Keeping BPW Viable and Relevant

Three long time BPW leaders will discuss their experiences with BPW, why they are still members and their thoughts on how to keep BPW viable and relevant. They have been members of different state BPW organizations, not all of which still exist. The state BPW organizations that still exist have adapted their organizations, programs and processes to remain relevant in a changing world. The panel discussion will be moderated by Past BPW/FL President Jerri Evans.

• Sheila Barry-Oliver joined BPW in 1979, served as president of BPW/VA and BPW/FL as well as Chair of BPW[USA] Foundation, the only non-current or past National President to do so. Sheila is the Immediate Past President of BPW/FL and the current BPW/FL Program Committee Chair. Sheila’s career was in information technology and management consulting for four professional services companies for 28 years before earning her doctorate and teaching graduate management courses at several universities for 13 years. She is now retired, spending her time on non-profit boards.
• Bernadette (Bernie) Koval spent her entire working career at the General Motors Fisher Body Plant in Pittsburgh. She started in accounting, transferred to Labor Relations and Human Resources and also worked in purchasing, shipping & receiving and was a production supervisor, retiring as a Senior Staff Assistant to the Plant Manager. She is a volunteer queen: an elections poll worker, knitting hats for cancer patients, a Good Samaritan driver for her church, an usher at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and a member of various community boards. She is active in and a PSP of BPW/PA as well as attending BPW/Englewood-Venice activities when in Florida as a snowbird.
• JoEtta Wickliffe’s work experience was a 45 year career in banking. She was the President and Chief Executive Officer for 30 years of a Community Bank in Kentucky. She also served and continues to serve on numerous non-profit and community boards. JoEtta served as National President, State President, and local president and has been a member since 1968. She is a local organization (LO) member of BPW/KY, serving as her LO president, and a member at large of BPW/FL.
  

The three panelists have a linked BPW history: Bernie and Sheila were state presidents the year that JoEtta was national president (1992-1993).