The Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) expands in Texas

FAIRFIELD, N.J., Oct. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) is delighted to announce an expansion of the HBA's presence in Texas. The HBA Texas chapter will allow the HBA to further the advancement and impact of women in healthcare throughout Texas.

"This effort is part of our strategic plan to further diversify the HBA's industry and membership representation," said Mary-Margaret Armstrong, HBA vice president of membership and education. "Broader representation across the healthcare spectrum will drive innovative collaboration and better serve our corporate partners' distributed employee base. We expect to see large numbers of women joining the HBA community to further their professional leadership acumen."

The Texas healthcare marketplace is strong and diverse. There are more than 330,000 healthcare industry jobs in Dallas and more than 140 healthcare companies in Austin. The HBA's presence in Texas started in San Antonio in 2006. In 2011, the chapter held 14 innovative events serving 1,400 attendees. This year's annual State of the Industry event showcased the HBA to the area's entire healthcare community, drew more than 400 attendees and served as a model program which other chapters drew from to create their own signature events.

The HBA Texas chapter is well-positioned to continue offering women and men working in all sectors of healthcare valuable opportunities to expand and enhance their professional connections, develop and refine their leadership skills, and enjoy the many benefits of becoming part of the global HBA community.

"I was a member of HBA's Metro chapter for many years and I am excited to be part of expanding the reach of HBA across Texas. The Texas chapter will provide a strong platform for women and men at every stage of their careers to develop skills, network, and be part of active dialogue on healthcare in our communities," said Jessica Ferdinand, HBA Texas chapter president.

The HBA Texas chapter is well-positioned to continue offering women and men working in all sectors of healthcare valuable opportunities to expand and enhance their professional connections, develop and refine their leadership skills, and enjoy the many benefits of becoming part of the global HBA community.

The HBA Texas chapter board of directors is lead by an executive committee:

President: Jessica Ferdinand, Pierpont Communications
President-elect: Sally Ramsay, Pierpont Communications
Vice president: Judy Wardle, Pfizer
Treasurer: Kathleen Williams, Allen Austin Global Executive Search
Secretary: Lana K.  Varney, Fulbright & Jaworski
Immediate past-president: Deborah Seltzer, Spencer Stuart

In addition to the executive committee, the HBA Texas chapter board is thrilled to announce the directors-at-large:

Advisory board: Marlen Angelloz, Memorial Hermann Medical Group
Marketing and public relations: Kristeen Jones, eCardio and Sharla Davis, Genentech
Market research: Dwayne Smurdon, Predictable Data
Membership: Casey Hamilton, Pfizer
Program strategy: Alex Rodriguez, Memorial Hermann Medical Group
Volunteer engagement: Adrienne K. Moeller, St. Luke's Episcopal Health System and Tu Nguyen, Allergan

For a listing of all HBA Texas chapter events as well as HBA in-person and virtual events visit https://www.hbanet.org/chapters/texas.

About The HBA
The Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) is in its fourth decade as a global not-for-profit organization dedicated to furthering the advancement of women in healthcare worldwide. With 15 chapters throughout the US and in Europe, the HBA is headquartered in New Jersey with offices in Philadelphia and Research Triangle Park. The HBA provides educational opportunities for women and men to develop cutting-edge healthcare industry knowledge and leadership skills; recognizes outstanding women and men in the industry; provides opportunities for networking; creates greater visibility for women in the industry; fosters mentoring relationships and serves as a conduit and sponsor for research on career advancement issues. HBA has over 6,000 individual members and over 130 Corporate Partners. It is widely recognized as the catalyst for leadership development of women in healthcare worldwide. For more information, visit www.hbanet.org.

SOURCE Healthcare Businesswomen's Association