> News & Events > Pittsburgh, PA Area Business Leader Georgia Berner Named to WIPP Advisory Board
Pittsburgh, PA Area Business Leader Georgia Berner Named to WIPP Advisory Board
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 3, 2009) -- Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), the nation’s largest bipartisan women’s business group, announced today Georgia Berner, President of Berner International Corp., has been named to WIPP’s Executive Advisory Board
“We are proud to add Georgia Berner to our executive advisory board, as Co-Chair of the Healthcare Committee” said WIPP President and Co-founder Barbara Kasoff. “As a strong business leader in the national women’s business community, Georgia understands and exemplifies the importance in engaging women business owners in the political and public policy process and knows how legislation can impact a company’s bottom line and ability to grow.”
As a member of WIPP’s Executive Advisory Board, Georgia Berner will provide strategic counsel on strengthening the impact of women business owners at the federal legislative and executive levels, bring her unique perspective on top economic growth concerns to our nation’s political leaders and activate this quickly-growing demographic.
Georgia is also a recognized advocate for energy conservation, social programs and philanthropy in the Pennsylvania region, as well as nationally. She has held board positions for the Federal Reserve Bank, Pittsburgh branch, the Lawrence County Economic Development Corporation, the Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) and for the National Association of Manufacturers in Washington DC. She also is an advocate for small business leadership and has been a part of several national initiatives, including the Wall Street Journal’s / Winning Workplaces Top 10 Small Workplaces. One of Georgia’s current initiatives is the WhatIfPost.com - a site she created to simplify and make sense of the health care debate in this country. It’s a site full of information that is meant to answer the question: What if we had a health care system that worked?”
Her board participation includes social services, manufacturing and industry concerns, women’s issues and the arts. Georgia currently serves on the board of directors of Catalyst Connection (Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center for Manufacturers), Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, Children’s Advocacy Center, New Castle, PA, Economy League of Western Pennsylvania, Adagio Health, Women’s Campaign Forum Foundation, Lawrence County Crisis Shelter and the Pennsylvania League of Young Voters.
“I am honored to help lead WIPP as an executive advisory board member,” said Georgia Berner. “In today’s quickly-changing business environment, it is increasingly important that the nation’s 10.1 million women entrepreneurs have a role in the political process. I look forward to working with WIPP to ensure that voices of women small business owners are heard by those in public office.”
Since its founding in 2001, WIPP members have testified at numerous Congressional committee hearings on issues that affect the growth of women-owned businesses, particularly access to capital, tax reform, affordable healthcare, and federal contracting opportunities. Also, WIPP members frequently participate in roundtable discussions conducted by the Administration on the economic impact of public policies on business. In September, 2008, WIPP published the Economic Blueprint, the Women Business Owners’ Platform for Growth a bold, comprehensive set of public policy expectations on behalf of the women business owner community. It represents our voice and interests regarding the pressing business challenges that require actions by our elected officials.
“Now that women have ownership in nearly half of all private companies and are growing faster than any other business demographic, the impact of women entrepreneurs on the political landscape is formidable. With involved business owners like Georgia on our executive advisory board, WIPP is leading the way to ensure women’s voices are heard in the halls of Congress, the White House and federal agencies,' said Kasoff.
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Women Impacting Public Policy:
Women Impacting Public Policy is a non-profit, national bipartisan group with over half-a-million members. WIPP is The Collective Voice in Washington, DC, for 48 national women and small business organizations. WIPP strengthens its member’s participation in the legislative process, creates economic opportunities for members and builds alliances with other small business organizations. Visit www.wipp.org.
