The bottom line purpose of the Council is to increase business opportunities for Women Business Enterprises. It’s a win-win proposition for WBE and Sustaining Members alike. Every networking, educational, mentoring, and procurement event of the Council ultimately benefits not only WBEs, but Sustaining Members as well by increasing their pool of certified WBE suppliers capable of responding to their supplier needs.

In an ongoing effort to ensure that the programs of the Women’s Business Council-Southwest are meeting the needs of our Sustaining Members, we recently held a Sustaining Member Focus Group Meeting. Joyce McKee of Bertram McKee & Associates expertly facilitated the group of ten participants who represented a cross section of our Sustaining Membership. The input we received was invaluable, and I want to thank the participants for their time and thoughtful feedback. Their commitment to WBE utilization was clear and their appreciation of Council events as a mechanism to achieving their internal goals was evident. The members expressed strong support for the Council’s new strategic alliance initiative, confirming their need for alliances that could respond to larger pieces of corporate business. We received great suggestions for specific activities that will increase the value of their membership and access to qualified WBE suppliers. Suggestions ranged from educational topics, such as how to approach corporations, to new avenues for identifying suppliers.

We will be implementing their suggestions in a variety of ways over the coming months, from online activities to focused supplier-to-buyer opportunities. The effectiveness of the Council is in the partnerships and shared purpose of our WBE and Sustaining Members. I am excited about the possibilities and look forward to working together to implement new strategies for achieving our mutual goals. Thank you again to the following corporations for their participation in the Sustaining Member Focus Group: Bank of America, Nokia, Southwest Airlines, Texas Instruments, Bell Helicopter Textron, Ericsson, Fluor Global Services, Raytheon, Belo Corporation, and JC Penney Company.