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NAWBO Public Policy Luncheon January 12
Co-Director of Marketing Katrina McBride, Photos by Kim Schlossberg
Our special
guest was the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Carole
Keeton Strayhorn.
Table Sponsors for the event were LOPEZGARCIA, Lone Star
Bank, and Mary Ceverha.
Jill Smith, Lone
Star Bank, Mary Ceverha, Comptroller Strayhorn, and Susie Morrissey, Director
of Public Policy
Chapter President, Wendy Lopez, opened the meeting by
recognizing Corporate Partners in attendance and the Board of Directors, which
was followed by the announcement of the formation of a Women’s Business
Caucus. The caucus, sponsored by the
D/FW, Houston, and San Antonio chapters, will be used to raise the awareness of
our state legislature regarding the importance of women’s business issues to
the state’s economy.
Susie Morrissey, Director of Public Policy advised the
attendees of the 5 public policy issues deemed most crucial to women business
owners on a national scale: passage of the Association Health Plan, education
in the workforce, procurement policies for government contracts, simplified tax
filing for small business owners and attention to technology for the small
business.
Following this update, Joan
Voeller, Vice President, NAWBO D/FW introduced our special guest – Comptroller
Strayhorn. Comptroller Strayhorn, who
refers to herself as “one tough grandma” began by acknowledging the importance
of the role of women business owners to the state.
The Comptroller continued by outlining her primary issues
for the state legislature and economy: education finance, property tax reform,
the issue of government vs. private sector efficiency, maintaining local
control of education, and keeping Texas free of a state income tax.
As a former public school teacher, Strayhorn is clearly
passionate about education. She shared
several of her own ideas for education finance reform and the need to stress
higher education to all of our children.
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Wendy
Lopez D/FW Chapter President
The Comptroller closed by inviting the Women Owned
Business Caucus to meet with her office and offered her support. She assured the attendees that she would
continue to watch out for their children, the economy and NAWBO.
Following her speech, the Comptroller answered questions
from the attendees.
Finally, Marilyn Bushey, 2004
National Conference Liaison, reminded us that Dallas was the host city for the
National Conference and invited members to join her planning committee.
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