Jennifer M. Swinney, CIT
March 2009
Let me be the first to say, NEVER underestimate the power of a NAWIC Woman! With our membership number quickly approaching 60, we are making quite a name for ourselves within the construction industry, and getting the word out about our organization.
We have numerous events already planned, and I encourage you to check out our Calendar of Events page for more information.
On April 4th we're walking in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure downtown in honor of our fallen sister, Olga Barnett who lost her battle with breast cancer this past November. We plan to have a HUGE turnout and hope to raise a lot of money to spare others of Olga's fate.
Additionally, in April we're going to Jenks, Oklahoma for our Regional Forum on April 24 - 25. This is a fun event and allows our members to really get to know the women in the chapter as well as meet the rest of the women in the Region (Texas & Oklahoma). There will be educational workshops as well as the business meeting to keep our members up to speed on what the National NAWIC Officers are doing, as well as get ideas from other members in the surrounding regions. This year's theme is "Denim and Diamonds" so we also plan to kick up our heels and have some old fashioned fun while we're there!
On April 27th we will be co-hosting our annual Golf Tournament with the Virtual Builders Exchange. This event is a GREAT time to "press the flesh" with other companies in the industry, as well as kick back and have some fun during the work week. This year our tournament will be held at the breathtaking Hill Country Golf Club. We still have teams and sponsorships available, so check out our flyer on the Calendar of Events Page. This is going to be a GREAT event that you won't want to miss!
May 1st is the second Certification Testing date of the year. Many of our members have signed up to take the CIT (Construction Industry Technician) and the CDS (Construction Document Specialist) certifications. These courses are offered through NAWIC in conjunction with Clemson University, and help to build and strengthen your knowledge of the construction industry, as well as strengthen your skills and understanding of the various phases of construction. Please be sure to click on the “Education” link on the home page for more information on these and other courses offered through NAWIC.
On May 12th & 13th we are having our first CPR & First Aid course offered by our chapter. This is a new idea presented by the Chapter Safety Committee to promote safety awareness in our chapter. The course is open to any adult who would like to attend, but space is limited – so be sure to register soon!
May 15th we’re taking a tour of the local Toyota Plant from 12:30pm to about 4pm. This is a free tour, and it should just be a nice break from work, and very few people actually get to see the behind the scenes of a manufacturing plant, so we’re very excited to have this opportunity!
That's just the next two months worth of plans! This is one busy chapter! Please feel free to contact us if you would like more information about any of the events listed, or would like to know how you could be involved in NAWIC. With all of the events coming up there's something of interest for everyone, and we want YOU to be a part of the fun!
Jennifer M. Swinney, CIT
San Antonio Chapter President 2008-2009
Jennifer M. Swinney, CIT
February 2009
This chapter set a goal to reach 75 members by the end of the year, and with already 49 members we are well on our way to accomplishing that target. This group just doesn't quit or give up on their objectives, and I couldn't be more proud.
As 2009 gets underway we're kicking off the year with numerous events.
On February 20th our annual Block Kids event will be held at Park Village Elementary School. This is our opportunity to present the construction industry to a local elementary school class and then they have the opportunity to compete in a "hands-on" competition to use legos and build whatever their imagination comes up with. We pick a winner and their project goes on to compete in our Regional contest, and if they win, they go on to our National contest. The kids are so inspiring and energetic. It's a wonderful and fun afternoon.
The first week of March is WIC Week (Women In Construction Week) and to kick off the week we're collecting food items to deliver to the San Antonio Food Bank on Saturday, February 28th in the morning. The end of the week we're planning a fun and relaxing evening of wine-tasting at Water to Wine from 4pm to 6pm.
Additionally, on March 11th we have our annual Industry Appreciation Night and we're fortunate enough to have Delaine Mathieu, news anchor with WOAI, as our special guest speaker! This is our annual event where the members bring their bosses, coworkers, families, etc., to thank them for their support and show why NAWIC is so important in the lives of the women they know and love. We will also be presenting the scholarship winners with their checks at this event.
On April 4th we're walking in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure downtown in honor of our fallen sister, Olga Barnett who lost her battle with breast cancer this past November. We plan to have a HUGE turnout and hope to raise a lot of money to spare others of Olga's fate.
Additionally, in April we're going to Jenks, Oklahoma for our Regional Forum on April 24 - 25. This is a fun event and allows our members to really get to know the women in the chapter as well as meet the rest of the women in the Region (Texas & Oklahoma). There will be educational workshops as well as the business meeting to keep our members up to speed on what the National NAWIC Officers are doing, as well as get ideas from other members in the surrounding regions. This year's theme is "Denim and Diamonds" so we also plan to kick up our heels and have some old fashioned fun while we're there!
On April 27th we will be co-hosting our annual Golf Tournament with the Virtual Builders Exchange. This event is a GREAT time to "press the flesh" with other companies in the industry, as well as kick back and have some fun during the work week. This year our tournament will be held at the breathtaking Hill Country Golf Club. We are planning for 216 players, so this is going to be a HUGE event that you won't want to miss!
That's just the next three months worth of plans! This is one busy chapter! Please feel free to contact us if you would like more information about any of the events listed, or would like to know how you could be involved in NAWIC. With all of the events coming up there's something of interest for everyone, and we want YOU to be a part of the fun!
Jennifer M. Swinney, CIT
San Antonio Chapter President 2008-2009
Jennifer M. Swinney, CIT
November 2008
The San Antonio chapter is FABULOUS! I couldn't have asked for a better group of women. Upon returning from National Convention in Las Vegas, we have installed the new board, held a joint board meeting to "pass the torch," encouraged all our members to renew their membership and had a 60% retention rate, conducted a general meeting with 2 new members and 8 guests, and we've just received notification that 2 more wonderful new members have joined. Needless to say, NAWIC doesn't allow for ANY rest, but I couldn't be happier or more excited about being this tired already!
I am fortunate to be working with the unbelievable women of this chapter. All of our chapter committees were filled immediately (without any begging, pleading, crying, promising-of-first-borns, or bribery!). This group is already so active and energetic that it's really making my job easier.
Sandee Morgan eagerly stepped up to head the membership committee. We've set our goal to reach 75 members by the end of September, and Sandee has started a membership contest to run the entire year, as well as a monthly drawing for a fantastic prize at each meeting for those members that bring a guest. She is really thinking outside the box and I know that with her unique ideas we'll achieve our goal!
Dawn Holmes volunteered to chair the Christmas committee again this year and is coordinating a mystery dinner theater at Dave and Busters. After the overwhelming success of last year's event where seats were limited and we had to turn people away, this year she has reserved the entire room, and we're hoping for a full house of sleuths to try to guess "who dunnit."
Kim Miller, Kari Wirth, and Sandee Morgan are serving on the Construct-a-Kids Christmas Gala committee, and many of our members have already donated terrific auction items. This is a committee held by numerous associations within the construction community, and it's a fantastic opportunity for our chapter to market NAWIC, as well as help provide and deliver wonderful gifts to a group of most deserving children. It really brings to heart the true meaning of Christmas, and I feel so honored that we are a part of something so pure and heartfelt during the holiday season.
This year we're hoping to hold two fundraisers. Our annual golf tournament in partnership with The Builders Exchange of Texas in the early Spring, as well as a "Casino Night" in the early Fall. It's a tall order, but I'm incredibly optimistic that with this chapter of amazing women we'll achieve full success!
Overall, I believe this is going to be a fun and exciting year to be in the San Antonio Chapter of NAWIC, and I'm honored to have been elected to serve as President.
Jennifer M. Swinney, CIT
San Antonio Chapter President 2008-2009
