By the time you read this, summer will be just around the corner. Spring semesters will be coming to a close, the legislature will be finishing its last big push to the end of the session, peaches will be ripe, vegetables will be growing, flowers will be everywhere, and the daylight will be close to being its longest of the year. EWTG will have completed community service projects for SAFE Alliance and Handbags for Hope, a legislative reception, an educational event at the Lady Bird Wildflower Center, four luncheons, four mini-courses, and many EST meetings. We will have recognized two special groups of our EWTG sisters: Past Presidents and Women of the Year. The conference committees will begin to step into high gear, and other committees will be working as well. Still haven’t joined a committee? It’s the first step towards being a committee chair and then maybe a board director. These responsibilities may seem a bit daunting at first, but you’ll have the support of fellow members and the pride of working with others to make something happen for others. You’ll learn new skills and be able to add to your resume and your experience. And if it takes you a little out of your comfort zone, that’s a good thing. We can’t grow if we don’t stretch ourselves.

Upcoming events include a retiree's get-together May 9th at the Zilker Park Garden Center, a mini-course with Nicole Conway May 10th, the Luncheon on May 24th, and a Joint Meetup with Austin and Brazos Valley, Houston, and Dallas affiliates in College Station on Saturday, June 17. Our July Community Service event will be working at the food bank on Saturday, July 15, and we'll be collecting non-perishable food during June and July to take. Sign-ups for these events will be showing up soon.

But back to having the support of your fellow EWTG members while serving on a committee or the board - I want to share a delightful experience I had last September reading how women in Scotland appreciate and support each other.

Last fall when I was in Scotland, I took a tour of their new parliament building in Edinburg. Like Austin’s city hall, which incorporates designs both inside and outside that reflect local geography, the Scottish Parliament building was designed to reflect the land upon which it sits. As a relatively new building completed in 2004, it has many innovative features and interesting art. The piece that most struck me consisted of three large panels entitled “Traveling the Distance” by Shauna McMullan. The artwork features a collection of handwritten sentences made of porcelain from 100 different women in Scotland. Each woman was asked to write about another woman they felt had made a significant contribution to life, culture or democracy in Scotland. Each woman also referred the artist on to another woman. Many of these sentences are strong, passionate statements about women making major important contributions or maybe just something as important as making one other person believe in herself. Here are nine that I particularly liked:

• She made me believe that women could achieve anything – and taught me to be brave.
• It’s so true: committed citizens are the people who can really change the world.
• Always in red, she made every one of us believe we were great.
• A strong vision and a sense of purpose. Makes things happen.
• Her glorious, glamorous, genius, joy and thirst for justice make us brighter and better in her company.
• She sets high standards, and her people follow.
• She makes me continue to believe that the fight for a more just world is the right road to be on.
• Integrity, social commitment, imagination and academic rigor – an inspiring woman!
• From scary to friendly, older but bolder, brave principled, cheery gossipy and fun.

Clare Dyer
2017 EWTG President

EWTG STAR loves to celebrate the accomplishments of our members. If you know of any members who have achieved any accolades, promotions, acknowledgments, recognitions or other achievements, please let us know. We want to share with other members.

Please send the information to communciations@ewtg.org with the subject line– EWTG STAR. June submission deadline is May 19, 2017

Self-Confidence, Style and You

Guest Speaker

Nicole Conway

Owner, Consultant/Stylist Coco’s Images
Author Cocos Chronicles: A Daily Dose of Inspiration

Imagine waking each day brimming with excitement about your job, your family and your own potential.

Nicole Conway was born in Seattle, Washington, and moved to Austin at the age of 10. She and her husband reside in Round Rock, Texas, and have five children between them and two beautiful granddaughters. Nicole currently works for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality as a property manager and has been working with the State of Texas more than 17 years. As a property manager, she ensures that the buildings run efficiently (monthly moves, cubicle reconfiguration, heating/AC, maintenance and custodial).

Outside of her state employment, Nicole is a plus size model, image consultant/stylist (Business: Coco’s Image) and a new author of the book: Coco’s Chronicles: A Daily Dose of Inspiration. She has been in the styling business for more than ten years.

Nicole has been able to overcome many obstacles, which combined to catapult her into the fashion industry. Nicole suffered from depression in her early 20's, and through her experiences, she is now able to help those who are broken or going through a difficult period in their lives.

During this session, Nicole explored how remaining on the path of a well-balanced life - healthier eating patterns, exercising (walking, running, yoga, etc.), and maintaining a well-rounded spiritual life - helps to define what your outside looks like based on self-confidence and style. She will also share her styling tips and words of wisdom to support you in knowing that when you feel good on the inside, your self-confidence and natural style will shine through.

Submitted By Patricia Hayes
Mini-Course Director

Do It Scared - The First Step to Courage

featuring

Kathryn Childers

Kathryn Childers’ decision to just “do it scared” led to her an appointment as one of the first five female Special Agents in the United States Secret Service. After smashing that glass ceiling, she protected the President, First Family, foreign heads of state as well as John and Caroline Kennedy. Even Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis noted, “Agent Clark (Childers), you live such an interesting life.”

A master of reinvention, Kathryn went on to become a broadcast journalist, award-winning community advocate, author, and publisher, as well as wife and mother. Through it all, Kathryn shares stories of her amazing life’s journey while coaching audiences to identify and "own" their personal “scared” … the first step to courage.

Please join EWTG members and friends for this insightful and dynamic program. The luncheon is held at the Austin Woman’s Club, 708 San Antonio Street, Austin, TX 78701 - view map (ample free parking located at the rear of the building at Nueces & 10th Street). Networking begins at 11:30 a.m. and lunch will be served at 11:45 a.m. The program starts at noon and concludes at 1:00 p.m. The cost is $20 for EWTG members and $25 for guests.  Remember to register early for the luncheon in anticipation of a “full house,” thank you!

You must log in to receive member lunch prices. Online registration will end at 10:00 AM Monday, May 22, 2017.

By Barbara Chavis, EWTG Program Director

Mark your calendar for the 2017 Executive Success Teams (ESTs) Kick-Off event on Thursday, June 8th. Plan on joining us from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at the Dedrick-Hamilton House “The Little Yellow House” at 912 E. 11th Street, Austin 78702 (view map) in front of the Greater Austin Black Chamber of Commerce. There is plenty of parking available in the lot adjacent to the building. New and current EST members are encouraged to attend, as are others interested in learning more or considering joining an EST. There will be hors d'oeuvres and drinks served. This will be a free event. However we request you pre-register so we can prepare for all of our guests.

Spend a day with your EWTG sisters in the Brazos Valley! Feel free to come to town a little early and grab lunch at one of our local eateries. Or, sleep in a little on Saturday June 17th, because Bryan-College Station is centrally located, and the festivities don't begin until 1:30 p.m.

Join us for a tour of the George Bush Library near Texas A&M. View a piece of the Berlin Wall, the beautiful scenery around the building, and view some history of this great Nation.

At 3:30 p.m. we will re-locate to downtown Bryan. This area has been given a face-lift over the past few years, so you can enjoy browsing locally owned shops, antiquing, and getting a taste of the Brazos Valley culture.

Beginning at 5:00 p.m., we will be receiving guests at Cafe Capri in downtown Bryan for a little networking, a little mingle, some great food, and a presentation from the College Station Police Department's Assistant Police Chief, Brandy Norris.

Having too much fun to go home? No sweat! Our friends at the Four Points Sheraton in College Station have offered a reduced room rate of $79, which includes breakfast on Sunday, for our EWTG sisters.

All of this is included in the $35 fee to attend. Please plan to sign up early as we are limited to 60 people.

Submitted By Kim Everett
EWTG Bryan-College Station Affiliate

Greetings EWTG Members,

Thank you for making our first two community service projects a great success. We were able to donate an estimated $250 worth of toiletry items for welcome bags to SAFE Alliance (formerly SafePlace and the Austin Children’s Shelter). Thanks to your giving hearts we were able to help families as they start a new journey. In April, we donated 29 nice looking handbags to Handbags for Hope.

Our next Community Service event will be Saturday, July 15th at our local Capital Area Foodbank. We’ll be collecting food items in June at the mini-course and luncheon and coming together to work at the food bank for three hours. By helping our local food bank, we will help nourish hungry families and contribute to ending hunger in the community.

Date: Saturday, July 15, 2017 

Time: 9:00am – 12:00pm
Address: 6500 Metropolis Dr., Austin, TX 78744 (Note: New location)
Phone: (512) 282-2111

Submitted by Lenora Jones
EWTG Community Service Chair

See Who Joined and Renewed in April 2017!

EWTG scholarships are awarded on a quarterly basis to those wanting an opportunity for professional advancement or personal growth. All interested members are encouraged to apply; financial need is not a factor. Take a moment to treat yourself to a course you have been putting off or a conference you would love to attend.

Guidelines for qualifying for a scholarship and applications are available on the EWTG website at ewtg.org. Email your 2017 second quarter application to the Scholarship Committee by 5:00 p.m. on June 30, 2017.

The EWTG Board holds its monthly meetings at the Mitte Carriage House in Austin on the third Wednesday of each month from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The agenda for each meeting will be posted on EWTG's website by noon on the Monday before the meeting.

A summary of the board meeting minutes is also posted on the website.

Please look over the Committee Descriptions on the EWTG website and consider becoming more active in the organization.

Participating on a committee is a great way to support EWTG, learn new skills and to meet other interesting executive women. As with so many things, "the more you give, the more you get."