GWBC® Celebrates 15 Years; Thousands of Women Owned Business Certifications Processed

March 4, 2015 | By Business Wire News

ATLANTA

The Greater Women’s Business Council, Inc. (GWBC), the leading provider of certification and development resources for certified women business enterprises (WBEs) in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, is celebrating 15 years of empowering women business owners. Founded on April, 11, 2000, GWBC will pay tribute to the women businesses, corporate partners and allied alliances that contributed to the success and growth of the organization.

In 2000, Delta Air Lines and UPS joined forces with the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) to create an entity that would safeguard the interests of women-owned businesses in Georgia. Within a year, they gained support from Georgia Power, AT&T and The Coca-Cola Company. And by 2009, they expanded to include North Carolina and South Carolina. Today, GWBC certifies more than 900 WBEs each year throughout Georgia and the Carolinas.

“We are humbled and honored to have made it to 15 years and pay tribute to those that have contributed to our journey,” said Roz Lewis, president of GWBC and also a founder of the organization. “We look forward to guiding and supporting the next generation of women-owned businesses.”

New Leadership

Mary Kepler, vice president and chief risk officer for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, was selected as GWBC’s Board Chair. Kepler’s priorities are to enhance the value that GWBC brings to WBEs, which in turn helps to elevate the value the WBEs bring to Corporations and Government. A Board member since 2009, Kepler is intimately involved with GWBC and understands the unique strengths needed on the Board to support GWBC’s president and staff to achieve the goals of the organization.

Kittie Watson is President of Innolect, a WBENC-Certified WBE and visionary leadership and organizational development firm that prepares clients to succeed in a high-performance, high-integrity workplace. Watson will be honored as the region’s Women’s Business Enterprise Business Star at the annual WBENC Summit & Salute Gala this March. She was selected because of her demonstrated record of building a vital company that cultivates leaders, accelerates positive business results and creates legacies of excellence.

To get certified visit www.gwbc.biz.