Elizabeth Cotsworth's Remarks 2011

Thank you for the opportunity to serve EWG and lead this organization over the past year.  It was an honor and a privilege.  I want to thank the officers and Board members who served with me--incoming President Betsy Smidinger, continuing Vice-President Carolyn Cole, Treasurer Lesia Banks and my predecessor as EWG President, Peg Weir.  Their support and good guidance was invaluable to me personally and to fulfilling the mission of the organization.

 I also want to recognize the Committee co-chairs, who so capably and independently carried out the activities that make this organization work efficiently and also with great style!  If the following would raise their hands: Kathleen Bartholomew and Paula Farrell on Events, Mary Josie Blanchard, Vicki Allums and Peg Weir on Status of Women, Chris Tirpak and MaryLouise Uhlig on the Annual Summit, Kate Perry on By-Laws, Kathy Gugulis and Gayle Jefferson on Communications, and Lenore Mullen and Michele Heffner for Membership. A number of the Committee co-chairs are committed to continuing in their leadership role this year and even those who are returning to the status of general EWG member will, I  am sure, be on ongoing resource to us. Thank you all for the hard work invested and the results you achieved for EWG. Please join me in offering a round of applause to them all. 

Let me also take a moment to acknowledge a set of women who have provided both inspiration and foundational leadership for EWG as it goes into its 38th year.  These women are our Past Presidents--a number of whom are here today to celebrate EWG's continued ability to effectively harness the power of senior women executives across government for career success. Please applaud these wonderful and amazing trailblazers in our midst.  In addition, please join me in saying Happy Birthday to Past President Helen Holt who is 98 today! Congratulations, Helen!

This past year was one of solidification and maturation following a series of transformational actions by the previous EWG leadership.  Establishing a mutually beneficial relationship with a set of corporate sponsors has proven to be a rewarding endeavor for EWG. I want to express our appreciation for the sustaining contributions of our corporate partners: Deloitte, Hewlett-Packard, Long Term Care, and Strategic Operational Solutions.  Their active collaboration on our programs and activities, such as the Mentor-Protoge Program and our Technology Update Luncheon, has enriched our ability to engage on the interests expressed by our members. Thank you!

During the last year, EWG enhanced and expanded its commitment to effective succession planning through its mentorship activities.  The flash mentoring program, our 4th such offering, was complimented by the new Mentor-Protoge Program begun last fall which matched 20 emerging women leaders with seasoned executives in a series of three 1-on-1 sessions. Both mentoring programs proved to be popular and as rewarding for the mentors as for the mentees. I also know that individual, "ad hoc" mentoring among EWG members and at requesting federal agencies, like NASA, has expanded as an outgrowth of these offerings that affirms their value.  Our now-annual introduction to the SES application process, and last month?s tea honoring three award-winning SES women rounded out our critical focus on enabling our members' career growth in the government's executive ranks.

Our Annual Summit once again proved to be the best training value in town!  The lineup of women leaders from inside and outside government was, once again, truly impressive; an unparalleled opportunity to hear from the best and brightest women executives, politicians and authors of the year.

Finally, we were also privileged to provide selected events that responded to the diverse professional and life interests of the membership.  Our first seminar on retirement planning, luncheons with Treasury Assistant Secretary Mary Miller and then with experts on cloud computing,  all offered us the opportunity to learn. Together with a group evening at Ford's Theater and annual Holiday Tea, our activities provided valuable time to network and connect among fellow professionals--skills that women executives in the government are still practicing in the drive to the top. Plus, all of these have been captured on a more dynamic EWG website.

In reflection, it has been a year of service to the EWG mission--still relevant after 37 years--that I hope will serve as a springboard for the program and priorities of new President Betsy Smidinger. So, let's get down to the business of inaugurating a strong new year and new leadership for EWG.

Return to Home Page