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Health & Fitness

MWRD Commissioner Patricia Horton presents proclamation to Women's Business Development Center

The MWRD Board of Commissioners honored the Women's Business Development Center during the Sept. 6 Board meeting.

 

Honors 26th Annual Entrepreneurial Woman’s Conference and Women’s Business and Buyer Mart

During the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) board meeting today, Commissioner Patricia Horton issued a proclamation to Georgia Marsh on behalf of Hedy Ratner, co-founder of the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC). The proclamation honors the WBDC’s achievements and is helping to highlight the 26th Annual Entrepreneurial Woman’s Conference and Women’s Business and Buyers Mart on September 20 at McCormick Place-West.

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The WBDC was created in 1986 and is a nationally recognized non-profit women’s business assistance organization devoted to supporting women’s business ownership and strengthening the impact of women on the economy. This year’s conference offers women business owners solutions to current problems they are facing and the opportunity to increase the profitability of their businesses.

“The MWRD was an early advocate of a policy which supports the legitimate aspirations of women’s businesses within its jurisdiction,” said MWRD Commissioner Patricia Horton, Vice Chairman of the Affirmative Action Committee. “We are proud to have been a pioneer in recognizing the economic contribution and attributes of business women in Cook County.”

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Since 2008, the MWRD has awarded 265 projects to women-owned businesses.  These contracts have included heavy construction and related projects, professional services projects and job order contracts. The value of these subcontracts is $104,939,151.

More than 50,000 women business owners have received one-on-one counseling, participated in workshops and entrepreneurial training, and taken advantage of other programs offered through the WBDC. The WBDC implemented creative and innovative approaches to empowering women and their families while striving to influence the larger political and economic environment in a way that encourages and supports women’s economic empowerment.

More information about the WBDC can be found at www.wbdc.org. More information about the MWRD can be found at www.mwrd.org.

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