A Brief History
The Executive Women's Council of Greater Pittsburgh was founded in 1974 as women
in the region began to use their education and experience to pursue professional
opportunities once reserved only for men. The late Mary Beth Peters, a member of
the administration at Chatham College, and college provost Dr. Doreen Boyce arranged
the first in a series of planning meetings in Dr. Boyces office. Among others involved
in these initial planning sessions were Dr. Mary Cole, senior psychologist with
Psychological Services of Pittsburgh;
Joan Biordi, research chemist with the U.S.
Bureau of Mines; Gretchen Donaldson, Esq., Pittsburgh attorney; Betty Gardner Bailey
of the Benedum Foundation, and about a dozen other prominent Pittsburgh professional
women.
Early documents reveal that the council was created to promote the professional
development of women managers, administrators and professionals; to increase the
numbers of women managers, administrators and professionals in the Pittsburgh area;
to increase the significant decision and policy-making positions held by women;
to develop our power as women and to use it effectively.
161 Charter Members
The first directory of the Executive Womens Council in 1975 listed 161 charter
members. From its inception, EWC deliberately avoided a traditional structure, recognizing
that its primary objectives networking and mutual support would be stifled in
an organizational bureaucracy. A three-member Coordinating Committee shared responsibility
for early leadership.
Other early decisions included what the organization was NOT designed to be:
- Another highly structure ladies group;
- Politically partisan;
- A forum for speaking out on every controversial issues that happened to concern
women
While the spirit of these early decisions has been preserved, nonpartisan political
information programs, including pre-election candidates forums and meetings with
elected officials, have become a core component of EWC activity in more recent years.
Membership not for private gain
Soon, EWC recognized that although many women within the city were beginning to
wield considerable power, this power was dispersed and unrecognized. The Coordinating
Committee also became concerned that many of the most influential women in the city
were no longer active, fearing that goals were being diluted and excessive demands
were being made for help, advice and contacts from younger, less experienced members.
Thus, the organization tightened membership criteria, requiring applicants to have
5 years of managerial experience, involvement in organizational decision-making,
community service leadership, and other executive responsibilities. It was also
clarified that EWC was a networking organization designed to help members achieve
professional goals but that it was not to be used solely for private business gain.
In 1981, EWC filed for incorporation as a non-profit organization, and its first
logo was developed in 1984. After a 1983 issue of Savvy Magazine identified Pittsburgh
as one of the worst US cities for women managers, membership increased over the
following year to 263.
Women on Boards
In 1984, EWC began a major push to place women on influential boards. It began to
achieve greater success in influencing placement on governmental and not-for-profit
boards, although women continued to lag behind in the for-profit sector.
The Women on Boards initiative made a significant advance in 2006 when EWC applied
for and received a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic
Development with help from the Honorable Jane Orie, a Pennsylvania state senator
and an EWC member. This grant, together with another from the Women and Girls Foundation
of Southwestern Pennsylvania, and a third from the Pittsburgh Celebration of Lights
fund, has enabled EWC to create and publicize an interactive database listing professional
women in the region who are qualified through experience and specific competencies
to serve on for-profit and high-level not-for-profit boards and to promote equity
of representation on governmental boards, commissions and authorities. The database
was designed to serve as the cornerstone of a major EWC Women on Boards strategic
initiative. The other significant components include EWC-sponsored educational programs
designed to prepare professional women for board service and leadership positions
as well as membership activity targeting women who are qualified for high-level
professional positions.
Other Transitions, Collaborations
In more recent years, EWC began to engage in strategic collaborations. In 2004,
it merged with WIRED Women Initiating Regional Economic Development. It continues
to work closely with the Women and Girls Foundation and other womens organizations
to achieve greater equity in pay, professional opportunities, and board membership.
EWC has helped underwrite studies on the disparities between men and women related
to employment and political office and it has endeavored to foster the greatest
possible diversity among its own membership. Additionally, EWC partnered with the
Working Hearts Program of the Jewish Healthcare Foundation to provide women and
girls with vital information about their cardiovascular health.
Network Building Continues
Although many initiatives relate to significant political and socio-economic issues,
each year EWC continues to sponsor regular networking events designed to share insights,
information and employment opportunities as well as to give members and their guests
the chance to interact in an relaxed atmosphere.
Most recently, EWC received a Community Connections grant from the Sprout Fund in
commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of Pittsburgh. In a major
initiative to build a network of collaborators, EWC has been using the grant to sponsor Womens Voices, Womens Votes, a series of collaborative planning
meetings among 20 supporting organizations to plan future goals and actions to advance
the influence of professional and managerial women in the greater Pittsburgh Region.
