1. What is Executive Women International and how did the organization come to be based in Salt Lake City?
TARA HURLEY
Founded in 1938, Executive Women International is the leading connection for business professionals. Our mission is threefold: to promote our member firms, enhance personal and professional development and encourage community involvement. We are a nonprofit membership association with 3,000 member firms represented by 3,500 individuals in 75 chapters in the United States, Canada and Europe.
In 1965, the then-EWI corporate president was from Salt Lake City and decided to have the headquarters moved here, where it has been ever since. The current office is in the Trolley Square building at 700 East and 500 South.
2. Who makes up the organization's membership, both internationally and in Utah?
EWI is made up of member firms that can appoint up to two representatives who are active participants. For example, the Salt Lake City chapter has 40 member firms and 49 representatives. Those firms range from large corporations such as Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah and Wells Fargo to nonprofits such as the American Cancer Society to hotels such as the Little America and Grand America hotels and the Salt Lake City Marriott Hotel Downtown to entrepreneurial companies such as Cuisine Unlimited. Representatives range from business owners to administrative personnel. That kind of diversity is key to EWI's success and can be found throughout our printed and online international directory - a great benefit of membership and example of what makes EWI the leading connection for business professionals.
3. What services/programs does EWI offer members?
The majority of our members find the most value in their membership through EWI professional development programming - from monthly chapter programs to proprietary leadership training to free tele-seminars and publications.
Most notably, EWI created an Academy of Leadership because we believe everyone who answers a phone or sits in the corner office has leadership potential that must be realized. The Academy of Leadership has developed into a series of full-day seminars that provides that cutting-edge leadership training. We now offer it online through our Academy Online: the Certified Professional Leaders Program. Professional development is a critical component of our national events, such as the Leadership Conference & Annual Meeting (LCAM) where we have top-notch speakers from around the country and world. In fact, I am so excited that LCAM 2005 will be held this year in Salt Lake City for the first time since 1983!
On the community involvement level, EWI offers two national scholarship programs. We award over $500,000 each year in our EWI communities to high-school juniors and to adults returning to school through these programs.
4. Where can people go for more information or to join EWI?
Visit http://www.executivewomen.org for more information on joining EWI. Be sure to get more information on all of the opportunities for professional development that will be offered to the Salt Lake business community at the EWI Leadership Conference & Annual Meeting, which is coming right here to Salt Lake this September.
