International Women's Forum - Connecticut Members Honored In Community, Government & Business Forums

NEW YORK, NY, April 27, 2013

It's been a busy spring for the Connecticut members of the International Women's Forum! Members of the Forum's talented membership have been recognized by business and community groups, governmental bodies, and other organizations for their amazing talents and contributions.

IWF-CT President Valarie Gelb, will be holding office hours for a select number of startups on April 24th to offer one-on-one mentorship as part of Launching with the Stars - CTNext. Ms. Gelb is the former Chief Sales Development Officer of MasterCard Worldwide and current CEO of. TheBarnYardGroup, a engagement solutions firm in Stamford, CT. Creating bridges between the corporate and non-profit world is the strength Ms. Gelb brings to TheBarnYardGroup. Previously, Ms. Gelb served as the first Chief Sales Development Officer and as a member of its Executive Management Council at MasterCard Worldwide. She offers expertise in financial services, P&L management, business turnarounds, strategic and team leadership. Her experience managing and leading a sales force in 210 countries and territories prepared her to continue her life's passion for the advancement and education of women around the globe. She served as interim Chief Executive Officer for the Global Fund for Women, the largest grant-making foundation devoted to women in the world.

Ms. Gelb also has been honored by the YWCA Yonkers for the 2013 Spirit of a Woman Award. As the Guest Speaker and Inspiration Honoree at the April 25th awards ceremony, Ms. Gelb is being honored for her contributions and accomplishments promoting and empowering women.

IWF-CT Vice President Mary Barneby (Chief Executive Officer, Girl Scouts of Connecticut) was the March guest speaker at The Breakfast Club meeting on March 27, 2013. The Breakfast Club is an informal women's networking group in the Hartford and New Haven Areas that provides distinguished business professionals with a wide range of important and timely topics with a shared focus on networking and helping the needs of the group through introductions, business development and networking.

Maura Carley (President and CEO, Healthcare Navigation LLC) was recently appointed to the Connecticut Health Insurance Exchange Board created by the Affordable Care Act. The Exchange Board is a 14 member board chaired by Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman and includes nine government officials and five others charged with helping achieve the goals of the Exchange, to expand access to health insurance coverage in Connecticut. Ms. Carley's book Health Insurance: Navigating Traps and Gaps, was published in January 2012. When doing an amazon.com search on "health insurance," Navigating Traps and Gaps is #1!

Virginia P'an (Founder and CEO, Yumi EcoSolutions) is a featured panelist at Moffley Media's 6th Annual Women in Business event, "Building and Sustaining Your Business Through Innovation." This event, which features cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and prizes in addition to the panel discussion, will be held on Wednesday, May 15th at the Hilton Stamford.

Roberta Prescott (President, The Prescott Group) will moderate the Hartford Business Journal's "Women in Business" luncheon at the Connecticut Convention Center on May 2nd. The event honors this year's "Eight Remarkable Women in Business". A prior honoree, Ms Prescott will moderate a panel of four previous winners who will share their paths to success.

Pamela Trotman Reid (President, University of St. Joseph) served as the Keynote Speaker at the 9th Annual Women of Innovation Awards Dinner on March 19th. This event honors women in the workforce who are leaders and innovators in technology, science and engineering. Also honored are high school and college students for research and academic accomplishments. Over 150 women were nominated for the eight prestigious awards distributed at the Awards Dinner.

These innovative women are leading the International Women's Forum-Connecticut into the new global marketplace through their leadership, community involvement, and willingness to support and encourage fellow women in Connecticut.

More on CWF
http://www.connecticutwomensforum.org
CWF is an affiliated chapter of the IWF, is to bring together women of diverse accomplishment & recognition and to provide them with a forum for the exchange of ideas and experiences. Global Business & Philanthropic leader, Valarie Gelb is the 2013-14 chapter president of CWF.
Members of the Connecticut Women's Forum are women leaders in many fields, including finance, education, healthcare, consulting, retail, non-profits and the arts. The membership's rich diversity of backgrounds and experiences provides a unique camaraderie and opportunity for discussion and exchange.

More on The International Women's Forum

http://www.iwforum.orgThe Connecticut Women's Forum is an affiliate of the International Women's Forum. As such, all CWF members are also invited to participate in the IWF's annual World Leadership Conferences held in the fall and Cornerstone Conferences held in the spring.The World Leadership Conferences are global conferences that feature the opinion-leaders and decision-makers of our time. Proud sponsors of the International Hall of Fame, IWF has celebrated, through the years, the inductions of the world's leading female pioneers such as

Madeleine Albright U.S. Secretary of State

Christiane Amanpour Journalist

Shirley Temple Black Child Star & U.S. Diplomat

Lindy Boggs U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican

Dr. Linda Buck Nobel Laureate

Madam Chen Zhili President, All-China Women's Fed

Julia Child Chef, Author & TV Star

Gloria Estefan

Ella Fitzgerald

Anna Fendi

Betty Ford

Betty Friedan Author / Feminist Leader

Ruth Bader Ginsburg U.S. Supreme Court Justice

Katharine Graham Chairman of the Board, The Washington Post

Helen Hayes First Woman of the American Theater

Audrey Hepburn International Film Star

Jackie Joyner-Kersee U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist

Nancy Landon Kassebaum U.S. Senator

Billie Jean King American Civil Rights Activist

Coretta Scott King American Civil Rights Activist

Dr. Mathilde Krim AIDS Researcher / Scientist

Heidi Klum German fashion and lifestyle mogul

Annie Leibovitz American Photographer

Dr. Ellen Li Women's Rights Activist, Hong Kong

Maya Ying Lin Vietnam & Civil Rights Memorial Architect

Tzipi Livni Israeli Foreign Minister

Bette Bao Lord Author / Stateswoman

Dr. Susan Love Breast Cancer Advocate

Graca Machel First Lady of Mozambique & South Africa

Sandra Day O'Connor U.S. Supreme Court Justice

Ana Palacio Foreign Affairs Minister of Spain

Rosa Parks Mother of the American Civil Rights Movement

Julie Payette Canadian Astronaut/Engineer

Nancy Pelosi First woman Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives

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