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President's Corner |
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Conference registration is now open. Our conference theme is Bold Leadership: Courage, Confidence, Compassion. Pamela Benson Owens, Director of Creativity for Leadership Women and President & CEO of Edge of Your Seat Consulting, will be delivering the keynote address for the opening general session of the conference; and Dr. Steve Murdock, Director of the Hobby Center for the Study of Texas at Rice University and former Director of the U.S. Census Bureau and State Demographer of Texas, will be the keynote speaker for the midday general session. Thirty-six dynamic speakers have been selected to hold break-out workshops throughout the day on leadership development, program management, organizational change, and much more. These workshops offer practical, hands-on training as well as an opportunity to network with other government executives and employees from across the state. Be sure to register early to get your pick of the workshops.
Although the conference is front and center right now as everyone is gearing up for it, we have had a busy month overall with sixteen people attending the workday at the Central Texas Food Bank and with the opportunity to hear from our July luncheon speaker, Porter Wilson, ERS Director, and our mini-course speaker, our own Patricia Hayes, who talked about networking and net-giving.
August finds us with a tour of the historic 1855 Neill-Cochran House Museum on Saturday, August 5, arranged through our Educational Events Committee, and another great mini-course and luncheon.
A school backpack and supplies drive for the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders will be our August community service event. We'll collect items at both the mini-course and luncheon in August.
On Saturday, September 16, we will be helping prepare SWAG bags for Komen Race for the Cure cancer survivors. On October 3, Bobbe Walker and the Membership Committee will be hosting our almost-annual Capital Cruise happy hour on Lady Bird Lake. The cruise is always a fun time, and if all goes well, the famous Austin bats will put on their stunning aerial display.
Please don’t forget that we have scholarships available for members who actively participate in EWTG and who apply. This quarter is the time to submit those conference scholarship requests. Check the website for details.
I am looking forward to seeing you at our upcoming events.
Clare Dyer
2017 EWTG President
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| EWTG STAR Submissions |
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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. The submission deadline is August 18, 2017.
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| Mini-Course - August 9, 2017
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“After the Longest Job I Ever Had . . . Now What?”
Guest Speaker
Dianne Thompson
Magnify Solutions, Owner
It's time to explore the question that faces so many women in and out of state government, right now! This session is for those women who are in the midst of career transition, especially if you are thinking about retiring, stumbled into retirement, or are considering next steps after retirement. During this open discussion, Dianne will explore the following issues/ concerns:
- Balancing While Transitioning – How do you figure out what’s really important while trying to balance everyone’s “honey do” list and what you’ve always dreamed of doing?
- What do I do with this box I brought home? – Believe it or not, leaving a long-time job can be traumatic! We will discuss overcoming separation anxiety as well as the importance of keeping a routine after getting up every day for 30+ years to go to a job.
- I’m Good, Really! – There’s no time like the present to learn the importance of being true to yourself.
Dianne Thompson is the owner of Magnify Solutions, where she works with small business owners to develop strategies and opportunity for branding products that create synergy for public facing. Dianne’s vast professional experience includes planning, customer service, and servant leadership. After thirty-four years with the state, Dianne retired from the State Comptroller’s Office in 2012 to help with her mother and her aunt, both now in their 80’s. Her experiences while at the Comptroller’s Office enabled her to be a part of leading projects that had a statewide impact in accounting, software development, quality assurance, business intelligence and project management.
Active in the community at all levels, Dianne also teaches at her church, is a Williamson County Precinct Chair, and serves as a Deputy Voter Registrar for both Williamson and Travis counties. She has five granddaughters ranging in age from 1 to 14 years old, and they all think they are ‘the one.'
The mini-course starts at 11:30, the program begins at noon, and lunch is served at 11:45 a.m. To help you make the most of your lunchtime, EWTG will have pizza from Eastside Pies, fresh green salad, a drink and dessert for $10 per person, or you can bring your own lunch. Pizza will be served from 11:45 a.m. to noon. The program begins at noon and ends by 1:00 p.m. The mini-course is held at the Carver Library, 1161 Angelina St., TX 78702 - view map.
Reserve your seat and lunch selection today. Cancellations must be received 24 hours prior to the event to receive a refund for pizza orders. Acceptable forms of payment onsite are cash or check. For information contact EWTG by email, ewtg@ewtg.org or by telephone, 512-220-4298.
Submitted by Patricia V. Hayes
EWTG Mini-Course Director
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| Educational Event – EWTG Takes a Guided Tour of the Neill-Cochran House Museum
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 The Educational Events Committee arranged for EWTG members and guests to take a guided tour of the Neill-Cochran House Museum on Saturday, August 5. Several members and guests met for coffee first and then were joined at the house by the rest of the party. Members enjoyed a very informative summary of early Austin history, the architecture highlights and secrets of the house itself, and how before the house was ever occupied by a family, it was used to host troops as well as used for an asylum before it was bought and renovated in the late 1800s. The Neill-Cochran House Museum preserves the experiences of some of Austin’s earliest residents, and the tour was eye-opening and a delight. Click here to check out photos from our visit!
Submitted By Marie Nevarez Cohan
EWTG Educational Events Committee
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| august Community Service - Ann Richards School
Supply Drive |
 This August, the Community Service Committee will be collecting backpacks and school supplies for the Ann Richards School. ARS is a 6th-12th grade school and the some of the students come from economically challenged households, so the contribution of school supplies makes a big difference to the girls. And, if anyone would like to make a monetary contribution, those dollars help make programs at the school possible that otherwise would not be available.
Checks should be made payable to Ann Richards School Foundation.
Specific school supplies most needed include:
- Pencils and Pens (Blue or Black)
- Composition Notebooks- College-ruled
- Composition Notebooks- Graph paper
- Notebook Paper- College-ruled
- Highlighters
- Folders with Brads and Pockets
- Back Packs
All donations are tax-deductible. The Ann Richards School Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) organization.
The Community Service Committee will be collecting backpacks, school supplies, and donations at the August mini-course and luncheon.
Submitted by Lenora Jones
EWTG Community Service Chair
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| 2017 Annual Conference Registration |
Online Conference Registration Now Open!!
Convenient and Easy
BOLD LEADERSHIP: COURAGE, CONFIDENCE, COMPASSION
Online conference registration is convenient and easy so register now! Don’t wait, mark your calendar and plan to attend the 31st Annual EWTG Professional Development Conference. Just a note, be sure you register no later than  October 13, 2017, to take advantage of the early registration discount: Members $184 and Non-Members $259. After October 13th, the fee goes up to $234 for Members and $309 for Non-Members.
We will have a special presentation to announce our EWTG Woman of the Year, honoring one of our members who has demonstrated leadership skills, dedication to service, and commitment to the community.
Our EWTG Silent Auction and Exhibits Hall will open at 7:00 a.m. on the day of the conference, November 20th. Proceeds from the silent auction will fund our professional development scholarships, which are available for EWTG member training and educational opportunities. Exhibitor fees and contributions help support the conference in its goal of providing professional development opportunities relevant to members’ roles in government.
Stay tuned: we also have a special EWTG Scholarship Fund Raiser coming soon!!!!
Submitted By Karen Howard
2017 Vice President, and Conference Chair
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| 2017 Annual Conference Reception |
 Plan to join us on Sunday, November 20th for a relaxed and fun EWTG Welcome Reception to kick-off the 31st Annual EWTG Professional Development Conference.
Back by popular demand is the Samford Trio who will play good tunes to set the mood as you connect with old friends, make new EWTG acquaintances, and play Networking Bingo. We have some fabulous prizes for the winners! The event begins at 5 p.m. in the Veramendi Ballroom ABC (right across from the registration desk).
When you register for the conference, the reception is included in the registration cost but please click here, so we know you are planning to attend the reception (even if you noted so when you registered for the EWTG Conference).
If you are unable to attend the conference but would like to attend the reception Sunday evening, please join us. The cost is $20 per person. Also, any registrants wishing to bring a guest to the reception may do so for $20.
Please RSVP for the Welcome Reception here. We look forward to seeing you in San Marcos at the Embassy Suites Conference Center.
Submitted By EWTG Reception Committee
Audrey Selden, Reception Chair
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| Community Service in Action |
Food Bank Work Day
 The Community Service Committee has been busy. We organized a volunteer work day last month on Saturday, July 15th. Sixteen EWTG volunteers worked alongside other volunteer groups at the Central Texas Food Bank for a three-hour work session.
We also donated food and money to help feed families in the Central Texas area. The food bank is in a large new modern facility, and the team found the work to be fast paced and fun. Anyone can volunteer at the food bank by going online and registering for a spot. If you were not able to join us but think this would be something you would like to try, please check them out.
The teams on the morning of July 15 processed 6,600 lbs. of food, which will provide over 5,500 meals. The Community Service Committee thanks everyone who volunteered or provided food or money to help support those in need.
Submitted by Lenora Jones
EWTG Community Service Chair
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| Executive Success Team - Highlight B.EST
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My name is Shawana Abrams. Since 2007, I've had the privilege to be associated with Executive Success Teams (EST). Executive Success Teams is one of the major components of the EWTG peer mentoring program and a favorite benefit among members of EWTG. The name of our EST has evolved from no name to The Kindergartners to the B.EST (Best EST). We have had many members join our EST, and we have had several fall off. From the original EST, there are only two members left - Denice Bettencourt and myself. Today, we have eight members with the possibility of two others joining us. Our current members are Terri Peirce, Denice Bettencourt, CJ Martinez, Unyime Udosen, Jennifer Dormer, Cheryl Taylor, Maria Hanke and myself.
We usually meet the second Thursdays of each month at 5:30 p.m. We assign a member in the rotation to select a location where they would like our EST to gather. We usually meet at a centrally located restaurant. During our meetings, we have discussions on family, life, health, marriage, relationships, beauty, clothing, and work. The best discussions happen when one of us just needs to talk. We often take this time to listen intently and to offer suggested resolutions or just to offer our support for whatever situation the person may be experiencing. Most of our members have also either served on the EWTG Board of Directors or as a Conference Committee Chair. We encourage each other to take an active part not only in the EST but in being a member of EWTG and supporting our annual conference. Many of us have also been able to network and make other connections with women who are employed by state agencies. Networking is a way that we can further advance in our careers with the assistance of others who may be able to provide information on job prospects.
If you are interested in joining an EST, please contact Deborah Shaw-Boatner. We are a very flexible EST, and there is no pressure to join us, although we are open to new members. We love to gather at a great restaurant and have great conversations with one another. Our conversations are so enjoyable that we sometimes end up at the restaurant for over two hours! This indicates that we have found a bond with each other that is both trusting and lasting. Our EST is an opportunity to unwind and just shoot the breeze with some ladies who have a lot in common. We are sure to keep everything that is discussed within the group confidential. Invest in yourself and join an EST today!
Submitted By Shawana Abrams
B.EST Team Member
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| September Community Service – Work Day for the Susan G. Komen Austin Race for the Cure
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The EWTG Community Service Committee will volunteer for the Susan G. Komen Austin Race for the Cure by putting donated items from local and national vendors in the Race Survivor SWAG Bags. Race participants who are breast  cancer survivors are given the Race Survivor SWAG Bags during the race.
Registration for volunteers will be available later this month. We’re asking all volunteers to wear pink in support of this event. We all can help fight cancer and assist in finding a cure, so no one has to battle this disease.
Survivor SWAG Bag volunteers information:
Date: Saturday, September 16, 2017
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon
Address: 1705 S Capital of Texas Hwy (Loop 360) near Barton Creek Mall, Building is 1 Westlake Plaza, Room 130
For more information about the Komen Austin Race for the Cure or to register as an individual or create a team on your own, please visit the link below.
Submitted by Lenora Jones
EWTG Community Service Chair
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| New and Renewing Members |
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See Who Joined and Renewed in July 2017!
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| Quarterly Scholarships |
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 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 third quarter application to the Scholarship Committee by 5:00 p.m. on September 29, 2017.
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| EWTG Board Meetings |
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 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.
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| Committee Volunteers Needed |
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 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."
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