Women's Business Enterprise National Council Names New Board Members for 2012

WASHINGTON, March 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) has announced its 2012 Executive Officers of its Board of Directors, as well as its newest Board Members. 

Laura Taylor, WBENC Board Chair and Vice President, Strategic Sourcing and Procurement Operations, Pitney Bowes Inc., returns in her second term.  Taylor is the seventh board chair since the organization's inception in 1997.  Under direction of WBENC Board Chair Taylor in 2011, the organization was appointed by the United States Small Business Administration as a certifying organization for its Federal Contracting Program for Women-Owned Small Businesses.  WBENC also introduced its first Multi-Tier Opportunity Connection providing a formal forum for Corporate Members to meet all WBEs, as well as for WBEs to meet with the prime suppliers of participating corporations looking to do business with Tier II+ suppliers.  The organization also is developing WBENC's Roadmap to 2020, representing its strategic plan focused on the core values of Certification, Opportunities, and Resources, as well as Recognition and Technology.

The Executive Committee for the WBENC Board was also confirmed for a two year term.  In addition to Laura Taylor, Board Chair (representing Pitney Bowes); it includes Benita Fortner, Vice Chair (Raytheon); Debra Jennings-Johnson, Vice Chair (BP America Inc.); Kathy Homeyer, Treasurer (UPS); Mary Tacher, Secretary (JC Penney); Cheryl Stevens, immediate Past Chair (Energy Future Holdings); Nancy Conner, National Certification Committee (W.W. Grainger); Theresa Harrison, Membership & Revenue Generation (Ernst and Young); Tara Spann, Marketing, Communications and Brand Management (Staples), Tara Abraham, Women's Enterprise Leadership Forum Chair (Accel Inc.), and Geri Swift, Leadership Council Chair (WBEC PA, DE, sNJ).  Jorge Romero, K&L Gates, Board Counsel and Pamela Prince-Eason, WBENC President & CEO are ex-officio members of the Executive Committee. 

In addition, seven leaders have joined the WBENC Board of Directors having started their terms in January 2012:  

• Eyvon C. Austin, Global Supplier Diversity Manager, The Coca-Cola Company
• Leah Brown, President & CEO, A10 Clinical Solutions, Inc.
• Larry Caldwell, Vice President of Strategic Supply Management, PepsiCo
• Nancy Creuziger, Vice-President, Global Finance Business Performance, ManpowerGroup
• Olsa Martini, President, OLSA Resources, Inc.
• Tara Spann, Executive Director of Diversity Initiatives, Staples North American Delivery 
• Lisa Stenglein, Senior Director, Systems and Indirect Procurement, Motorola Solutions
• Greg Tibbles, General Manager Procurement, Downstream, Technology & Services, Chevron Corporation
• Pamela Williamson, President & CEO, WBEC-West

"We are proud to have such talented and committed individuals representing their companies on the WBENC Board," said Taylor.

About WBENC: The Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) is the leading advocate for, and authority on, Women's Business Enterprises (WBEs) as suppliers and vendors to the nation's corporations. WBENC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that seeks and accepts donations from corporations, foundations and individuals that support its mission and programs.  For more information, please go to www.wbenc.org.

SOURCE Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)