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Each year, 10 ABWA members are recognized nationally for exceptional career achievements when they're chosen as the Top Ten Business Women of ABWA. Each local group in the Association has the opportunity to have a Top Ten nominee.

This year, River City Express Network has nominated Tena Krouse to the 2009 Top Ten Business Women of ABWA. Krouse is President of Y Not Now, a marketing, team-building and sales training company.

She has been a member of ABWA and RCEN since August 2003. She co-chaired the Souvenir Program Committee for the 2004 national conference in Richmond and has worked on various RCEN committees. She joined the board this year as Vice President of Programming. She has helped grow RCEN and the association by sponsoring, at last count, ten new members.

Krouse received her undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Strayer University and holds a Masters degree in Business Technologies from Marymount University.

She has worked with RCEN at the Central Virginia Food Bank and on several Habitat for Humanity projects. She has volunteered at the William Byrd Community House and Embrace Richmond.

Tena says she is “a walking, talking billboard for ABWA. Any time someone asks where should they network, I ‘pull out’ my ABWA commercial!”

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Sandra Sylvester named RCEN 2008 Woman of the Year

Sandra B. Sylvester has been named 2008 River City Express Network Woman of the Year. Sylvester (pictured at left) is President and CEO of Superior Expressions, a provider of educational products and supplies to clients throughout Virginia.

She has been a member of RCEN since July 2004 and has served on the Membership Committee, the Biz Fair Committee and as Vice President of Finance. She is currently serving as President-Elect of the network.

Sandra has been a board member of the Coordinators 2 Adoption Agency and Business Network International. She recently participated as a volunteer builder at the Habitat for Humanity Women Build.

Sandra says her ABWA experience has given her “invaluable insight as to how to become a leader in my business, home and community.”

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River City Express Network has received the American Business Women’s Association’s most prestigious honor - the Diamond Award - for the success of the 2006-2007 network year.

The Diamond Award represents the fulfillment of best practices by an ABWA Express Network. Each year a specific list of criteria is published and those networks fulfilling those criteria receive the Diamond Award. Criteria for the 2006-2007 award year included minimum membership numbers, implementation of business- and/or market-relevant programs, publishing of a network newsletter and sponsorship of member attendance at national and regional conferences.

The award was presented at the ABWA National Women’s Leadership Conference in Greensboro, NC during the Awards Session on Saturday, September 22. Mary Foley (shown at left in photo) accepted the award on behalf of RCEN from ABWA CEO Carolyn Elman.

Groups receiving the Diamond Award also receive the official ABWA Seal of Approval in recognition of best practices in group management and will be authorized to display the seal on their websites and marketing materials for the period of one year. Just three of the association's 50+ Express Networks received the award this year.

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RCEN's newsletter, the River City Record was honored as one of the best in the country at the ABWA ABWA National Women’s Leadership Conference in Greensboro, NC on September 22.  The national award recognizes outstanding achievement in content, layout and design and ABWA brand consistency. Editor Marianne Lawrence accepted the award from ABWA National President Robin Necci (at left in photo).  The Record has received regional honors in each of the six years of its publication and five national awards.

Also in the elite group of five national award winners were:

Smoke Signals, Al-Lu-We Chapter, Oklahoma City, OK
Maia Messenger, Maia Chapter, Ann Arbor, MI
The Vine, Texas Vineyard Express Network, Grapevine, TX
News and Views, Vivon Chapter, Port Huron, MI

Click here to read the current issue of the River City Record.

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The 22nd annual Richmond area celebration of American Business Women’s Day featured the presentation of awards to two River City Express Network members.

Tena Krouse, President of Y Not Now, LLC, was named Richmond ABWA Area Council Woman of the Year. Chosen from among the seven chapter and network Women of the Year, Krouse was honored for her outstanding accomplishments in education, career and community involvement.

Receiving the Council’s Scholarship Award, Marianne Lawrence was recognized for her many years of serving as a mentor, guide and teacher to local ABWA members. Lawrence is President of Triangle Resource Group.

Read more about the event in the October issue of the River City Record.

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The American Business Women's Association has recognized River City Express Network's Corporate Partnerships program with articles in two of their national publications.

"How to Get the Money, Honey!" was written by RCEN Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations for the online Express Network Newsletter's September issue.

The September/October issue of Women in Business, the national magazine of ABWA, included an article on "Creative Fundraising" by Michele Compton, staff writer. interviewed for the article, RCEN Corporate Partnerships Committee chair Leslie Winneberger shared information on how the program works.

To read the full articles, click on the appropriate link:

How to Get the Money, Honey!                     Creative Fundraising

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