Signature Programs
Business and Professional Women (BPW)/ St. Petersburg-Pinellas Mark National Equal Pay Day with 17th Annual “Unhappy Hour” 81 Cents on the Dollar is Not Enough
WHAT: Business and Professional Women (BPW)/St. Petersburg-Pinellas will hold its 17th annual “Unhappy Hour” on Tuesday, March 31, the symbolic day that the average woman in the United States 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 2019, the average woman makes just 81.6 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. For full-time, year-round workers, median salaries showed that women earned an average of $45,097 compared to men’s $55,291 in 2018 – the reason for the “Unhappy” Hour. Equal Pay Day has been historically recognized with Proclamations from the City of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County elected officials. The event is free to the Public. No RSVP is necessary. Appetizers and a cash bar will be available. For more information, visit www.bpwstpetepinellas.org.
WHEN: Tuesday, March 31, 2020, 5:30 PM. to 7:30 PM. Brief remarks at 6:15 PM.
WHERE: Rococo Steak, 655 2nd Ave. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
WHY: When the Equal Pay Act was signed into law by President John F. Kennedy in 1963, women were earning an average of 59 cents on the dollar compared to men. Today, while women hold roughly half of all jobs, and their earnings account for a significant portion of the household income that sustains the financial well-being of their families, they still experience a gap in pay compared to men’s wages. For women of color, the pay gap is even greater. At the current rate of change, the Institute for Women’s Policy Research has estimated that the wage gap will not close until 2059.
About Business and Professional Women (BPW)/St. Petersburg-Pinellas
Founded in 1919 at the national and state levels, and in 1966 at the local level, BPW crosses generations, occupations and political parties. BPW/St. Petersburg-Pinellas is the local chapter of BPW/Florida, which is affiliated with the national BPW Foundation. 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 Thursday of the month at 400 Beach Seafood and Tap House in downtown St. Petersburg. www.bpwstpetepinellas.org.
BPW Scholarship Applications Now Available
Each year BPW/St. Petersburg-Pinellas awards scholarships to women in our community who are seeking further education in order to advance their current career or perhaps start a new one. Throughout the year, BPW members engage in various activities in order to fund these scholarships. The application for 2020 is now available and is due by April 15th.
Sept 5: Work-Life Reset: Fawn Germer visits BPW
We’re delighted to welcome renowned author, Fawn Germer, to our September Luncheon meeting where she will discuss the principles of her latest book, Work-Life Reset.
If Fawn Germer didn’t live by the Japanese proverb, “Fall down seven times, get up eight,” she probably would have given up years ago, when a bad boss told her she’d never be more than she was right then – a reporter.
She showed him. Fawn is a four-time Pulitzer-nominee and the best-selling author of nine books, including an Oprah book. She has keynoted all over the world and is one of three women on the prestigious “guru list” of the best global leadership speakers. Her first book was rejected by every major publisher in the U.S., but Fawn persevered until it was a bestseller. She wrote 28 letters to Oprah’s producers, but none of them worked. It was the 29th that scored her the windfall of an Oprah book.
Fawn personally interviews the most accomplished leaders and trailblazers of our times for their strategies and stories. Combining their wisdom with her inspiring personal experiences has made her one of the most beloved, uplifting and funny keynote speakers in North America.
Fawn has headlined leadership events for Coca-Cola, Ford Motor Co., Cisco, Walmart, Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson, State Farm, Novartis, Accenture, Deloitte, GlaxoSmithKline, Goldman Sachs and dozens of others on the Fortune 500 list… Meeting planners regularly turn to Fawn because she knows how to reach inside of the people in the audience and pull out their best.
She is currently working on her tenth book, which teaches why some careers go the distance and others sputter out. For the project, she has interviewed more than 200 top CEOs, startup geniuses, organizational experts and professionals.
Fawn is a daring outdoor adventurer and she has inspired hundreds of thousands of people to live fuller, more meaningful lives. She is widely recognized as one of the world’s go-to voice on work-life balance, showing that we make choices in life, and those choices have consequences. She recently delivered a TEDx talk on the topic of personal reset for a happier, more balanced approach to life, work and stress.
April 2: 16th Annual BPW Unhappy Hour in Observance of Equal Pay Day
Business and Professional Women (BPW)/St. Petersburg-Pinellas will hold its 16th annual “Unhappy Hour” on April 2, 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.
February 7: Learning From History
What can we learn from history about today’s issues? Terri Lipsey Scott, Executive Director of the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American History Museum, will address that very question when speaking about the museum and its importance to our community. A native of Savannah, Georgia, Terri has been a resident of St. Petersburg since 1981. She is a retired administrative officer having served the Office of the Mayor and City Council from 1987-2014.
Terri’s civic engagement included memberships in the Junior League, Women of the Word, St. Petersburg Chapter of the Links, Inc., St. Petersburg Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., ALPHA HOUSE, SPC Women on the Way, First Night and Colours of Culture. Mrs. Lipsey Scott has served on local boards to include Aids Services Association of Pinellas, St. Petersburg Branch of the NAACP, Co-Chair of Community Alliance, Convener of St. Petersburg Together, St. Petersburg College Women on the Way, Alpha House, the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American History Museum and the One City Chorus.
Terri has been honored by the YWCA, Studio @ 620, Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and Watermark. Her writing was recently published as the Foreword in the newly released Salt Creek Journal. Terri is an alumna of Savannah State University and Eckerd College. She is a graduate of the Leadership St. Pete Class of 2008 having served as the community project co-chair and visionary.
Terri is everywhere. She is deeply involved in advocating for dozens of issues surrounding housing, poverty, and opportunity. She has proven a tireless advocate for equity and fairness, committed to making our city a great place to live for all residents. Mrs. Lipsey Scott has said, “I am hopeful that I can create opportunities for young women with respect to leadership. I have a wealth of information that I believe that I can provide to young women who are looking to enter into the field of either administration or politics that I think is critical. There are missing components in today’s environment in the areas of leadership and administration that we need to get back to.”
15th Annual BPW Unhappy Hour in Observance of Equal Pay Day
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.
Lives Intersected
Successful Career from Sales to Art
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.
Working Internationally
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.
BPW/FL Leadership Programs
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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