Local BPW members gather for speakoff competition

Special to The Vindicator

BUSINESS WOMEN: Advocates of women’s workplace rights, Youngstown Business and Professional Women members are, from left to right, Sandra Barger, president; Judy Kovalan; Megan Phillips, young careerist; Jayne Boucherle; Traci Miller, Jennifer Betts, vice president; and Marianne Barron. Not pictured is Lisa Dickson.

BOARDMAN — Region 4 Business and Professional Women met Feb. 28 at the Holiday Inn for the Young Careerist and Individual Development Speakoff Competition. Six of eight locals were represented with the 23 members and three guests in attendance.

Competition on each level — local, region and state, is encouraged to use the same guidelines that target five areas for the judging panel to evaluate each candidate: Personal and professional accomplishments and writing ability, four-minute prepared speech, group interaction, personal interview, and mentoring and leadership skills.

The judges for the day were BPW Judge Lorena Nelson from New Concord, James Horvath from Poland, and Beth Schmitt from East Liverpool.

Region 4 will be represented in the Young Careerist state competition by Megan Phillips from the Youngstown BPW on April 4 in Columbus. Youngstown BPW was founded n 1920 and meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month. For more information, contact President Sandra Barger at (330) 782-8518.

Founded in 1920, the Ohio Federation of Business and Professional Women has been promoting equity for all women in the workplace through advocacy of personal and professional development and access to information. BPW/Ohio is an affiliate of the BPWUSA, a nationwide organization that has been advocating the rights of working women for more than 85 years.

More than 1,100 men and women belong to the BPW/Ohio.