Weather no deterrent to Women in Business attendees

Torrential rain and a tornado were not enough to deter the ticketholders for SBJ's Oct. 10 luncheon in honor of the 20 Most Influential Women in Business 2001.

Almost 500 people attended the event held at the University Plaza Hotel. SBJ's guests enjoyed a savory vegetarian lasagna followed by generous portions of strawberry shortcake during the keynote presentation by Katrina Luise Everhart, owner of Electronic Surveys & Polling LLC.

Based in Kansas City, Everhart's company provides management, sales and diversity training programs, as well as developing new products and services for consumer and business markets. Its clients include American Express, Direct Manufacturers of Asia, Sprint, Proctor & Gamble, Hyatt Associates and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Everhart, who grew up in Los Angeles and has taught in China, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Ireland, discussed the advances of women in business and the challenges that still lie ahead.

While women comprise slightly less than half of our nation's work force, less than 15 percent of business leaders and owners are women. Among Fortune 500 companies, that figure drops to around 5 percent.

SBJ is proud of the Women in Business event, and we feel the phenomenal turnout for this observance only in its second year confirms what we believed at the outset: there is a need to recognize the accomplishments of businesswomen in the Ozarks. And we won't stop here. We are already seeking nominations for next year's event.

Included with this week's issue of the Business Journal is the special publication profiling this year's 20 Most Influential Women in Business.

We invite you to peruse the profiles; get to know these women who are shaping Ozarks area business the role models for tomorrow's women in business.

As you read their stories, think about the businesswomen who have been influential in your own life and career: the mentors, the motivators, the leaders. Help us give them the recognition they deserve by nominating them for our 2002 awards.

Call Debra Fickbohm, special products coordinator, with your nominations at 831-3238, or e-mail her at dfickbohm@sbj.net.

We hope you will join us in congratulating these women for their accomplishments.

And we do not forget our 2000 class of Women in Business, now part of the SBJ Hall of Fame: Rosa Archibald, Donna Baker, Judy Breeding, Nancy Brown, Nadia T. Cavner, Diana Cowan, Elise Crain, Dona Elkins, Voncille M. Elmer, Kris Evans, Mary Faucett, Karen Hall, Teresa Hall, Carol Jones, Mary Kay Meek, Patti A. Penny, Danette Proctor, Nikki Gahr Sells, Karen Shannon and Jan Strube.

Many thanks go to our event sponsors, Cox Health Systems and Midwest Family Broadcasting, as well as to our panel of judges: Carol Jones, Elise Crain, Jan Strube, Sheryl Letterman and Sonja Chasteen. It would have been impossible to put this thing together without them. Kudos also to Steve Blalock, Jana Scott Blalock and Fickbohm whose behind-the-scenes work resulted in a seamlessly smooth event and a beautiful publication.