• Technology Helps State Group Fight Gender Inequity And Make History
• October 17, 2003 TECW Receives 2nd Annual Horizon Award
• October 13, 2003 Year-Long Healthcare Career Mentoring Program For Local HOSA Students Begin
• August 2003 Statewide Women’s Economic Council To Meet In Dickson
• March 7, 2003 TECW Commends Gov. Bredesen For Administrative Appointments
• February 27, 2003 TECW Announces New Officers, Members
• January 31, 2003 Economic Council On Women To Take Part in February Events During National Mentoring Month
• November 19, 2002 TECW Release Information on Tennessee’s Status Ranked 50th in The Nation
• April 16, 2002 TECW Advocate Eliminating The Wage Gap
• March 12, 2002 Clay County Resources Directory Released By TECW
• March 7, 2002 Jackson County Resource Directory Released by TECW
• February 26, 2002 Van Buren County Resource Directory Released By TECW
• February 19, 2002 Macon County Resource Directory Released By TECW
• February 14, 2002 Overton County Resource Directory Released By TECW
• February 12, 2002 TECW Announce Current Board
• January 22, 2002 Pickett County Resource Directory Released by TECW
• April 3, 2001 TECW To Promote Fair Pay

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) - Thanks to an email blast from the Tennessee Economic Council on Women, Sue Braly of Pulaski and Elaina Spann of Burns, Tennessee, learned of open positions on state boards and commissions. These women took this information and submitted their names to Governor Bredesen for consideration.

Just this week, the Governor has announced that Sue Braly has been appointed to the Land Surveyors Examiner Board and Elaina Spann has been appointed to the Home Improvement Commission Licensing Board. Both women are the first females ever to be appointed to either board.

Yvonne Wood, Chair of the Council’s Boards and Commissions effort, states, "It is significant to see Sue Braly appointed as the first woman to the Land Surveyors Board. She is eminently qualified having learned her craft from her father at an early age. She will bring her special perspective to the board. The Economic Council on Women is also very pleased to see another woman, Mitzi Span, appointed as the first woman on the Home Improvement Board. It is encouraging to see state boards and commissions begin to reflect the face of Tennesseans."

After meeting with Governor Bredesen over a year ago, the Council created a process that identifies, recruits and recommends qualified female candidates for administration boards and commission posts. Council Chair, Brenda Speer states that, “We consider it our job at the Council to help provide the Governor and the legislature with exceptional women who are willing to serve in these positions. We hope this will lead to a realistic, balanced approach when these groups make decisions that affect all Tennesseans,” she said.

Having the smallest state budget of any state agency, the Economic Council on Women relies on technology and its members’ contacts throughout the state to send important messages, such as the vacancy reports for state boards and commissions. “The Council utilizes an email database of nearly three thousand contacts to send many of its messages. We are able to reach people in every part of the state,” says Michelle Chambers, Interim Executive Director.

The Tennessee Economic Council on Women is a state agency created in 1998 by the General Assembly to address the economic concerns and needs of women in Tennessee. The Council conducts research, holds hearings and develops recommendations and policy to educate the public, and engages in activities to benefit women’s economic needs throughout the state.

DALLAS – October 17, 2003 – The Partnership to Advance Science, Engineering and Technology, a non-proft organization dedicated to promoting the presence of, and need for, women in the fields of science, engineering and technology (SET), has awarded the 2003 Horizon Award for an oustanding organization to The Tennessee Economic Council on Women in Nashville.

The Horizon Awards began last year in New Mexico as a regional awards program and this year expanded nationally to recognize companies, organizations and individuals that have greatly contributed towards the advancement of women and girls in the SET fields. The 2003 Horizon Award was presented on October 9 at the Society of Women Engineers’ national conference in Birmingham, Ala. during a reception sponsored by Texas Instruments Incorporated and the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau.

Dr. Julia Phillips, the 2002 Horizon Awards recipient, presented Michelle Chambers, interim executive director for the council, with the outstanding organization Horizon Award. The Tennessee Economic Council on Women earned this honor through a number of notable programs that focused on advancing women in the science, engineering and technology fields throughout their home state, as well as the nation. The most innovative was an e-mentoring program designed to encourage rural Tennessee girls to pursue SET careers by connecting them with professional women nationwide who work in these fields.

“Due to its oustanding efforts to advance women in the SET fields, The Tennessee Economic Council on Women was the obvious choice for this coveted and well-deserved award,” said Ron Jenkins, executive director of the Partnership to Advance Science, Enginnering and Technology. “The board looks forward to following the continued growth of this organization, as well as its outstanding contributions in educating young women regarding the educational and career posibilities available in the SET fields.”

The Partnership to Advance Science, Engineering and Technology, Inc.,s is a non-profit organization created to promote the presence of, and need for, women in the fields of science, engineering and technoloy. Based in Dallas, the group is a colaition of public and private sector partners from across the country, working to achieve its goals through both national and grassroots efforts. If you would like to learn more about the Partnership or get involved with this effort, please contact us at 214 / 855-5155.

The Tennessee Economic Council on Women (TECW) is gearing up for its second healthcare career mentoring campaign for Warren County High School students. The realization that the growing demand for healthcare professional and assistive personnel is reaching critical proportion in many Tennessee communities, including Warren County, has caused new partnerships to form that will help build a qualified and adequate workforce to meet current and projected demands. Funded through the HCA Foundation, the TECW 2003-04 healthcare campaign will educate approximately 250 Warren County High School students about high-demand healthcare professions available in their community and provide one-on-one student-professional interaction through a variety of events and activities that will occur throughout the entire school year.

The first event is scheduled for October 13th, 2003. The Girl Scouts of Cumberland Valley will host An Income of Her Own™:A Focus on Healthcare Professions for approximately one hundred Warren County High School young women in HOSA, a health sciences club with chapters at the local, state and national level that prepares students for health care careers. This day-long workshop will help girls learn about professional jobs in healthcare and business through small group discussion, hands-on activities, and informational interviews with local women healthcare and business professionals. Healthcare managers in operations, marketing, laboratory, quality management, imaging, outpatient rehabilitation and pharmacy will participate, as well as a local dental hygienist, licensed practical nurse, business owner and chamber of commerce president. River Park Hospital is the official sponsor of the event, and Chief Operating Officer Nancy Locke will serve as the luncheon’s keynote speaker.

The 2003-04 healthcare careers campaign is the result of the successful collaboration between TECW, River Park Hospital, the Warren County High School HOSA chapter and the Girl Scouts of Cumberland Valley. By bringing health educators, hospital administrators, healthcare personnel and advocates for women and girls to the table, the Economic Council on Women is building a strong partnership between healthcare industry and education in Warren County.

Nancy Locke, Chief Operations Officers of River Park Hospital, stated “River Park Hospital is taking a proactive approach to inform local high school students of the fastest growing healthcare occupations available in our community, especially those that require one or two years of training”.

Laurene McLemore, Tennessee Department of Education, Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), Director, adds, “Working with HOSA chapters throughout the state as well as my colleagues in post-secondary education and the healthcare industry, I recognize the value of building partnerships between those that prepare the future workforce and those that employ the graduates”.

In addition to the Income of Her Own™: A Focus on Healthcare Professions, the TECW healthcare career mentoring campaign will also feature a year-long classroom healthcare speaker’s bureau, an electronic mentoring program in nursing, a nursing interest group and student job shadowing. For more information about the healthcare career mentoring program or to learn how you can become involved, contact Michelle Chambers, TECW Interim Executive Director at (615) 253-4266.

(Nashville, Tenn.) – In an effort to meet women leaders throughout the state, the Tennessee Economic Council on Women, a statewide economic advocacy agency for women, will hold its quarterly board meeting at the Renaissance Center on August 15 in Dickson, Tennessee.

Council Chair Brenda Speer of Pulaski instituted the rotating board meetings so that the Council could network with women community leaders throughout the state. “I believe that holding meetings in different communities across the state will help the Council achieve its goal of identifying, recruiting and recommending qualified female candidates for administration boards and commission posts” states Speer. She adds that it will also help community leaders learn about the mission and work of the Council. Senator Doug Jackson supports the Council’s efforts to identify qualified women in Dickson and throughout the state. “It is important for women advocates in Dickson to share their expertise with this state agency for women” said Jackson. Dickson County Mayor Linda Frazier is pleased to have the Council in Dickson saying, “this is a great opportunity for Dickson because we learn about programs and efforts to improve the economic lives of women in Dickson and throughout Tennessee”. The focus of the board meeting will be the Council’s work on career mentoring programs for girls and women in Tennessee, the economic effects of domestic violence on communities in Tennessee, and networking with Dickson women community leaders. The meeting is open to the public.

The Tennessee Economic Council on Women is a state agency created in 1998 by the General Assembly to address the economic concerns and needs of women in Tennessee. The Council conducts research, holds hearings and develops recommendations and policy to educate the public, and engages in activities to benefit women’s economic needs throughout the state.

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) – The Tennessee Economic Council on Women is applauding Governor Phil Bredesen for his recent appointments of highly qualified women to top posts in the new administration. Bredesen has appointed 15 women to cabinet and senior staff positions to date since his election to the state’s top office last November.

"We are very pleased to see a diverse female makeup within the new Cabinet and the Governor’s office," said Barbara Devaney, Executive Director of the TECW. “Women comprise more than half the population in Tennessee and can bring a wealth of experience to the table with regard to critical issues such as business, health care, education, and economic development."

"Governor Bredesen has set an important precedent in Tennessee at the onset of his administration," said Devaney. "We appreciate his appointments of women to important leadership roles across the state, and look forward to working with him in the years to come to address the current needs of all Tennesseans."

Devaney adds that one of the primary goals of the state Economic Council on Women this next year and beyond is to help identify, recruit and recommend qualified female candidates for administration boards and commission posts, such as the lottery corporation board.

"We consider it our job at the Council to help provide the Governor and the legislature with exceptional women who are willing to serve in these positions. We hope this will lead to a realistic, balanced approach with current issues such as TennCare reform, the state budget deficit and the upcoming lottery," she said.

The Tennessee Economic Council on Women is a state agency created in 1998 by the General Assembly to address the economic concerns and needs of women in Tennessee. The Council conducts research, holds hearings and develops recommendations and policy to educate the public, and engages in activities to benefit women’s economic needs throughout the state.

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) – The Tennessee Economic Council on Women, a state agency created in 1998 to address the economic needs of women throughout Tennessee, recently named its new officers and members for 2003.

Brenda Speer of Pulaski was elected to her first term as Chair of the Council. Speer is a partner in Professional Benefit Solutions, an employee benefits, insurance and investment firm. She also serves as Chair of the Women’s Economic Council Foundation Board. Jane Powers of Crossville, an attorney representing business, industry and insurance, will serve as Vice-Chair for the Council.

Elliott Moore of Bristol, Director of Community and Government Relations for Mountain States Health Alliance (MSHA), was elected to her second term as East Tennessee Representative for the Council on the Executive Committee. Dr. Yasmeen Mohiuddin of Sewanee will serve as Middle Tennessee Representative. She is also a professor and past chair of the University of the South at Sewanee Economics Department. Marianna Williams of Dyersburg is the new West Tennessee Representative. She is an attorney specializing in commercial litigation and bankruptcy law. Linda Knight of Nashville, a partner at Gullett Sanford Robinson & Martin law firm, was elected to her fourth term as Council Secretary. Yvonne Wood of Lebanon will serve as Immediate Past Chairperson. Wood is the owner of Wood Consultants, a conference and event planning company.

The 21-member Council also has two new members: Arlene Garrison of Knoxville, Assistant Vice President of the Office of Research and Information Technology at the University of Tennessee; and Teri Hasenour Gordon of Columbia, an attorney at J. Robert Harlan & Associates specializing in commercial and bankruptcy law.

Additional members of the Council include: Carol Berz of Chattanooga, owner of Private Dispute Resolution Services; Minnie Bommer of Covington, founder and former director of Children and Family Services non-profit organization; Representative Tommie Brown of Chattanooga; Representative Carol Chumney of Memphis; Senator Thelma Harper of Nashville; Representative Beth Halteman Harwell of Nashville; Dr. Lachelle Norris of Sparta, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville; Representative Mary Pruitt of Nashville; and Wendy Pitts Reeves of Maryville, a licensed clinical social worker and co-owner of Cove Mountain Counseling.

The Tennessee Economic Council on Women is a state agency created in 1998 by the General Assembly to address the economic concerns and needs of women in Tennessee. The Council conducts research, holds hearings and develops recommendations and policy to educate the public, and engages in activities to benefit women’s economic status throughout the state.

(NASHVILLE) – The Tennessee Economic Council on Women will participate in two upcoming area events designed to help mentor young girls interested in math, science and technology careers. February has been designated as National Mentoring Month across the country.

The Council will bring several high school girls from around Middle Tennessee to "TWISTER," a special hands-on science and math conference to be held Saturday, February 15 at the Adventure Science Center in Nashville. The purpose of the event is to encourage high school girls to pursue career paths in science and math professions. Council participants will include female students from GEM-SET, an online mentoring program and Department of Labor initiative that connects 13-18 year-olds with professional women across the country in occupations involving science, engineering and technology. "TWISTER" is scheduled to take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 15. For more information, contact Jeri Hasselbring at (615) 401-5069.

On Saturday, February 22, the Council will also help recruit participants for "Engineering A Future," a hands-on learning workshop for young women in the 5th through 8th grades. The event will be held at Tennessee Tech University’s Rhoden University Center in Cookeville from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and is open to students in the following counties of the Cookeville region: Clay, Dekalb, Jackson, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Smith and White. For more information, contact Patti Roberts at (931) 526-4925.

The Tennessee Economic Council on Women is a state agency created in 1998 by the General Assembly to address the economic concerns and needs of women in Tennessee. The Council conducts research, holds hearings and develops recommendations and policy to educate the public, and engages in activities to benefit women’s economic needs throughout the state.

Nashville, TN…In 2002, Tennessee ranked 50th out of 50 states according to The Status of Women in the States report published by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research in Washington D.C. The states were ranked according to a composite index of key benchmarks and Tennesseealso ranks 50th in women’s political participation, 46th in employment and earnings, 42nd in economic autonomy, and 45th in health and well being. In comparison, in 2000, Tennessee ranked 46th in political participation, 44th in employment and earnings, 45th in economic autonomy, and 39th in health and well-being, according to The Status of Women in the States. “The gains women have made in business ownership and the wage gap do not compensate for the high poverty levels, lack of institutional resources, scarce female political representation, and the debilitating dependence on low-wage, low-skill occupations that women suffer from,” according to Barbara Devaney of the Tennessee Economic Council on Women. “This is a wake-up call to the policymakers and activists alike.”

Tennessee has also worsened in the percent of women in managerial and professional occupations, falling from 42nd to 45th worst in the country. Along with a consistent ranking of 44th in the percent of women with four or more years of college in 2000 and 2002, there is little wonder that Tennessee is 38th in the percent of women living above the poverty level. The Tennessee Economic Council on Women is establishing mentoring in 15 rural counties to increase both educational attainment and earnings of Tennessee females. The mentoring programs encourage girls and women to pursue job training and post secondary education and promote nontraditional occupations that tend to be in higher demand and pay higher wages, such as technology and healthcare.

The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) released The Status of Women in the States, the fourth in a series aimed at measuring the quality of life for women in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. These benchmark studies are compiled using government and original data that reveal how women in each state stand economically, how the state stacks up nationally on women’s political participation, health risks, domestic violence legislation, and child support, among other indicators.

“Tennessee’s continued insistence on evaluating the status of women economically, politically and socially will ultimately benefit ourselves, our daughters and our society,” says Dr. Heidi Hartmann, President and CEO of IWPR. “Women have made tremendous progress, but there’s a lot more to do, and we need to keep working on it”.

Dr. Hartmann founded IWPR in 1987 as a nonprofit public policy research organization dedicated to informing and stimulating the debate on public policy issues of critical importance to women and their families. IWPR focuses on issues that affect women’s daily lives, including employment, earnings, and economic change; democracy and society; poverty, welfare, and income security; work and family policies, and health and safety. It is located in Washington, DC.

NOTE TO REPORTERS AND EDITORS: For a free copy of The Status of Women in the States or any of the state reports, call Katie O’Neill at 202-785-5100.

Nashville, Tennessee – Tennessee women earn only 70.7% of what Tennessee men earn. African American women earn 65 cents and Hispanic women earn only 52 cents for every dollar earned by men. The gender wage gap is bad in the United States and is even worse in Tennessee. Nationally, women working full-time earn 74 cents for every dollar earned by men.

The Tennessee Economic Council on Women observes Equal Pay Day on Tuesday, April 16, 2002. Tuesday of each week is the day women’s wages catch up to men’s wages from the previous week. In other words, because women earn less, on average, they must work nearly seven days to earn what the average man earns in five.

Gender inequality in the workplace reduces women’s wages and hurts their families. Paying Tennessee women as much as comparable men would dramatically raise family incomes and reduce poverty rates. According to the AFL-CIO Working Women’s Department, the poverty rate among single mothers is 26.1%. If the average single mother made an additional $5,000 per year, their poverty rate would fall to 14.5%. If married women’s average earnings could rise by approximately $4,000, their families’ poverty rate would be only 0.3%.

Women and men suffer from a pervasive form of wage discrimination. Female dominated jobs are defined as those in which over 70% of workers are women. Both male and female workers in these jobs are paid less than similar workers in jobs not dominated by women.

Barbara Devaney, Executive Director of the Tennessee Economic Council on Women, said, “Tennessee must do something to correct the gender wage disparity. The burden of the wage gap falls to women and their families, and it is the children who suffer.”

In Nashville, the Tennessee Economic Council on Women will make presentations to local civic organizations regarding the economic status of women in Tennessee. Council members will also deliver press conferences and other activities across the state. The Council is currently conducting a Pay Equity Study and evaluating job training and education programs for women in Tennessee.

Yvonne Wood, Chair of the Tennessee Economic Council on Women, said, “Economic equity is an issue that affects everyone. Working together, we can ensure that all Tennesseans bring a fair paycheck home to their families.”

The Tennessee Economic Council on Women is a state agency created by the General Assembly in 1998 to address the economic needs of women in Tennessee. The Governor, the Speakers of the House and Senate, the Black Legislative Caucus, and the Women’s Legislative Caucus appoint the Council’s 21 members. Council members represent each of the nine Development Districts, the Governor’s Cabinet, public and private universities, at-large women’s organizations, and the Tennessee Senate and House.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 12, 2002) – The Tennessee Economic Council on Women hopes for a fair solution to the current state budget problems. The organization is making this announcement in light of the ongoing fiscal debate that includes a proposal to cut hundreds of millions of dollars appropriated for current programs affecting Tennessee residents, including the Council.

"We are seriously concerned about the future of our families and children in this state. These cuts would eliminate our organization and similar programs that have worked for years to increase the level of education, income and opportunity for Tennessee’s women and, through them, for their families," said Barbara Devaney, Executive Director of the Council.

"Through our help, they receive assistance in job training, employment, business loans, legal and social services, along with life counseling. These benefits not only affect women, but also they significantly improve the lives of children, reduce unemployment rates, increase the tax base, bring 21^st-Century jobs to Tennessee, and thereby better the state’s entire economy."

The Council agrees that the taxpayers’ money must be spent carefully and wisely. However, Devaney says that cutting the appropriation for the Council and other programs that help people to help themselves would have a regressive impact on the future of the state, which is already lagging severely behind the entire nation in areas such as education and employment. In a recent study by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, Tennessee was ranked 44^th in employment and earnings for women and 45^th in women’s economic autonomy.

"Just as we must invest in the future of Tennessee’s education, we must also continue to invest in the future of our families – starting with our mothers, wives and daughters," stressed Devaney. "The Economic Council on Women has made great strides in understanding the current problems facing our women and girls, and creating effective solutions for the long run. We are confident that the Legislature will develop a long-term solution that will keep us moving forward."

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Nashville, Tennessee – The Tennessee Economic Council on Women, with help from the Clay County Health Council, has published the Clay County Resource Directory. The Council distributed Directories to the Clay County Health Council on March 11.

Yvonne Wood, Chair of the Economic Council on Women, said, "The Directory provides information about health, legal, social and income support services, as well as how to access capital and credit, job training, and post-secondary and literacy education. Our goal is for every Clay County household to have a Resource Directory, or a copy of the index of the agencies’ telephone numbers that is included in each Directory."

Barbara Devaney, Executive Director of the Economic Council, said, "We thank the Cumberland Valley Girl Scouts for introducing us to Clay County residents Anna Ruth Locke, Brenda Grace, and Brooke Burchett, who gave us information about many of the community resources in the county. We thank the Upper Cumberland Region Department of Health for referring us to the Clay County Health Council. We are grateful to the Health Council for the support, the time and the energy that its members invested. We also appreciate Anna Ruth Locke, Carol Sue Collins, Dean Walden and Lillian White for editing and checking the Directory to make sure that we included all area resources."

Copies of the Clay County Directory are available from Anna Ruth Locke at the Family Resource Center at 520 Brown Street.

Rural Development USDA and another grant provided the majority of the funding for this Directory and seven others that the Economic Council prepared for DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, and Van Buren Counties. Additional copies of all eight Directories and their Telephone Indexes are available through the Economic Council on Women’s website at www.state.tn.us/sos/ecw.

The Tennessee Economic Council on Women is a state agency created by the General Assembly in 1998 to address the economic needs of women in Tennessee. The Governor, the Speakers of the House and Senate, the Black Legislative Caucus, and the Women’s Legislative Caucus appointed the Council’s 21 members. The Council hopes to collaborate with the Clay County Health Council and other public and private resources in the county on awareness and mentoring activities, in order to help Clay County girls, women and families get more job training and education.

Nashville, Tennessee – The Tennessee Economic Council on Women, with guidance from the Jackson County Health Council, published and released The Jackson County Resource Directory at the Health Council’s March 7 meeting. Council Chair Yvonne Wood said, "The Directory provides information about health, legal, social and income support services, as well as how to access capital and credit, job training, and post-secondary and literacy education. The Council’s goal is for every Jackson County Household to have a copy of the Jackson County Resource Directory or Telephone Index."

Executive Director Barbara Devaney said, "Dale Stapp, Patsy Yates, and other volunteers from the Jackson County Health Council checked the directory to make sure that all known local resources are included. Staff from the Cookeville Girl Scout Council of the Cumberland Valley oriented Council staff to the area and Beverly Madewell, from the Upper Cumberland Region Department of Health, connected the Council to the Jackson County Health Council."

Rural Development USDA provided partial funding for this directory and seven others the Council prepared for Clay, DeKalb, Fentress, Macon, Overton, Pickett, and Van Buren Counties. Additional copies of all eight Directories and Telephone Indexes are available at the Economic Council on Women’s website at www.state.tn.us/sos/ecw.

Additional copies of the Jackson County Resource Directory are available from Dale Stapp at the Jackson County Library, 205 West Hull Avenue or 268-9190.

The Tennessee Economic Council on Women is a state agency created by the General Assembly in 1998 to address the economic needs of women in Tennessee. The Governor, the Speakers of the House and Senate, the Black Legislative Caucus, and the Women’s Legislative Caucus appointed the Council’s 21 members. The Council hopes to collaborate with the Jackson County Health Council and other public and private resources in the county on awareness and mentoring activities, in order to help Jackson County girls, women, and families get more job training and education.

Nashville, Tennessee – The Tennessee Economic Council on Women, with help from the Van Buren County Health Council, has published the Van Buren County Resource Directory. The Economic Council distributed Directories to the Van Buren County Health Council on February 26.

Yvonne Wood, Chair of the Economic Council on Women, said, "The Directory provides information about health, legal, social and income support services, as well as how to access capital and credit, job training, and post-secondary and literacy education. Our goal is for every Van Buren County household to have a Resource Directory, or a copy of the list of the agencies’ telephone numbers that is included in each Directory."

Barbara Devaney, Executive Director of the Economic Council, said, "We thank the Upper Cumberland Region Department of Health for introducing us to the Van Buren Health Council. We are grateful to the Health Council for the support, the time and the energy that its members invested. We especially appreciate the work of Darlene Walling, Zeda Hillis, and Lydia Boyd for researching and adding resources. Call Zeda Hillis at City Hall at 946-2351 for a copy of the Directory."

Rural Development USDA and another grant provided the majority of the funding for this Directory and seven others that the Economic Council prepared for Clay, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Overton, and Pickett Counties. Additional copies of all eight Directories and their Telephone Indexes are available through the Economic Council on Women’s website at www.state.tn.us/sos/ecw.

The Tennessee Economic Council on Women is a state agency created by the General Assembly in 1998 to address the economic needs of women in Tennessee. The Governor, the Speakers of the House and Senate, the Black Legislative Caucus, and the Women’s Legislative Caucus appointed the Council’s 21 members. The Council hopes to collaborate with the Van Buren County Health Council and other public and private resources in the County on awareness and mentoring activities, in order to help Van Buren County girls, women and families get more job training and education.

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Nashville, Tennessee – The Tennessee Economic Council on Women, with help from the Macon County Health Council, has published the Macon County Resource Directory. The Council distributed Directories to the Macon County Health Council on February 19, 2002. Additional copies of the Directory are available from the Macon County Chamber of Commerce.

Yvonne Wood, Chair of the Economic Council on Women, said, "The Directory provides information about health, legal, social and income support services, as well as how to access capital and credit, job training, and post-secondary and literacy education. Our goal is for every Macon County household to have a Resource Directory, or a copy of the list of the agencies’ telephone numbers that is included in each Directory. The North Central Telephone Company has expressed interest in publishing the listing in the next phone book."

Barbara Devaney, Executive Director of the Economic Council, said, "We thank Lou Ann Grossberg and Beverly Madewell of the Upper Cumberland Region Department of Health for introducing us to the Macon County Health Council. We are grateful to the Macon County Health Council for the support, the time and the energy that its members invested. We thank Willa Brewer, David Flynn, Kathy Thompson, Lona Vinson and Lenora Wix for editing and checking the Directory."

Rural Development USDA and another grant provided major funding for this Directory and seven others that the Economic Council prepared for Clay, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Overton, Pickett, and Van Buren Counties. Additional copies of all eight Directories and their Telephone Indexes are available through the Economic Council on Women’s website at www.state.tn.us/sos/ecw.

The Tennessee Economic Council on Women is a state agency created by the General Assembly in 1998 to address the economic needs of women in Tennessee. The Governor, the Speakers of the House and Senate, the Black Legislative Caucus, and the Women’s Legislative Caucus appointed the Council’s 21 members. The Council hopes to collaborate with the Macon County Health Council and other public and private resources in the County on awareness and mentoring activities, in order to help Macon County girls, women, and families get more job training and education.

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Nashville, Tennessee – The Tennessee Economic Council on Women, with help from the Overton County Women’s Resources Advisory Committee, has published the Overton County Resource Directory. The Council distributed Directories at the Chamber of Commerce at 10:00 a.m. and at the Overton Health Council meeting at noon on 2/14.

Economic Council on Women Chair Yvonne Wood said, "The Directory provides information about health, legal, social and income support services, and how to access capital and credit, job training, and post-secondary and literacy education. Our goal is for every Overton County Household to have a Resource Directory or Telephone Index."

Executive Director Barbara Devaney said, "Jean Moore, Janet Gann, Carolyn Isbell, Rita Reagan, Robbie Melton, Buttons Winningham and other Overton County women met last October. They checked the directory to make sure that we included all local and area resources. The Girl Scout Council of the Cumberland Valley and Beverly Madewell, from the Upper Cumberland Region Department of Health assisted us in this effort."

Rural Development USDA provided partial funding for this directory and seven others the Council prepared for Clay, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Pickett, Macon, and Van Buren Counties. There are a limited number of Overton County Resource Directories at the Chamber of Commerce. Additional copies of all eight Directories and Telephone Indexes are available at the Economic Council on Women’s website at www.state.tn.us/sos/ecw.

The Tennessee Economic Council on Women is a state agency created by the General Assembly in 1998 to address the economic needs of women in Tennessee. The Governor, the Speakers of the House and Senate, the Black Legislative Caucus, and the Women’s Legislative Caucus appointed the Council’s 21 members. The Council will conduct an awareness campaign to encourage girls and women to get job training and education.

Nashville, Tennessee - The Tennessee Economic Council on Women, a state agency created by the 1998 General Assembly to address the economic needs of women in Tennessee, elected officers for 2002 at its January 24, 2002 meeting.

Yvonne Wood of Lebanon, President of Wood Consultants, a conference and event planning company, was re-elected Chair for a second term. Brenda Speer of Pulaski, owner of Professional Benefit Solutions, LLC, an employee benefits and insurance firm, was re-elected Vice-Chair for a second term.Minnie Bommer of Covington, Executive Director of Children and Family Services, was re-elected West Tennessee Representative for a second term.Jane Powers of Crossville, principal of The Powers Law Firm, was re-elected to a second term as Middle Tennessee Representative.Elliott Moore of Bristol and Nashville, Director of Government Relations for Mountain States Health Alliance, was elected to her first term as East Tennessee Representative. Linda Knight of Nashville, a member of the law firm of Gullett, Sanford Robinson & Martin, PLLC, was re-elected Secretary for a third term.

The 21-member Council also has three new members. They are Carol Berz, of Chattanooga, a mediator with Private Dispute Resolution Services; Wendy Pitts Reeves of Maryville, a social worker and co-owner of Cove Mountain Counseling and Elliott Moore . Lt. Governor John Wilder and House Speaker James Naifeh recently appointed them for six-year terms.

Additional members of the Council are Dr. Wilsie Bishop of Kingsport, Dean of the East Tennessee State University College of Allied Health, Senator Marsha Blackburn of Brentwood; Representative Tommie Brown of Chattanooga; Representative Carol Chumney of Memphis; Senator Thelma Harper of Nashville; Representative Beth Halteman Harwell of Nashville; Commissioner of Revenue Ruth Johnson of Nashville; Dr. Yasmeen Mohiuddin, a professor at the University of the South at Sewanee; Dr. Lachelle Norris of Jackson, Associate Professor at the University of Tennessee at Martin; Dr. Patricia Postma of Oak Ridge, a professor at the University of Tennessee College of Business; Representative Mary Pruitt of Nashville; Faith Tapp of Knoxville, Executive Director of Consumer Credit Counseling; and Marianna Williams of Dyersburg, an attorney.

Nashville, Tennessee – The Tennessee Economic Council on Women, with guidance from the Pickett County Health Council, published and released The Pickett County Resource Directory at the Health Council’s January 17 meeting. Council Chair Yvonne Wood said: "The Directory provides information about health, legal, social and income support services, as well as how to access capital and credit, job training, and post-secondary and literacy education. The Council’s goal is for every Pickett County Household to have a copy of the Pickett County Resource Directory or Telephone Index."

Executive Director Barbara Devaney said: "Volunteers from the Pickett County Chamber of Commerce, Senior Citizens, the Agricultural Extension Service, the Health Council and the Cumberland Valley Girl Scouts checked the directory to make sure that all known local resources are included. Phyllis Ford and Debbie Howard of the Health Department helped deliver directories to local businesses and organizations listed in the directory."

Copies of the Pickett County Resource Directory are available from Phyllis Ford at the Byrdstown Senior Center at 105 South Main Street at 864-3652. Richard Daniels, Pickett County Agricultural Extension Services Director, is making extra directory copies.

Rural Development USDA provided partial funding for this directory and seven others the Council prepared for Clay, Fentress, Jackson, Overton, Macon, Trousdale, and Van Buren Counties. Additional copies of all eight Directories and Telephone Indexes are available at the Economic Council on Women’s website at www.state.tn.us/sos/ecw

The Tennessee Economic Council on Women is a state agency created by the General Assembly in 1998 to address the economic needs of women in Tennessee. The Governor, the Speakers of the House and Senate, the Black Legislative Caucus and the Women’s Legislative Caucus appointed the Council’s 21 members.