Professional women of Winston-Salem (PWWS) is an energetic organization with more than 100 members who include professonal women in the community from all disciplines.
Throughout the years, leadership has continued to strive to establish goals to meet the needs of its organization, recruit new members and maintain a superior level of standards for meeting programs.
Members meet monthly to network and learn from speakers selected to complement the goals of the group.
PWWS is pleased to sponsor the PWWS Scholarship Fund designed to enhance the lives of women in the local community. We are also strong supporters of helping others through community service initiatives.
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Our Mission
The purpose of Professional Women of Winston-Salem (PWWS) is to stimulate professional and personal growth and development through a community of women who support each other in becoming more effective in the business world by offering opportunities to exchange resources and new ideas, make new contacts, and open new lines of communication. |
In the summer of 1990, a small group of professional women in Winston-Salem spearheaded by Janice Kerley and Karen Bunch met to formulate a plan for an organization geared toward female professionals in the Winston-Salem area.
Others involved in that process were Marge Becker, Nancy Ellison, Jeryn Freeman, Leslie Martin, Liz Martin, Pat McPhail, Nancy Merschon, Christina Skeeters and Judy Vassar.
The first formal meeting was held on November 14, 1990, at the Piedmont Club.
Following the first meeting, the dedicated group of women discussed and revised areas that could be improved. One was a change in the original intent to be a local chapter affiliate of the National Association of Female Executives (NAFE). The charter members quickly learned that affiliation with NAFE was not important and made membership optional.
Since that fall day in 1990, PWWS has had significant growth primarily due to the hard work of its members in recruitment and maintaining the high standards of monthly meeting programs.
PWWS has been led by the following presidents:
1991 Janice Kerley
1992 Pat McPhail
1993 Jeryn Freeman
1994 Milrie Lentz
1995 Barbara Chew (2 months)
1995 Milrie Lentz (completed term)
1996 C.J. Taylor
1997 C.J. Taylor
1998 Judy McAllister
1999 Marsha Smunt
2000 Hilary Kosloske
2001 Judi Lawson Wallace
2002 Cathy Seaver
2003 Amy Gardner
2004 Patti Fisher
2005 Rachel Morrow
2006 Jennifer Schiller
2007 Elizabeth Baird Barnette
2008 Cathy Howe
2009 Jessica Baumann