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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1024]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF WOMEN & HI TECH
______
HON. SUSAN W. BROOKS
of indiana
in the house of representatives
Friday, August 2, 2019
Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of
the 20th anniversary of the Indiana based nonprofit, Women & Hi Tech.
Founded in 1999, the organization seeks to promote the participation of
women in science and technology fields, and to ensure that
opportunities in STEM jobs are equally inclusive for all. The
organization has demonstrated consistent leadership in our community
and helped open doors for many women. The people of the Fifth
Congressional District are grateful for Women & Hi Tech, and it is my
pleasure to congratulate the organization in celebration of this
special occasion.
In 1999, two women leaders in our community, Joyce Gustafson, a
scientist working for Eli Lilly, and Georgia Miller, an academic at
Indiana University, discovered that there were few women like
themselves working in high tech jobs in Indiana. Together, they sought
to create an organization that would fill the gaps they saw in women
leaders in the Indianapolis area. Their initial launch saw much support
from the community, including many professionals in a wide variety of
industries. The first Board of Directors of Women & Hi Tech included
Jennifer Sander, Donna Gastevich, Jamie Eicher, Lisa Robertson,
Jennifer Scheerer, Sue Ream, Suzanne Nutter, Cindy Royer, and Julie
Nahvi. Other significant contributions to Women & Hi Tech in its
infancy were provided by Susan E. Ziel, Esq., a female attorney who
drafted and filed the organization's incorporation documents, and other
women and men who have served on the organization's all-volunteer Board
of Directors over the years.
With a mission to make careers in STEM equally inclusive to all,
Women & Hi Tech has grown its membership to nearly 2,000 professionals
and students. Their focus is broad. Some programs support girls as
young as kindergarten, while others support women in academic careers
and on to their professional lives. Programs like Passport to Hi-Tech
and Ignite Your Superpower (IYS) teach young girls about the wide
variety of opportunities available to them in science and technology
fields, while simultaneously connecting them with leaders already
working in those fields. Other programs including OperationAll,
Executive Women's Forums and the Leading Light Awards focus on working
professionals, educating and empowering them to achieve higher in their
careers. They also hold seasonal networking events, which are held at
notable locations around Indiana like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
and serve to reinforce their already robust series of education and
empowerment programs.
Women & Hi Tech continues to invest into the future of our community
through their efforts to build lasting partnerships with local
businesses. These partnerships give the organization a unique ability
to support women in a wide variety of industries, and for a wide
variety of purposes. For example, as part of their #WHT20for20
campaign, Women & Hi Tech will be donating over $30,000 in scholarships
and grants to Indiana women and girls pursuing STEM. Directed primarily
at women pursuing academic goals, these funds open doors and provide
opportunities that are of immense value. It is programs like this that
allow the organization to attract a large number of professionals and
students, from across many sectors of our economy, to its ranks.
Women & Hi Tech has done, and continues to do, great things for the
people of Indiana. Under the leadership of President Angela Freeman, I
am confident that the organization will continue growing and
succeeding. Many of the most influential leaders in our community give
their time to help this organization succeed, and it is my great
pleasure to congratulate Women & Hi Tech on 20 years of service. I
commend them on their continuing mission of empowerment of women
leaders in our community, and I wish them all the best in their future
endeavors.
____________________