October 2002

Without any doubt, history books will record the past year as one of the most challenging for our nation. As Americans, both our security and economic stability have been threatened in ways that have stretched our human capacity to comprehend. As professional businesswomen, many of us this past year has had to reach way beyond prior thresholds to survive and transcend market conditions.

The good news is that as a nation and as women, we are survivors. The tests of this past year have clearly demonstrated the resiliency of our spirit as a people. We have set new standards for survival, and we will continue to grow and thrive.

As the new PBWC board president for 2003, I look to this year as an opportunity to reaffirm our past successes as an organization and to strengthen our direction for growth. From my predecessors, I am inheriting an awesome legacy:

• Approximately 5,000 professional businesswomen and 500 girls attended the 2002 conference.
• We received very enthusiastic and positive feedback on all speakers, programs and exhibits at the 2002 conference.
• Sponsorship increased by 15% over the prior year.

I am delighted to have the privilege to continue to demonstrate our prowess as professional businesswomen.

Plans already are under way for the 2003 conference, scheduled for Thursday, May1, at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center. We have an exciting lineup of exhibits, programs and speakers.

Karen Elliot House, senior vice president of Dow Jones & Company and publisher of The Wall Street Journal, has graciously accepted our invitation to deliver the keynote address in 2003. Ms. House, as many of you already know, is a long-time journalist and an outstanding achiever in the journalism community. She has received numerous prestigious journalism awards, including a Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting in 1984 for her coverage of the Middle East. For much of her career, Ms. House has focused on the international arena. We welcome the fresh perspective and insight she will bring to the 2003 conference.

We recently completed three focus sessions with PBWC members to obtain input on areas of most interest to you, to be included in the conference. Based on that input, we are now planning to incorporate these areas: Cross-cultural issues, Training and Workplace concerns.

Our organization is the strongest in terms of membership and financial resources it has ever been in its thirteen-year history. It is our intention to become still stronger and grow even more by expanding our partnerships and membership. Consequently, we will be in a position to offer you more choices to help you further develop in your careers and businesses.

On behalf of the board, I would like to thank our sponsors for their continued support of PBWC. Without their participation and tremendous input, our organization would not be on the solid footing it is today. I also would like to thank our Advisory board members, whose input and participation are vital to our continued success.

To each of you, I also extend the deepest appreciation of the PBWC board for your continued support and enthusiastic input and feedback.

May you continue to transcend the limits of yesterday.

Sincerely,
Jackie McNab
PBWC President