JANUARY MEETING …Wednesday, January 10, 12:30-1:30pm at Starmount Forest Country Club

Welcome Suzanne Elise Walsh, President, Bennett College

Suzanne Elise Walsh became the nineteenth president of Bennett College on August 1, 2019. She was most recently deputy director of postsecondary success for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, leading and developing a team and a portfolio of over $70 million in postsecondary investments in institutional transformation in the United States. She previously served in leadership roles with the Lumina Foundation for Education and The Heinz Endowments.

Ms. Walsh has received national recognition for her portfolio of work with organizations at the intersection of innovation, technology, and learning. Education leaders with whom she has consulted praise her ability to create and work with cross-functional teams as a key driver in affecting flexible, personalized, and affordable approaches to higher education, and other leaders have expressed their appreciation for her work on several viability and sustainability initiatives at HBCUs, analyzing complex situations, developing innovative action plans to address challenges and motivating teams.

Ms. Walsh has been a frequent speaker and workshop leader at conferences such as the SXSW EDU, Black Futures Summit, ASU+GSV (Arizona State University (ASU) and Global Silicon Valley (GSV), Council for Independent Colleges, Salesforce Education Conference, and Global Learning Council, of which she is an active member. Other nonprofit board service includes Trellis Foundation, Achieving the Dream, Women’s College Coalition, the Harwood Institute, Global Learning Council, and Greensboro Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Walsh is a member of the Homeland Security Academic Partnership Council, appointed by the secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. She has published or edited several books and journal articles on the topic of educational transformation, and is the recipient of numerous awards, honors, and fellowships.

Ms. Walsh has honorary doctorates from Case Western Reserve University and Johnson C. Smith University. She was elected to the prestigious Society of Benchers of Case Western University School of Law. She earned a juris doctorate and master’s in social work from Case Western Reserve University, a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, and an associate degree in applied science from Hudson Valley Community College.

Message from the Membership Committee

From Laura Burton, Chair

Your WPF Membership Committee is ready for an exciting and productive new year and we look forward to learning about the great applicants you’ll be proposing.  We love having new members join our professional sisterhood.  Please let me know if you’re planning on sponsoring a candidate this year.  This will help the Membership Committee’s planning process for 2024.

Although the June 1st deadline for the 2024 class seems far in the future, it’s only FIVE MONTHS AWAY.  However, please don’t fill out the applications just yet—we expect the updated website modifications by the end of January.  This should make the process easier for all involved, including the option of fillable PDF forms for the application and sponsor packet.

The basic requirements for membership applications won’t change:

• New members are accepted once yearly.  Completed applications must be received by the Membership Chair by June 1 for membership beginning July 1.

• Prospective members will attend three WPF lunch meetings with each of her sponsors, a total of three meetings, within the twelve months prior to application filing.

• A new member must be sponsored by a total of three sponsors — a primary sponsor and two secondary sponsors. The primary sponsor must be an Active or Active Retired member. The two secondary sponsors may be Active, Active Retired or Emeritus members.

• The primary sponsor is responsible for ensuring that an applicant appears to meet the basic membership qualifications set out in the New Member Application Packet.  Questions may be directed to the Membership Chair.

• An Active and Active Retired member may either sponsor or co-sponsor a total of no more than two new member applications in a fiscal year.

• An Emeritus member may co-sponsor no more than two new member applications in a fiscal year.

• New members may be a sponsor after 24 months of membership.  The waiting period to sponsor a new member doesn’t apply to WPF members who have been reinstated as members after having left WPF in good standing.

• Sponsors will agree to provide any information about the prospective member as requested by the Membership Committee.

• If an applicant is rejected for membership, the primary sponsor and co-sponsors will be notified prior to notifying the applicant.

• Members of the Membership Committee, WPF President and Supporting members cannot act as sponsors.

If you have any questions about sponsorship, please contact Membership Chair Laura Burton at lburton@foxrothschild.com or 336-337-1942.

Current Members:  2024 WPF membership renewal notices will be sent out mid-January and all membership fees are due by March 1st.  Watch your inbox for an email notice.  If you are considering changing your membership status or have questions about membership, please contact Membership Chair Laura Burton at lburton@foxrothschild.com or 336-337-1942.

WPF FOUNDATION NEWS: A Note From Chandra Hackenvbruch, WPFF President

Hello and Happy New Year from the WPF Foundation.  May this this year bring you joy, a sense of purpose and much success! In 2023 the WPFF board accomplished so much together and I am grateful for their hard work and dedication!

I am also ecstatic and honored to be leading the Foundation Board this year along with a great group of officers and Directors! I am looking forward to accomplishing upcoming goals and achievements this year!

We are excited about applicants that applied so far during this grant cycle and look forward to more! As a reminder the deadline is January 31st, so please spread the word now to any organization in Guilford County that runs programming for women and girls and encourage them to apply.  They will find the new application link on the grants tab on the Foundation page at www.wpforum.org/foundation/grants/.  We look forward to being able to award another amazing group of grants this year to encourage and enable more impactful work being done in our community.

None of this would be possible without the support of our membership.  To all of you who gave in 2023, and the past… THANK YOU!  Your contributions allowed us to provide over $300K in grants to organizations that align with our mission to empower Women and Girls by supporting:

•  opportunities for women and girls to aspire to or further their careers;

• education and leadership development of women and girls;

• education of the public on the status and rights of women; and

• recognition of achievements and contributions of women.

If you have any questions about the grant cycle, or about the WPF Foundation, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or any of our WPFF Board members.

Thank You!

Together we are empowering women and girls.