Please continue to reach out to me personally or professionally as we continue our work to make NFBPWC a better organization, because together we are stronger.

She has a voice. If you can’t hear it, it’s because you’re too busy talking.

Amani Al-Khatahtbeh Author, activist & Technology Entrepreneur

MEGAN SHELLMAN-RICKARD
IMMEDIATE PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT

Take Charge of Your Health – Know Your Environment

Our health is a combination of many factors – from our own genetic make-up through our diet (not just our eating habits, but what is in the food we eat), environmental factors and stressors (not just obvious noise and exhaust, but also invisible pollutant loading), and the medication we take (too many prescription medications have as yet unknown side effects).

Here, I just want to focus on environmental factors, and how you can be more aware of them and minimize their impact on you. I will not give you the answers, but the tools you can use to understand what might be in the air, water, and soils of the area you live in.

Awareness allows you to formulate the right questions, which you should ask your local leaders, to understand what they are doing to protect you and those who live around you, who may not know the right questions to ask.

Do not let this information paralyze you, it is only intended to help you make informed decisions. Lots of information is available online – here is a starting place for your own research. https://www.mapmyenvironment.com

Water – it was not publicized, but a study I was in established in that, in the 1990s, 27 states (today it is all 50) had contaminated groundwater tables. Many rivers had contamination in underlying sediments. Communities generally receive their water through a treatment plant. Some communities re-use water that has been through wastewater treatment plants, creating a cocktail of X parts new water and Y parts re-used water. For years, the mantra was: dilution is the solution to pollution. However, with more people and more animals on the same amount of land, dilution may or may not be enough anymore. The question is: Does your community/municipality treat water for the actual contaminants that may be in it  (pharmaceuticals,       drugs, additives, solvents, plastics, heavy metals, naturally occurring high loads of organics), or just for the traditional culprits? It is always worth double checking - it is your health after all. This AI search will help you get started.

Here are some other resources:

Mytapwater.org (US drinking water quality by zip code) https://www.ewg.org/tapwater.

It has been a life changer – the truism is that NYC water is some of the best in the world, as it is a one- way non-reuse water system. This is so, for two-thirds of Manhattan. I live outside that zone, and noticed that water from my tap, if left out, became nasty. I also was having skin and tummy issues.

Now I double filter what I drink (through a Brita filter, then an Aquasana filter) and have been much healthier. Easy fix, and the water tastes so much better without the chlorine and fluoride.

You can find research on the water filter appropriate to your area in several places: https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/water-filter-guide.php (they recommend the same systems for all areas, so I am concerned they get a kickback from those companies – oh suspicious me)

https://waterfilterguru.com/best-water-filters https://www.thespruceeats.com/best- countertopwater-filters-4178851.

Soils: It is a good idea to understand your soils, especially if you grow food, or if you have kids playing outdoors. If you suspect contaminants, dig down six inches, place a plastic barrier on top of the uncovered soil, and fill over it with new soil or create designated soil or sand boxes with a barrier to the native soil.

Research starting points: https://www.mapmyenvironment.com, https://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app

Air: While there is less you can do about air, it is worth being aware:

https://www.airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics https://gispub.epa.gov/airnow https://echo.epa.gov/help/reports/air-pollutant- report-elp#:~:text=Frequently%20Asked%20Questions- ,General%20Overview,in%20the%20Air%20Pollutant%20Report.

I do not want to leave out Indoor Air. Here is a good resource for that research.Indoor Pollutants and Sources | US EPA

The following are links that can satisfy your interest on a number of subjects and make you more aware. I was surprised when working under the USEPA Superfund program that the greatest polluters were not the chemical industry, factories, or even the military. The greatest polluters were dry cleaners, electroplaters, paint shops, households, airports, restaurants, and other innocuous-sounding sources that are all around us.

These are some tip-of-the-iceberg research links: USEPA Envirofacts asbestos low-level radioactive radonsolvent fumes PFA safe swimming water bioaccumulation in fat plastics in the brain Is this overwhelming? It was my life for 20 years. Eventually, I realized that I could not avoid everything, but I could make choices that limited exposure and helped me be healthier, and I determined that knowing what to ask, when to ask, whom to ask, and how to ask them, made this a better world for me, and for my community. Know to ask. Be in Charge. Thank you!

My email is always open mailto:secretary@nfbpwc.org

Nermin K. Ahmad
NFBPWC Secretary
2024-2026

October marks National Business Women’s Week, first established in 1928 by our founder, Lena Madesin Phillips. It’s a time to honor not only the importance of women in business, but also the power of advocacy of groups like NFBPWC to advance gender equality.

For me, I’ve never strongly identified with the “businesswoman” label. My connection with this organization has always been as a professional. With women making up less than 33% of senior management roles in the United States, I am among the majority of women in this country that make up the labor force - the workforce that allows businesses to thrive. On September 6th, I proudly marched in the Labor Day parade with my flight attendant union in New York City, joining thousands of fellow workers who keep this city moving.

That said, I deeply admire the women who have fought their way through roadblocks and glass ceilings to make it to the C-suites. Research consistently shows that when women lead, they bring more empathy, collaboration, and fairness to the workplace. This results in increased creativity and innovation, bold decision-making, and financial success.

This October, I urge us to remember the power of women in business and leadership. Let us emulate the qualities of women in leadership, remembering that empathy is our superpower. With it we have more fairness, better communication, and increased productivity. Without these things our objective of gender equality will be kicked further down the road. I challenge each of us to enter October with empathy and respect for one another.

In advocacy news, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, reminding us of the sobering reality that every 9 seconds a woman in the US is assaulted and 1 in 3 women in the US have experienced physical violence by a partner. These numbers are staggering and once again show how much work is needed to reach gender equality.

October also brings Period Action Day, a global day of advocacy and action to end period poverty and the stigma still associated with menstruation. Period poverty is a huge roadblock to women in the workplace, with as many as 36% of women reporting missing work due to lack of access to menstrual products. Looking at these numbers, women are more likely to miss work due to period poverty than they are to serve in a senior management role. Again, much work remains to be done. NFBPWC has signed on as a sponsor for the Good Samaritan Menstrual Products Act in the 119th Congress. This bill, introduced by Congresswoman Grace Meng, would encourage companies to donate menstrual products by reducing liability concerns. As we welcome fall, I wish you all a season of reflection and renewal. May we continue to practice radical empathy, uplift one another, and press forward together as the professional women we are.

EMILY VANVLECK
2ND VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVOCACY
NFBPWC
2024-2026

Happy to report we have gained five new members in the past month.

Total number of members as of September 21, 2025, is 450.

We would like to welcome:

• Stella Demmert of New York as a Student Member
• Melanie Rawls of Louisiana as a Virtual Club Member
• Rosado Nadiya of California as a NFBPWC Member
• Faith Stephens of Pennsylvania as a Virtual Club Member
• Linda Wiegand of Ohio as a Virtual Club Member

Please attend the two-day jamboree on October 10 and 11, 2025, organized by the L3 committee. As it is open to members and non-members, it is an excellent opportunity to recruit new members.

The link to register is: https://www.nfbpwc.org/event-6263003?CalendarViewType=1&SelectedDate=9/23/2025.

The next membership meeting will be on Thursday October 23 at 5:00 pm PST/8:00 pm EST. This is INSTEAD OF the previously scheduled Monday, October 20th meeting, which has been rescheduled due to observation of Indian New Year’s Day.

MARIA DESOUSA
FIRST VICE PRESIDENT
MEMBERSHIP

Sometimes life lies heavy on us. This seems to be increasingly true as we balance among various screens, talk to friends, family, colleagues and others on virtual platforms, and gather the news curated for us by an AI we have inadvertently trained to cater to our apparent preferences and opinions. A friend with whom I was speaking was obviously under a lot of emotional stress – when asked she said she had seen images of Russian tanks flying both Russian and American flags heading into Ukraine. Are these images real? Are they fake? A bad joke? Other people on the call began to cry as they thought about the humiliation they felt thinking of the images. Another person brought up the insult to women associated with Ghislaine Maxwell being moved to a “penthouse suite jail” as she termed it. The first friend suggested that maybe the move was a reward for providing more information on high ranking persons who were part of the Epstein group, and possibly a good thing. No one else had put two and two together.

We are clearly on emotional hair-triggers. We have simplified the world into good and bad things, and we take what we hear and see at face value, allowing ourselves to be stressed, to be angry, to be exhausted by fear – or to close off. Over-reacting is bad for our health. Closing off is bad for us in many other ways. Ending friendships because of differences in political opinions is sad.

After WWII people castigated those citizens who turned in families whose attributes made them eligible for concentration camps – Jews, Lutherans, Homosexuals, Gypsies, Handicapped people were denounced by over-zealous persons. Other citizens survived by being available to the occupiers. Many people just kept quiet and worked on surviving. Afterwards, they were all accused of collaborating. We are again accusing people of collaborating – but we do not understand that they are fed different news than we are, that they have completely different perceptions of the world around them. No two people get exactly the same newsfeed. A sobering concept.

I have to ask myself whether I have learned anything useful in 68 years. My dad, a career diplomat (representing the country, not the political parties in it) would balance his analysis carefully, looking at both sides. My husband, an investigative journalist, would find a contentious news story, and then set about evaluating it – he would call the embassy of a country for official comment, he would call members of opposing groups for their comments, he would speak to people from the country for their comments, he would get a business opinion, and he would look at history. He also would check the world press – what did Xinhua, Pravda, the Dawn of India, the Kenya Times and the local papers in Peru or Argentina say on the subject. Only then would he present the premise, provide the pros, the cons, the history, and the economic and geopolitical realities. It was up to the reader to make an intelligent and informed decision.

Today, I read a news item or watch a news clip, and ask myself – who benefits? I also ask – who paid for the information to be presented? I keep a right-wing and a left-wing laptop and am amused at how different the news feed is on each (pricing is also surprisingly different, for example for air fares). I am careful to care about issues – not about emotions intended to sway me. I advocate for women, for migrants, against human trafficking at a transnational scale – in an intentional and fact-based manner – with information I double check, and using a cross section of facts.

Ask yourself: Who benefits? From you being miserable, distracted, disengaged, and opted out? Who benefits from our social fragmentation? Who benefits from us not listening to one another, but racing to question the other, and harangue them with our opinions? Do we benefit from letting vocal minorities impose their truths? Or can we benefit more from open, friendly, informed discussion? I ask this of myself all the time. I need help gaining better understanding.

My email – secretary@nfbpwc.org is always open! Thank you!

Nermin K. Ahmad
NFBPWC Secretary
2024-2026

Living the Biennial Theme

President Barbara Bozeman’s 2024-26 theme: “Connecting Locally. Uniting Nationally. Igniting Globally.” is an inspiration for my magazine article this month.

Connecting Locally

In early August, I found myself traveling the 325 miles from Southwest Colorado to Northeast Colorado for a weekend festival with my husband to celebrate our anniversary. Many of our Colorado members live in the Front Range area and although my time was limited and my plans were concrete, I missed my BPW sisters after our wonderful conference in Pennsylvania. As it happened, we had an extra backstage ticket for the entire weekend and I immediately thought of one member who adores live music AND was within 15 miles of the venue. Kathy Kelly and I found ourselves enjoying some great musicians together as we connected over the long weekend in Lyons, Colorado.

We had so much fun connecting in person (outside of NFBPWC planned activities) and we likely drove my husband a little crazy talking about the ERA and women’s rights all weekend. We also enjoyed listening to powerful female vocalists like Brittany Howard (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brittany_Howard) and Anais Mitchell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ana%C3%AFs_Mitchellboth Grammy Award winners. The Rocky Mountain Folks Festival (https://bluegrass.com/folks) often highlights strong women and we were definitely in our element.

As I embrace the role of Immediate Past President, I want to connect locally with more of our members during this term. My gratitude for the local, national, and international network of friends and colleagues that I have found over the past 18 years as a member of this incredible organization. I look forward to seeing the friendships and successes that will come from this term with our newly elected executive committee, all phenomenal women.

Please continue to reach out to me personally or professionally as we continue our work to make NFBPWC a better organization, because together we are stronger. immpastpresident@nfbpwc.org

Best Personal Wishes,

Megan Shellman-Rickard
Immediate Past National President

September has always felt like a season of new beginnings - whether it's the start of the school year, the transition to fall, or the arrival of new opportunities. For me, this September brings an especially meaningful new chapter as I begin my term representing BPW on the Board of NGO CSW/NY. I am both honored and excited for what this opportunity means not only for me but for our organization, as it opens doors for us to strengthen our advocacy and deepen our global connections.

This moment, and this issue’s focus on Young BPW, has me reflecting on my own journey. I first joined this organization as a student intern - eager to learn and still figuring out where I belonged in the world of advocacy and women’s rights. What I found was a community that welcomed me, guided me, and believed in me. From there, I had the privilege of serving as Young BPW Chair on the national board, working to amplify the voices of our young members. Today, I’m proud to serve in the position of Vice President of Advocacy as a Young BPW member.

I would not have aspired to these positions without the guidance and encouragement I’ve received from BPW members over the years. Your support has been invaluable whether it was offering advice, opening doors, or simply believing in my potential. It’s a reminder of the power of mentorship and intergenerational collaboration, values that lie at the heart of BPW. When young women are empowered and included, they not only step into leadership roles but also bring fresh perspectives that help our organization thrive.

September offers some important advocacy events to recommit to gender equity. On September 18, the UN marks International Equal Pay Day, reminding us of the persistent pay gap that impacts women worldwide. Later in the month, the 80th session of the UN General Assembly will open in New York, where global leaders will once again gather to discuss pressing issues, including those that shape the lives of women and girls. These dates are a call to action for all of us: to raise our voices, to advocate for equity, and to ensure that women’s rights remain central in every conversation.

As I step into this new role with NGO CSW/NY, my hope is to create more pathways for young women to be part of these critical discussions—both in BPW and beyond. The gender equality movement has always thrived when generations work together, blending experience with fresh perspective. This September, I invite each of you to think about how you can help lift up the next generation. Whether it’s mentoring, encouraging a young colleague to lead, or simply listening with openness, every act of support strengthens our collective impact.

Together, we are building a future where young women don’t just imagine themselves at the table—they know they belong there.

Emily VanVleck
2nd Vice President of  ADVOCACY
NFBPWC 2024-2026

Dear NFBPWC Members,

September has arrived and with it, a season of incredibly energy for our Federation! I am so proud of the work we are doing together, and this month, I wish to recognize our Young Women in Leadership. These women are not just preparing for the future, they are leading right now with strength, vision, and courage.

Our Young BPW Chair has just begun her studies at George Washington University, continuing her education while still guiding and inspiring within our Federation. That is exactly the kind of drive and balance that makes us proud. At the same time, a recent conversation with one of our long-time members who reminded me of the importance of encouragement across the generations. Her words were simply but powerful: “never stand in the way of progress.” That wisdom continues to light our path.

I want to recognize our Young BPW members. Each is making her mark, contributing to our mission, and proving that our organization is at its best when women of all generations lead side by side.  Being a Young BPW member does not mean standing on the sidelines, waiting for a turn.  It means stepping into leadership today – bringing fresh vision, energy, and conviction to the work before us.  These women show us that leadership is not something deferred to later in life, but something lived boldly in the present.  Their impact is already shaping our Federation, and their voices remind us that progress is strongest when every generation is fully engaged. 

A September Full of Opportunities

Get ready! It’s a busy and exciting month ahead!

• Entrepreneur & Small Business: Spotlighting Young Women in Leadership
• Finance Committee: Grant Writing Workshop
• Health Committee: hosting a Virtual Health Fair
• NAC (Regional): “Advocacy on the Line: Crafting Position Papers to Spark Change!”

And looking further ahead, planning continues for the Biennial General Assembly in Raleigh, North Carolina in July of 2026. Mark your calendar now, it will be an event to remember.

This isn’t Goodbye!

As we celebrate this issue and the change of seasons, saying goodbye to summer, so too, we are saying so long to Michele Guarino – our Magazine Editor. For eight years+, she has carried the heart of our Federation in her hands, transforming what began as a simple newsletter into the vibrant, dynamic magazine we all look forward to every month. Her creativity, dedication and vision has turned our publication into more than just “pages” – it has become a living record of who we are and what we stand for.

While this marks her final issue as Editor, it is not goodbye. She is embarking on an exciting new chapter in Italy. Though oceans may lie between us, we are grateful she will remain part of our sisterhood as a member of the Virtual Club. With deep appreciation, we thank her for her years of extraordinary service and wish her joy, adventure and every success in this next adventure she undertakes.

UN80: A Global Celebration

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the United Nations – a milestone that calls us to reflect on the power of global cooperation. I invite you to:

• Read the UN80 article in this magazine.
• Visit the official UN80 page on the United Nations website to explore this important history and celebration.

Call to Action: Champion Young Leadership

This month, I encourage you to actively celebrate and support the leadership of young women. Share their stories, invite their voices in to the conversation and prepare from their perspectives. Leadership is strong when it spans generations and NFBPWC is proof of that truth.

Together, let’s be visible, vocal and visionary. September is our chance to shine. Let’s embrace it fully!

BARBARA BOZEMAN
PRESIDENT, NFBPWC
2024-2026

BPW Past, Present, and Future

I am halfway through my 2 year term as your Treasurer and in my 20th year as a member of BPW. My membership was sponsored by Maureen Harris in Corpus Christi, Texas who offered to pay for my dinner and change my life in 1996. Well, she and BPW did change my life.

I have served as Local Organization President in Corpus Christi and earned 2nd Place in the Young Careerist Competition in Midland.

I moved to North Carolina in 2008 and served as State Treasurer, Foundation Scholarship Chair, and State Convention Chair. I then became a virtual member of the NFBPWC-NC affiliate when I moved to Utah in 2017. I continue my membership as Secretary and Biennial General Assembly Committee member, now that I live in my hometown of King of Prussia, PA.

I am proud to say that I have done my part to help educate, empower, represent, and raise a powerful woman. I drink my daily coffee from my BPW-NC Red Coffee mug and have shared information about NFBPWC with my coworkers. My daughter, Diana, has been raised in BPW and has also done her part to educate, empower, and represent her friends throughout her life. She interviewed candidates in NC and asked them: "What will you do to get Equal Pay for women you will represent?" at the age of 5.

Recently, she mentioned that many of her friends have no idea the ERA had not been added to the Constitution and they were at risk of losing their freedom. She recommended they do research about the ERA and fight for their rights before they are gone. As you can imagine, I was very proud of her and the HALLELUJAH Chorus played in my head.

I hope you can look back into your past, enjoy your present, and PLAN FOR YOUR FUTURE by SUPPORTING NFBPWC in any way you can personally, professionally, and financially. Join a committee, attend events, share your experiences, and provide support for women in your lives. What benefits women also benefits men. We are all in this together!

Dr. Jo Naylor

NFBPWC Treasurer

2024-2026

We spend so much time looking forward to summer. When it is here, we need to be careful – the sun is increasingly dangerous, for so many reasons that we do not consider. Please note: I embedded links to easy articles. Please conduct your own research for more in-depth information.

First – Exposure to Heat. Hydrate, stay in the shade, listen to your body. If you feel tired, pay attention and rest. If your joints ache – hydrate with electrolytes (but avoid sugary drinks). Remember you are perspiring, more than you realize, especially if your skin feels cooled by passing breezes. Avoid Heatstroke, a condition caused by the body overheating. This usually happens because of exposure to high temperatures or physical activity in high temperatures for too long. There are a few stages of heat injury, and Skin cancer is always a concern especially as the ozone lawyer becomes lighter and the suns rays are less filtered. If you are fair skinned, screen for skin cancer annually. If you have more melatonin – your doctor may not wish to see you as often. This check up is a life saver, as when caught early, this cancer can be managed.

Skin care routines are important if you enjoy the sun. Hydrate before hand, hydrate and protect while in the sun, and hydrate your skin afterwards. This helps avoid the lines and dried out look of those who spend all their time outside, in the sun, and develop a leathery look.

Don’t forget your car. Never leave a living creature, unable to manage the doors and windows, in your car on a hot day – even with the windows open, or the engine running and the air conditioning on. It gets very very hot, very very quickly. Pets and human babies can die in the heat. A surprising number do, each year.

Consider your home. You may not be able to afford to keep it fully air-conditioned, in which case consider cooling down your bedroom for half an hour before going to bed. You do not need to leave all your air conditioning units on when you are not at home – this can overtax ageing grids and cause heatstroke is the most serious. It can happen if body temperature rises to 104 F (40 C) or higher. Heatstroke is most common in the summer months.

Heatstroke needs emergency care. If it's not treated, heatstroke can quickly damage the brain, heart, kidneys and muscles. This damage gets worse the longer treatment is delayed, which increases the risk of serious complications or death.

Next – you may be taken medication that does not react well to sunlight. Check the side effects and contra-indications on your prescriptions – these 13 medications enhance photosensitivity. Not only creams can have a bad reactions, some medications also suggest you avoid being in direct sunlight.

electric failures in communities. I find that either turning off the air conditioning when I go out in the morning and using a timer to turn it on before I get home is more than sufficient and save a surprising amount on my electric bill. Likewise – setting it at 84 when I leave, and returning it to 78 when I get in, keeps the home pleasant.

Think about your sheets – you are likely perspiring more than usual, and it may be good to wash your bedclothes and sheets more frequently than you might normally. Breathable cottons tend to be more comfortable than satins and synthetics.

Some people like hot showers at any time of year. I find that I turn the heat level on my boiler down in the summer, as I do not want scalding hot water. I also turn the on-demand water boiler heat down when I go away for a bit – the cost of always having hot water ready for use – when no one is there – is also surprisingly high.

Stay cool, think of your neighborhood and use a little less electricity than you might feel entitled to, and hydrate plentifully. You know you are not hydrating enough if your urine is dark – a simple trick learned from years in Africa. Sorry if it is Too Much Information – but it can help you stay healthy all summer long!

My email – secretary@nfbpwc.org is always open! Thank you!

Nermin K. Ahmad

NFBPWC Secretary

2024-2026