Happy 2012!

This is the time of year, every year, when many of us look forward to making some changes. We take a few moments to reflect on the year gone by; of the happy gains, the missed opportunities, and then we make a few promises to ourselves for the next time.

As you look forward toward the new goals for the year please add a few of these to your list:

• Work on relationships within our group.
• Sit by someone you don't know at the next meeting.
• Take a few WIN courses.
• Invite a guest to a meeting and/or social.
• Plan to attend the Regional and/or National Conference.
• Write or submit an article/memo for the newsletter.
• Meet with an ABWA member outside the regular meeting.

The mission to bring women together to grow personally and professionally remains as relevant as it was in 1949 when ABWA was founded. As members, we look forward to welcoming others who share the same vision.

I thank you for your continued support of the Leading Women Express Network because without YOU we would not be the Best Practice organization that we are today.

Debbie Holladay
President, Leading Women Express Network

President's Letter December

Happy Holidays! What a busy year this has been so far and the rest of the year promises to be even busier. As 2011 comes to a close we would like to take this time to wish everyone a happy and prosperous Holiday Season!!

WOW! What a wonderful turnout for our new member orientation this past month. Thank you to Lina Lawson, Vice President of Membership for providing us with so much information about the American Business Women's Association (ABWA) and Leading Women Express Network (LWEN). For those members unable to attend, please visit the LWEN WIN library for more information.

On Thursday, December 1st we will have our 8th Annual Holiday Party which includes the famous Ornament Exchange and Silent Auction. Thank you to Pam Johnson, Vice President of Hospitality and Lina Lawson, Vice President of Membership for their teamwork in organizing this event. This is very important event for our membership and I hope that everyone is planning on attending. If you would like to donate an item for the silent auction, please let Pam know. Any item will be greatly appreciated.

Don't forget to Shop ABWA this year. One of the practical aspects of the ABWA National website is the ABWA Shopping Bag which leads to the Internet's Largest and Easiest Online Shopping Mall and 1,000's of stores and merchants available just by clicking your mouse and shopping. As you shop through the ABWA Shopping Bag, a percentage of every purchase you make helps to support the ABW Foundation. Check out some of the great discounts and special offers provided by our corporate partners. Visit the ABWA Store for new merchandise featuring ABWA's annual theme for 2011/2012 –
Share the Past, Build the Future. Don't forget you can also give the gift of an ABWA membership this year!

It is time to celebrate all our accomplishments over the past year and get excited about the opportunities ahead! We are honored to hold the 2010‐2011 Level 1 Best Practices for Group Management award with over 110 current members strong which is something every member can be proud to share with their colleagues, family, and friends. With January approaching it is a good time to make a list of those women you know who want to grow both personally and professionally. Invite them to one of our upcoming meetings and help them achieve their goal.

In closing for this year, I want to again wish you and your family a very happy and prosperous Holiday Season and best wishes for a successful 2012!

Debbie Holladay
President, Leading Women Express Network

Dear LWEN Members,

When you think of November what comes to mind? How about Thanksgiving and all the things you are thankful for. Does this also include the organizations that you belong to?

Well for over sixty years the American Business Women's Association (ABWA) has been playing an integral part in connecting businesswomen nationwide through leadership, education and recognition both a local and national level. The organization is constantly evolving to meet the needs of today's changing business environment, and at the heart of our organization are some exceptionally diverse women with a desire to succeed and a shared personal commitment to help other women achieve the same.

The Leading Women Express Network (LWEN) is geared toward the busy professional in all of us, whether you are a student, employee, self‐employed or a retired individual. LWEN provides advanced networking and business skills training opportunities to help grow your network of contacts. So whether you're looking for personal or professional growth, continuing education or the opportunity to network on a local, regional and national level, ABWA is right for you!

I had no idea when I attended my first LWEN meeting that this organization or the people connected with it would mean so much to me is such a short time. I am thankful to the lady that introduced me to ABWA, to the many friends and business contacts that I have met through the years, and for my family that continues to support my dedication to this association.

Wishing you all a Heartfelt Thanksgiving season and thank you for allowing me to serve as your president!

In ABWA friendship,
Debbie Holladay
2011-12 President

Dear LWEN Members,

To say that the past few weeks have been extremely busy for most of us would be an understatement. LWEN members have been logging into W.I.N. -Women Instructional Network entering contests, taking surveys and courses to update their knowledge and skills; some have even earned their APEX awards in several different topics. Please take a few moments to check out some of the new features available in W.I.N. today.

This year American Business Women's Day, September 22 was celebrated during the National Leadership Conference, locally members celebrated with a come and go luncheon. Special thanks to Past President, Pam Green for helping to coordinate our local event and to all our members that participated in the Operation Proclamation Project.

For those members that were unable to attend conference this year let me tell you we had a fun packed three days. Just to give you some idea of what our week looked like here is Conference at a glance:
Newcomer's Welcome, Seminar Tracks- A:ABWA-KU MBA Essentials, B, C:Women as 21st Century Leaders, Keynote Speakers, Exhibit Hall Shopping, Hand of Friendship Luncheon-Honoring our Inner Circle and 25 year members, Meet the Candidates, Voting for National Officers, Best Practices Ceremony, APEX Awards, ABWA-KU Essentials Graduation,
Newsletter Competition, Women of the Year-Top Ten Luncheon, Flaunt Your Purse-onality Auction, and a Cowgirl Princess Gala. These few days provided you with a wealth of experiences – education and emotional- and the chance to make new friends and to renew existing friendships.

Mark your calendar now for October 11-13, 2012 as you will want to be part of the biggest networking event, the 2012 National Women's Leadership Conference in Memphis, Tennessee.

Congratulations go out to Tina Gandy, 2011-2012 ABWA National President, Geanna Kincanon, 2012 Top Ten Business Women of ABWA and ABWA-KU MBA Essentials graduate, Donna Palmisano, one of last month's winners in the ABWA Good Guy contest, all our APEX award winners and to the Houston Area Council for winning the National Newsletter Award for Councils.

This month we have several events scheduled starting off with our monthly membership meeting on Wednesday, October 12 where our speaker Rebecca Boenigk's topic will be "It's All A Balancing Act!", Tuesday, October 25 LWEN Fall Social and Membership Drive, and Thursday, October 27 Houston Area Council Quarterly meeting. If you need a ride to any of the events please let us know, for the Houston Council meeting there are normally several members traveling from the Bryan/College Station area so you can catch a ride and build a new relationship. Don't forget to invite a guest to each of these events and share your ABWA experience with another.

Remember, if you have any questions about ABWA or LWEN please contact me or another board member as we are here to help you.

I look forward to seeing each and every one of you at ALL our events planned this month.

In ABWA friendship,
Debbie Holladay
2011-12 President

Fall is in the air!

September finds us with students back in school, Labor Day, football, ABW Day, National Leadership Conference and some cooler weather.

With the students back in school why not think of taking a few courses yourself. Your membership includes many free courses through WIN, so take a hour or so this month and invest in yourself. Don't forget to take the Member Survey so we can check it off our Best Practice Scorecard; due before the end of September. You will also find that ALL your executive board has completed the "Struttin our Stuff" course and is working to complete several more required courses.

ABW day is Thursday, September 22 and we have a Come and Go luncheon planned. Thank you to Past President, Pam Green and Pam Johnson for coordinating the event this year. Stop by for lunch to share this special day with your ABWA fellow members.

Many of our members will be attending the National Leadership Conference in Irving, TX this month as we walk the red carpet to accept our Level 1 Best Practice Award. Several of our LWEN members have earned their APEX award and will be awarded that week also. Look for the some exciting photos and news articles in the upcoming weeks.

Congratulations to Geanna Kincanon for being chosen as one of the 2012 Top Ten and will be competing for the honor of the American Business Woman of ABWA at the National Women's Leadership Conference. Good Luck Geanna!

Mark your calendar now for the September 14th LWEN membership meeting as our guest speaker Dr. Betty Milburn presents "Achieving Dreams Through Empowering Living: What's Happiness Got To Do With It?" and LWEN celebrates our 8th Birthday.

In ABWA friendship,

Debbie Holladay
2011-12 President

Leading Women Express Network | www.abwalwen.org