HR0980 LRB093 22264 HSS 51267 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the
3 State of Illinois are pleased to congratulate the central
4 Illinois chapter of the National Association of Women Business
5 Owners on the occasion of its 25th anniversary; and
 
6     WHEREAS, In 1979, it was difficult to get funding or
7 respect as a female business owner; because of these
8 challenges, the central Illinois chapter of the National
9 Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) was formed in
10 Peoria; founder Charleen Bowe and other women combed through
11 the city directory for women business owners to invite to the
12 introductory meeting on September 19, 1979; the meeting was
13 packed; for many years, Peoria was the smallest city to have a
14 chapter of NAWBO; and
 
15     WHEREAS, Today, more than 10.1 million firms are at least
16 50% owned by a woman or women; between 1997 and 2002, the
17 number of women-owned employer firms grew by 37%, four times
18 the rate of all employer firms; and
 
19     WHEREAS, While the tide has changed in business in 25
20 years, there is still much work for NAWBO to do; the
21 organization offers a wealth of resources for women in
22 business, from networking and conferences to workshops and
23 seminars geared specifically to women; over the years, NAWBO
24 has served as a national lobbying force to bring women more
25 equal access to credit, since one of the biggest obstacles for
26 women interested in becoming business owners is finding
27 financing; and
 
28     WHEREAS, On Wednesday, April 21, 2004, the central Illinois
29 chapter of NAWBO celebrated the organization's 25th
30 anniversary; therefore, be it
 

 

 

HR0980 - 2 - LRB093 22264 HSS 51267 r

1     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
2 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
3 congratulate the central Illinois chapter of the National
4 Association of Women Business Owners on the occasion of its
5 25th anniversary; and be it further
 
6     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
7 presented to the central Illinois chapter of the National
8 Association of Women Business Owners as an expression of our
9 respect and esteem and with our many thanks for the
10 contributions the group has made to the advancement of women in
11 business in our State.