch and clothing line, Jamii and the founder of the Annual Black Arts and Film Festival.  License Realtor and involved community advocate are among some of the other hats she wears.  Born in Guyana and raised in New York this mother of two enjoys strengthening her community through art and culture.  Bristol opened Gallerie 909 at the end of the First Quarter of 2014 in the heart of historic Midtown on the Deuces in a community that has inspired artists for generations.  The Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American History Museum and The African American Heritage trail documenting its rich history makes this area an important destination in Saint Petersburg.

In September 2017 Bristol left behind her physical location to enjoy the flexibility of being space-free. She continued to contribute to the regional arts and culture landscape by impacting people.  In November, Bristol gracefully opened a new chapter at Skyway Marina Mall and continued her community building work.  Her gallery has the reputation of being known as the preeminent art space presenting works by established and emerging artists of the African diaspora.  Since opening in March 2014, 909 has featured over 60 local, national and international artists.  The gallery offers several mediums including paintings, sculptures, ceramics, photographs, custom jewelry, selected home furnishings, clothing, textiles and so much more.

Owner, Carla Bristol was CreativeMornings, guest speaker on How Pioneers are Born (October 2017), guest editor for Creative Pinellas in February 2017 and appeared on CNN in December of 2016 representing Small Business Perspective.  Bristol received an award for Most Iconic Style from Local Shops 1 in 2016; Arts, Culture and Heritage award in 2015 and Small Business of the Year Award in 2015.  This gallery was featured in The duPont Registry Tampa Bay (online), 3rd in Tampa Bay Business Journal Readers’ Choice Award, appeared on Fox 13, Bay News 9, The St. Pete Times Cover, The Weekly Challenger, Power Broker and so much more.

Bristol is exceptionally active in her local community and proudly serves on The Studio @620 Board, The Pinellas County Historical Commission & Creative Pinellas.  Her background in Global and local sales and service for over 25 years is a proven asset to her business and our community.

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Successfully working internationally offers incredible opportunities but also requires patience and awareness and knowledge of cultural norms and differing legal environments. On September 21, come listen to the experiences of three women, who in different stages of their careers and in different industries chose to work outside the US (in different parts of the world). They are Tricia Curry, Marcia Cohen and Sheila Barry-Oliver. How did working internationally impact their careers and their work interactions?

Tricia Curry, in practice since 2008, studied massage therapy at the Cortiva Institute in Pinellas Park and received her BS in Exercise Science in 2012 from USF. She co-owns St. Pete Massage and Fitness with her husband and splits her time between St. Petersburg, FL, and Los Cabos, BCS, Mexico.

Marcia Cohen holds a BA in Education from Roosevelt University of Chicago, an MA in Music Composition from Northwestern University, and a JD from Stetson University College of Law. She practices primarily in the area of labor and employment law with a concentration in employment discrimination and sexual harassment. She was a delegate of the Destree Institute of Namur, Belgium, at the UN Conference on the Status of Women in 2013. Ms. Cohen has been appointed NOW Legal Counsel as of August 2017. She divides her time between Florida and Paris, France, where she is Of Counsel to the international law firm of Cimadevilla Avocats.

Sheila Barry-Oliver, Ed.D., who retired after 28 years in information technology and management consulting and 13 years in higher education, will moderate the discussion. While in consulting, Sheila created and led the workforce diversity initiative at Booz Allen Hamilton, which involved training and implementing corporate policies globally. She has worked in Egypt and lectured on global workplace diversity at Oxford University in England. Sheila has a BA in mathematics, an MBA and a doctorate in human resource development.

The lessons these women learned about working successfully on an international basis can be applied to all work situations.

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On June 1 our luncheon program will focus on the signature programs that fall under the umbrella of BPW/FL Leadership: Individual Development, Women in Transition and Young Careerist.  Jerri Evans, Legal Assistant with Lisa A. Hoppe, PA, Attorney at Law, will represent BPW/St. Petersburg-Pinellas at the Individual Development Speak Off at our upcoming BPW/FL State Conference.  The speak-off consists of a five-minute prepared speech and a two-minute impromptu speech. Jerri will deliver her speech on one of the prescribed topics set forth by the BPW/FL Leadership committee:

1: Running for political office
2: Transitioning to a new job or a new career
3: Motivating women to go out and vote
4: Advising a BPW scholarship recipient
5: Converting the energy at marches into concrete action
6: Celebrating BPW/FL’s 100 year anniversary

Sheila Barry Oliver will discuss our Young Careerist Program and Cynthia Gramberg will inform us all about the program that we have for Women In Transition.

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To recognize National Equal Pay Day and to raise awareness of pay equity and wage discrimination, Business and Professional Women (BPW)/St. Petersburg-Pinellas will hold its 14^th annual “Unhappy Hour” on April 4, the symbolic day that the average woman in the United States finally earns the same amount of pay that her male counterpart earned in the previous calendar year.

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Strategies for Success 2017. Strategies for Success professional development workshop series based on BPW’s long-running Individual Development curriculum is back by popular demand. This year we had four monthly sessions held on the fourth Saturday of each month (from January through April) at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Education and Conference Center. This workshop series was for you if you are… Employed or in transition • Early, mid or late career • Working in the for profit, non-profit or government sector • Anticipating a career change • An entrepreneur or working for someone else. Each session was $20 for members, $25 for non-members and there was an early enrollment discount if you enrolled in all four before the first workshop on January 28, 2017. Click here for more information. 

GUEST SPEAKER for March 2nd.  Adrianna Garcia is dually certified as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired and Orientation and Mobility Specialist. She currently works for Pinellas County Schools, serving students who are blind or visually impaired grades Pre-K through 12. Adrianna graduated from Eckerd College with a Bachelor’s of Art in Human Development, and from Florida State University with a Master’s of Science in Visual Disabilities Education with an emphasis in Orientation and Mobility. She works with classroom teachers and therapists, like Physical and Occupational Therapists, to collaborate and create an individualized education plan for each student. As a Teacher for the Visually Impaired, TVI, Adrianna works with students to teach them how to access not only their school curriculum, but all that is available in the environment around them. Orientation and Mobility, O&M, encompasses introducing a student to a white cane and building their skill set in becoming a safe and efficient independent traveler, while working on consumer skills and navigating through various environments in the community.

An all-female panel will discuss what makes democracy work the same night of the third presidential debate.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL (September 21, 2016) – Election years tend to spur questions about effective government. What does it take to make democracy work? How can citizens impact government policies, programs and representation? How do the three branches of government affect citizens at the local, state and federal levels? These issues, and more, will be explored at the annual working women’s forum hosted by Business and Professional Women/St. Petersburg-Pinellas (BPW), “From My House to the White House: Navigating the Crossroads of American Democracy,” on Wednesday, October 19, 2016, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at The Studio@620 (620 1^st Avenue South, St. Petersburg). The BPW forum, which will be in a panel format, will be held during National Business Women’s Week (October 17-21, 2016).

Local news veteran Rob Lorei of WEDU’s Florida This Week and WMNF Radio will moderate an all-female panel whose backgrounds span the local, state and federal levels of government: Deborah Clark, Pinellas County Elections Supervisor; Nikki Gaskin-Capehart, Director of Urban Affairs for the City of St. Petersburg; and The Honorable Myriam Irizarry, County Judge, Pinellas County.

The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with networking, light hors d’oeuvres and a cash-only bar. The panel discussion, followed by a question-and-answer session will begin at 6:00 p.m. Advance tickets are $25 for members, $30 for non-members. Admission at the door is $35. For tickets: http://new.bpwstpetepinellas.org/working-womens-forum/

“National Business Women’s Week™ during an election year provides BPW with a platform for working women to learn how to advocate for themselves in the realm of government,” said Jerri Evans, 2016-2017 President of BPW/St. Petersburg-Pinellas. “The BPW Working Women’s Forum features three accomplished women who will share their experiences on how government—good and bad—impacts our lives and what citizens can do to change the narrative.”

Major sponsors of the event include Healthy Start at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital (Presenting Level) and Duke Energy (Gold Level).

About Business and Professional Women (BPW)/St. Petersburg-Pinellas

BPW/St. Petersburg-Pinellas is the local chapter of BPW/FL, which is affiliated with the national BPW Foundation. Founded in 1919 at the national and state levels, and in 1966 at the local level, BPW crosses generations, occupations and political parties. BPW’s mission is to achieve equity for all women in the workplace through advocacy, education and information. General membership meetings are held on the first and third Thursdays of each month at 400 Beach Drive Seafood and Tap House in Downtown St. Petersburg. Guests are welcome to attend and experience a meeting. For more information: www.bpwstpetepinellas.org.

Signature activities for 2016-17 include the Young Careerist and Individual Development Programs from October 2016 – January 2017, the Working Women’s Forum on October 19, the Unhappy Hour observing Equal Pay Day in April 2017 and the Equality Day Tea in August 2017. The 2016-17 President is Jerri Evans, legal assistant for Lisa A. Hoppe, PA, Attorney at Law.

About National Business Women’s Week™ (NBWW)

To recognize the achievements of American working women, Business and Professional Women’s Foundation celebrates National Business Women’s Week™ during the third week of October. Since 1928, NBWW has honored the contributions of working women and employers who support working women and their families. NBWW provides an opportunity to call attention to women entrepreneurs, facilitate discussions on the needs of working women, share information about successful workplace policies, and raise awareness of the resources available for working women in their communities. For more information: bit.ly/bpwfdnnbww.

About Business and Professional Women’s (BPW) Foundation

BPW Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, works with women, employers and policymakers to create successful workplaces that practice and embrace diversity, equity and work-life balance. Through its research and unique role as a neutral convener of employers and employees, BPW Foundation leads the way in developing and advocating for policies and programs that “work” for both women and businesses. For more information: www.bpwfoundation.org.

Contacts: Lori Bremer (727) 501-6637 or Alizza Punzalan-Randle (727) 215-2699, forum@BPWStPetePinellas.org

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Join us on Wednesday, Oct. 19 at The Studio@620 for a thought-provoking panel discussion moderated by local news veteran Rob Lorei: “From My House to The White House: Navigating the Crossroads of American Democracy.” Confirmed panelists are: Deborah Clark, Pinellas County Elections Supervisor; Nikki Gaskin-Capehart, Director of Urban Affairs for the City of St. Petersburg; and The Honorable Myriam Irizarry, County Judge, Pinellas County.

Learn how the three branches of government impact us at the local, state and federal levels;  and what effective government looks like to make democracy work. Networking at 5:30 p.m.; program begins at 6:00 p.m. Complimentary appetizers and 1 drink ticket included ($25 Members; $30 Non-members). This annual Working Women’s Forum is held during National Business Women’s Week. Click here for more information and to register for the event.